If you’re looking for a way to jump-start your writing, try using a screenwriting prompt. A prompt is a sentence or paragraph that provides a starting point for your writing. It can be anything from a single word to an entire story. In this blog post, we’ve compiled 132 screenwriting prompts to help get you started on your next script!
132 Screenwriting Prompts
- A group of strangers stranded on a desert island must unite to survive.
- A young woman discovers that she has magical powers and is destined to save the world from evil.
- A group of friends embarks on an epic road trip across the American Southwest, encountering adventure at every turn.
- A team of scientists uncovers an ancient artifact that holds the secret to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
- An intrepid reporter finds herself embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy that threatens to bring down the government.
- After discovering a strange machine in her backyard, a young woman develops the ability to time travel and use her powers for good or evil.
- In a post-apocalyptic wasteland, two rival gangs fight for control over dwindling resources, pitting friend against friend in an endless quest for power and domination.
- Amidst an intergalactic war between humans and aliens, a lone pilot must take command of a prototype starship and lead humanity to victory against overwhelming odds.
- As she struggles to come to terms with her newfound abilities, a young woman finds herself caught up in a deadly race against time as dark forces gather around her, threatening to destroy everything she holds dear.
- Surrounded by enemies on all sides, a ragtag group of rebels rallies together for one final mission: to take down the tyrannical empire and free their people once and for all from its iron grip of oppression.
- A successful businessman discovers a secret passage to a magical land and must take up arms to save the kingdom from the clutches of an evil tyrant.
- A series of mysterious murders in a small town point to a brutal conspiracy that stretches to the top of the government, and only a young deputy can bring the truth to light.
- A young woman with extraordinary mental powers goes on a quest to save her people from persecution and uncover the dark secrets surrounding her hidden past.
- A group of high school misfits discovers they’re powerful demigods who can save the world from an ancient evil.
- After awakening from a coma following a terrible car accident, a man discovers that he has developed dangerous telekinetic powers.
- A young scientist ends up struggling for survival after a series of mishaps causes him to be stranded in the arctic wilderness with no food or supplies.
- A young man who discovers a magical portal to another world must find a way back home before the portal closes forever.
- In a strange new land, a mysterious girl sets out on a daring quest to rescue her parents from the clutches of a villainous warlord.
- Two sisters devise a plan to help their ailing mother make one final wish on her birthday: to move back to their childhood home.
- A scientist has become the prisoner of a terrifying alien entity.
- A young boy with a troubled past turns to the wilderness for solace, only to find that he is not alone in the woods.
- A young woman travels to a small town to investigate strange rumors surrounding the disappearance of a high school girl.
- A mysterious book is buried in the desert filled with cryptic messages that detail a dire future that might be changed with the help of a chosen few.
- A young orphan with no family and no prospects finds a new home with a wealthy man in an ancient castle, but all is not as it seems.
- After a group of teenagers finds a mysterious portal to an alternate dimension, one must find a way home before the portal closes forever.
- A young boy is determined to uncover the truth behind his father’s murder, even if it means putting his own life at stake.
- A journalist finds herself caught up in an elaborate government conspiracy and must use her wits to expose the truth behind the lies.
- A young woman discovers she’s been sent on a secret mission to another planet. Everything goes according to plan until the natives capture her.
- A woman is abducted by a mysterious man who plans to use her in his diabolical experiments.
- A woman attends a dinner party where she encounters a young man who shows her the dark side of her inner psyche.
- The ghost of an old war buddy haunts a young man’s dreams.
- After inheriting a strange, ancient oil lamp, a young couple discovers it’s the key to finding an incredible treasure.
- A young boy struggling to read learns he is the heir to a legacy of magic and must learn to master his powers.
- A woman is confronted by a specter from her past in the middle of the night.
- A group of friends must fend off a group of aliens from a UFO that crashes into their school.
- A young girl must uncover the mystery behind her mother’s death to save her younger brother, who’s in grave danger.
- A series of mysterious deaths in the local town leads to a larger conspiracy that threatens to destroy the small community.
- A gang of teenage delinquents learns more than they bargained for when they stumble across a dark secret that could destroy the world.
- An ordinary man discovers that he’s become the unwilling host of a mysterious and powerful creature.
- An army general must bring together a group of legendary warriors to form a ragtag army to fight an evil regime that threatens to destroy the world.
- A group of friends discover a diary from a young girl who lived in the late 1800’s and find themselves transported back in time to help her solve a mystery.
- A young woman’s recently deceased aunt appears to her in a dream, and reveals that her death was no accident and her murderer has returned to seek vengeance.
- A group of teens discover that their school is actually a front for a strange cult that practices the occult.
- A detective finds himself in a race against time to stop a psychopathic killer who is targeting young women.
- A young man with the ability to communicate with animals must help a pack of wolves fight to save their forest home.
- A strange young woman inherits a run-down mansion and moves in, only to find that the house has a sinister secret.
- A young woman learns that her father, who she thought was a lowly crime scene photographer, is actually a detective who works for a mysterious government agency.
- A young couple on the run from the law falls into the clutches of a horrifyingly strange cult, who force them to play a deadly game of life and death.
- A group of high school misfits uncover a conspiracy that threatens to take over the entire school.
- After a lone survivor of a plane crash is left stranded in the middle of the ocean, he must use his wits to battle a group of bloodthirsty pirates.
- A group of friends stumble across an ancient evil relic, which holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
- A group of prison inmates at an experimental prison for the criminally insane learn that it is more than just a prison for their crimes, but an actual gateway into a terrifying alternate dimension.
- A group of friends uncover a secret passage in an old mansion, which leads them to a magical land.
- A street gang in LA are secretly part of an ancient order that must protect the city from evil forces.
- A university student discovers that he is the reincarnation of an ancient pharaoh and must master his powers in order to save the world.
- A group of teens find themselves stranded in a strange cave during a camping trip and must fight to survive against a race of evil mutants.
- A man and his son journey across a desert in search of a rare treasure.
- A young woman finds herself on a strange island after she travels to the Middle East to study ancient artifacts.
- An uptight stage actress finds herself the victim of a curse that turns her into a hideous monster.
- A young boy searches for his father, who went missing several years ago, and ends up in a strange new land where he learns that he is part of an ancient prophecy.
- A young boy learns that he has a deadly allergy to sunlight and must seek shelter in a cave while his parents search for a cure.
- In a strange new land, a young man searches for the legendary treasure of an ancient king.
- Two high school friends discover that they are actually powerful demigods with the ability to save the world from an ancient evil.
- A young woman with extraordinary mental powers goes on a quest to save her people from persecution and uncover the dark secrets surrounding her hidden past.
- A group of high school misfits discover that they’re actually powerful demigods with the ability to save the world from an ancient evil.
- After awakening from a coma following a terrible car accident, a man discovers that he has developed dangerous telekinetic powers.
- A young scientist ends up in a struggle for survival after a series of mishaps causes him to be stranded in the arctic wilderness with no food or supplies.
- A young man who discovers a magical portal to another world must find a way back home before the portal closes forever.
- A board game designer finds out that the monsters, creatures and players he creates in his game are somehow coming to life.
- A strange meteor, which appears to be a fragment of a spaceship, crashes in a small town and unleashes a swarm of deadly aliens.
- A group of friends discover a strange, ancient vault that opens into a magical realm.
- A group of monster hunters must outwit a strange group of monsters and prevent them from unleashing a plague of zombies on the world.
- A young prince embarks on a quest to restore his father to the throne and save his people from a dark curse.
- A group of hikers stumble across a mystical field that leads them to an alternate dimension.
- A group of teens must fight to survive against an ancient evil when they find that their high school is built on an ancient burial ground.
- A group of scuba divers discover a sunken alien ship and are trapped in the wreckage, fighting to survive against the escaped aliens.
- A young man discovers that he has strange telekinetic powers and uses them to fight off a gang of punks who are out to get him.
- A young woman finds herself trapped in a mansion, which is actually a gateway to a strange new world.
- A group of prisoners must escape from a strange, abandoned prison before a mysterious creature hunts them down.
- A young man learns that he is part of a breed of humans who possess strange psychic powers and can manipulate reality.
- A group of high school misfits awaken from a strange sleeping spell to discover that they are now in their 40’s, but still trapped in high school.
- A woman discovers that she is a descendant of an alien race that was banished to Earth thousands of years ago.
- An innocent man is framed for murder and ends up on the run for his life after being targeted by the police.
- A teenage boy learns that his parents are actually undercover agents who fight to keep the world safe from supernatural threats.
- After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, a man learns that he’s actually an angel and that God has given him another chance to save the world.
- After a freak car accident, a man awakens in a strange alternate dimension where he is haunted by demonic visions.
- A group of teenage girls travel to the country for a fun getaway, but end up fighting for their lives against a gang of biker zombies in a small town.
- A teenager learns that he is the reincarnation of a legendary warrior and must fight to protect his town from a horde of demons.
- After being experimented on in a military lab, a man seeks revenge against the army officials who experimented on him.
- A group of college students end up in a remote cabin in the woods that is actually a gateway to another dimension.
- A group of teens are stranded on a strange island with no memory of how they got there.
- In a distant future, a group of colonists discover a planet that leads them to an ancient evil that must be stopped.
- A group of explorers unearth a strange relic which makes them the target of a cult of evil mutants.
- A group of hikers are trapped on a strange island, which is actually a gateway to another dimension where they are forced to fight for their lives.
- A group of boys discover a strange portal which allows them to travel through time to ancient worlds.
- A private investigator uncovers a conspiracy by an ancient cult to destroy the world.
- A group of college students are trapped in a haunted house during an overnight party.
- While exploring a cave, a man discovers an ancient artifact that will grant him immortality and power.
- A group of friends stumbles across a strange amulet, which holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
- A group of teens discovers that an ancient curse has caused the entire town to be trapped in an unending nightmare.
- A group of college students on a camping trip stumble upon a strange amulet, which transports them to another dimension.
- A group of enslaved astronauts on a distant planet must fight to survive against an army of space zombies.
- A group of friends finds themselves trapped in a house that seems to be possessed by an ancient evil spirit.
- A group of young adults discovers a mysterious road that leads them to a strange alternate dimension.
- A group of high school outcasts finds themselves trapped in a magical mansion where nothing is as it seems.
- After awakening from a car accident, a woman discovers that she is the reincarnation of an ancient sorceress.
- When zombies attack a small town, a group of survivors must find a way to fight back.
- A group of astronauts finds themselves trapped on a strange and dangerous planet inhabited by strange creatures.
- In an alternate future, a time traveler from the past goes on a quest to find his lost love.
- A group of friends stumble across a strange, haunted house and become trapped inside.
- A regiment of soldiers is forced to fight in a strange new world, where they must find a way to defeat their new enemy.
- A group of friends stumbles across a strange house in the woods, an alternate dimension inhabited by an ancient evil.
- A young woman stumbles upon a strange and powerful amulet that gives her the ability to shapeshift.
- In a strange new world, a group of high school misfits must fight to survive against an ancient evil.
- After a strange meteor crashes to Earth, a group of teenagers is shrunken down to miniature size by an alien intelligence.
- A group of high school students finds an ancient artifact that transports them through time to the country during the American Revolution.
- After a freak accident, a group of teenagers finds themselves trapped in a strange parallel dimension.
- An alien enlists the help of a group of humans to fight off an invasion of his homeworld by an ancient evil.
- A group of teens must figure out how to defeat an ancient evil that has come back to life.
- A group of teens is trapped in a bizarre alternate dimension where they must find a way to defeat an evil god.
- A teenage boy discovers that he has strange telekinetic powers.
- A group of explorers discovers an ancient spaceship that is a gateway to a strange alien world.
- After stumbling across a strange, ancient amulet, a group of teenagers stumbles upon a strange and dangerous world.
- In a strange future, a man fights to survive against an army of mutants.
- During an archeological dig, a group of researchers stumbles across a strange relic that holds the key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.
- A group of hikers finds themselves trapped on a strange island that is a portal to an alternate dimension.
- After a strange accident, a group of college students is thrown into a strange and frightening alternate dimension.
- On a distant planet, an alien race is forced to undertake a desperate and dangerous quest through time and space to save their home world.
- A group of survivors must fight against a gang of berserkers in a strange, alien world.
- A group of archaeologists unearths a mysterious and powerful relic.
- A group of shipwreck survivors awakens on an alien world, where they must find a way to survive against a strange, new enemy.
- After being exiled from his home, a man finds that he is the only hope for a group of escaped slaves.
Cinematic Storytelling – Why Should You Care?
When you hear the word “cinematic,” what comes to mind? Chances are, you think of movies. And you’re not wrong. The word “cinematic” is derived from the Greek word “kínema,” which means “motion.”
But cinematic storytelling is about more than just movies. It’s a way of telling stories that engage the reader on a sensory level, immersing them in the story’s world in a way that traditional prose can’t match.
Cinematic storytelling isn’t new. Its roots can be traced back to ancient Greece, where playwrights like Sophocles and Euripides wrote plays designed to be experienced as much as read. But in recent years, there’s been a resurgence of interest in this style of writing, thanks in part to the success of books like Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games trilogy.
If you’re a writer, chances are you’ve been experimenting with cinematic storytelling without even realizing it. But what exactly is it? And why should you care? Let’s take a closer look.
What Is Cinematic Storytelling?
At its heart, cinematic storytelling is about creating an immersive experience for the reader. It’s about transporting them into the world of your story and making them feel like they’re right there in the thick of things.
One of the best ways to achieve this is through sensory details. Instead of simply telling us that a character is sad, you might paint a picture of them slumped in their chair with their shoulders hunched and their head in their hands. You might describe the sound of their sobs or how the tears make their cheeks damp and cold.
Vivid language like this engages our senses and allows us to empathize with characters on a much deeper level than we could if we were reading about them on the page.
Another important element of cinematic storytelling is pacing. Camera angles, shot selection, and music choices control movie pacing. In writing, though, it’s all up to you. And that can be both good and bad news. On the one hand, it gives you the complete creative freedom to experiment with different pacing techniques until you find one that works for your story. On the other hand, it can be easy to get carried away and write too quickly or too slowly for your readers (especially if you’re not used to writing in this style).
A good rule of thumb is to start slow and gradually increase the pace as your story progresses. This will give your readers time to adjust to your writing style and become fully invested in your story before things start heating up.
You should also pay close attention to your sentence length and structure. Vary both of these things up as much as possible so that your readers don’t get bored or lost in dense blocks of text. Instead, give them short sentences full of action and suspense that will leave them eager to discover what happens next.
A Genre of Immersion
The simple answer is that it works. In today’s fast-paced world, people are constantly bombarded with information from all sides—most of them have very short attention spans. If you want your stories to stand out from the crowd, you need to find ways to grab people’s attention and keep them hooked until the very end.
Cinematic storytelling does both by immersing readers in your story world and keeping them engaged with interesting characters and exciting plot developments. If that sounds like something you’re interested in doing, give it a try! There’s no harm in experimenting with different writing styles—you never know when you might stumble upon one that works for you (and your readers).