I am always looking for creative writing inspiration, and I think one of my favorite types of prompts I’ve come across is “three things” prompts. The idea is to take three different things- they could be concepts, ideas, words, colors, places, people, even feelings- and combine them into a story.

When I’m coming up with story ideas on my own, I often have a hard time with my ideas running wild and getting a bit messy. Short stories become book ideas and book ideas become trilogy ideas that I never end up finishing because I’m overwhelmed by my plot and lost in my worldbuilding. If you’re anything like me, three things prompts can be incredibly helpful not only for sparking ideas, but also for helping you to stay focused on just a few simple aspects of the story and embellishing on those.

This type of prompt is perfect for writing short stories, which is what I often use them for. Pick one that immediately spurs imagery for you, set a timer for ten to twenty minutes, and start writing without stopping- just getting down whatever organic idea is coming to you! You can always edit later.

Thring Things Prompts

  1. A dying fire, hair in braids, a secret
  2. Unexpected mail, a rainstorm, a ghost
  3. Terracotta, a man with a scar, the sea
  4. Barbed wire, a blueberry field, something lost
  5. A broken promise, burned hands, a boat
  6. Steaming hot springs, a boy, a mistake
  7. A sacred place, and old man, a warning
  8. Bad directions, a flowering plant, a strange person
  9. Sex, a broken teacup, a gem
  10. Footsteps, plans, something unpleasant under the bed
  11. A garden, friends, a small lie that gets bigger and bigger
  12. A memory, an injury, something expensive
  13. A taxi, a horoscope, a woman with red lipstick
  14. A basket, a late arrival, a recipe with a significant mistake
  15. Firewood, a faithful horse, a wound
  16. A unique pet, a desert, something that shouldn’t exist
  17. Bones, a lighthouse, a lost couple
  18. An assassin, a letter that’s not what it seems, being drunk
  19. Smoke, a bridge, ancient writing
  20. A license plate number, a job done badly, choking
  21. Risky business, a lake, a yellow rain jacket
  22. Adrenaline pumping through the veins, a coin, wind
  23. The smell of leather, a crow, a vivid dream
  24. A stolen item, volcanic terrain, a secret
  25. A dagger, a whisper, raindrops on tin
  26. Broken glass, a tattoo, the color blue
  27. A mission, a brothel, a cup of coffee
  28. Something moving, a lost letter, a pregnant woman
  29. A train stop, blood, curly hair
  30. A lie, the color green, something out of place

I'd love to hear if any of these inspired you! Happy writing!