Top 140 Tumblr Writing Prompts

Writing prompts are a tool that almost every writer will turn to at some point in their career. We all struggle with writer’s block and lack of inspiration at some point. There are many places you can go, but Tumblr writing prompts have a unique set of advantages.

Tumblr writing prompts exist in many forms. This offers a writer variety and keeps things interesting. Tumblr is home to a lot of fanfiction, so don’t be afraid of this either – as long as you’re not hoping to be published with it!

One of the biggest selling points of Tumblr writing prompts specifically is the blogging format in which they exist. Tumblr is a blog website – when you make an account, you automatically have a blog. Some may never post on theirs, but it’s there.

This also means you can follow other blogs. If you are there seeking some creative writing prompts, you can set yourself up for success in no time. You may also be able to access some writing help if you’re in need of it.

Simply find a list of writing prompt blogs, and follow them. Once followed, the posts from a blog will appear on your personalized homepage, or “dashboard.” This means that you can get regular and updated writing prompts from multiple sources all in one place without even lifting a finger.

With such easy access and fantastic variety, Tumblr writing prompts will no doubt help you learn how to become a better writer.

Writing Prompt Generator

Writing prompts are no doubt a fantastic way to get your imagination going. Once you have decided on some ideas, using a writing prompt generator will make the process much easier. At Squibler, we have thousands of writing prompts in our generator to spark your creativity. We also have thousands of writing prompts in our community.

Some Tumblr Writing Prompt Blogs to Get You Started

Tumblr is a huge platform, with thousands upon thousands of blogs. You will be able to find whatever theme your heart desires.

Here are just a few writing prompt blogs to follow if you’re looking to have an inspiring and creative dashboard.

OTP Imagines

This blog is for all you romance writers out there. OTP stands for “one true pair.” This writing prompt blog is dedicated to giving you fun, romantic, and imaginative ways for your “meant to be” couple to meet and interact.

Writing Prompts

This is s a versatile blog that offers several interesting features. The writing prompts themselves are unique and detailed. Sometimes they offer a fictional story idea. Other times, it poses questions or circumstances for you to ponder and be inspired by.

There are also useful quotes and writing tips attached to many of the prompts.

Witter Writing Prompts

This is a simple but useful writing prompt blog. It is updated daily with unique and inspiring writing prompts. Many of the prompts on this blog consist of dialogue ideas.

These can be helpful as a piece of dialogue can be inserted into a story of any genre, and used to keep a conversation or situation moving forward.

Drop Kick Writer’s Block

The aim of this blog is reflected in the name – they want to help you eradicate that pesky writer’s block. They do this by offering a simple but unique and inspiring writing prompt every day.

They aren’t detailed or fancy, but they’re enough to get the imagination going. For example, “write a piece including a game of musical chairs” is a recent prompt of theirs.

This idea is short but it’s specific. It can be worked into many different types of stories. It can be taken as humorous or made into something terrifying if you really want.

Sometimes, short and sweet is the way to go as it creates versatility.

Find Others

The world of Tumblr is vast. If these blogs aren’t doing it for you, there are some that will. With a few searches, you’ll be able to find whatever it is you’re looking for. This can include genre-specific prompts, strictly dialogue prompts, image prompts, or anything else.

Search for whatever you want, and peruse the results until you find something useful. Learning how to become a better writer is a long process. A solid variety of good quality writing prompts will help you.

The Top 140 Tumblr Writing Prompts

Tumblr writing prompts number in the tens of thousands. There are so many ideas and so much creativity floating around that platform. I highly recommend you sign up and check it out for yourself.

But, you can always get yourself started with 140 of the best Tumblr writing prompts.

Dramatic Tumblr Writing Prompts

These are writing prompts that can be taken in any number of directions. Drama and tension don’t have to be scary or funny to be interesting. A good drama with lots of conflicts can make for a compelling story all on its own.

You wake up in the middle of the night and see a figure by your closet. You figure it’s just the hoodie you hung up earlier and go back to sleep. In the morning the figure is still there. As soon as you wake up they cross their arms and say “You’re the first person to go back to sleep after seeing me. What gives?”
Maybe he had just grown so used to terrible things happening, but he was utterly surprised when nothing ended up on fire that night.
The monster under your bed grew quite fond of you over the years and refused to leave when you turned 12, as is custom. Instead of torturing you, he became your protector. You are leaving for college next week and he insists on coming.
“I win.” Was the first and only thing she said to him as they stood face to face for the first time in ten years.
You accidentally pick up the wrong bag at the airport. There is no identification. You attempt to find the owner using only their strange and unusual belongings as clues.
Monday morning you are woken an hour before your alarm by sirens in front of your house. As if Monday needed to be more annoying.
Your neighbor is a nice, old, retired man who you like to have coffee with once a week or so. He’s a collector – of illegal things. He doesn’t do anything with them, just keeps them in his living room. They’re great conversation starters.
Money has become obsolete, with food and work/services being the best bartering tools people have. Coffee and cigarettes are a close second, though.
All that remained of the ruined castle was a series of ornate hallways with no ceilings.
They hadn’t seen each other in at least ten years, and one of them was supposed to be dead by now. This should certainly be interesting.

Romance Tumblr Writing Prompts

Most people are a sucker for a good romance once in a while. Some like it mixed in with other genres, while others love to read a straight romance. I’ve included a few romantic prompts here to get you started.

But, if you’re interested in exploring romance more in depth, I’ve created a much longer list of writing prompts that are exclusively romance. It can be found here.

A notorious supervillain keeps kidnapping you to use as leverage against your superhero partner. The problem is, after all the time you’ve spent with the villain, you’re falling in love with them instead.
Your deepest, darkest fear has manifested itself as a human and fallen in love with you. For some reason, you’re into it.
A long and heartfelt love letter gets delivered to the wrong address by accident. The recipient couldn’t resist looking, and they are so intrigued by the sender.
You both find the same, perfect Christmas tree at the same time. You’re ready to fight for it.
A couple is on their first date and decides to have a picnic in a clearing in the woods. They are oblivious to the first few hours of the apocalypse.

Romance Template

If any of these romance prompts intrigue you, there is a fantastic romance-specific template available that will help you make your story as amazing and effective as possible:

Creating a proper romantic arc can be more difficult than it sounds. This template will ensure you get the structure right every time.

Fantasy Tumblr Writing Prompts

Writing fantasy is a unique experience. It involves creating a brand new world where everything is entirely made up and unique. It takes a lot of work, but the end result has the potential to be absolutely incredible.

You are working the night shift at Walmart when a strange creature enters the store. They quickly explain that they are an alien sent to earth to study the culture and society. They were sent to Wal-Mart as it is one of the most famous and well-known stores in Western culture. It wants a tour.
The dragon in your pocket is making a lot of noise and people are starting to stare.
You’re a witch who has been promised a firstborn in exchange for a powerful spell. It’s been a few years now and your customer still doesn’t seem interested in having children or even getting married for that matter. You decide to give her a little push.
No one wants to admit that they can, in fact, see the dragon in the house.
The apocalypse started when a unicorn fell from the sky and landed on my car. I was so excited about the unicorn, I almost missed the beginning of the end of the world. Almost.
She smiled as she poured yet another lifetime into the small glass vile sitting around her neck.
The magic disappeared from under her fingertips as she forced it into the ancient, ornate book lying before her.
You know it’s going to be a bad day when you wake up and it’s raining not water, but a thick, black substance instead.
You take a sip of the purple liquid before jumping off the cliff and into the dark abyss below.
There are some things in this world that simply should not exist. One of them is sitting in my kitchen right now.
You decide to try out that bar on the edge of town that you’d never been to before. You’re sitting at a table, sipping your drink, when someone stops dead in front of you, shock covering their face. They demand to know how you got in. Apparently, it’s a barn exclusively for fallen angels.
Two kids break into an amusement park at night. They just wanted to explore and maybe steal some candy. What they found was much more than they bargained for.
There is a garage sale going on, but they are not selling typical garage sale items. What they have available is not tangible. You can acquire things like courage, love, mind control, x-ray vision, etc.
An artist has been painting for years. Only now are they starting to realize that some of their paintings predicted the future.

Fantasy Novel Template

While no book is ever easy to write, fantasy can be one of the most complex. Utilizing a template can make your life much easier:

This template will not only walk you through the writing of your story, but it will make sure you include all necessary world-building elements.

World-building is essential to a strong fantasy novel. If your world isn’t complete and doesn’t make sense, neither will your book.

Thriller/Mystery Tumblr Writing Prompts

While often enjoyed independently, thriller and mystery do go well together. Solving a mystery can be exciting, dangerous, and plenty dramatic.

Thrillers thrive on tension and adrenaline. Use these ideas to get your reader’s hearts beating and minds racing.

You live in a town that rarely ever gets tornados. One day you do, and your mother is standing outside waiting and excited. The tornado is approaching your home and you try to convince her to come inside. She refuses. “I want you to finally meet your father.” She says. You see a faint outline of a man casually walking out from inside the tornado, which has now stopped outside your front door.
Desperate to save someone you love dearly, you use your power to cure their cancer. Everyone is asking how you’ve done it. It is starting to gain media attention. You are panicking because you’re now at risk of revealing one of the world’s best-kept secrets: magic.
You suddenly realize that your reflection in the mirror has a heartbeat.
It turns out, you’re the hero that has been prophesied for millennia that’s supposed to save the world and restore order to all the kingdoms. But, that’s the last thing you want to do. Instead of going after this so-called destiny, you spend all your time and energy trying to get someone else to take the job.
You can inherit the strengths, abilities, and memories of the dead by tattooing yourself with their ashes.
Every time you die, you’re reborn as someone or something else. Everything is normal, except you have an inherent hatred for the thing that killed you in the past life.
You get a call from a telemarketer. He only gets about 10 seconds into his spiel before you tell him, irritated, that you aren’t interested. He lowers his voice and says “Please listen just a little longer. If I don’t make at least one sale today, my daughter is going to die.”
You are playing fetch with your dog in a wooded area. You throw a stick far and your dog runs into the bushes to grab it. When he comes back he is not carrying the stick you threw, but a sword instead.
One day, all the superheroes of the world vanish without a trace. The villains have been gleefully wreaking havoc for five years. But now, even you, a villain yourself, have grown tired of the chaos. You believe they have gone too far, and are planning to become a hero yourself and stop everyone.
You jokingly type “thank you” into the Google search bar after finding some particularly obscure information. Before you can exit the screen, Google responds “you’re welcome” into the results.
The train car was abandoned and empty save for three things: A pocket watch, a leather bag, and three drops of blood on the window.
You are investigating a bunch of murders that don’t seem connected until you realize people are being killed according to their zodiac sign.
You are a con man that sells fake magical artifacts. One day you realize that one of them might actually be working. You do everything in your power to get it back from the customer before they notice.
You inherited an old chess set when your grandma died. Supposedly, it’s a priceless family heirloom. You’re pretty sure the pieces are made of bone.
You’re a detective who is investigating a serial killer. Everyone is impressed by your insight and ability to predict the actions of the killer. This is because you are the killer.
You’re walking down a busy street when you feel a hand slip into your pocket. You panic thinking your wallet was just stolen. Instead, you find a crumpled piece of paper that wasn’t there before.
You realize now that you won’t remember any of this in the morning. So, you start saying your goodbyes now.
You fell asleep in California. You awake suddenly, with a fuzzy memory. This is definitely not California.
It all started when we found the creepiest, oldest, most abandoned park possible. Of course, this is where we ended up. I need new friends.
You decide to redo the floors in your house after living there for almost ten years. There is a journal under one of the floorboards. It contains a list of crimes, with excruciating details and the date they were committed.
Her day started with a gunshot. It’s now midnight and she still doesn’t know who shot it. What she does know is that her whole life has been turned upside down in less than 24 hours.
She did everything she could to delay going home. She really didn’t want to find another envelope in the mailbox.
You return home from a long night out and find all your furniture pushed up against the walls. In the center of the room is a small cedar chest that you’ve never seen before.
Her living room was full of stolen jewels from around the world. That was not the worst of her problems.
You’re scrolling through an online forum when you come across a mysterious message that no one else seems to be able to see.

Thriller Novel Template

Thrillers and mysteries require a lot of action, suspense, and complex plot points. It isn’t always easy to keep things straight. Following a template can make this easier:

This template will make sure you don’t miss any crucial section of a thriller. Following the guidelines here will help you prevent plot holes and create an exciting, hair-raising thriller.

Horror Tumblr Writing Prompts

Horror is unique. Many can’t stomach it. The ones who can are often life-long, passionate, and dedicated followers of the genre. There isn’t too much in-between.

All you could do was listen in shock as the voice on the other line crackled, “Each month I will give you a task. Succeed and I will grant you a wish. Fail and someone you love will die. Do you understand?”
They sat behind the face of Big Ben and casually sipped their wine as the flames went up around them. The creatures had finally taken over.
A couple moves into a new house and finds a body in the basement. Almost dead, but not quite.
The town is bustling with murmurs and whispers. The abandoned house at the top of the hill moved a few more feet to the left overnight.
You’re taking a stroll through your favorite art exhibit – a collection of statues in the park. You stop to take a closer look at one and realize that all of the statues have turned their heads to look at you.
A mysterious fog sets in over a city. No one can see more than a foot in front of them. Except for the shapes – you can see the shapes coming a mile away.
The only activity the town had seen for months is a black cat walking around every night.
Suddenly, one headstone starts disappearing from the graveyard every day. It takes a while for anyone to notice but when they do, they start to wonder – are the bodies underneath disappearing too?
You’re sitting in math class on a completely normal day when the room suddenly goes dark. There is only silence. The lights come back on after about five seconds, and ten people are gone.
It tastes like battery acid and burns all the way down your throat. You force yourself to finish the drink while hoping and praying it’s going to be worth it.
The old house at the end of the street had been vacant and abandoned for decades. So, it comes as an absolute shock to the whole town when one day, a sign appears on the broken, cobweb-ridden front gate that says “enter.”
You’ve been living in your house for almost two years now, and you’ve yet to figure out how to unlock the basement door. You don’t really want to though, because you hear a lot of loud banging going on down there at least once a day.
You come out from the grocery store to find a note on your windshield. What is says sends a chill down your spine – “This is very important. Do not go home.” Do you listen or not?
You start growing suspicious of the forest surrounding your town. Does it hide more than animals when the sun goes down?
You wake up to find that the world has become non-existent beyond your front door.
Cars are too easy to spot from the air. So, everyone takes only the most crucial items and sets out on foot.
A dark, thick fog has been clinging to the streets and buildings in your town for as long as anyone can remember. It seems you’re the first one to ever question it.
A strange shadow follows you home. You do your best to ignore it, but it won’t put up with being ignored for long.
The world is ending and everyone on that particular train car starts getting really close. Getting to know each other is all they can do – the conductor is dead and the train won’t stop.
A group of overseas investors buys a long-abandoned ghost town due to the potentially lucrative location. They tear everything down and build fancy, shiny new homes. With the right advertising, they start to attract buyers. The town is soon up and running again, but with what consequences? There is, after all, a reason it was abandoned in the first place.

Comedy Tumblr Writing Prompts

Sometimes, nothing beats a good, old-fashioned laugh. Comedy is often presented well on screen as ridiculous visuals are easy to laugh at, regardless of acting or writing skills and quality.

Those who can garner real laughter through prose have a unique talent.

Write about an angel and a demon with their stereotypes flipped. The demon wants things orderly and perfect. They are calculated and always well-dressed. The angel is witty, sarcastic, and loves playing pranks on humans. Their wardrobe consists of ripped jeans and graphic t-shirts. They are best friends.
You’re a time traveler who takes prophecies/end-of-the-world predictions and turns them into widespread hoaxes that cause mass paranoia. It’s mostly for fun.
Caffeine has now been classified as a prescription-only drug. How does the world take it?
The Grim Reaper shows up and he’s a lot smaller and less threatening than you expected.
Your parents hate each other, but the two of you get along just fine. One day, you decide to make them all angry by pretending to date each other.
You’re sitting in the throne room, drinking a green tea latte out of an ancient golden chalice. This is not where you saw yourself ending your day.
A middle-aged alcoholic and a teenage girl team up to save everyone from all the bad stuff that keeps happening.
Write about a villain who uses ordinary office supplies as a means to carry out their evil plans.
Write about a baby who is somehow born with the ability to talk. They are witty, sarcastic, and brutally honest with no filter whatsoever.
A washed up, has-been rockstar finds himself at a renaissance festival.
Wanting to finish up a project before starting some new things on Monday, you go into work on a Saturday. You find that almost all of your coworkers are there and something very strange is going on.
You sell tacos from your food truck by day. At night you bring out all the hidden equipment and use it to hunt ghosts.
Birds love you and you have no idea why. Today, they won’t leave you alone and you can’t even go outside. It’s been years and you’ve yet to figure out why they love you so much.
Two teenagers accidentally get locked inside Walmart all night. They could call for help but decide not to.
All of the cars in your neighborhood disappeared overnight. What happened to them?
Write about a character who is a quiet, reserved librarian by day. By night they are a prolific and successful bounty hunter.
You’re the devil’s editor-in-chief, in charge of previewing ALL public content and social media posts.
Your father is the most successful farmer in the entire county. People come from all over the country because his fruits and vegetables are the best ever. You come to find out that he travels forward in time and comes back with all of the best and most advanced farming techniques.
Long-lost identical twins finally meet each other after being separated at birth. One is a vampire, the other is a werewolf.

Short Story Tumblr Writing Prompts

Short stories have a dynamic all their own. With little room for plot and character development, they have to be tight, concise, and effective.

When done well though, short stories can be some of the most haunting and thought-provoking pieces of writing out there.

The town looks normal. That is until you try talking to someone.
You end up in a desert where it never rains and footsteps never fade.
The train tracks loom in front of you, framed by trees and stretching beyond where your eye can see. All you can do is keep following them, hoping no trains come along and need them.
She gave it all up – fortune telling, treasure hunting, glory chasing. Now, they find her instead.
As ash fell from the sky, she was worried he had set the wrong thing on fire.
Screaming nurses were never a good sign in a hospital.
You tell everyone you’re relieved, but the truth is, you really miss taking care of that unicorn.
She only had ten seconds to make the decision. Unable to do it, she closed her eyes, spun around, and slammed her hand down on a random button.
Small items around town keep disappearing and reappearing somewhere else a few days later. You seem to be the only one noticing.
Overall, the cookout was a success. Less than ten people died.
Children have overthrown the adults and they no rule the world.
The Halloween party ended days ago, but no one can seem to remove their costume. The longer the costumes stay on, the closer the person gets to turning into what they dressed up as.
A new diner opens, the town’s mayor disappears, a stranger checks into the local motel, and 5 people die in one day. Are all of these things related or just coincidence?
A brand new drink is taking the world by storm. Is it magical, laced with addictive substances, or does it really just taste amazing?
Write about a cursed painting.
There’s a huge, international race that runners train for years and dream of winning. However, winning the race has horrible and dire consequences. You only become aware of this after you win.
Write about an all-girl rock band that leads a world revolution of some sort.

Short Story Template

Short stories are often much more difficult than they sound at first. It may seem easy to write something short. But, it can actually be quite a challenge to develop plots and characters in such a short span of time.

If you’re struggling to fit everything in that you need to, a template can help you figure out what you need to cut out, or what you may need to add.

This template will walk you through each step of a short story. It will ensure you don’t miss anything but don’t add unnecessary fluff either.

Dialogue Tumblr Writing Prompts

Dialogue writing prompts are a fantastic way to add some quick and easy movement to a scene or story that you’re stuck on.

Even if you edit out the dialogue later, it can at least get the conversation going and your characters moving forward.

Another benefit to dialogue writing prompts is the versatility. They are not confined to any one genre or style. What one person turns into something thrilling and mysterious, another can make witty and hilarious.

“Awfully bold of you to assume that I actually exist, but go on, I guess.”
“I need you to be less…. you. At least for the duration of this meeting.”
“Oh no, I’m not helping, I’m just here to observe.”
“I’m still not used to your new face.”
“I’ve always wanted to ride a reindeer into battle.”
“I just know that if I take my eyes off you for even a second, you’d burn this house down.”
“You said you know where they keep them. Can you take us there?”
“I just HAD to press the big red button, didn’t I?!”
“I’ve killed a man using only a copy of Hamlet and a computer mouse. I’m not afraid of you!”
“I’m only late every day because the stupid ghost in my house keeps writing on my mirror with lipstick.”
“I can’t believe you got your arm stuck in the vending machine AGAIN!”
“If you don’t stop bringing enchanted objects into the house I’m going to have to evict you.”
“Yeah if you can just drop me off at that next exit, that’d be great.”
- “Sir, you’re in an ambulance.”
“Is it possible to defeat evil without becoming evil?”
“You’re lucky I’m tired because if I was more awake, I’d push you off this balcony right now.”
“You’re pretty happy for someone who just found out they’re dead.”
“That seventh cup of coffee may have been a bad idea.”
“You’re not allowed to make pancakes anymore.”
“I lied so they wouldn’t burn me alive. I think it was a reasonable choice, given the circumstances.”
“Look, I have to go overthrow a branch of the government real quick. Can we talk about this when I get back?”
“If you change your mind, just send me the coin. I’ll know what it means.”
“I really don’t care to solve my own murder, actually. I’d like to just enjoy this lovely afterlife.”
“How are you always late?! You can literally teleport!”
“I said to set a small fire, this is NOT small!”

How to Write Tumblr Writing Prompts

In addition to using some Tumblr writing prompts for your own inspiration, you can try writing some as well. This is a way to flex your own writing muscles and spark some creativity in a different way.

You might find that you’re pretty good at coming up with ideas, and your blog could end up being a successful resource for other writers.

There are a few places you can start looking for inspiration:

News stories and headlines
Conversations
Signs
Photos
Ideas and themes from books
Your own life and environment

Once you have some good ideas, there are two ways you can create your own Tumblr writing prompts.

First, many writing prompt blogs have a section for submissions. You can submit your ideas and prompts here. If the blog owner likes them, they will publish them on their existing blog. If this happens, they will give you credit and include a link to your own blog.

Secondly, you can start your own writing prompt blog. The market here may be saturated, but the good news is you can’t put a cap on creativity. The writing community always needs new ideas so your blog will never become useless or obsolete.

Spark Your Creativity With Tumblr Writing Prompts

Not only does Tumblr offer endless amounts of writing prompts, but it’s a fantastic community as well.

Get inspired and connect with other writers at the same time. Share your writing, and compare your use of a prompt to someone else’s. Get support and inspire each other.

Take these Tumblr writing prompts and do with them whatever you want. Add to them, change them, switch the genre – it’s up to you.

Use existing prompts, and learn how to become a better writer by creating your own! The possibilities are endless on this vast and versatile platform.

Josh Fechter

Josh is the founder and CEO of Squibler.

Related Topics

Top 140 Tumblr Writing Prompts