n the digital age, writers are always seeking ways to enhance their creativity and productivity. One of the most versatile tools today is ChatGPT, which can act as a writing coach, brainstorming partner, or style consultant. To help you make the most of it, here are 20 prompt templates that guide ChatGPT to assist with different elements of storytelling. Whether you’re building characters, pacing your plot, or refining dialogue, these templates will help you write more vivid, compelling stories.
Why Use Prompt Templates?
Before diving into the templates, here’s why templated prompts are so useful:
- They give clear structure, so the AI understands what you need.
- They push you to think deeper about characters, conflict, theme, setting, etc.
- They save time less guessing about how to ask, more getting done.
- They help you explore aspects of your story you might otherwise miss.
The 20 Story Writing Prompt Templates
Below are 20 prompt templates, grouped by storytelling element. For each, you can plug in your own details to tailor them to your story.
1. Character Development
Template 1:
You are an expert story writer. I am [describe the problem or goal]. Help me create a detailed profile for a [age]-year-old [gender] named [name], who is a [profession/role] living in [setting]. Include their physical appearance, personality traits, background, motivations, fears, and key relationships. I want the output in a table format, with examples.
Template 2:
You are a writing coach. Describe a protagonist named [name] who begins with personality flaws of [list flaws] and must learn [traits] by the end of the story. What life events force this change? How do their interactions with other characters support or conflict their growth?
2. Plot & Structure
Template 3:
You are an expert story writer. Assist me in outlining a plot for a [genre] novel set in [time period/place]. The main character is [description], and the central conflict is [problem]. Provide a detailed three-act structure: setup, confrontation, resolution, including major plot points and twists.
Template 4:
You are a plot architect. Given the premise “[brief premise]”, suggest at least three alternative plot paths: one classic hero’s journey, one twist-heavy thriller style, and one more experimental. For each, outline key beats, pacing suggestions, and where conflict intensifies.
3. World-Building
Template 5:
You are an expert in world-building. Help me create a unique world called [world name] for my fantasy/sci-fi story. Describe geography, climates, political systems, cultures, religions, history, magic or technology. Include 3 unique locations with distinctive features.
Template 6:
You are an immersive world creator. Define how societal norms, class systems, trade, and conflicts shape life in [world name]. Give specific examples of everyday life, major festivals or rituals, and how magic (or advanced tech) influences governance or conflict.
4. Dialogue Writing
Template 7:
You are an expert dialogue writer. Generate a conversation between [Character A] and [Character B] who are [relationship] having a discussion about [specific issue]. Make the dialogue reveal their personalities, underlying conflict, and emotional tone. Keep it natural and dynamic.
Template 8:
You are a writing coach. Take this short dialogue: “[insert dialogue excerpt]”. Rewrite it to heighten tension, reveal subtext, and deepen character voices. Keep the setting same, but vary pacing and word choice to match the emotion.
5. Scene & Description
Template 9:
You are an expert storyteller. Write a vivid description of a scene in which [main event] happens in [setting]. Include the five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch), character’s actions, ambient details, weather, lighting, and the emotional atmosphere.
Template 10:
You are an immersive storywriter. Paint the opening scene of my book: The main character, [name], is [what they are doing] in [place]. Establish tone, mood, and introduce the central conflict. Aim for something gripping in first 200 words.
6. Conflict & Theme
Template 11:
You are an expert story writer. Help me develop an internal conflict for my protagonist, [name]. They are struggling with [inner struggle] while also facing [external challenge]. Describe how internal and external conflicts intersect and shape their decisions.
Template 12:
You are a theme explorer. Explain how the theme of [theme – e.g. betrayal, redemption, courage] can be woven into my story about [brief premise]. Suggest key scenes, character arcs, symbols, and recurring motifs that reinforce the theme throughout.
7. Style & Adaptation
Template 13:
You are a style adaptation specialist. Rewrite this passage: “[insert your passage]” in the style of [famous author or tone – e.g. Jane Austen, Hemingway, magical realism, noir]. Maintain meaning but transform tone, vocabulary, sentence structure, and pacing.
Template 14:
You are an expert in voice. Give me 3 alternative voices for my narrator: one more formal, one conversational, and one poetic. Show how the opening paragraph of my story changes under each voice.
8. Character Arcs & Relationships
Template 15:
You are a character arc architect. Outline a character arc for my antagonist, [name]. They start as [initial characterization] and over the course of the story, become [final characterization]. List key events that force change, the turning point, and how the protagonist is impacted.
Template 16:
You are an expert in relationships. Describe the evolving relationship between [Character A] and [Character B] over the story. Include early tension, moments of bonding, conflicts, misunderstandings, and their resolution. Show how their changing dynamic reflects the story’s theme.
9. Pacing & Opening Hooks
Template 17:
You are a plot pacing expert. Suggest how to pace my story with rising tension: show me where to place inciting incident, mid-point crisis, lowest point, climax. For each, suggest what should happen, what the stakes are, and how to escalate.
Template 18:
You are a hook specialist. Help me create a gripping opening scene or first line that immediately hooks readers. Provide 3-5 options tailored to my genre: [genre]. Make them suspenseful, emotional, or provocative.
10. Revision & Feedback
Template 19:
You are a writing editor. Critique the following excerpt: “[insert passage]”. Focus on clarity, pacing, character voice, removing unnecessary words, and improving emotional impact. Suggest edits and offer at least two rewritten alternatives.
Template 20:
You are a story polishing specialist. Given my full outline or draft summary of [brief summary or outline], point out potential plot holes, pacing issues, underdeveloped characters, and missed opportunities. Give me suggestions for strengthening each.
How To Use These Templates
Here are some tips to get maximum benefit from the prompt templates:
- Be specific in the placeholders. The more precise you are (names, settings, conflicts), the more useful the output.
- Mix and match. You might use a world-building prompt, then a character arc prompt, then revise with a feedback prompt. They build on each other.
- Iterate. Ask follow-up questions. If ChatGPT gives you one version, you can say “make it darker,” “show more humor,” “use more dialogue,” etc.
- Keep tone & genre in mind. Adjust style prompts depending on whether you’re writing romance, sci-fi, thriller, fantasy, literary, etc.
- Record your best. Save multiple versions so you can compare what works. Sometimes a prompt version surprises you more than your first idea.
How Templates Help (Case Study-ish)
Here’s a quick imaginary example of how someone might use a few templates in sequence:
- First, they use Template 1 (Character Development) to build protagonist Maya, a 25-year-old botanist in a dystopian future. They define her appearance, motivations (to save rare plants), fears (loss), and relationships (mentor, rival).
- Then they use Template 5 (World-Building) to map out a dying world where plant life is nearly extinct and technology is restricted. They define unique lands, political factions, and cultural rituals around seeds.
- Next, they use Template 3 (Plot & Structure) to sketch a three-act plot: Maya discovers a seed vault, faces obstacles (political, environmental), betrayal, then a final attempt to restore the environment.
- Finally, they use Template 19 (Revision & Feedback) by submitting their draft opening scene and asking for suggestions cutting down description, tightening dialogue, raising stakes earlier.
This process helps maintain consistency, escalate tension, and deepen characters, leading to a more polished story.
Conclusion
Story writing is an art and a craft and using ChatGPT prompt templates gives you structure, inspiration, and direction. With the 20 templates above, you can flesh out every part of your narrative: from characters and world-building through theme, conflict, pace, style, and revisions. Use them, iterate them, and mold them so they serve your voice and your story.
