Oddly Prompted

I call this page "Oddly Prompted" because it contains a list of odd prompts.

The prompts are generated by randomly selecting a story type, genre, occupation, scene location and scene prop. I throw them together into a sentence and voilà!

Here is a list from the odd prompt generator.

Click here to see the source of the prompts and to suggest your own elements.

---

2012 — 2013 — 2014 — 2015 — 2016 — 2017 — 2018 — 2019 — 2020 — 2021 — 2022 — 2023 — 2024 — 2025
Jan — Feb — Mar — Apr

4/23/2025	Write a Action-Adventure piece about a barber who travels for work. At some point, the barber must appear in a cubicle and encounter a trowel (not necessarily at the same time).
4/20/2025	Write a Detective piece about a locksmith who walks to work. At some point, the locksmith must appear in a butchershop and encounter a plumbing snake (not necessarily at the same time).
4/17/2025	Write a Horror piece about a carpenter who starts a band. At some point, the carpenter must appear in an operating room and encounter a barrel (not necessarily at the same time).
4/17/2025	Write a Mystery piece about a traditional tradesman who returns to school. At some point, the traditional tradesman must appear in a laboratory and encounter a gavel (not necessarily at the same time).
4/16/2025	Write a Crime piece about a chemist who gets married. At some point, the chemist must appear in a building wall and encounter a baseball (not necessarily at the same time).
4/16/2025	Write a Action-Adventure piece about a plumber who walks to first base. At some point, the plumber must appear in a room and encounter a soldering iron (not necessarily at the same time).
4/16/2025	Write a Mystery piece about a cooper who plays an extra in a TV show. At some point, the cooper must appear in a construction site and encounter a trowel (not necessarily at the same time).
4/16/2025	Write a Horror piece about an astronaut who coaches a little league team. At some point, the astronaut must appear in a chimney and encounter form tools (not necessarily at the same time).
4/16/2025	Write a Detective piece about an instrument mechanic who rents a movie. At some point, the instrument mechanic must appear in an automotive shop and encounter a t-square (not necessarily at the same time).
4/16/2025	Write a Detective piece about a construction who gets a job. At some point, the construction must appear in a machine shop and encounter a hammer (not necessarily at the same time).
4/16/2025	Write a Mystery piece about a watchmaker who has a part in a play. At some point, the watchmaker must appear in a workshop and encounter scissors (not necessarily at the same time).
4/10/2025	Write a Science Fiction piece about an actor who returns to school. At some point, the actor must appear in a workshop and encounter shingles (not necessarily at the same time).
4/9/2025	Write a Science Fiction piece about a solderer who passes out. At some point, the solderer must appear in a room and encounter a ballet tutu (not necessarily at the same time).
4/2/2025	Write a Fantasy piece about a construction who rents a movie. At some point, the construction must appear in a law office and encounter a guitar (not necessarily at the same time).
4/2/2025	Write a Romance piece about a fishmonger who goest to a concert. At some point, the fishmonger must appear in a classroom and encounter a barrel (not necessarily at the same time).

Resources

Books

Websites

Marketing Services

Publishing Services

Sentence Structure

Story Blurb

Character

Plotting

Narrator and Point of View

Scenes

Dialogue and Monologue

Editing Services

Grammar

Writing Community

Writing Contests

Writing Help

Writing Programs

Writing Tools