Every writer or aspiring author can get stuck or freeze before a blank page or screen. AI prompts offer a concrete starting point for the pieces every novel needs, from plot to setting to pacing. This list covers ten prompts, each built for a different storytelling element, to help you build an outline before you draft a single chapter.
Story Plot AI Prompt
A strong plot drives your characters forward while keeping readers invested in the outcome of their journey. And yes, you will need to have clear stakes and escalating tension to keep a reader’s attention. Unfortunately, some writers stall in this step because there are so many opportunities to choose from.
You are a story plot generator. Your task is to generate at least 5 story plot ideas based on the following information:
Genre: [insert preferred genre]
Premise: [insert the premise]
Initial plot idea (optional): [insert info]
Protagonist: [insert info]
When generating plot ideas, return only the following:
- Story concept
- Main conflict
- Protagonist's goal and character arc
- Plot outline
- Optional plot twistTip: Need more help with your story’s plot? Try these 13 plot builder techniques.
Protagonist AI Builder
The protagonist is the ‘star’ of your story. Readers experience your world through their eyes, meaning their motivations, flaws, and desires. Plus, they carry the emotional weight of your entire story.
When your lead feels a bit two-dimensional or predictable, use this protagonist AI builder to flesh out your main character’s core traits of your main character.
You are protagonist AI builder. Your role is to develop a strong protagonist for my story idea based on the following information:
Genre: [insert genre]
Plot: [insert plot]
Theme: [insert theme]
Main conflict: [insert conflict]
Antagonist: [insert antagonist info]
When generating protagonist ideas, please include:
- Core idea and personality
- Goal and movitation
- Strengths and flaws
- Internal conflict
- Character arc
- Unique trait
- Relationship to the antagonist Antagonist AI Prompt
A story is only as strong as the force pushing against its protagonist. The best antagonist carries their own logic and motivations, making their actions understandable and even sometimes justifiable. And remember, some of fiction’s most memorable villains believe they’re the hero of their own story.
Utilize this antagonist AI prompt to develop a formidable counterforce to your protagonist:
You are an antagonist AI builder. Your role is to develop a strong antagonist for my story idea based on the following information:
Genre: [insert genre]
Plot: [insert plot]
Theme: [insert theme]
Main conflict: [insert conflict]
Protagonist: [insert protagonist info]
When generating protagonist ideas, please include:
- Backstory
- Strengths
- Weakness
- Relationship to the protagonistSetting-Focused AI Prompt
Setting does more work in a novel than most new writers expect. It shapes how characters speak, what they fear, and what choices exist for them at all. Try this prompt to deepen your story’s location and atmosphere.
You are a story setting AI builder. Your role is to develop an immersive setting for my novel:
Genre: [insert genre]
Plot: [insert plot info]
Theme: [insert theme]
Main conflict: [insert conflict]
Antagonist: [insert info]
Protagonist: [insert info]
When generating setting ideas, please include:
- Rules, limitations, or unique features
- Culture, society, or environment
- Important locations
- How the setting affects the characters Story Genre Picker AI Prompt
Genre sets expectations. A thriller reader wants tension and unpredictability, while fantasy readers expect an immersive and believable world.
So, choose your genre early, and it will help set your tone, rhythm, and even vocabulary. Use this prompt to pinpoint the ideal category for your book project.
You are a story genre AI picker. Using the information below, show how my story be developed in different genres. For each genre, make sure to adapt the plot, conflict, theme, and character dynamics.
Plot: [insert plot info]
Theme: [insert theme]
Main conflict: [insert conflict]
Antagonist: [insert info]
Protagonist: [insert info]
Return ideas for
- Fantasy
- Thriller
- Dystopian
- Horror
- Sci-Fi
- Romance Story Framework Picker AI Prompt
Narrative frameworks like the hero’s journey and Freytag’s Pyramid give your story the structure it needs. Don’t know which one to use for your story? You can use this story framework picker AI prompt:
You are a story framework AI picker. Using the information below, help me choose the best story/narrative framework.
Genre: [insert genre]
Plot: [insert plot info]
Theme: [insert theme]
Main conflict: [insert conflict]
Antagonist: [insert info]
Protagonist: [insert info]
Recommend at least three story frameworks. For each one, please explain the following:
- Why it fits my story
- How the major story beats would work
- Pros and cons of the framework in relation to my storyTheme Developer
Plot answers what happens, but theme answers what it means. For instance, a heist novel might be about robbery, but underneath it can be really about trust, betrayal, or ambition. Use the prompt below to uncover and strengthen your story’s underlying themes.
You are a story theme developer. Using the information below, help me identify and develop strong themes that could give my story deeper meaning and emotional impact:
Genre: [insert genre]
Plot: [insert plot info]
Main conflict: [insert conflict]
Antagonist: [insert info]
Protagonist: [insert info]
Recommend at least three themes. For each one, please explain the following:
- Why it fits my story
- Pros and cons of the suggested theme
- How it could be explored through the characters and conflictPlot Twist Generator
There are 13 types of plot twists. Regardless of what you choose, remember that it only works if it changes how a reader understands everything that came before it.
You are a plot twist developer. Using the information below, help me identify the best plot twist
Genre: [insert genre]
Plot: [insert plot info]
Theme: [insert theme]
Main conflict: [insert conflict]
Antagonist: [insert info]
Protagonist: [insert info]
Return at least three plot twist ideas. When suggesting a plot twist, please include:
- Why it fits the story
- How it changes the story
- How it can be foreshadowedScene Pacing Trimmer
Not every scene deserves equal space in your story. In a well-balanced novel, a scene that only moves a character between locations rarely needs that much detail or length. A confrontation between the antagonist and protagonist? Well, it deserves several pages of tension and dialogue. Use this prompt to give your most important moments the space they need, and keep everything else short.
You are a scene pacing trimmer. Using the information below, you will help me tighten the scene while preserving its purpose.
Scene Purpose: [insert info]
Characters: [insert info]
Scene: [insert scene info]
Identify:
- Repetitive or unnecessary passages
- Slow or redundant movements
- Weak dialogue
- Weak descriptions
Then, provide a trimmed version of the sceneChapter AI Generator
Book chapters are where you break down the story in digestible sections, giving your readers the natural pauses while helping you control the pacing and progression of the narrative.
You are a chapter AI generator. Using the information below, you will help me build/develop a chapter:
Genre: [insert genre]
Overall Plot: [insert plot]
Theme: [insert theme]
Chapter Purpose: [insert info]
Previous Chapter Context: [insert info]
Current Story Context: [insert info]
Characters in Chapter: [insert info]
Key Events or Ideas: [insert info]
Desired Tone: [insert tone]
Develop:
Chapter opening
Key events and progression
Character development
Conflict and tension
Important revelations
Turning point
Chapter ending and hook
Ensure every part of the chapter serves its purpose and moves the overall story forward.Final Thoughts
And there you have it! 10 novel AI prompts for you to choose from whenever you get stuck writing your novel. Remember, as with every AI tool, the key is to revise anything the prompt hands back until it sounds like your own book.