Sugary Sweet Hallmark Writing Prompts for Christmas

Don’t want to work on the manuscript? Don’t have a manuscript? Use these prompts to keep your writing skills sharp. Flesh out ideas and characters, try a new style, and just get that one idea that may never be a full manuscript down on paper.

Theme: a hallmark christmas

Write a comedic scene where Character A is purchasing a last minute christmas gift for Character B. But, Character B bumps into them and asks who they’re buying such last minute gifts for, and Character A has to either try and hide it or lie. But Character B is also buying a last minute gift for Character A.

(Have fun and get to know your characters better—or stretch your comedic muscles).

Write a scene where Character A and B attend a beautiful wintery Christmas festival together. Romantic or platonic.

(Work on your descriptive skills, create a strong atmosphere and add an uexpected twist.)

Write a christmas themed meet-cute. But Character A is hiding something—they’re secretly royalty! Unfortunately, Character B has just seen the morning news with Character A’s face on it and is having a great time teasing them without admitting they know. Except, there really is a bit of chemistry…

(A great twist on a classic trope, but does it end with happily ever after?)

Character A is back home for Christmas, and since they seemed to have had no luck with love this year, their mother has invited a surprise guest just for them: Character B.

(Answer the question: has Character A met them before? Is it love a first sight? Are they hiding something?)

Share your responses in the comments, or keep them for yourself! Happy writing! Merry Christmas!

haunting writing prompts for spooky season

Don’t want to work on the manuscript? Don’t have a manuscript? Use these prompts to keep your writing skills sharp. Flesh out ideas and characters, try a new style, and just get that one idea that may never be a full manuscript down on paper.

Theme: spooky season

Character A is telling the story of how character B was murdered, and how character A solved the murder and got justice for their friend. But Character A isn’t telling the truth. Option 1: They are covering up for the murderer (Character C as it’s a justified killing). Option 2: They are the murderer and put an innocent person in jail to protect themselves.

(Write this as a diary entry or newspaper article.) (Tropes explored: the unreliable narrator.)

Character A is called to a mysterious dinner, when they arrive they see a group of their friends that they haven’t spoken to in years. A younger character B, asks them if they remember character C, who disappeared several years ago on a camping trip. Character A and their friends are all now suspects of character C’s death. Character C is their younger sibling and they want to know everything that happened on that trip.

(Write this as a dialogue and atmosphere heavy scene or short story.) (Tropes explored: closed cirlce mystery and ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’.)

Character A discovers evidence of a dark family secret, but no one in their family seems to remember or know anything about it. Character A gets more and more frustrated as they ask all their different family members, but no one will tell them anything.

(Focus on character and tension here, make it clear everyone is hiding something.) (Tropes explored: the consipracy and isolation.)

Share your responses in the comments, or keep them for yourself! Happy writing!