AI Prompts for Claude for Creative Writing

Help me develop a fully realized character for [DESCRIBE YOUR STORY GENRE AND SETTING]. Character basics I have so far: [DESCRIBE WHAT YOU KNOW: NAME, AGE, ROLE IN THE STORY]. Develop a deep character biography covering: (1) formative childhood experience that shaped their core wound, (2) their greatest fear and the lie they believe about themselves, (3) their external goal and the internal need underneath it, (4) their greatest strength and how it is also their greatest flaw, (5) their speech patterns, verbal tics, and vocabulary (how do they talk?), (6) three specific physical details that reveal character rather than just describe appearance, (7) the one thing they would never do and why that is interesting for the plot.

Help me develop a strong story premise. My initial idea: [DESCRIBE YOUR CONCEPT IN 1-2 SENTENCES]. A strong premise combines character + conflict + stakes. Help me: (1) identify the central dramatic question my story will answer, (2) define what my protagonist wants externally and needs internally, (3) clarify what stands in the way and why the antagonistic force is compelling rather than just evil, (4) articulate the thematic question my story is exploring, (5) identify the genre and the conventions readers expect vs. where I want to subvert them. Suggest how to make the premise more surprising, specific, or emotionally resonant without betraying the original vision.

Help me build the world for my [GENRE: FANTASY/SCI-FI/ALTERNATE HISTORY/CONTEMPORARY] story. Setting basics: [DESCRIBE WHAT YOU HAVE SO FAR]. Develop: (1) the governing rules of the world (what is possible, what is not, and why), (2) the history that created the present conditions (what happened 100 years ago that matters today), (3) the power structures and who holds authority vs. who does not, (4) the economic and social conditions the protagonist lives within, (5) the sensory texture of this world (what does it smell, sound, and feel like to exist here), (6) the one thing about this world that is most surprising or counterintuitive. Make the world feel lived-in rather than designed.

Outline the key scenes for a short story or story arc with this premise: [DESCRIBE]. Create a scene-by-scene outline using the structure: (1) Opening scene: establish character, world, and the flaw or wound in action, (2) Inciting incident: the event that disrupts the character's ordinary world, (3) Rising action scenes (3-5): each scene escalates pressure, reveals character, and advances the dramatic question, (4) Dark night of the soul: the moment when the protagonist's old approach fails completely, (5) Climax: the confrontation where the protagonist must change or fail, (6) Resolution: the new equilibrium showing what has changed. For each scene, note: what happens externally, what changes internally, and what the reader feels.

Write a dialogue scene between these two characters: [DESCRIBE CHARACTER A AND THEIR GOAL IN THE SCENE], [DESCRIBE CHARACTER B AND THEIR GOAL IN THE SCENE]. The context: [DESCRIBE THE SITUATION AND WHAT IS AT STAKE]. The dialogue should: (1) give each character a completely distinct voice (different vocabulary, sentence length, use of silence), (2) have subtext , what they are actually talking about underneath what they say, (3) advance the conflict or reveal something new, (4) avoid the common mistake of two characters taking turns making speeches at each other, (5) use action beats that reveal character, not just "said" replacements. Write 300-400 words of actual dialogue, then analyze what each exchange reveals about each character.

Write an opening scene for a story with this premise: [DESCRIBE]. The opening scene should accomplish: (1) introduce the protagonist in action, not in description, (2) establish the genre and tone in the first paragraph, (3) create an immediate question the reader wants answered, (4) reveal the protagonist's flaw, desire, or worldview through behavior rather than exposition, (5) end with a hook that makes the reader unable to stop. Write 400-500 words. Then provide a craft analysis: identify which specific techniques you used and why, and suggest what could be stronger.

Rewrite this scene description to make it more immersive and grounded in sensory detail: [PASTE EXISTING DESCRIPTION OR DESCRIBE THE SCENE YOU NEED WRITTEN]. Rules: (1) anchor every abstract emotion in a physical sensation (fear is not "she felt afraid," it is what her body actually does), (2) use at least 4 of 5 senses, prioritizing the unexpected ones (smell and sound over sight), (3) let the description reveal character (what this specific character notices tells us who they are), (4) use sentence rhythm to control the reader's pace (short for tension, longer for pause), (5) cut any adjective that does not add meaning a noun cannot carry alone. Show both the original and rewritten version.

Write a scene where the conflict escalates between [DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERS AND THEIR CONFLICT]. The scene should: (1) begin with both characters at a level of tension that has already been building, (2) use a specific triggering event that tips the scene into open confrontation, (3) escalate through 3-4 beats where the stakes rise with each exchange, (4) include at least one moment where the reader is surprised by what a character reveals, does, or says, (5) end with a clear shift in the power dynamic or a new complication. 500-600 words. The conflict should feel earned, not manufactured , both characters should have comprehensible reasons for their positions.

Rewrite this scene from inside the point of view character's head using deep third-person or first-person perspective: [PASTE THE SCENE]. The revision should: (1) filter everything through what this specific character would notice, think, and feel rather than reporting events neutrally, (2) use free indirect discourse to blend narrative voice and character thought, (3) make the character's emotional state visible through physical sensation and skewed perception rather than statement, (4) include the character's judgment, irony, or self-deception where appropriate, (5) avoid "she thought" or "she felt" constructions , show the thought and feeling directly. Provide before and after versions with a brief craft note on the key changes.

Write the climax scene for this story: [DESCRIBE THE PREMISE, THE CENTRAL CONFLICT, AND THE PROTAGONIST'S ARC]. The climax scene should: (1) arise organically from everything that came before rather than feeling manufactured, (2) force the protagonist to confront the lie they have been telling themselves, (3) require them to make an active choice that costs them something, (4) deliver both the external resolution of the plot conflict and the internal resolution of the character arc, (5) avoid the "rubber band" problem where the stakes snap back to safety too quickly. 600-800 words. Then write a 150-word craft note analyzing how the climax delivers on the story's thematic promise.

Help me structure a short story around this premise: [DESCRIBE]. Short stories operate differently from novels: every element must do double work. Design a structure that: (1) identifies the single core moment or revelation the entire story builds toward, (2) determines exactly when to enter the story (as late as possible while still establishing what matters), (3) identifies the 1-2 key scenes that must be dramatized vs. what can be summarized or skipped, (4) uses the ending to recontextualize something from the opening, creating resonance, (5) stays within a 2,500-5,000 word target. Write the scene-by-scene outline with word count allocation for each section.

Help me design the rules for the speculative element of my story: [DESCRIBE WHETHER IT IS MAGIC, TECHNOLOGY, ALTERNATE HISTORY, OR OTHER SPECULATIVE ELEMENT]. The rules should: (1) have a clear, consistent internal logic that the reader can learn and trust, (2) have costs or limitations that create dramatic tension (unlimited power is uninteresting), (3) connect to the thematic concerns of the story, (4) be explainable to the reader without extended exposition (the "show the rules through story" test), (5) have at least one implication you have not yet thought through that will create interesting complications. Also write a brief "cheat sheet" of the 5 most important rules I should pin above my desk while drafting.

Help me develop my story's antagonist: [DESCRIBE THE ANTAGONIST'S ROLE, THEIR CONFLICT WITH THE PROTAGONIST, AND WHAT YOU KNOW SO FAR]. A compelling antagonist: (1) believes they are right and can articulate a coherent worldview that challenges the protagonist's, (2) represents the dark mirror of the protagonist (what the protagonist could become), (3) has comprehensible, even sympathetic motivations underneath their harmful actions, (4) forces the protagonist to grow in specific ways, (5) is more interesting when their power comes from being right about something, not from being purely evil. Develop the antagonist's backstory, belief system, and the specific argument they would make to justify their actions.

Review the pacing of this story excerpt or outline: [PASTE EXCERPT OR DETAILED OUTLINE]. Identify: (1) scenes or sections where the pacing is too slow (overwritten, over-explained, or lingering after the scene's purpose is complete), (2) scenes where the pacing is too fast (important emotional beats rushed, transitions jarring, reader not given time to feel the impact), (3) the ideal rhythm for this specific story (is this meant to feel relentless, meditative, urgent?), (4) specific structural changes I can make to improve flow, (5) any scenes I should cut entirely because they do not advance character or plot. Provide concrete revision suggestions, not just diagnosis.

Help me develop a distinctive narrative voice for this project. Story description: [DESCRIBE THE PREMISE, GENRE, AND TONE YOU ARE AIMING FOR]. Reference authors whose voice I admire or want to learn from: [LIST 2-3 AUTHORS]. Help me: (1) identify the specific voice elements I am drawn to in those authors (sentence length and rhythm, vocabulary register, relationship to the reader, use of irony or distance), (2) articulate my own instincts about what this story's voice should feel like, (3) write 3 short voice experiments (200 words each) using different approaches, (4) identify which voice experiment is most distinctive and most sustainable across a full manuscript, (5) write a style guide for myself: 5 rules for this project's voice.

Provide a developmental critique of this creative writing excerpt: [PASTE EXCERPT, 500-2000 WORDS]. Address: (1) narrative voice: is it consistent, distinctive, and appropriate for the story, (2) scene function: does every scene do enough work to justify its length, (3) character work: are characters behaving consistently with their established psychology, do we see their interiority, (4) prose: identify 3-5 specific sentences that are weak and rewrite them, flag overwriting or underwriting, (5) pacing: where does the reader's attention flag and why, (6) the most important single change that would most improve this excerpt. Be honest and specific: general praise is not useful.

Punch up the dialogue in this scene: [PASTE SCENE]. Make the dialogue: (1) more specific to each character's unique voice (each character should sound distinct even without speech tags), (2) less expository (characters should not explain things to each other that they both already know), (3) more subtext-rich (what is not said is as important as what is), (4) shorter and more rhythmic (most dialogue lines can be cut by 30% without losing meaning), (5) include action beats that replace generic "said" tags and add physical presence to the scene. Show the original and revised version side by side. Add a note on the two most important changes and why they matter.

Rewrite these passages to show rather than tell: [PASTE 3-5 SHORT TELLING PASSAGES, E.G., "SHE WAS NERVOUS," "THE ROOM WAS DEPRESSING," "HE WAS ANGRY"]. For each passage, produce: (1) a revised version that externalizes the internal state through behavior, physical sensation, dialogue, or action, (2) a note on what specific technique you used to convert the telling, (3) any cases where telling is actually the right choice (for pacing, summary, or when showing would over-dramatize a minor beat). Develop a personal revision checklist for this tendency based on the patterns you find in these examples.

Write 10 possible opening lines for a story about [DESCRIBE PREMISE]. Each opening line should: begin in medias res or with immediate tension, establish voice immediately, contain a specific detail that is intriguing without being confusing, and make it impossible to read just one line. Then analyze: which opening gives the most narrative options without closing down possibilities, which establishes the most distinctive voice, and which creates the most immediate emotional hook. Recommend 2-3 to develop and explain what each implies about where the story wants to go.

Help me write a stronger ending for this story: [DESCRIBE OR PASTE THE STORY'S ENDING AND THE FULL ARC THAT LED TO IT]. A strong ending: (1) resolves the central dramatic question definitively without being tidy, (2) delivers a final image or line that resonates beyond the story, (3) recontextualizes something from the opening (structural resonance), (4) honors the emotional truth of the story without providing false comfort or unearned darkness, (5) leaves the reader with something to think about. Write 3 alternative endings, ranging from more resolved to more open, and analyze what each choice means for the story's theme and emotional impact.