Fanfic Prompt Generator

A trope, a universe, a narrator and one change from canon, for whichever fandom you bring.

Fanfic Prompt Generator: 30 prompts

Keeping a brave face in a film set AU, told by an outsider who meets them only once. The change from canon: the strong one and the clever one have traded places.

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Tropekeeping a brave face
Universefilm set AU
Narratoran outsider who meets them only once
Changethe strong one and the clever one have traded places

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Prompt of the day

Keeping a brave face in a film set AU, told by an outsider who meets them only once. The change from canon: the strong one and the clever one have traded places.
Found family in a university AU, told by the hero, in a list of rules for surviving the team. The change from canon: the secret identity was never a secret.
Warning from the future in a knights and squires AU, told by the quiet one who notices everything. The change from canon: the rival got there first.
Rivals forced to work together in a solarpunk garden city AU, told by an all-knowing narrator with opinions. The change from canon: the hero said no the first time they were asked.
Bad dream and a late-night talk in a space station AU, told by one lead, in messages never sent. The change from canon: the hero has been pretending to be bad at this.
Meeting the family in a travelling circus AU, told by a minor character with one line in canon. The change from canon: the team never formed, and its members meet as strangers.
Comfort after a defeat in a parallel worlds AU, told by five narrators with one scene each. The change from canon: the farewell came at the start.
Homecoming after years away in a next-generation future, told by the one who patches everybody up. The change from canon: the whole team is keeping the same secret from each other.
Crack treated seriously in an adventuring party AU, told by a minor character, in official reports. The change from canon: the villain knows how canon ends.
Rescue mission in a fanon version of canon, told by a former partner who wishes them well. The change from canon: the hero and the villain met before either chose a side.
Found family in a road trip AU, told by the rival, in an interview years later. The change from canon: the farewell scene happens in full.
Lost in translation in a fusion of two fandoms, told by an admirer who has collected every rumour. The change from canon: the villain and the mentor have swapped roles.
Forgotten birthday in a starship crew AU, told by the one who patches everybody up. The change from canon: the sad ending is replaced by an earned happy one.
Teaching the serious one to have fun in a fantasy AU, told by a child who only half follows the grown-up talk. The change from canon: the villain is offered a second chance and takes it.
Homecoming after years away in a hospital drama AU, told by the mentor, in notes on someone else's account. The change from canon: the two leads were friends before they were rivals.
Five times it failed, once it worked in a colony planet AU, told by one narrator, in a single standalone scene. The change from canon: the hero has been pretending to be bad at this.
Marriage of convenience in a moon base AU, told by the comic relief, taken seriously. The change from canon: the forgotten side character is remembered by everybody.
Waiting for news in an animal familiar AU, told by a narrator who starts at the last scene. The change from canon: the first meeting went the opposite way.
Rainy day with nothing to do in a canon setting, the night before the finale, told by a best friend, in a wedding speech. The change from canon: the hero overheard the plan.
Anonymous pen pals in a first contact AU, told by a neighbour who hears it through the wall. The change from canon: the hero knows how canon ends.
Oblivious to flirting in a steam railway AU, told by an apprentice of one of the leads, years later. The change from canon: the hero and the villain have swapped roles.
Matchmaking friends in a library AU, told by the love interest. The change from canon: the hero overheard the plan.
Team night off in a country house AU, upstairs and downstairs, told by the hero, in first person. The change from canon: the hero said no the first time they were asked.
Heist in a knights and squires AU, told by one lead, in close third person. The change from canon: the newest recruit is the leader.
Long-overdue apology in a video game world AU, told by the mentor, looking back years later. The change from canon: everyone is ten years older.
Framed and clearing their name in a stone age AU, told by a sibling of one of the leads. The change from canon: the two leads were friends before they were rivals.
Angst with a happy ending in a post-apocalypse AU, told by the team leader, pretending to be calm. The change from canon: everyone knows about the crush except the two involved.
Lost voice for a week in a pre-canon past, before the story starts, told by the hero, the morning after each big event. The change from canon: the prediction everyone relied on was about someone else.
Body swap in a library AU, told by the team leader, pretending to be calm. The change from canon: the hero and the rival trained together.
Sick day in a haunted house AU, told by a stranger who shares their table once. The change from canon: the team never formed, and its members meet as strangers.

Next step Design an original character to add Find a twist for the last chapter

Trope: all 122 tropes

Romance and pining 26

anonymous pen pals They know each other's handwriting and nothing else, not even a name. Save the meeting for the last scene.
arranged marriage Duty pairs them off before they have met. Let respect arrive well before affection.
bodyguard and charge One is paid to protect the other and takes the job too seriously to notice the feelings.

Show all 122 tropes (119 more)

Romance and pining, continued

botched love confession The speech was rehearsed. It comes out at the wrong time, in the wrong order, to the wrong person.
dance lesson One has to teach the other to dance before a big event. Count the steps out loud in the text.
enemies to lovers Two people on opposite sides end up together. Give each a fair reason to dislike the other first.
fake dating Two people pretend to be a couple for a practical reason, then find the pretending too easy.
first date disaster Everything goes wrong and they enjoy themselves anyway. List the disasters before you start.
first kiss One scene, one kiss. Spend most of your words on the minute before it.
friends to lovers The friendship is already there. The story is the moment one of them notices it has changed.
grumpy one and sunshine one A scowler and an optimist. The scowler softens for exactly one person and denies it.
jealousy over a misunderstanding The mysterious stranger turns out to be a cousin. Keep it light and clear it up quickly.
long-distance relationship Two people, two clocks and a poor connection. Build scenes out of what gets lost on the way.
love letters The relationship happens on paper. Decide what each of them cannot say face to face.
marriage of convenience A wedding for paperwork, inheritance or safety. The feelings turn up after the certificate.
matchmaking friends The supporting cast decides these two belong together and starts scheming, badly.
meet cute The first meeting, made memorable by an accident, a mix-up or a terrible first impression.
mutual pining Both are smitten, neither says so, and everybody else can see it.
oblivious to flirting One of them has flirted for months. The other thinks they are just very friendly.
opposites attract One plans, one improvises. Show both solving the same problem in their own way.
rivals to lovers Competition first, respect second, feelings third. Let them stay competitive to the last page.
second chance romance They were together once and it ended. Years on, they meet again with better manners.
secret relationship The couple is happy. The trouble is that nobody else may know. Choose who finds out first.
slow burn The feelings build over many scenes. Hold back the first touch of hands as long as you dare.
two proposals planned at once Each is secretly planning to propose. The plans collide on the same evening.
unrequited crush One-sided feelings, handled kindly. The ending is about dignity, not about winning.

Friendship and family 22

accidental babysitting Someone with no experience is left in charge of a small child for a day. The child wins.
estranged siblings reunited Years of silence, then one room. Start with the first thing either of them says.
forgotten birthday Nobody remembered, or so it seems. Decide early whether the surprise party is real.
found family People with no blood tie choose each other as family. Show it in chores and in-jokes, not speeches.
friendship after a betrayal Trust broke. This is the slow, awkward business of mending it, one favour at a time.
homecoming after years away The place is the same and the person is not. Who notices the difference first?
last lesson from a mentor The final thing the teacher passes on, which turns out not to be a technique.
meeting the family One character brings another home. Every relative has a question and a photograph.
new recruit joins the team Everybody else knows the routines. Let the newcomer ask what nobody asks any more.
old friends falling out No villain needed. Two decent people want different things and both are partly right.
parent and child making peace One honest conversation, long overdue. Neither side gets to be entirely right.
passing the torch The old hand steps back and picks a successor. The successor is not who anybody expected.
reluctant mentor An expert who wants no student gets one anyway. The first lesson is mostly sighing.
rivals forced to work together They need each other's skills for one job and resent every minute, at first.
sibling rivalry Two siblings compete over something small that stands for something large.
sidekick in the spotlight The second name on the bill carries the story while the lead is away.
stray animal adopted by everybody A stray joins the group, nobody admits to feeding it, and it ends up in charge.
teaching a friend a new skill One patient teacher, one bad pupil. The skill matters less than the hours spent together.
team as family The group already works together. The story is the night they would all rather not go home.
team night off No job, no deadline. What does this group do with a free evening, and who cheats at cards?
two loners becoming friends Neither is good at this. Progress is measured in shared silences.
unlikely friendship Two characters canon never put in a room. Find the one thing they both care about.

Plot devices 28

amnesia One character forgets the story so far. What do the others choose to tell them?
bet that gets out of hand It began as a joke over dinner. Now nobody can back down without losing face.
body swap Two characters wake up as each other. Each learns one thing the other has been hiding.
character everyone has forgotten One of the cast is wiped from every memory but one. That one has to convince the rest.
day without lies For one day a character cannot lie. Pick the worst possible day for it.
double agent Someone is working for both sides. Decide where they really belong only at the end.
five times it failed, once it worked The five-plus-one format: five short scenes where it goes wrong, then one where it goes right.
framed and clearing their name Blamed for something they did not do. The proof is with the last person they would ask.
heist The team steals something. Give every member one job and let exactly one job go wrong.
long con A patient trick played over weeks. Let the reader be fooled along with the mark.
lost voice for a week A character cannot speak and gets by on gestures and notes. The others finally have to listen.
message sent to the wrong person A note meant for one reader reaches another. Follow the damage for a day.
misread prophecy Everyone acted on the prediction and everyone read it wrong. The true meaning is smaller and stranger.
mistaken identity A character is taken for somebody else and decides, unwisely, to go along with it.
race against a deadline A fixed hour and a job too big for the time. Put a clock in every scene.
rescue mission One of the cast is missing and the rest drop everything. The plan is improvised and it shows.
rumour that gets out of hand It starts as a guess and ends as common knowledge. Track it from mouth to mouth.
secret identity Someone is living two lives. The strain shows in small lies about where they were last night.
time loop The same day starts again each morning, and only one character remembers the last lap. Decide what breaks the loop before you start.
time travel do-over A character wakes up back at the start with every memory of how it went before. What do they change first?
tournament A contest with rounds. Draw up the bracket first, then decide who meets whom too early.
trapped together overnight A stuck door, bad weather or a missed connection. Two people with nothing to do but talk.
treasure hunt A trail of clues, each one needing a different member of the cast to solve it.
truce for one day Sworn opponents agree to stop for a single day. Give them a reason that is not sentimental.
undercover mission Two of the cast pose as something they are not. The cover story starts to feel comfortable.
warning from the future A stranger arrives knowing what is coming, and is believed by exactly one person.
whodunnit Somebody in the cast did it. Plant the real clue early and bury it under a louder one.
wish granted too literally The wish comes true to the letter and not the spirit. Undoing it costs something.

Hurt, comfort and angst 22

angst with a happy ending Angst is a mood piece: someone broods, grieves or aches for most of the word count. Here, relief comes at the end.
bad dream and a late-night talk Two people awake at the wrong hour, saying things daylight would not allow.
bittersweet farewell A parting that is right and sad at once. End on a small practical detail, not a speech.
comfort after a defeat They lost. The story starts an hour later, with whoever sits down beside them.
confessing a long-kept secret The telling takes one line. The dread beforehand and the quiet afterwards take the rest.
exhaustion catching up The one who holds everything together finally stops. Watch who picks up which task.
fear of being replaced A newcomer is good at the job. An old hand wonders what that makes them.
goodbye that was never said Somebody left without a farewell. Write the conversation they finally get to have.
guilt over an old mistake It was years ago and nobody else remembers. That is the problem.
homesickness Far from home and pretending otherwise. One smell or song undoes the pretence.
hurt and comfort One character has a terrible time so that another can look after them. The looking after is the climax.
keeping a brave face Cheerful in company, not so cheerful alone. One friend notices the join.
learning to ask for help A proud character needs a hand and cannot say so. Count the failed attempts.
long-overdue apology The apology is years late. Work out why it could not be said sooner.
making up after an argument Both said too much. Who goes first, and what do they bring as a peace offering?
missing someone who is gone A quiet story about absence. Give the missing person a habit the others keep up.
promise that cannot be kept A character gave their word and circumstances changed. Breaking it kindly is the plot.
recovery after an injury The injury is over before page one. The story is the slow weeks and who turns up to help.
reunion after a long separation The moment at the door, then the odd hour after it, when nobody knows what to say.
sick day A character who never rests is made to rest. Somebody brings soup and refuses to leave.
unexpected forgiveness One character braces for anger and is met with kindness, which is harder to bear.
waiting for news Nothing to do but wait. Fill the hours with tea, pacing and one bad joke.

Comedy and fluff 24

bad disguise that somehow works A hat and a false name. Everybody falls for it except one child.
cooking disaster One meal, several confident cooks, no recipe. End with everyone eating toast.
crack treated seriously An absurd premise played with a perfectly straight face. Never wink at the reader.
day off that goes wrong The only plan was to do nothing. By noon there is a goose involved.
domestic curtainfic Named for the idea of two characters choosing curtains: a settled couple and one small household decision, which is the whole plot.
feud over something trivial A week-long quarrel about the right way to make tea. Sides are taken.
first day at a new job New rules, new names and a first mistake before ten o'clock.
fluff Soft, affectionate and low on plot, with nothing at stake. Fans also tag it WAFF (warm and fuzzy feelings).
forfeit for a lost bet The loser must do one embarrassing thing in public. Keep it silly, never cruel.
game night turned competitive A friendly board game reveals who the truly ruthless one is. It is never who you think.
half-overheard conversation A character hears half a sentence and builds a theory on it. The theory is wrong.
lost in translation One phrase, misunderstood, sends two groups of people off in two directions.
mistaken for a couple Everybody assumes these two are together. Correcting people becomes a full-time job.
prank war It escalates in neat steps. Plan the pranks in order of size and end with a truce nobody trusts.
rainy day with nothing to do Everyone is stuck indoors and bored. Boredom makes this cast inventive, which is the danger.
secret gift exchange Names from a hat, one small present each. Who drew whom, and who panicked?
surprise party that is no surprise The guest of honour knows and must act astonished. The acting is the comedy.
swapped jobs for a day Two of the cast trade duties to prove a point. Both points are disproved by lunch.
talent show nobody wanted to enter Each of the cast has to perform something. Decide who is secretly good.
teaching the serious one to have fun The cast take it on as a project, with a schedule. The schedule is the first thing to go.
team portrait that takes all day All anyone has to do is stand still together for a minute. They cannot.
terrible at flirting The attempts are heroic and the results are dreadful. The target is charmed anyway.
very bad present The gift is awful and given with love. The receiver has to put it on display.
villain's day off Even the antagonist has errands. Follow a day of queues, small talk and an argument over change.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Trope names are common fan vocabulary and no fandom, series or character is named. Every description is in our own words. The meanings of angst, fluff (and WAFF), hurt/comfort, curtainfic, the time travel second chance and the repeating time loop were checked against Wikipedia, Fan fiction, on 2026-09-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction Licence: own work

Universe: all 111 universes

Canon world, shifted in time 16

canon setting during one quiet week The plot takes a week off. What does this cast do when nothing is chasing them?
canon setting in the dead of winter Short days, shut doors, everyone indoors together for longer than is wise.
canon setting on a festival day Stalls, crowds and a day when normal rules are loosened. Invent the festival if canon has none.

Show all 111 universes (108 more)

Canon world, shifted in time, continued

canon setting, same world and same year Canon is the source itself: everything it shows about the plot, the place and the people. Keep the world exactly as it is.
canon setting, the night before the finale Everybody knows tomorrow matters. Nobody can sleep. Write the conversations in the dark.
crossover with a second fandom Two fandoms meet in one story: their people, their places or their props.
fanon version of canon Fanon is what most of a fandom treats as true although the source never said so. Write that version.
first-meeting prequel How two of them really met, before canon's first page. It did not go smoothly.
fusion of two fandoms Closer than a crossover: the two worlds become a single world, and nobody is visiting.
head canon version of canon A head canon is one fan's private reading of the source, which the source never rules out. Build on yours.
next-generation future The original cast are the parents and teachers now. The children think the old stories are exaggerated.
old-age epilogue, fifty years on The cast are old and the legend has grown. They remember it differently from the books.
post-canon future, one year on The dust has settled. Who stayed in touch, who moved away, who cannot settle?
post-canon future, ten years on A decade later. Give everyone a job, a home and one thing they still have not said.
post-canon rebuilding year After the ending comes the clearing up. A story about repairs, lists and first ordinary days.
pre-canon past, before the story starts The cast before they were the cast. Let the reader spot the habits forming.

Modern and everyday AUs 30

bakery AU Four in the morning, flour everywhere. Somebody's sourdough starter has a name.
baking contest AU A tent, a timer and a collapsing sponge. Rivals have to share an oven.
band AU Rehearsals, a van and a drummer who is always late. Decide who writes the songs.
bookshop AU Shelves, a shop cat and a customer who never buys anything. Somebody alphabetises under protest.
coffee shop AU The cast run, staff or loiter in one café. Low stakes; the drama is a regular's order.
detective agency AU One cramped office, one kettle and a case that looked simple. Who does the talking?
everyone is human AU For casts who are not human in canon. Decide what each would do for a living.
farm AU Early starts, stubborn animals and weather that ignores the plan. Work gets done side by side.
film set AU The cast are actors and crew making a film. What they play on screen is up to you.
flatmates AU One flat, one bathroom, a rota nobody follows. Start with an argument about the washing-up.
flower shop next to a tattoo studio AU Two shopfronts, two temperaments, one shared wall. They keep borrowing each other's kettle.
hospital drama AU Long shifts and short tempers. Keep the medicine vague and the corridor conversations sharp.
ice rink AU Early mornings, cold hands and a pairs routine that needs total trust.
library AU Quiet is the rule and the cast are bad at it. Notes get passed in returned books.
museum night-shift AU Empty galleries, a torch and hours to fill. The guards have favourite exhibits.
neighbours AU Thin walls, shared bins, borrowed sugar. They have never been properly introduced.
newspaper office AU A deadline every evening. Who chases the story, who edits and who makes the tea?
no-powers AU Whatever made the cast special in canon is gone. The personalities have to carry it alone.
office AU Desks, meetings and a broken printer. The villain is in middle management.
radio station AU Late shows and a voice people know without the face. Requests come in from someone familiar.
restaurant kitchen AU Heat, shouting and perfect timing. The hierarchy is strict until service ends.
road trip AU One vehicle, too many passengers, a map nobody can fold. Every stop is a scene.
school staffroom AU The cast are teachers. The rivalry is over the good mugs and the timetable.
small-town AU Everyone knows everyone. News travels faster than the person it is about.
sports team AU A season, a rival club and a changing room full of superstitions. Pick a sport you know.
spy agency AU Code names, dead drops and a partner you are not supposed to trust. Keep the gadgets silly.
summer camp staff AU The cast are the grown-ups in charge of canoes, campfires and a lost-property box.
theatre company AU Opening night is a week away and the lead has lost their voice. Cast your cast.
university AU Deadlines, shared kitchens and a library that closes too early. Give each of the cast a subject.
wedding planner AU Somebody else's big day, and everything that can go wrong with it. Seating plans are warfare.

Historical AUs 21

age of sail navy AU Ranks, rations and months at sea. Orders are orders, which is where the trouble starts.
ancient world AU Marble, sandals and gods who may or may not be listening. Pick one city and stay in it.
country house AU, upstairs and downstairs One big house, two staircases. The family and the staff each have their own plots.
expedition AU Tents, maps with blank spaces and a long way from help. Who leads, and who should?
gold rush AU A camp that sprang up overnight. Everyone came to get rich and nobody has yet.
knights and squires AU Vows, tournaments and a great deal of armour polishing. The squire does most of the work.
medieval AU Castles, market days and oaths that bind. Work out who serves whom.
pirate AU A ship, a crew and a code everybody signed. Decide who is captain and who thinks they should be.
regency AU Ballrooms, calling cards and chaperones. A glance across a room counts as an event.
renaissance workshop AU A master, apprentices and a commission that is late. Somebody has to grind the pigment.
roaring twenties AU Jazz, sharp suits and late nights. Everybody has a side business they do not mention.
royalty AU Crowns, courts and duty. One of the cast is heir to something and would rather not be.
samurai AU Honour, service and a sword that stays sheathed as long as possible. Keep the duels brief.
silent film era AU The cast make pictures without sound. Faces do the talking, on and off the set.
steam railway AU Timetables, signal boxes and a station tearoom. The cast keep the line running.
stone age AU No writing, no metal, nothing with a battery. Problems are solved with rope and nerve.
swinging sixties AU Pop music, scooters and bright colours. The old guard disapproves of all of it.
travelling circus AU A tent that moves each week. Everyone has an act and a reason for having run away.
victorian AU Gaslight, fog and rigid manners. Everything important is said in a letter.
victorian detective AU Fog, footprints and a landlady who sees everything. One observes, one writes it up.
western AU A one-street town, a long horizon and a stranger riding in. Slow talk, quick decisions.

Fantasy and fairy-tale AUs 23

adventuring party AU A fighter, a healer, a thief and someone with a lute. Assign the roles before you start.
animal familiar AU Every magic user has an animal familiar. The familiars get on better than their owners do.
dragon rider AU Each rider has one dragon. The dragons have opinions about the riders' friends.
enchanted forest AU Paths move, trees listen and time runs oddly. Someone lives here by choice.
everyone is a cat AU The whole cast as cats sharing one territory. Personalities stay exactly the same.
fae court AU Beautiful, polite and dangerous. Never say thank you and never give your full name.
fairy tale AU Woods, bargains and rules of three. Pick a tale everybody knows and recast it.
fantasy AU A cast whose canon has no magic wakes up in a world that runs on it. Decide who can do magic and who cannot.
ghost flatmate AU One of them is a ghost and still pays no rent. Only one living person can see them.
gods and mortals AU Some of the cast are minor gods with small domains: doorways, lost keys, Tuesdays.
haunted house AU The house has a resident ghost with opinions about the new tenants.
low fantasy village AU A world with a little magic and a lot of mud. The big events happen somewhere else.
magic academy AU Lessons, rival classes and exams that can set the curtains alight. Invent the school from scratch.
mermaid AU Half the cast live under water. Meetings happen at the tide line.
myth retelling AU Recast an old myth with your cast. Everybody knows the ending; the way there is yours.
shapeshifter AU Some of the cast can take an animal form. Match the animal to the temperament, or do the opposite.
sleeping curse AU One of the cast sleeps and the rest must work out how to wake them. It is not a kiss.
soulmate AU Much like canon, except that everyone truly has a soulmate. One common device: the soulmate's name on your skin from birth.
soulmate AU where colour arrives at first sight The soulmate device here is a change at first meeting: the world turns from grey to colour.
vampire AU One of the cast is very old and avoids daylight. Play it gothic or play it cosy.
village witch AU One of the cast is the local witch: part healer, part busybody, entirely respected.
werewolf AU Once a month, plans have to be rearranged. The pack is a family with extra rules.
wings AU Everybody has wings. Think about doorways, coats and crowded rooms.

Science fiction and future AUs 21

alien exchange student AU One of the cast is new to the planet and taking careful notes on everyone else.
android AU One of the cast was built, not born. What do they find puzzling about the others?
colony planet AU A new world, prefab huts and a growing season nobody understands yet.
cyberpunk AU Neon, rain and corporations that own everything. The cast own one good jacket each.
deep-sea research base AU A small crew, a long posting and something on the sonar.
dystopia AU A society with one big rule that everyone obeys. Your cast is about to stop obeying it.
far-future archaeology AU The cast dig up the remains of our own time and get most of it wrong.
first contact AU Someone new has arrived from very far away. Half the cast are the welcoming committee.
generation ship AU Born on board, as were their grandparents. Nobody alive has seen the destination.
mecha pilots AU Giant machines, young pilots and a hangar crew who do the real work.
moon base AU Low gravity, a view of home and a supply ship that is late again.
parallel worlds AU Two versions of the cast meet. Each thinks the other made the wrong choices.
post-apocalypse AU The world ended a while ago. This is about gardens, barter and who you trust at the gate.
solarpunk garden city AU A hopeful future of rooftop farms and mended things. The arguments are about how to share.
space opera AU Empires, fleets and family quarrels on a galactic scale. Go big and keep the feelings small.
space station AU Corridors, recycled air and nowhere to storm off to. Everyone has a shift and a bunk.
starship crew AU A captain, a pilot, an engineer and a doctor. Give each of your cast a station.
steampunk airship AU Brass, goggles and a ship held up by gas and optimism. The engineer is always oily.
superhero AU Masks, day jobs and a city that needs saving weekly. Who designs the costumes?
underwater city AU Pressure doors, glass domes and the sea pressing in. Light comes from the wrong direction.
video game world AU The cast live inside a game, with levels, save points and rules that can be bent.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each entry follows "in a" or "in an". AU names are common fan vocabulary and none is taken from a franchise. Every description is in our own words. The meanings of canon, fanon, head canon, crossover, fusion, alternative universe (AU), fantasy AU and soulmate AU were checked against Wikipedia, Fan fiction, on 2026-09-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction . The period and genre notes on the other entries are writing suggestions, not history. Licence: own work

Narrator: all 68 narrators

Main cast 22

both leads, in alternating chapters Swap heads at each chapter break. Let them disagree about what just happened.
the character you like least Writing from inside them forces some sympathy. That is the exercise.
the comic relief, taken seriously The jokes are armour. Show what they are covering.

Show all 68 narrators (65 more)

Main cast, continued

the hero in old age, talking to a grandchild The story has been polished by retelling. The child keeps interrupting with questions.
the hero, in first person "I" all the way through. The hero cannot report anything they did not see or hear themselves.
the hero, the morning after each big event Skip the action. Narrate only breakfasts, bruises and second thoughts.
the love interest Usually seen, seldom heard. What did they think was going on?
the mentor, looking back years later Hindsight colours everything. The mentor knows how it ended and keeps nearly saying so.
the newest member of the team Everything needs explaining to them, which helps the reader too.
the oldest member of the cast They have seen this before, or think they have.
the one keeping the secret Every scene has a second layer: what they know and cannot say.
the one who finds out last Everyone else knows. Track the clues they miss and the moment it lands.
the one who patches everybody up They see the cast at their worst and never gossip. Until now.
the one who was left behind While the others were off having the plot, somebody stayed and kept things running.
the quiet one who notices everything Few lines of dialogue, a great deal of observation.
the rival The rival has been watching the hero closely for years and has notes.
the rival, grudgingly impressed They set out to list the hero's faults and keep getting distracted.
the sidekick Close enough to see everything, overlooked enough to be honest about it.
the team leader, pretending to be calm The outside says steady. The narration says otherwise.
the villain The villain thinks they are the hero. Let them stay reasonable for as long as you can.
the villain's second in command Loyal, tired and better organised than the boss. They have concerns.
the youngest member of the cast Sharp eyes, partial understanding. They report what the adults have stopped noticing.

Side characters and outsiders 23

a best friend who saw it coming They predicted this years ago and would like that recorded.
a child who only half follows the grown-up talk The reader understands more than the narrator does. Keep the voice plain.
a former partner who wishes them well Generous, a little wistful and better informed than they would like.
a gossip who gets half of it wrong Confident, entertaining and unreliable. The reader has to work out which half.
a guard on a dull night shift Nothing ever happens on this post. Tonight something does, at a distance.
a historian, a hundred years later Working from letters and rumours. Some of the conclusions are badly off.
a messenger who carries their letters Never reads them, of course. Has a fair idea of the contents anyway.
a minion having second thoughts The pay is fine. The plan is starting to bother them.
a minor character with one line in canon Give the walk-on a life, an opinion and a reason to be standing there.
a neighbour who hears it through the wall All sound, no picture. The neighbour fills the gaps with guesses.
a parent of one of the leads Proud, worried and not told nearly enough.
a pet or animal companion Smells, routines and tone of voice. Words mean little; who does the feeding means a lot.
a scout from the rival team Sent to find weaknesses, and coming back with a more complicated report.
a sibling of one of the leads Knows every childhood embarrassment and is unimpressed by the legend.
a stranger who shares their table once An hour of overheard conversation and a guess at the rest.
a teacher who knew them as children Remembers who cried, who bit and who always shared.
an admirer who has collected every rumour Knows every story about the hero and has never met them. Then they do.
an apprentice of one of the leads, years later They were taught by a legend and remember mostly the bad habits.
an object passed from hand to hand A coin, a coat, a letter. It sees every owner briefly and none of them whole.
an old friend of the mentor They knew the mentor young and foolish, and have stories.
an outsider who meets them only once One encounter, no context. What would a stranger make of this lot?
the villain's proud parent As far as they can tell, their child is doing very well in management.
whoever serves them breakfast every day Knows the orders, the moods and who pays. Knows more than anyone realises.

Letters, diaries and other forms 23

a best friend, in a wedding speech Five minutes, a glass in hand, and a story the couple hoped was forgotten.
a minor character, in footnotes The main text is official. The footnotes say what really happened.
a minor character, in official reports Dry language, dramatic events. The comedy is in what the form leaves out.
a narrator who calls the reader "you" Second-person narration uses the pronoun "you". It is intense, so keep the piece short.
a narrator who starts at the last scene The order is reversed. Each scene explains the one the reader has just seen.
an all-knowing narrator with opinions An omniscient narrator sees and knows everything, including what each character thinks and feels.
an unreliable narrator hiding one fact Unreliable narration uses an untrustworthy narrator. Choose the one fact and hide it fairly.
five narrators with one scene each Pass the story along like a baton. Each voice must sound different from its first line.
the hero, in a list of rules for surviving the team Rule one is sensible. By rule twenty a story has leaked through.
the hero, in exactly 100 words A drabble is a story of 100 words exactly. Fans also use the word loosely for anything very short.
the hero, in present tense Everything happens now. Good for chases and bad news.
the mentor, in notes on someone else's account The main text is a pupil's version. The margins correct it.
the newest member, in letters home Cheerful, edited for parents, and revealing in what it leaves out.
one lead, in a diary never meant to be read Honest, partial and dated. Entries can skip the days that hurt.
one lead, in close third person Close third person stays with one character: the reader sees and knows only what that character does. Never leave their head.
one lead, in messages never sent Drafted, redrafted and kept. The reader sees what the other person never will.
one narrator, in a single standalone scene A one shot is complete in itself, with no chapters to follow. One sitting, one scene.
the rival, in an interview years later Questions in bold, answers that dodge. The rival has had time to polish the version.
the sidekick, in a report to the mentor Respectful on the surface, exasperated underneath.
three witnesses who each saw a different part No one has the whole picture. The reader assembles it.
the two leads, in letters that cross in the post Each letter answers the one before last. Misunderstandings come built in.
the villain, in a letter to the hero Part threat, part confession, part invitation. It was never sent.
the whole cast, in notes left on the kitchen table Short, practical and passive-aggressive. The plot happens between the notes.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each entry follows "told by" and names a role, never a character. Every description is in our own words. The meanings of drabble and one shot were checked against Wikipedia, Fan fiction, on 2026-09-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction . Second-person, omniscient, limited or close third-person and unreliable narration were checked against Wikipedia, Narration, on 2026-09-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narration Licence: own work

Change: all 94 changes

What if 20

the accident that started everything never happened Remove the first domino. Does the cast still come together some other way?
everybody believed the warning straight away No time lost on persuasion. The problem turns out to be harder than belief.
the first lie was never told One honest answer early on. Follow how much of the plot depended on the fib.

Show all 94 changes (91 more)

What if, continued

the first plan worked, and that caused the trouble Success came too early and too easily. The consequences arrive later.
the hero arrived one day late It has all begun without them. Catching up is the plot.
the hero kept the promise canon made them break Keeping it costs something else. Decide what.
the hero lost the contest that canon let them win They have to carry on without the prize, the title or the confidence.
the hero said no the first time they were asked Refusal changes who asks next, and how. The story still finds them, by a worse road.
the hero walked away halfway through Somebody has to finish the job. The hero hears how it went second-hand.
the mentor turned the hero away No teacher, no shortcuts. Who fills the gap, and what do they teach wrong?
the message arrived on time Canon needed it to be late. Now everyone is informed and must act sensibly.
the message never arrived Nobody was warned, summoned or forgiven. Everyone acts on old news.
the rival got there first Whatever the hero was reaching for, the rival has it now, and is not enjoying it.
the rival was honest when it mattered One act of honesty from an unexpected quarter. Everyone has to revise an opinion.
the sidekick made the big decision The choice that defined the story was made by someone with less to lose.
someone else was chosen in place of the hero The hero is a bystander to their own plot. Do they help, sulk or leave?
the team never formed, and its members meet as strangers Same people, no shared history. Would they even like each other?
the two leads chose opposite sides Same feelings, different loyalties. Neither is wrong.
the villain asked for help at the start One request, made early, to the right person. What is left of the conflict?
the villain won the first round Start from the loss. The cast must work from the back foot.

Fix-it 18

the apology canon skipped is finally made Someone was owed one. Write it in full, and the reply.
the betrayal had a better reason Same act, different motive. Does knowing why make it easier or harder to forgive?
the big misunderstanding is cleared up in one conversation They simply talk. It takes a page. Then what fills the rest?
the broken team is put back together One member at a time, each needing a different argument.
the character who left comes back Canon sent them away. Bring them home and deal with the awkwardness.
the character who was written out gets a proper ending They vanished between chapters. Give them a last scene that fits.
everyone lives The classic fix-it. Nobody is lost, so the story has to find its stakes somewhere else.
the farewell scene happens in full Canon cut away. Stay in the room until the door closes.
the forgotten side character is remembered by everybody Canon dropped them. In this version they get invitations.
the friendship canon dropped is picked up again Two characters stopped sharing scenes. Put them back in a room.
the great sacrifice turns out not to be needed There was another way, and someone spots it in time.
the hero is allowed to rest afterwards Canon ended at the victory. Write the month of sleep that follows.
the lie is forgiven sooner The quarrel that ate half of canon is over by chapter two.
the mentor is still around and has opinions They did not leave the story when canon said. Now they comment on everything.
the plot hole you always noticed is closed A fix-it can repair a major plot hole. Supply the missing explanation.
the sad ending is replaced by an earned happy one Fix-its often rewrite a tragic ending. Alter as little as you can to get there.
the two who never shared a scene get one Pick the pair you always wanted to hear talking. Give them ten minutes.
the villain is offered a second chance and takes it Redemption with paperwork. Who vouches for them, and who refuses to?

Role swaps 18

the comic relief is the brains of the operation The jokes continue. So do the correct predictions.
the hero and the sidekick have swapped roles The sidekick leads and the hero carries the bags. Both find it harder than it looked.
the hero and the villain have swapped roles Same personalities, opposite jobs. The former hero makes a worryingly good villain.
the hero is the one who needs rescuing The usual rescuer is stuck. The usually rescued have to organise themselves.
the hero works for the other side Same conscience, different employer. How long before it chafes?
the love interest is the one with the secret identity The hero is the one left wondering about the missed dinners.
the mentor is the student and the student is the mentor Reverse the ages or just the expertise. The lessons still go badly at first.
the newcomer has been there longest In this version the outsider is the old hand, and the old hands are new.
the newest recruit is the leader Authority without experience. The veterans are taking bets.
the rescuer and the rescued have traded places Gratitude flows the other way. It alters how they talk to each other.
the rival is the chosen one The hero is the jealous one now. Do they handle it better or worse?
the sidekick is the one with the gift Whatever makes the hero special belongs to the friend at their elbow.
the strong one and the clever one have traded places Each keeps their personality and loses their usual solution.
the two leads have swapped jobs Each is doing what the other does in canon, and doing it their own way.
the two leads have swapped upbringings The sheltered one grew up rough and the rough one grew up sheltered.
the villain and the mentor have swapped roles The hero is taught by canon's antagonist and opposed by canon's teacher.
the villain is the one who is right The cast's trusted sources are wrong. The least trusted voice is correct.
the youngest is in charge Everyone older has to take orders and pretend not to mind.

Earlier, later, older 18

the ending happened first, and the story runs on from there Begin where canon stopped and treat the finale as chapter one.
everyone is ten years older The same cast with a decade more caution, regret and back pain.
the farewell came at the start They part on page one. The story is the long road back to the same room.
the first meeting went the opposite way If canon began with a bad impression, make it a good one, or the reverse. Follow the ripples.
the hero and the mentor are the same age No deference, plenty of argument. Teaching becomes a partnership.
the hero and the rival trained together Same teacher, same drills, different conclusions.
the hero and the villain met before either chose a side They liked each other once. Both remember it.
the hero has done all this once before Second time round, with the scars to prove it. Nobody else remembers the first.
the hero is twenty years older than in canon Same call to action, worse knees, better judgement.
the hero started a year early Too young, underprepared and nobody ready for them.
the mentor arrived years early The teaching started in childhood. The hero is skilled and a little tired of it.
the rival left before the story began The space they should fill is empty. Someone worse fills it.
the sidekick met the villain first The villain made the better first impression. Loyalty is going to be complicated.
the team got together before the trouble began They are already a unit when the plot arrives. It has to work harder to split them.
the two leads do not meet until the last chapter Run two stories side by side that keep almost touching.
the two leads met as children Shared history colours every later scene. They have in-jokes older than the plot.
the two leads met ten years too late Both already have lives, habits and obligations. Fitting together takes work.
the two leads were friends before they were rivals The rivalry has grief in it. Each knows exactly where to aim.

Secrets and knowledge 20

the big secret is out in chapter one No slow reveal. The story is about living with it in the open.
everyone knows about the crush except the two involved The supporting cast has a betting pool and a great deal of patience.
the hero has been pretending to be bad at this Competence, hidden on purpose. What made hiding it seem safer?
the hero knows how canon ends Foreknowledge without proof. Who would believe them?
the hero overheard the plan They know what the others intend and cannot admit how they know.
the love interest already knows and is waiting to hear it They worked it out months ago. The waiting is affectionate, mostly.
the mentor lied about one thing, for a good reason Pick the one thing. The good reason should hold up when examined.
nobody knows the hero's real name They have used another for years. One person from before turns up.
one lead remembers the canon timeline and nobody else does Useful in any AU: one person knows the world used to be different.
the prediction everyone relied on was about someone else The wrong person has been preparing for years. The right one has no idea.
the prize was never real Everyone has been chasing a story. Who started it, and why?
the rival has been helping in secret Anonymous favours, carefully deniable. Why?
the secret identity was never a secret Everybody knew from the start and was too polite to mention it.
the sidekick has known all along They kept quiet out of kindness. Now they have to admit it.
the truth was said as a joke, and nobody believed it It was said out loud at dinner. Everyone laughed.
the two leads have met before, in disguise One of them has realised. The other has not.
the villain and the mentor are old friends They still write to each other. Neither has mentioned it to the hero.
the villain has been writing to the hero under another name A long, friendly correspondence. Neither has worked out who the other is.
the villain knows how canon ends They have read ahead and adjusted their plans.
the whole team is keeping the same secret from each other Everyone is protecting everyone else from a thing they all know.

How this list was compiled: Original list written for Draw This Next, September 2026. Each entry is a full clause that follows "The change from canon:" and uses roles (the hero, the rival, the two leads), so it still makes sense inside any AU. Fix-it, including "everyone lives", plot holes and tragic endings, follows Wikipedia, Fan fiction, checked 2026-09-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_fiction . Role swaps as a kind of AU: Wikipedia, Parallel universes in fiction, checked 2026-09-19: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallel_universes_in_fiction Licence: own work

How it works

This fanfic prompt generator deals a prompt such as enemies to lovers in a bakery AU, told by the villain in a letter to the hero. Each of its 395 entries is explained in one line under the tool.

Read the full guide

What the four parts decide

Trope is what happens: fake dating, a time loop, found family. Universe is where and when: a coffee shop AU, a regency AU, a post-canon future ten years on. Narrator is whose eyes you borrow, and Change is the one fact that differs from canon. Keep enemies to lovers and reroll the universe until one makes you laugh.

Bring your own cast

The lists speak in roles: the hero, the rival, the mentor, the two leads. Decide first who in your fandom fills each role. The two leads can be a couple or friends, and the Friendship and family tropes need no romance. There is no box for typing names: hold them in your head, or write them on the printed sheet.

Lock a trope, then press Print 30 prompts: a month of fic writing prompts on it, no two the same.
A heist in a bakery AU still needs a crew, a plan and one job that goes wrong.
Short on time? Write a drabble, which is exactly 100 words.

Questions and answers

How random is this random fanfic prompt generator?

The draw is random; the lists are not. Each part shuffles its own fixed list and deals through all of it before any entry repeats. Lock a part and it stops shuffling, so one trope can visit a western AU, then a space station AU.

Can I use the prompts for any fandom?

Yes, on purpose. The lists name roles and leave the casting to you, so one prompt fits any fandom. No entry borrows a name, a place or a term from a series.

What do AU, fix-it and hurt and comfort mean in fanfiction?

AU means alternative universe: the cast moves out of canon into another world, such as a coffee shop. A fix-it rewrites something in canon the writer could not accept, often a death. Hurt and comfort has one character suffer so another can look after them.