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40 Writing Prompts and Ideas for Historical Fiction (with pictures!)

Are you a curious novelist exploring uncharted genres or are you a current writer of the past seeking new adventures?

Whatever your purpose, these 40 historical writing prompts , partnered with a collection of vintage photographs , are guaranteed to help you get ideas, transcend to an inspiring era and help you to write your own piece of history.

And once you’re done with these prompts, please visit my post on “How to Write Historical Fiction.”

1. The Lonely Lighthouse

2. Behind Enemy Lines

It’s 1864, and the United States is in the middle of a Civil War. Write a scene in which an undercover Union soldier passes through a quaint southern town brimming with Confederate rebels. 

3. Fire at the Factory

Imagine you’re an Irishman working at a factory in the 1930s. It’s your first day on the job. Without having the proper training, you accidentally set fire to the plant. Write a mock report of how the fire started and how your character escaped fault.

4. The Traveling Circus Clown

5. The French Ruler

Write a chapter in the point of view of an English spy who attempts murder during Louis XIV’s coronation in 17th century France. How does your tyrant plan to execute their mission and are they successful?

6. Swan Lake

A group of close friends meet for the last time before going in separate ways in 1940s England. Write a scene about their last moment together.  Do they make a pact to see each other again in 10 years or do they reminisce back in time to the day they first met?

7. Sailing Away

In 1950s Charleston, South Carolina, two teenagers escape the troubles of boyhood to go on an adventure of a lifetime. What conflict do they have with each other as they go on their voyage and where do they go?

8. The Dinner Bell

See what’s cooking in this 1940s California kitchen. Imagine you are a food columnist for the local newspaper. Write a mock interview and include a secret family recipe that accidentally gets leaked.

10. Aerial View Beach

As an airplane pilot you are much more aware of what’s happening in the sky rather than the ground. Write a scene where the pilot flies over a beach and spots a crowd of beach-goers flocking to the surf. Do a 15 minute freewrite of what you see in the water.

11. Turquoise Waters 

You are an inhabitant on a tropical Mediterranean island. One day you go out for a stroll along the cliffs when you notice a strange ship across the waters coming toward your home. Write one chapter where you describe who’s on board the ship and what they want. Are they friends or enemies?

12. Kooky Cribs

Write a story about an orphaned child in the 1970s that meets a strange family who resides in an even stranger house on the California coast.

13. He’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain

Write a scene about a family man traveling through a mountain pass in 19th century Oregon, unaware of what’s coming fast around the corner. Write a paragraph of how he connects fate with destiny.

14. Block Party

Extra! Extra! Write a scene about a group gathering in the streets of Chicago, Illnois in the 19th century. Are employees going on strike? Are women fighting for equal rights against men? Or are people cheering for the one person that could lead a hopeless village to a brighter future?

15. The Butler Did It

Write one chapter about a female housekeeper who explores her master’s study in 19th century France. What all does she discover and is it something that she rather not have wished to find?

16. The Long Journey Home

Write a story about a boy who ran from home after revealing a scandalous family secret that should have been kept jan drugs canada under lock and key. Now a man, fifteen years later, he’s returned home only to discover that there is still unrest after his plaguing mishap.

17. On Top of God’s Mountains

Write one chapter from the point of view of a 1970s mountain climber in Colorado, who discovers a brick hut on top of a mountain. Is it inhabited or is there a certain relic which transcends him to a different era?

18. The Road to Nowhere

19. Buffalo Dreams

Write a journal entry in the point of view of a female pioneer of her abduction by the Sioux Indian tribe in the early 19th century.

20. Oriental Ornaments

Write a story in which an ornament on a Christmas tree tells the story of a different era in time.

21. Handle with Care

Write an outline about the adventures of four men, who meet as young postmen during WWII. What are their backstories? Give them features, disagreements, and opposing traits.

22. The Lion Tamer

Write a character profile of a wealthy 19th century English banker, who was once a lion tamer in a past life.

23. Beauty Mark

Write a robbery scene that takes place in a popular jewelry boutique in 1960s New York. Is the jewel thief a stealthy shoplifter or a glass-shattering maniac? Does the crime take place at night when the store is closed or during business hours? And how does the robber know the jewelry store owner?

24. War Hero

Write a scene where an undercover WWII American sneaks into a German radio room to send a message that could prove fatal to the enemy — if he isn’t caught.

25. Hotel of Haunts

Write a flash fiction story from the point of view of an owner of a hotel that is famous for being haunted by characters from the Roaring Twenties.

26. Let’s Shake On It

Write a story about a man who purchases a 1920 Ford Model T and discovers that the car has a life of its own.

27. Baskets, Anyone?

Write a story about a 1980s New Yorker looking for adventure, who purchases a basket from an eccentric city merchant and discovers an item inside that takes the character back in time to 15th century Scotland.

28. Poker Face

There’s no rules in this card game. Describe the high stakes for this card game in 1800s England. Does the winner wind up wishing he had lost?

29. The Diner

Write a story about a drifter passing through only to stop at a lone 1940s diner to get some lunch, but unintentionally ends up staying much longer than expected.

30. A Man’s Best Friend

Write a story about a boy and a stray dog and their many adventures as a famous motor racer in 1920s America.

31. Dear . . .

Write a letter from the point of view of a solider writing to his family during the Vietnam War.

32. Once Upon a Time

Write a story about a contemporary novelist who physically appears into his Victorian England drama and falls for his female protagonist.

33. The Kiss

Write a love story about a female WWII veteran who saves a fireman from a burning movie theater in 1940s New York.

34. Cabin Fever

Write a story of a pioneer family from the city starting their new life on the Oregon Trail in the 1800s.

35. Under the Weather

Write a story about an underrated scientist that turns out to have better ideas than most of his colleagues in 19th century Germany.

36. Summer Dreams

Write a story about five teenagers who first meet at a summer camp, and how their lives continue to intertwine throughout the years in 1950s Florida.

38. Fort Knox

Write a diary entry of an infantry solider in the Revolutionary War who is on guard at his post when there is a sudden attack on his fort.

39. The Rogue

Write a character profile of a wayward Englishmen who treats the rules of proper Victorian England society like it’s a game.

40. The Highwayman

Write a scene in which the passengers of this motor car are stopped by a mysterious rider in the 1920s English countryside.

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29 comments

Oh my gosh. This is awesome. Going to write a story on it☺☺☺

Thank you! Happy writing!

yes, this is utterly amazing!!! I am a student and it is awesome.

What!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am a student doing a story competition and yes this was great!!

Did you win?

I really like all these Ideas. The thing is, I am creating a book that mainly focuses around the age of piracy, age of exploration, and industrial revolution.. so around the timeline 1740-1800. I seem to have trouble on trying to recreate a “Similar” historical plot to that of real life.My main character Jack ater, the son of the infamous pirate allen ater, recently moves to London around the time line. From there I plan on him becoming a vigilante of some sort. I just want a bit of guidance to help me get on the right track.

Sounds great!! How’s your story going? I hope you’ve published it by now 🙂

I think that Donald Trump is history, so why isn’t he on this list.

I think you’re a dumbass. History can be a good way to learn about something, it also can show us future generations how to prevent specific events. Donald Trump is a orange dumbass. The only history that will be written about that racist orange bigot would be how he imprisoned immigrant kids and killed millions of diverse and beautiful people and so many religions so his white supremacist era could be successful.

i agree with mime

this was really helpful for my writing assignment and i love it

Oh my god this is wonderful i’m going to make a movie

I made my own topics using the given prompts and yes, It is awesome!

Thank you, these have helped me so much with my school English assignments!

I love this and this will so help me with my assignment! Thank you!

Gracias, Senor.

this is so scrumptious

This is amazing! These ideas are so creative! LOL I am going taking a “Creative Writing” elective in school. I am definitely going to base one one my stories on these prompts. Thanks!

I love these prompts! They saved my LIFE! (From getting screamed at……)

i’m writing a fictional chor story about how derek chauvin is a hero and need advice. Is murder heroic if it was on an evil person? Thanks!

Thank you! I’m using this as a reference for a book/ project idea!

i am going to use egypt

very good suggestions. Not exactly what I am looking for but provides ideas for possible themes.

Every writer NEEDS this book.

It’s a guide to writing the pivotal moments of your novel.

Whether writing your book or revising it, this will be the most helpful book you’ll ever buy.

51 Of The Best Historical Fiction Writing Prompts

You’re looking for historical fiction ideas , and most of the ones you’ve come across are either too detailed and specific or too vague — at least for you. 

History writing prompts should paint enough of a picture to allow you to fill in the gaps as you step into it and look around.

Your own perspective and the connections that form in your mind will take that partial image and complete it. 

We kept that in mind while creating this list of 51 writing prompts for your novel . May each one flood your mind with the possibilities. 

51 Historical Fiction Writing Prompts 

If you’re racking your brain for interesting historical events to write about, check out the following prompts to get those synapses firing. You’ll find everything from civil war writing prompts to famous unsolved mysteries . Dig in and find something to play with. 

1. Changing Sides. A slave sent by his master to fight in the Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy changes sides to fight for an end to slavery, not knowing what it will cost the woman he loves. Meanwhile, she risks her own life to protect a friend. 

2. Mail Order Bride. Your only support dies, and to survive, you answer an ad for a bride in the midwest. You’re not looking forward to being a stranger’s wife, but something in the letter he wrote you calms your reservations.

3 . Circus Fugitive. It’s 1925, and you’ve joined the traveling circus as a clown to hide your identity after being framed for a murder you didn’t commit. A rival performer recognizes you and threatens to expose you but doesn’t. He wants something else.

4. Atlantis Rising. You’re a citizen of ancient Atlantis and one of the few chosen for preservation during the centuries of submersion, thanks to Atlantean technology. You’ll never see your family again. One friend — with secrets — sabotages the plan.

5. Pearl Harbor. You’re one of the pilots in an air fight with Japanese bombers over Pearl Harbor. You spot one going in an unexpected direction and follow it, only to see them kamikaze into the building where the love of your life is working.

6. Equal Rights for All. A friend invites you to a meeting where you decide to join the fight for women’s suffrage and equal rights. Your employer spots you protesting and gives you a choice: distance yourself from the cause or lose your job. 

7. Prodigal Daughter. In the 1970s, you ran away from home to see Woodstock and only now, ten years later, are you heading back home, after a brief but troubling phone conversation with your mother. 

8. The Speakeasy Scandal. It’s 1923, and you’ve just opened your own speakeasy, limiting its patronage to select members of your community. But one of them is a mole for the local sheriff. He ends up dead in the alley, and you’re arrested for it. 

9. Sioux Pioneer. You lose your husband on the Oregon Trail to a wagon mishap and are then abducted by a Sioux tribe. Write a story describing your evolving relationship with the Sioux chief’s (adult) son. 

10. No Place for Black Veterans. You’re an orphan who befriends a returning WWII soldier after seeing how the community rejects him because of his skin color. Your friendship attracts the attention of local Klansmen and a neglectful aunt.

11. Undercover DJ. An undercover American WWII soldier sneaks into a German radio room and delivers a cryptic message in perfect German, hoping to alert other Americans to a devious German plot he’s discovered. 

12. Haunted Hotel. It’s 1930, and you buy a hotel that just happens to be haunted by the ghosts involved in a very public murder in the roaring 20s. Turns out, plenty of people are willing to pay good money to be haunted by glamorous murder victims. 

13. Jack the Seam Ripper. Using an item in your grandmother’s “treasure box,” you go back in time and get a young Jack interested in tailoring and fashion design. But can you really stop him from following his darker impulses when an old lover returns?

14. Poker Face. In 1800s England, the poker stakes are higher than most spectators are willing to risk. You’re the reigning champion until a new challenger hits the scene. Thing is, you’re ready to lose and disappear. But it won’t be that simple.

15. Don’t Forget the Pie. You run a 1940s diner and see all sorts of people, many of whom you only see once. Everyone who tries your pie wants the recipe, but it’s a closely-guarded family secret. One customer offers to work for a month to get it.

16. Dear Jane. Your sweetheart is a Vietnam soldier who just broke up with you in a letter. You do some digging and find out he’s left you for one of his fellow soldiers, whose fiancée is the same best friend who comforted you after the break-up. 

17. Once Upon a Drama. You’re a novelist who wakes up in Victorian England and meets your own characters. While rooting for your favorite two people, you don’t expect to fall for one of them. You definitely don’t expect to tell them about it.

18. Ever Since Summer Camp. Five teens meet at summer camp and bond together in response to a tragedy. Their lives continue to intertwine as they grow up in 1950s California. One of them shares the secret that binds them, and lives fall apart. 

19. The Stolen Child. As part of a time-traveling detective couple, you’re excited about your next assignment in Germantown, Maryland: the kidnapping of Charley Ross — a mystery that remained unsolved. 

20. Darkness in the French Quarter. In the early 1880s, your connections with the New Orleans aristocracy leads you to a beautiful Creole woman, Madame Delphine LaLaurie , who has been torturing and murdering the slaves of her household. 

21. Road Trip! Lewis and Clark plan for the Oregon Trail. They talk about hardships they expect, people they’re leaving behind, and what each one most hopes to gain. Your main character is a jilted lover who hatches a plan to stop the expedition..

22. Special Delivery. He delivers milk. She delivers newspapers. They cross paths when they both witness a mugging in 1920s Chicago and intervene to protect the victim. The supposed “victim” then offers them both a job with a hefty payoff. 

23. Nursing History. You pay someone to help you explore your past and see one of your past lives as a WWII nurse. Your fiancé in that life looks an awful lot like your current boss. You see what you went through together and the child you had. 

24. Lost at Sea. A loved one boards the Titanic on their way back home to you. When the ship goes down, they supposedly end up on one of the few liferafts, but they don’t return with the survivors. A year later, they show up at your door.

25. Million Dollar Fling. Ten years ago, you had a moment with a ship’s captain during a 1950s cruise with a group of wealthy socialites you met at college. You show up at a life-changing job interview in New York and come face-to-face with him again. 

More Related Articles:

63 Of The Best Memoir Writing Prompts To Stoke Your Ideas

55 Fun And Creative Writing Prompts For Kids

252 Of The Best Writing Prompts For All Writers

26. American Blood. Your family came to the U.S. after government intervention essentially handed rule in your native country to an organized crime network. A former friend is recruited to their ranks and comes to the U.S. for a business deal. 

27. Two for One. You’re waiting in the parlor for your gentleman host, watching the butler pour tea and eyeing a plate of jammy biscuits. You’re here to meet the man your sister wants to marry. So, why does he know everything about you ? 

28. Jazz Runaway. Two new friends cajole you into joining them to check out a new jazz band. It’s 1930s Mississipi, and you know your parents wouldn’t approve of these friends, but they remind you of someone you lost. What you learn changes you. 

29. Voodoo Priestess. It’s June in 1881. You’re walking in a funeral procession while the band plays. In the coffin is your mother, the Voodoo Queen Marie Leveau , and you’re headed to the St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, plot 347. 

30. Is it Jack or Jackie? A woman named Mary Pearsay is arrested for the murder of a woman and her child. After her death, Ripperologists suggest she may have been the real “Jack the Ripper.” Your investigative partner has a weird fixation on her. 

31 . Missing, Presumed Innocent. You’re investigating the case of a young English maidservant who disappeared on January 1st, 1753 and reappeared on the 29th, emaciated and weak. Her story of abduction doesn’t match what investigators find. 

32. The “Mad Monk.” You’ve just met the man who murdered Grigori Rasputin on the 17th of December in 1916, and he’s only too happy to recount the details. He’s not so forthcoming about why he did it, and you’re determined to find out. 

33. Da Vinci’s Muse. The world knows about Leonardo da Vinci but not about the Renaissance woman who inspired him. As one of her descendants, you’re determined to make her known, at the risk of exposing a dark secret. 

34. The Invisible Apprentice. Being William Shakespeare’s apprentice would be great if he weren’t always stealing your ideas and claiming them as his own. So, you write a brilliant satiric play exposing him. He loves it and takes it to the stage. 

35. Death in the Family. You know who really killed JFK, and it wasn’t that patsy Oswald, who’s already dead. Exposing the real killers would put you and your family next on their list. 

36. Nightmares in Heaven. You’re secretly watching Michaelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel. You know he’s been having nightmares, which find their way onto the chapel ceiling — before the Archbishop demands he paint over them. 

37. Candy Creep. The creator of Sweethearts candies sends you a box “anonymously.” The messages on those tiny hearts reveal more than you want to know about him. 

38. Better Half. You’re on a visit to New York in 1977 with your fiancé, and you’re separated when the blackout hits. Write about your adventures as you find your way back to each other — and when you find out where he’s been. 

39. Tactical Magic. It’s 1692, and you’re a witch keeping a low profile in Salem, Massachusetts while trying to protect your sister. She’s just been accused by a group of girls after meeting with the minister’s daughter in the woods. 

40. The Baby Diaries. You found your mother’s hidden diaries detailing her experiences as a young Black woman in the 50s. Now, some of the things she said and did while she lived make sense. You didn’t expect to learn about a half-sister.

41. Forbidden Knowledge. You wake up in the famous library of Alexandria mere hours before it burns, destroying everything. You witness the arson and stealthily pursue those responsible. 

42. Profanely Biblical. At the Nicene Council, Emperor Constantine has booted any bishop who doesn’t agree with his decision on which books belong in the Christian Bible and which should be destroyed. You’re a collector of the latter.

43. Before the Mayflower. On the west coast of Africa, in 1462, you see hundreds of captive men, women, and children being loaded into ships. You ask why and learn the truth as you spot a friend among them. What do you do?

44. The Haitian Revolution. In 1804, Haitians win their independence from French rule. As a Haitian immigrant to the U.S., you openly supported their fight. But when a massacre follows the revolution, you encounter open hostility. 

45. More Than Courage. You’re a student at Harvard when the university admits its first Black student: Beverly Garnett Williams. You share some classes with her, and you witness her courage every day. You also witness people’s reactions. 

46. Illegal Heritage. It’s the Spanish Inquisition, and your family has converted to Christianity from Judaism to survive. That doesn’t stop the local clerics from harassing you — or your pious neighbors from pointing fingers.

47. Crazy in Love. You’re the last person Marilyn Monroe talked to before she was murdered. And you’re determined to expose her killer. But no one believes the “crazy best friend” — including your doctors at the mental hospital.  

48. Model Neighbors. You read your parents’ collected love letters and learn about what they experienced as an interracial couple in the 1960s. They had you before they were forced out of their white neighborhood. 

49. Pirate Queen. You’ve been kidnapped by Blackbeard and instead of killing you, he keeps you as a slave. But you have a brilliant plan to take over the ship and become the new pirate captain of the Queen Mary’s Revenge. 

50. She’s Indisposed. You’re an apothecary in the 1600s, and two star-crossed lovers have asked you to prepare a potion to help one of them fake their death. You create the potion but get it mixed up with a powerful remedy for constipation. 

51. Tele-porta-vision. In 1972, you sit around your English family’s first TV set — a gift from your dad’s new employer. You wake up hours later in the middle of a crop circle nearby, unable to remember how you got there. Dreams tell you more. 

Final Thoughts

Now that you have 51 prompts with cool historical events to write about, which ones make you want to put this aside and start writing? 

And what else will you bring to your story to make it uniquely yours? 

Humor? Romance ? Horror ? Fantasy ? Choose-your-own adventure? 

Pick a prompt , and play with whatever comes to mind. Tell your inner editor to take a nap while you get the words out. This is a time to create. 

Write away. 

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EveryWriter

Empowering Writers Since 1999

50 historical fiction writing prompts

November 6, 2023 by Richard Leave a Comment

Are you a historical fiction writer? Do you want to be? Do you just want some ideas for stories out of history? Here are 50 historical writing prompts to get you started. Bring the past to life with these 50 vivid story ideas! Historical fiction is a captivating genre that immerses readers in bygone eras. This extensive list of writing prompts covers a wide range of history, from ancient Egypt to World War II. Pick an intriguing setting, step into a fascinating role, and let your imagination unfold a lost world. Whether you want to chronicle life in medieval Europe, participate in the U.S. Civil Rights Movement, or sail the high seas with Vikings, these story starters will spark your creativity. Choose a compelling historical lens to view both everyday moments and watershed events. Share profound human experiences lost to time. Let these launch points transport you on an epic journey into the past. History is filled with tales waiting to be told – get inspired to tell them!

• Write about a young person living in ancient Egypt who gets chosen to train as a scribe. What is their daily life like as they learn to read and write hieroglyphics?
• Imagine you are a servant in a medieval castle. Write about your daily tasks and a special event, like preparing for the arrival of an important guest.
• You are a sailor on a voyage to the New World in the 15th century. Describe your thoughts and feelings as you first glimpse the Americas.
• Rewrite a scene from a famous historical event from the perspective of a random background character, like a soldier at the Battle of Waterloo.
• You are a suffragette in the early 20th century fighting for women’s right to vote. Write a diary entry describing one of your protests.
• Write a story about two friends, one Roman and one Greek, meeting at the first Olympic games in ancient Greece.
• You are a young person in Germany right before WWII. Write about your hopes and dreams as war looms.
• Rewrite the story of a fairy tale or legend like King Arthur from the perspective of a secondary character.
• Write a story about a day in the life of a lesser-known historical figure, like the personal assistant to Amelia Earhart.
• You are a servant who witnesses a famous historic event like the beheading of a queen. Write their observations.
• Write about two best friends, one free and one enslaved, meeting again after the Civil War.
• You are a Viking explorer setting foot on North American soil for the first time. Write your impressions.
• Rewrite a biblical story from a minor character’s perspective, like the boy with the loaves and fishes.
• You are a young person in Pompeii the day Mt. Vesuvius erupts. Write your story of survival.
• Write about a day in the life of a typical teenager living during the Industrial Revolution. What is their daily routine?
• You are part of Lewis & Clark’s expedition exploring the western U.S. Write journal entries about your travels.
• Rewrite a famous heist or crime from the perspective of a background character, like a bank teller.
• You are a Chinese immigrant coming to America in the 19th century. Describe your experience arriving at port.
• Write about two friends torn apart when the Berlin Wall goes up – one escapes east, one stays west.
• You are an assistant to a famous inventor like Thomas Edison. Write about your work and a breakthrough discovery.
• Write about an important historical event like landing on the moon from the perspective of an average person watching it live on TV.
• You are a poor London child getting chosen for a job as a chimney sweep. Describe your first day.
• Rewrite the plot of a Shakespeare play from the perspective of a minor character, like a servant or guard.
• You are part of the first group of college women admitted to Yale in 1969. Write about your experiences.
• Write fictional journal entries from an Arctic expedition like Shackleton’s journey, from the POV of a crew member.
• You are a female scientist working against immense prejudice in the 19th century. Write about making a major discovery.
• Rewrite a fairy tale like Cinderella from the perspective of a magical or mythical creature in the story.
• You are an orphan sent West on the orphan train in the 1800s. Write your impressions of your new family.
• Write a fictionalized account of a famous romantic affair from history, like Antony and Cleopatra.
• You are part of the first group of black students integrating a school in the 1960s. Write about your first day.
• Rewrite a biblical story from the antagonist’s perspective, like Eve eating the apple or Judas betraying Jesus.
• You are a Viking child going on your first raid overseas. Write about your experiences.
• You work in the textile mills in England during the Industrial Revolution. Describe your dangerous working conditions.
• Write about two friends reuniting after one returns from World War I – how have their lives changed?
• You are an Aztec witnessing the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Write your observations of them.
• Rewrite a Greek myth from a minor character’s perspective, like Odysseus’ dog Argos waiting 20 years for him.
• You are a surfer in Hawaii when missionaries arrive in the 1800s. Write about your culture shock.
• Write about two friends torn apart, one who stays in Ireland during the potato famine vs. one who emigrates.
• You are part of Napoleon’s army invading Russia. Describe the brutal conditions of that journey.
• Rewrite a scene from Julius Caesar from the perspective of his wife Calpurnia.
• You are a merchant on the Silk Road trading between China and Rome. Write about your travels and experiences.
• Write about the early days of a colony like Jamestown from the perspective of a colonist or Native American.
• You are a woman disguising yourself as a man to fight in the Civil War. Write letters home about your experiences.
• You are a young person immortalized in a famous painting like Washington Crossing the Delaware. Describe the scene.
• You are an early hunter-gatherer and discover how to make fire. Write about this life-changing invention.
• You are a suffragette imprisoned for protesting for the right to vote. Write letters to your family.
• You are Leonardo da Vinci’s apprentice. Write about your observations of him and his inventions.
• You are a Viking child left behind with the elderly during a raid. Describe your daily life.
• You are an early doctor fighting the Black Plague. Describe medieval medicine and superstitions.
• You are a sailor on Columbus’ voyage. Write about your fears and expectations as you set sail.

The past is filled with captivating stories waiting to be told. Whether you want to recreate the soaring heights of pioneering triumphs or plumb the depths of everyday struggles, historical fiction offers an illuminating lens. Use these 50 varied prompts to ignite your imagination and transport readers to bygone eras. Choose an intriguing period, step into a compelling role, and bring history to life through sensory details, emotional perspectives, and dynamic characters. Build worlds both sweeping and intimate. Reveal insights lost to time. When you give voice to hidden histories, you keep the stories of the past alive. So pick a prompt that speaks to you, research to build an authentic world, and let dramatic history fuel your fiction. The human journeys of yesterday can still inspire, mystify, and teach us today – if we continue to share them. We have many more writing prompts on our site!  

About Richard

Richard Everywriter (pen name) has worked for literary magazines and literary websites for the last 25 years. He holds degrees in Writing, Journalism, Technology and Education. Richard has headed many writing workshops and courses, and he has taught writing and literature for the last 20 years.  

In writing and publishing he has worked with independent, small, medium and large publishers for years connecting publishers to authors. He has also worked as a journalist and editor in both magazine, newspaper and trade publications as well as in the medical publishing industry.   Follow him on Twitter, and check out our Submissions page .

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