60 Captivating Picture Writing Prompts (Includes Samples)

Many writers I’ve met have struggled to know where to start when deciding what kind of story they should write. As such, picture writing prompts are a useful way to get one’s creative juices flowing by looking at a captivating image and branching out that single idea into many.

Picture writing prompts are also important because many of us are visual creatures. Inspiration is found not only in words on a page but also in the strange and familiar things we see in daily.

Below, I will give you 60 picture writing prompts to get you started on your next story, or maybe stimulate new ideas for a story you already have in the works.

These images also apply to various genres, including romance, sci-fi, fantasy, realistic and historical fiction, and so on.

Thus, I hope you find at least one captivating treasure among these prompts and if not, they spark even a tiny idea to take with you on your writing journey.

60 Captivating Picture Writing Prompts

1. What kinds of books are on these shelves? What is this mysterious door, and who is the woman inside?

a woman wearing a white dress is inside a magical doorway surrounded by huge bookshelves of books. This is a captivating picture prompt.

2. Why is this rock glowing? Where is this rock located? Is there something inside it?

In this captivating picture prompt, a rock glowing a teal hue sits on the coast with stars in the sky.

3. Who is this woman, and where is she going? Is she alone? What’s in her bag?

in this captivating picture writing prompt, a woman is carrying a backpack and a sunhat walks into the woods on a dirt path.

4. Can this dog drive? How did he get his sunglasses on? What is he thinking about?

In this captivating picture writing prompt a brown and white dog is wearing black sunglasses while sitting in a mini green car.

5. Why is this person wearing a unicorn suit? Why are they meditating on a mountaintop? Did they go alone?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts of a person sitting on top of a mountain wearing a rainbow unicorn suit while meditating.

6. Where is this forest located? Why does this doorway look so new? Have people gone inside here before?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts of a brown, dome-shaped doorway covered in green shrubbery sits in the middle of the woods, surrounded by pink and white flowers.

7. Does this book have a title? What does its contents say? Who left the rock sitting in this book?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts of a book sits open in a dark forest with a rock bookmarking one of its middle pages.

8. What is this glowing light coming from? Why is a horse there? Who are these people, and what will they do with the horse?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts of figures of three people next to a horse as orange lights and shadows surround them.

9. Whose hand is this, and where are they located? Are they in danger or pain?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts of a monochrome hand reaches up toward the light.

10. What are these crystals for? Do they have magical powers? Who might use them?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts six crystals of different colors sit aligned next to each other on a grassy foundation.

11. Who is this person? Why are they about to touch the candle?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a hand reaches toward the flame on a candlestick.

12. Who are these children? Are they siblings, friends, etc.? Where are they, and why are they dressed in formal attire?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
two black girls in blue and green uniforms chase one another, while one holds a white ball in her hands.

13. Who is this couple? How long have they been together? Is there a particular reason they are eating watermelon?

14. Who is this woman conversing with? Why is she rolling her eyes? Is it because of the person in front of her, or is she just thinking of something unpleasant?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a black woman with a light blue top rests her hand on her chin while sitting at a table, and rolls her eyes as a guy speaks to her.

15. Why is this woman there? What’s in her bag?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a woman carrying an orange backpack holds her arms in the air as she looks at the ocean.

16. What is this person doing? Are they exploring, looking for something, running away, etc.?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a person is free-climbing between two narrow cliffs as they look down at the ocean.

17. Who are these people, and why did they drive their car to the edge of a cliff?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
four individuals stand on and next to their car located on the edge of a cliff.

18. Is this a dog with a mushroom head, or a mushroom with a dog face? Is the dog alone?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a pug dog sitting on fallen leaves is looking up to the side as a red mushroom sits on its head.

19. Where are this girl’s parents? Why is she wearing a dress with a mask? Is her home safe, or is this just a costume?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a little girl is wearing a red dress while wearing a gas mask as she stands in a field.

20. What are these people looking at? Are the two of them strangers, or do they know each other?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a black woman and a white man are looking through white window shades at something.

21. What do these four boys do all day? Are these boys brothers, cousins, friends, etc.? What are each of their dreams?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
four boys wearing simple t-shirts and shorts stand with each of their feet on top of a soccer ball.

22. What are these cats arguing about? Why is the brown cat raising their paw

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a brown tabby cat raises its paw at an orange and white cat as they both prop themselves on a wooden stool.

23. Whose handprint is this? How old is it? Why did they leave it there?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a black handprint is on a large, white rock.

24. Can these trash bins talk to each other? If so, what do they usually talk about?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
two smiling red and blue trash cans resembling a man and woman are talking to each other.

25. Who left this apple on the staircase? Did the person responsible forget to take it, or did they deliberately leave it there? Does it represent anything?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a red apple is on a cement staircase.

26. What is this creature? What is it trying to do with the ship

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
an ocean monster with sharp teeth tries to eat a large cruise ship.

27. Whose coffee is this? Why is the coffee smiling? Can it talk?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
the brown coffee liquid is smiling in a white mug.

28. Why is this person at the remnants of a crime scene? Are they just a curious passerby? Could they be the culprit

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a person in a white hood and suit bends down to examine a crime scene in the middle of the night.

29. Whose shoe is this? Why is it so clean? Why is only one shoe missing? How long has it been there?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a white sneaker is sitting on top of autumn leaves as one leaf sits inside it.

30. Can this dinosaur shadow move on its own? If so, can they talk as well? Who is the little boy?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a little boy is playing with a dinosaur figurine and a dinosaur shadow appears on the wall.

31. Whose crown is this? Why are there particles floating around it? Is it vanishing? Does it have magical powers?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a gold crown is surrounded by floating gold dust.

32. Where is this person located? Why did they put a bag on their head? Do they want others to notice them? Why are they sad?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a person in a black suit sits with their back against a wall while wearing a sad-faced brown bag on their head.

33. Can this doll move on its own? Who put them in a cage and why?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a small wooden doll is standing up while trapped in a black cage.

34. Why are some of the cubes empty? What are the people thinking about? Is this a game? How do they plan to get out? What is the goal?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
people in suits are trapped in cement cubicles but some of the cubicles are dark and empty.

35. Who is this woman? Why is she holding onto the elevator? Is it falling, or rising? What building is this elevator located in? Does she work here, is she visiting someone, etc.?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a black woman wearing a white shirt and jeans is crouched down and holding onto an elevator while looking upward.

36. Why did this man take a mirror to an open field? What is he trying to do with it?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a young man is in the middle of a field holding a circular mirror pointed at the sky.

37. Who is this man? How old is he? Is he always dressed this way? If so, why?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
an elderly man with black goggles and a flashy red suit holds a disco ball while looking surprised as confetti floats around him.

38. What is this woman happy about? What is she carrying in her bags? Where did she just come from?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a black woman wearing a white top and black dress pants is carrying three brown paper bags.

39. Where is this cave? Did someone go inside? What are they looking for?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a cave is on the edge of a beach and a person with red clothing walks inside it.

40. Why is this woman holding her arms out? Is she just stretching? Does she plan to go swimming?

41. Where did these butterflies come from? Where are they going? Why are there so many?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a trail of butterflies flying into the sun.

42. Who is this couple? What is making the man cheer? What is causing the woman to run away? How did they end up near the woods?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a bride is running toward a forest as a groom lifts his arms and cheers behind her.

43. Did this woman marry a horse? Is it just a costume, or is that his head?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a bride is hugging a man with a horse head who’s also wearing a dark blue suit.

44. Why is there no one in the center? Are they waiting for something? Who are these people?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a large group of people resembling silhouettes surround a large white circle.

45. Are these two siblings? Where are their parents? Why does the little girl want to share her ice cream?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a little black boy and girl share a chocolate ice cream cone while sitting on a bench outside a store.

46. Who are these people, and what are they doing with the alien? Are they interrogating it? Are they doing experiments? What does the alien know? How did it get there?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
two people in white hazmat suits examine an alien sitting in a chair.

47. Is this tree naturally shaped that way, or did someone trim it into a heart shape? Why is it a heart? What does it represent?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a red, heart-shaped tree sits on a grassy hill.

48. Is this ship located on Earth? Where is it going? Who’s steering it?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a ship sails through peach-colored waters as stars decorate the night sky.

49. Is this boy a pirate captain? Is he the son of a captain? What is he looking at?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a little boy is looking at something with a telescope while wearing a pirate hat.

50. Are these people always invisible? How did they get that way?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
two invisible people wearing regular clothes walk past each other on a sidewalk.

51. Where is this train going? Who is this woman, and what is she looking at?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a moving, turquoise-colored train carries a woman who is looking out its window.

52. Why is this woman burning a newspaper? What does it say?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a black woman with circular-rimmed glasses holds a burning newspaper.

53. Is this person celebrating something? Is it a holiday? Were they the ones who set the fireworks up? If so, why?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a person holds up a sparkler up to the sky as fireworks go off behind them.

54. Where is this family going? Who are they, and why are they barefoot?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a father, mother, and their two daughters who are all wearing white and brown clothing run barefoot through the woods.

55. Who left their grocery basket on the ground? Where did they go that was more important?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a red handbasket fruit is left in the middle of a grocery store aisle.

56. What city is this woman in? Is she going somewhere? Is she waiting for someone? What is she thinking about?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a black woman wearing a gray coat and light brown hat holds out her hand to catch a snowflake.

57. Who is going to use the telephone booth next? Who used it last? What is the phone call about?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
four red telephone booths sit next to each other as it snows outside.

58. How did the children’s home get flooded? Can they breathe underwater? How are they getting out?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a little boy and girl are swimming through their home which is filled to the top with water.

59. Whose funeral is this? Who is holding the rose and why?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a woman wearing a black suit holds a red rose as she looks at a coffin.

60. Who is this woman, and where is she? Is she a prisoner? Is she there of her own accord?

Captivating Picture Writing Prompts
a woman wearing a white dress sits in a stone room on a chair as she looks outside a gated window.

Benefits of Using Picture Writing Prompts

Stimulates Creativity

Using picture writing prompts like the ones above does more than give authors a quick solution to their writer’s block. It also stimulates my creativity by making me think outside the box.

Imagining worlds and scenarios that are unlike my leads me and many writers to have creative breakthroughs in our stories.

Enhances Descriptive Skills

When looking at any image or visual display, I am often bombarded with many details I may not notice at first glance.

Picture writing prompts help me write better, as they force me to focus on the specifics of each image and what details to incorporate into my story/scenes.

Encourages Storytelling

I remember watching Disney movies as a child and constantly feeling drawn in by the portrayals of worlds, scenarios, and characters I had never seen before.

Just like watching a movie, using picture writing prompts encourages me to tell stories about subjects underexplored or that can be expanded upon.

Even a picture of something as simple as a flickering candle could lead you to your next great idea!

Builds Writing Confidence

I’ll admit that when I wrote short stories for my college workshops, I sometimes felt stumped at what details and ideas to include next in the story.

In those moments, I searched for images of scenery, character models, and the like to give me a boost in the right direction. This helped me realize I had ideas locked away in my brain, I just hadn’t uncovered them yet.

There is also nothing wrong with being inspired by something externally, especially once you craft it into its unique masterpiece.

Once you are captivated by an image, your ideas expand, and that expansion will give you the confidence to write even better ideas the more you practice it.

Selecting the Right Picture Writing Prompt

Considering Your Genre

When I first took a writing workshop in college, there was many students, myself included, who had no clue what genre they wanted their stories to be in.

This lack of certainty also made it harder for us to create new ideas since we didn’t have a clear intention/stylistic framework for their story.

As such, when selecting a picture writing prompt, I suggest simultaneously considering the main genre you want to write for (i.e. romance, sci-fi, fantasy, realistic, historical fiction, etc.).

The images in this article apply to several genres, so if you choose your genre first, selecting a picture writing prompt may become a bit easier.

Emotional Appeal and Personal Connection

Another option is selecting a picture writing prompt based on its emotional appeal. When looking at an image, I like to ask myself, which one resonates with me, or reminds me of something I experienced personally?

Oftentimes, the best stories I write are the ones I have an emotional stake in, so I suggest choosing a prompt from the perspective of your most vulnerable self.

For example, picture #54 from the list above of the family running barefoot reminds me of my days as a child running around and walking barefoot outside (which also gave me uncomfortable, rock-like calluses, but I digress).

Either way, no matter how small the detail, try finding a connection between one of these picture writing prompts and ,your memory or experience and branch your idea out from there.

Open-Ended vs. Specific Prompts

Additionally, some of these images are more straightforward than the rest regarding what ideas might come to mind.

For example, picture writing prompts with people in them may narrow my story idea to those types of characters. On the other hand, the image of a glowing rock or gemstone leaves me with a looser impression of what to write about.

Therefore, I suggest if you already have a story premise/character in your head, try selecting an image with a specific object in it to balance out your vision.

However, if you are starting your story from scratch, try choosing an image that depicts a person. After all, what’s more important in a story than the main character steering it?

Tips for Effective Picture Writing

Set the Scene: Know where you want your story to take place (e.g., the desert, forest, ocean, an urban or rural area, etc.).
Develop the Character(s): What do your characters look like? Where do they live? Who are the people closest to them? In the selected image, are they struggling with something? Are they happy, sad, angry, etc.? If so, why?
Create Conflict: Think about how your chosen image could be reimagined into something more rattling. For example, if a picture prompt depicts a woman seemingly at peace with herself, what new development could you add to disrupt that peace?
Build Suspense: Some images may seem boring initially, so try enhancing the stakes. For example, if the image’s tone doesn’t evoke any strong emotions, consider imagining that scenario, object, or person being another character’s greatest fear or even wish.

Final Thoughts

Overall, there are many benefits to using picture writing prompts to progress your writing further.

These prompts allow you to flex your creative muscles and pay attention to seemingly insignificant details that become important later on.

They also help you rethink what kind of stories you see yourself telling, and let you build more confidence in your skills and your future writing endeavors.

Many writers have struggled

Many writers have struggled to develop story ideas to tell, but that doesn’t make you any less capable.

As a writer, I cannot afford to live in a vacuum and merely see myself as either naturally gifted with an internal trove of ideas, or boring and lacking originality.

The best pictorial ideas are the ones that move us

I believe the best pictorial ideas are the ones that move us, inspire us, and inspire others. Therefore, if you resonate with a certain image or idea, likely, others will too.

So, don’t hold back. Make these prompts your own!

Keep striving, writers.

Until next time.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use picture writing prompts effectively to improve my writing skills?

Using picture writing prompts improves your writing skills by stimulating your observational and analytical skills as you decipher what each image means in the context of your story.

Can I use these prompts for different genres of writing?

Yes! Many of these images apply to various genres of storytelling even if they seem skewed to one type on the surface.
For example, the image of the woman holding a rose next to a coffin could be seen as a romance, but it also would work in a realistic fiction context as well.

Are there any specific tips for analyzing and learning from the writing samples provided?

Narrow down the images you want to use by focusing on the genre you want to write first. Once you know that, the picture writing prompts can be utilized based on their relevance to your chosen genre.
You may also consider if what you’re looking for is about coming up with an idea for a character, an object, or a scenario. Decide on one first and then go where your mind takes you.

Where can I find more picture writing prompts after using these 60 prompts?

Pinterest and Instagram are good places to start since they cater to visual ideas more than text-driven ones. Simply search for prompts with keywords like “fantasy landscapes”, “romance aesthetics,” or whatever suits your chosen genre or character.

How can I contact the author for further guidance or questions about the prompts?

You can reach Author Tara Hayes by email at: tarahayesbooks@gmail.com
Or, you can book a call with her, HERE.

Tara Hayes

Tara is a Twice-Self-Published Author of her books, From Irrational to Rational and Panic to Picnic. She is also the Owner of Tarafied Publishing LLC. Tara’s journey with anxiety has cultivated a deep connection to the wellness space, inspiring her to dedicate her expertise to helping female wellness professionals, such as coaches, therapists, and holistic practitioners, publish a profit-driving book in 12 weeks.

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60 Captivating Picture Writing Prompts