Four writing prompts: Enigma

Good stories center on the clashing of characters’ goals and motivations. Sometimes a character’s goals and motivations arise upon achieving his dreams. Here are four writing prompts for stories that center on the motivation of dreams.

Man vs. nature
While on a research assignment, a biologist spots odd signs that no native animal he knows of would make. He attempts to puzzle out what left these signs. What does he discover? A new animal? An alien being? A hoaxster?

Man vs. man
A serial murder appears to be selecting his victims based on the murals painted in a city (or some other sets of objects ) . Can a detective determine what clues are in the murals to prevent the next murder and ultimately to capture the killer?

Man vs. society
Attempting to crack a code that will help a nation win a war, the protagonist finds himself worked to physical and mental exhaustion. Can he overcome his personal limitations before the enemy, thanks to its apparently unbreakable cipher, is able to gain the upper hand and ensure its victory?

Man vs. himself
Our protagonist has been trying to decipher a hidden message in a book, which if discovered will tell him the location of a macguffin. After years of making little progress, he has to decide if he should give up or keep at it. Which choice will he make?

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