Fiction Writing Prompts: Family Curse

Family Curse Writing Prompts

A recurring misfortune plagues a lineage…

1. Mystery Locket: The women in a family always receive a silver locket on their 18th birthday. Each time the locket is opened, a terrible event occurs. Write about the day a curious family member tries to discover its origin.
2. Moonlit Shadows: Whenever there’s a full moon, one family member goes missing. They return the next morning, with no memory of the night before. Delve into their journey of unearthing this mystery.
3. The Silent Child: Every third child born in the family is mute. When they turn 10, they whisper a prophecy to their closest kin. Write about a protagonist waiting to hear their sibling’s whisper.
4. The Weeping Willow: A giant willow tree stands in the family’s backyard. Whenever a branch falls, a family member’s days are numbered. How does the latest generation cope?
5. Water’s Woe: The family can never live near water, or tragedy will strike. A young couple from the family unknowingly buys a house with a hidden well. What ensues?
6. The 27th Year: Everyone in the lineage meets an odd stranger in their 27th year that changes their life’s trajectory. How does the latest encounter unfold?
7. The Forgotten Melody: A tune passed down through generations is said to bring misfortune when played. A family member accidentally plays it at a public event.
8. Mirror in the Attic: An antique mirror shows a family member’s death, but no one knows which generation it’s showing. The race to decipher the reflection begins.
9. The Black Cat’s Path: A black cat is said to appear before a family tragedy. Over generations, the cat’s appearances have been recorded. Can the curse be broken?
10. The Time-Torn Diary: A diary detailing the same day over generations reveals a recurring event. Each family member must decide how to approach this inevitable day.
11. The Whispering Wind: On their 30th birthday, family members hear whispers carried by the wind. The whispers tell of their most significant challenge. Chronicle a member’s experience.
12. Drowning Dreams: Dreams of drowning haunt the family. Every dream is a forewarning, but of what? Dive into the dreamer’s psyche.
13. Portrait’s Prison: Every family portrait ages, except for one ancestor. This ancestor appears to change poses, guiding or warning their kin.
14. Gloomy Gatherings: Funerals for the family never happen on sunny days. A historian connects weather anomalies to their deaths. Why does nature mourn them?
15. The Burned Letter: Every year, a cryptic letter burns up before it can be fully read. The protagonist finally reads it in its entirety. What secrets unfold?
16. Twin Trials: Twins in the family share pain. If one gets hurt, the other feels it. Explore their bond as they navigate the world.
17. The Silver Comb: Using an heirloom comb spells disaster for the user. After a teen uses it, her life unravels.
18. Haunted Honeymoons: Couples from the family always experience a paranormal event on their honeymoon. Write about one couple’s eerie escape.
19. The Blood Pact: An ancestor made a pact that now demands a sacrifice from every generation. How will the current generation confront it?
20. The Cursed Cookbook: A family recipe promises to bind lovers, but it always ends in tragedy. A love-struck member tries it out.
21. The Wedding Dress Woe: A family’s wedding dress brings marital strife. The protagonist wears it, unaware, and must deal with the fallout.
22. Eclipsed Fates: Every lunar eclipse, a family member faces their darkest fears. Chronicle a harrowing night of one such member.
23. The Widow’s Lament: Women in the lineage become widows early. Delve into a story of love, loss, and the search for the curse’s origin.
24. The Bone Box: An old box contains the bones of a mysterious creature. If it’s opened, misfortune befalls the opener. A child’s curiosity leads to chaos.
25. Ink-stained Secrets: Tattoos appear on members depicting their future. A member tries to alter her destiny upon seeing hers.
26. The Hourglass Haunting: An hourglass in the family home runs backward. Time behaves oddly for its owners. Unravel their surreal existence.
27. The Phantom Feast: An annual family feast always includes one extra, unseen guest. A psychic is invited to communicate with this entity.
28. Locked Love: Lovers from the family can’t physically touch or tragedy ensues. Dive into a story of yearning and distance.
29. Echoing Footsteps: Footsteps echo a year before a member’s death. A member hears theirs and sets out to change their fate.
30. The Frozen Heart: Every winter, a family member’s heart “freezes,” making them emotionless. Delve into the cold spell’s impact.
31. Spectral Sight: Members occasionally see spirits. They must help them find peace or face the spirit’s wrath.
32. The Cursed Carousel: A family heirloom carousel predicts the life journey of those who spin it. A member confronts their fate after a ride.
33. The Ghostly Gaze: One window in the family mansion shows the ghost of a past member. Their appearance hints at impending doom.
34. The Wanderer’s Woe: Every decade, a family member is compelled to wander aimlessly. Unearth their journeys.
35. Unlucky in Love: Relationships outside the family always end tragically. Dive into the struggle of finding love within this curse.
36. The Fallen Star: A meteorite struck the family estate ages ago. Since then, strange events plague the lineage.
37. The Bewitched Bookshelf: Books in the family library reveal secrets when read aloud. A member stumbles upon a dangerous revelation.
38. The Cursed Crown: An ancient crown grants its wearer insight but at a grave cost. As it’s passed down, chaos follows.
39. Repeating Riddles: Every newborn is whispered a riddle. Solving it can either bring fortune or doom.
40. The Midnight Mourner: A mysterious figure mourns at the family graveyard every year. Discovering their identity unveils a twisted tale.
41. Fading Footprints: Whenever a family member walks alone, their footprints slowly disappear. Unravel the symbolism and its impact.
42. Enchanted Engagement: Engagement rings from the family always disappear before the wedding. A bride-to-be tries to break this pattern.
43. The Eldritch Estate: The family mansion changes its layout nightly. Navigating its corridors becomes a dangerous game.
44. Sundown Syndrome: At sunset, a family member changes personalities. As night falls, their darkest desires emerge.
45. Bitter Birthdays: Birthdays bring bad luck. Explore a year where multiple family members share the same birthdate.
46. The Bewitched Lullaby: A lullaby promises peaceful sleep but traps the listener in an endless nightmare. A mother unwittingly sings it to her child.
47. The Trapped Twin: In every generation, a twin is trapped in a mirror, while their reflection lives out their life. A sibling seeks to free them.
48. The Reaper’s Ring: A ring predicts the wearer’s death date. As the day approaches, the wearer’s world spirals.
49. Vanishing Veil: After marriage, brides from the family slowly turn invisible. Chronicle a husband’s efforts to keep his wife seen.
50. The Forgotten Feast: Family dinners cause members to lose memories. Delve into a story of rediscovering lost times.
51. Cursed Constellations: Stars foretell family members’ futures. An astronomer in the family deciphers their ominous alignment.
52. Time-twisted Tales: Family stories change over time, altering reality. A member fights to keep their story unchanged.
53. The Devil’s Dance: A dance passed down beckons demonic entities when performed. A dancer unknowingly invites them in.
54. The Gilded Cage: Birds from the family aviary can never be released. If they are, disaster strikes the releaser.
55. Rose’s Regret: Roses planted by the family always wilt, foretelling a heartbreak. A member tries to cultivate a lasting bloom.
56. The Silent Scream: Every night, a family member hears a scream, but no source is found. The search for the screamer begins.
57. The Forgotten Fiancé: Once engaged, fiancés of the family always vanish. A lover’s quest to find their betrothed unveils deeper mysteries.
58. Eerie Echoes: Family voices echo from the past, warning of impending dangers. A member deciphers these messages.
59. Midnight Melancholy: The family feels immense sorrow at midnight. An insomniac member confronts these nightly sorrows.
60. The Clock’s Curse: A grandfather clock reverses time, making members relive their worst day. A member seeks to destroy it.
61. Petrifying Paintings: Paintings of the family morph to show a member’s downfall. An artist in the lineage confronts their portrait.
62. The Bewitched Bed: Sleepers in the family bed experience the previous sleeper’s dreams. Dive into a story of shared nightmares.
63. The Candle’s Call: Candles lit in the family home beckon spirits. A member tries to illuminate their home without invoking the otherworldly.
64. The Serpent’s Scale: Family members find a snake scale on their person, signaling a betrayal. Paranoia ensues as they try to identify the traitor.
65. The Captive Choir: Singing a specific hymn traps the singer in an alternate dimension. A family reunion turns chaotic when it’s unknowingly sung.
66. The Garden’s Grief: Plants in the family garden predict future events. A member tries to cultivate a positive omen.
67. The Phantom Phone: An old phone in the family home rings occasionally, with the dead on the other end.
68. The Haunted Harp: Playing the family harp invokes thunderstorms. A musician seeks its origin amidst tempestuous events.
69. The Doppelganger’s Dance: Every member has a doppelganger. Meeting them ensures one’s doom. A member unknowingly befriends theirs.
70. The Cursed Calendar: Dates marked on the family calendar become unfortunate. A member tries to live a dateless existence.
71. The Silent Storm: Storms never make a sound around the family estate. A meteorologist tries to understand this anomaly.
72. The Forbidden Fruit: A tree in the family orchard bears a fruit that, when consumed, shows one’s death. A member’s temptation leads to chaos.
73. The Dreamcatcher’s Despair: A family dreamcatcher traps nightmares. If ever broken, these nightmares manifest in reality.
74. The Moonstone Mystery: A moonstone pendant intensifies emotions. A wearer’s emotions spiral out of control, leading to pandemonium.
75. The Perilous Pen: Writing with the family pen foretells the writer’s next day. A writer crafts their ideal day but faces unintended consequences.
76. The Grieving Goblet: Drinking from the family goblet induces visions of lost loved ones. A member grapples with these ghostly encounters.
77. The Tragic Telescope: Looking through the family telescope shows catastrophic future events. A stargazer must decide whether to intervene.
78. The Wishing Well’s Woe: Wishes made at the family well come true, but always with a twist. A member learns this the hard way.
79. The Bewitched Brooch: Wearing the family brooch brings immense luck, followed by a tragedy. A member confronts this double-edged sword.
80. The Labyrinthine Library: Books in the family library transport readers into their story. A reader becomes trapped in a tale.
81. The Trapped Tarot: Tarot readings for the family always predict the reader’s misfortune. A member risks a reading to change their destiny.
82. The Cursed Camera: Photographs taken with the family camera show the subject’s greatest fear. A photographer exploits this power.
83. The Phantom Feast: The family experiences a grand feast in their dreams. Upon waking, they find evidence of its reality.
84. The Ghostly Gown: Wearing the family gown invokes the presence of ancestors. A bride grapples with their spectral guidance on her wedding day.
85. The Bewildering Bracelet: The family bracelet allows wearers to relive an ancestor’s memory. A member becomes addicted to the past.
86. The Vanishing Violin: Playing the family violin makes the musician invisible. A musician uses this to their advantage, with consequences.
87. The Miraculous Mirror: The family mirror shows alternate reality versions of the viewer. A member becomes obsessed with a better version of themselves.
88. The Forbidden Fireplace: Flames in the family fireplace show the afterlife. A member’s quest to communicate with the departed intensifies.
89. The Cursed Carousel: Riding the family carousel transports riders back in time. A rider becomes stuck in the past.
90. The Ominous Ouija: The family Ouija board always contacts malevolent spirits. A séance goes awry when it’s used.
91. The Bewitched Bell: Ringing the family bell silences the world around the ringer. A member’s world becomes eerily quiet.
92. The Haunting Hourglass: Turning the family hourglass transports the user to a random time and place. A user’s unpredictable journeys begin.
93. The Tantalizing Tapestry: The family tapestry alters its scenes to hint at future events. A member tries to decipher its latest depiction.
94. The Cursed Chalice: Drinking from the family chalice grants immense power at a great personal cost. A member confronts this Faustian bargain.
95. The Ominous Organ: Playing the family organ opens portals to other realms. A musician navigates these otherworldly realms.
96. The Ghostly Gramophone: Playing records on the family gramophone summons spirits related to the song. A member faces the spirits of their past.
97. The Bewitched Brush: Painting with the family brush makes the artwork come alive. An artist’s creations wreak havoc.
98. The Phantom Phonograph: Playing the family phonograph replays moments from the past. A member confronts a long-buried family secret.
99. The Cursed Crown: Wearing the family crown grants leadership, but ensures a tragic end. A member grapples with power and its price.
100. The Mystic Map: The family map changes landscapes, leading to hidden realms. A member’s perilous quest for a lost realm unfolds.