Fiction Writing Prompts: Resurrection

Resurrection: A Journey Beyond Death and Back Again

The theme of resurrection transcends time and culture, resonating with the human fascination for life, death, and the myriad possibilities that may lie beyond. It contains our deepest fears and hopes, challenging our perceptions of finality and the transformative power of a second chance. At the heart of this theme is the return of a character from the dead—a narrative turn that can both shock and inspire, offering profound commentary on life’s cyclical nature.

The prompts centered around the theme of resurrection are versatile tools for writers. Whether you’re seeking a central plot device for a novel, a twist in a short story, or even a thematic foundation for a poem, these prompts can guide and inspire. While they primarily explore the literal revival of a character, they also touch on the spiritual, metaphysical, and emotional dimensions of resurrection.

Recommendations for Using the Prompts:

Novel Foundations: Use a prompt as the bedrock for a full-length narrative. Build an entire world, set of characters, and a sprawling plot around it.

Short Story Sparks: Challenge yourself to encapsulate the essence of resurrection within a limited word count. Perfect for honing skills and understanding the core of the theme.

Poetic Inspiration: While the prompts are primarily narrative-driven, they can be a starting point for poetic exploration. Capture the emotions and themes in verse.

Character Development: Use the prompts to craft a backstory for a character in your existing work. How does their experience with resurrection shape their motivations and relationships?

Film and Play Scripts: Transform the prompts into scenes or entire scripts, focusing on dialogue, setting, and visual elements that the theme of resurrection evokes.

Whether you’re just starting your writing journey or are a seasoned writer looking for fresh inspiration, let the age-old theme of resurrection breathe new life into your work. Allow these prompts to guide you through uncharted territories of creativity.

Resurrection Writing Prompts

A character returns from the dead…

1. A scientist, having died years ago, is brought back to life by his own experiment. But now, he’s not sure if he truly belongs.
2. An astronaut returns from a black hole decades after being presumed dead. They’ve not aged a day.
3. After a global catastrophe, a legend arises of a hero who can resurrect once per generation.
4. A detective is resurrected to solve their own murder. Every clue unravels a deeper conspiracy.
5. A musician, long dead, reappears and claims their famous compositions were stolen from them.
6. A famous historical figure awakens in a modern museum.
7. A pet returns from the dead, leading its owner on a mystical journey.
8. An old lover returns from the dead, but their memories aren’t entirely intact.
9. A villain, once defeated and thought dead, resurfaces with newfound powers.
10. The ghost of a writer returns to finish their unfinished novel.
11. A child believed to have been lost at sea is found on an uncharted island, surrounded by those long deemed lost.
12. A legendary warrior is resurrected to protect a kingdom, but questions their allegiance.
13. An ancient pharaoh awakens in modern times and seeks to reclaim their lost kingdom.
14. After a school reunion, friends realize one of the attendees died years ago.
15. A grandmother returns on the eve of a family crisis to provide wisdom.
16. An AI believes it’s the reincarnation of a long-dead human.
17. A knight is resurrected and believes they’re still on a holy quest.
18. A world leader returns from the dead to warn of an impending disaster.
19. In a post-apocalyptic world, a former hero is resurrected to unite scattered tribes.
20. A soldier comes home from war, but their family believes they died in battle years ago.
21. A person starts receiving letters from their deceased spouse, detailing future events.
22. During an archaeological dig, a long-dead queen is resurrected and begins guiding the excavation.
23. An old star of the silver screen walks out of one of their movies and into the real world.
24. In a dystopia where resurrection is common, one person’s return threatens the entire system.
25. A town’s founding father returns and disapproves of modern changes.
26. Resurrected as a child, an individual must relive their life, knowing the fate that awaits.
27. A pirate captain, resurrected from a cursed treasure chest, seeks to make amends.
28. A legendary lost explorer returns with tales of a hidden world.
29. An artist is resurrected to see the impact of their work on the future.
30. A mythical creature, believed dead, returns to a world that’s forgotten magic.
31. An old tree in a town square suddenly transforms into a man, claiming to be the town’s founder.
32. A resurrected witch seeks redemption in a world still fearing her name.
33. After being resurrected, a famous detective finds that the world now relies on technology for answers.
34. A grandmother is resurrected by a child’s wish and guides her family through trials.
35. A librarian discovers a book detailing their life and death, written by their future self.
36. A famous chef returns to challenge a contemporary chef who claimed to have surpassed him.
37. A lighthouse keeper, once lost at sea, returns to warn of an approaching storm.
38. A time traveler, thought to be dead, returns from a future they altered.
39. A king returns to find his twin, who took the throne in his absence.
40. A poet’s spirit revives to confront the modern world that’s forgotten the art of verse.
41. A former villain returns to teach at a school for young heroes.
42. An astronaut declared dead on a mission to Mars returns with alien ambassadors.
43. A gardener, once lost in a secret garden, returns with supernatural abilities.
44. A famed inventor returns, horrified to see the misuse of their inventions.
45. A long-lost deity awakens in a world now ruled by different gods.
46. A superhero, thought to have sacrificed themselves, returns from a dimension of pure energy.
47. A dormant volcano erupts, releasing an ancient civilization’s ruler.
48. A daughter, presumed dead, reappears on the night of her family’s move to another city.
49. An explorer returns from the Bermuda Triangle with tales of a hidden paradise.
50. A mythological beast is resurrected to defend a kingdom from an old threat.
51. A famed dancer, gone too soon, is brought back for one final performance.
52. In a world of zombies, one person returns fully human with a potential cure.
53. A pharaoh returns to confront the thieves who’ve been raiding his tomb.
54. A captain, having sunk with his ship, emerges from the ocean with tales from the deep.
55. A scientist returns with a new element that can revolutionize or destroy the world.
56. A musician hears their melody from a long-dead rival, challenging them to a supernatural duel.
57. A magician’s final trick was vanishing forever. Now, they reappear with new secrets.
58. A city’s founder reawakens every century to witness its progress.
59. A hero returns not with triumph but with a plea for help.
60. A queen, poisoned at her coronation, returns during her successor’s rule.
61. A bride, who vanished on her wedding day, returns on the same day, decades later.
62. A child’s imaginary friend, forgotten with age, reappears during adulthood.
63. A playwright returns to direct their final, unfinished play.
64. A soldier believed to be a war casualty returns, leading an army of the previously fallen.
65. A world-renowned pianist returns to compete against a prodigious child.
66. A dragon, once slain, reawakens from stone to find a world of industry.
67. A teacher, mourned by students, reappears during a school crisis.
68. A wise elder returns to a tribe as a young person, their wisdom intact.
69. A novelist comes back to confront an imposter who’s been publishing under their name.
70. A cursed prince, turned into a statue, returns when true love’s tears touch him.
71. A jester, thought to have been executed, reappears to challenge the king’s rule.
72. A detective comes back to a changed cityscape, seeking an immortal criminal.
73. A lost child returns from a fairy realm, unchanged but bearing otherworldly knowledge.
74. A maiden, sacrificed to the gods, returns as a deity herself.
75. A painter, believed to have vanished, emerges from one of their own paintings.
76. A former ruler, overthrown and thought dead, returns as a commoner to see their legacy.
77. A martyr, whose death sparked a revolution, returns to witness its conclusion.
78. A bard who sang prophecies returns to sing of the world’s end.
79. A famed healer returns with cures for modern ailments.
80. A blacksmith, thought to have perished in a fire, emerges with weapons of legend.
81. A monk returns from a cosmic pilgrimage with new teachings.
82. A farmer, having been lost in a mystical forest, returns with enchanted crops.
83. A jeweler returns, crafting pieces that can control elements.
84. A journalist, missing in action, returns with stories from hidden realms.
85. A world traveler, who documented unseen wonders, returns from a journey to the afterlife.
86. A rebel leader, thought executed, returns leading an army of spectral warriors.
87. A beast hunter returns, not as a slayer, but an advocate for mythical creatures.
88. A historian reappears, correcting misconceptions about the past.
89. A forgotten deity returns to reclaim their followers from newer gods.
90. A seafarer, lost in a storm, returns guiding ghostly ships.
91. A botanist, once lost in a jungle, returns with plants that think and speak.
92. A philosopher, who pondered death, returns with answers.
93. A miner emerges from a deep cavern, bringing luminous gems of power.
94. A tailor, vanished without a trace, returns sewing garments that grant abilities.
95. A clockmaker returns with a device that can manipulate time.
96. A chef, who disappeared after crafting the perfect dish, returns with food from celestial feasts.
97. An architect, having perished during their magnum opus’s construction, returns to complete it.
98. A poet, whose verses were once deemed heretical, returns as a prophet.
99. A librarian, who’d vanished amidst ancient tomes, returns with a book of life and death.
100. A gladiator, undefeated but one day vanished, returns to challenge the empire’s champion.