Have you always had the ambition to write your own fantasy novel but never knew where to start? Here are a few suggestions that may inspire you to get started. These prompts can be used in any fantasy writing project, whether it is a book, short story or for television. They can also be used for other forms of fiction, such as urban fantasy and paranormal romance. You can even adapt the main character for a medieval creature and you have storylines for medieval fiction. One of the best things about writing fantasy is, unlike other fiction genres, anything goes. You can explain most mysterious occurrences or events in your novel as magical. These prompts are simply guidelines for you to customize to your own unique story. So let's begin.

1.  A young girl has just lost her parents in an accident in the mountains. As the girl looks for help she comes face to face with a friendly and white fluffy creature who breathes fire. Suddenly a roar is heard nearby. 

2. When a young gang member is killed by a rival, he is transported to a strange land and finds his tattoos have been replaced with mysterious symbols. 

3.  A young woman arrives on her first day as the nanny for a famously wealthy family. As she arrives in the nursery, a shabby, antique doll, which sits on a shelf, begins to talk to her, warning her of a dark family secret.  

4.  A down on his luck magician visits a magic shop where he purchases a cloak. The owner of the store states the cloak has magical powers. The magician does not believe this is possible until he arrives home and the cloak mysteriously vanishes.

5. A young couple decides to take a camping trip in a wood. They come across a small quaint cottage with a notice on the door to knock if they want luck. Intrigued, they knock on the door only to be greeted by a leprechaun who takes them hostage. 

6. There are two main species who inhabit a planet. The oil people who need oil to survive and the water people who survive on water. As a threatening force lands on their planet, the oil and water people have to learn to work together to survive. Can they learn to co-exist? 

7. When a family discovers a strange magic book in the loft of their new home, they begin to develop successful potions for love, wealth, and youth. One of the children decides to launch his own secret business supplying magical potions to the outside world.  

8. After moving to a new town,  a young couple believes they have found their forever home to start a family. That is until they speak to their strange elderly neighbor who informs them of the terrible event that happened there, leaving the house cursed. That night they hear a noise coming from inside the walls. 

9. A group of misfit friends finds a secret doorway in a remote mansion. The door leads them into a strange land where their flaws are deemed as special powers by the inhabitants.

10. A group of criminals decides to escape capture by running into the nearby forest. They find a path that leads to a castle in the air that is invisible to everyone else.  

11. Local legend claims a notorious pirate buried his treasure along the rocks of a local beach. Years later a young couple relaxes in their beachfront home, only to see a mysterious ship approaching. 

12. A man visits a gallery and finds himself drawn to an old portrait of a sad-looking soldier. As the man stares into the portrait, he wonders what has made the soldier so sad. Suddenly the two men have swapped places.  

I hope these ideas have sparked your imagination and given you some inspiration to start writing your own fantasy novel. Even if you have no intention of ever writing a fantasy book, maybe you could use one of these prompts for a creative writing exercise. Set the clock for five minutes and let your imagination run wild; you never know where the story will take you.