Writing Prompts I've Never Seen (for starting a novel, developing character, and world creation.)

Sometimes, the most fun thing about writing a story is adding depth to the characters, cultures, and encounters.

Prompts for Character Development:

Your main character has to return a late library book but the librarian is an ancient woman who's struggling to reconnect her computer to wifi.

Your character has struggled with the main problem of the story, but now, at the worst moment possible, someone in a crowded train depot drops a bundle at your feet, with your name on it. Worse, it's moving.

Your character has been stoic through their trials, but now, in a quiet, raw, and honest moment, they open up their notebook and scratch in, "I regret..."

A side character who's struggled with loyalty or commitment throughout the narrative stumbles a little into the door frame. You stop long enough to yell at them to keep going, and they mumble something before collapsing. You rush over and there's a pool of blood oozing from their leg. But the battle was an hour ago.

Prompts for World Creation:

Your main character sees something that defies all their preconceptions of physics in your world: someone walks through a wall that is definitely stone.

Your main character was born and raised in a certain society; now, they're exploring the culture of a friend for the first time.

Your character's opinion on different regional candy.

Tucked into a tiny side street, far from any busy roads or crowded squares, was a tiny shop that sold the world's best marzipan, but if you know the password, they'll sell you almost anything from the secret store room behind a creaky suit of armor. You walk in one day, sure they won't have what you need, but there, sitting in a tiny jar, exactly what you were looking for.

First Sentences:

I jerked awake, the movement sending thousands and thousands of fluttering red butterflies into the air around me.

I woke up bright and early on the day the world ended and made the best cup of coffee I'd had in my life.

"You honestly think that we just talk about is makeup and clothes, but we've actually just solved your problem," She slid the napkin under her drink over to you, and there, written in blue ink, the most obvious answer: