20 Scene Ideas for Your Movie, TV Show, or Book

Sometimes when you’re writing, you can have trouble drumming up ideas on how to make a scene more interesting. You know the scene can be better than it is, but what can you change to make it more exciting?

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Writing prompts can be just the thing to inspire and are a big help whenever you find yourself stuck. So keep reading as I provide 20 scene ideas for your movie, TV show, or book!

20 Scene Ideas for Your Movie, TV Show, or Book

My aim with these prompts is to provide you with different or unique scene ideas that can trigger your creativity. Build from these, use them in your work, or play around with prompted writing for fun! There’s no wrong way to interact with writing prompts!

1. Write a scene about two characters breaking up in an unusual location. That location can be at the bank, Chuck E. Cheese, or even on the moon. Your choice!
2. Write a scene where a group of friends is trying to solve a silly mystery in a serious way. For example, friends are trying to figure out who ate the last slice of pizza.
3. Write a scene where a protagonist looks at a seemingly innocuous object ominously. What is it about that object? Why does the protagonist seem so serious?
4. Write a scene where two characters are running away from something. We don’t see what that something is; we only see the character’s reactions to it.
5. Write a scene where something or someone completely unexpectedly walks into a coffee shop. How would all the customers react if someone in an astronaut suit walked in? Or what if a bear strolled in and went up to the counter?
6. Write a scene set in the snow, and have the weather negatively affect whatever is happening.
7. Write a scene where a character must make a very hard choice between two things. These things can be serious or funny.
8. Write a scene introducing an antagonist bizarrely and funnily. Maybe this is a superhero’s arch nemesis, but you introduce them to the reader in a laundromat.
9. Write a scene where two characters are meeting for the first time. Make one character overly excited and the other character very nervous.
10. Write a scene set at a party where something scary happens! Use some horror film inspiration to turn a party scene into something frightening.
11. Write a scene set on a first date where everything seems to keep going wrong. One person knocks over a drink; the waiter gets their meals wrong; the other person’s cell phone keeps ringing. What are all the things that can go wrong on a date?
12. Write a scene set at a beach with an unexpected character. Who is someone you would not expect to see at a beach? Are they enjoying themselves? Do they hate it? What beach activities do they choose to do?
13. Write a scene about a kid waiting at a bus stop. How do they pass the time? Does anything unexpected happen? Does a friend join them? What if the bus doesn’t come?
14. Write a scene where a character suddenly discovers an object that wasn’t there before. Maybe suddenly a magic lamp has appeared on their desk. Or perhaps a strange book has found its way to their dinner table. What do they do? What happens when they interact with the object?
15. Write a scene where two characters have to escape from somewhere. Are they escaping from prison? Are they escaping from an accidentally locked room? Make the stakes as high as you want!
16. Write a scene about two vampires doing something that vampires normally don’t do.
17. Write a scene where a character is suddenly transported to a location they’re not familiar with. What would happen if someone were suddenly transported from their living room to the desert? What does the character do?
18. Write a scene set at the DMV. Everyone hates going to the DMV, but what if something happy happened there? What is something nice and exciting that could happen at the DMV?
19. Write a scene set in a dark location. What kinds of locations are dark? How much can the character say? How much can the audience see? What brings the character to this place? What are other things in the dark with them?
20. Write a scene where loud noise is reoccurring. This could be a fire alarm going off or a radio being stuck at its loudest volume. How did the characters in the scene interact with the noise, and how did the noise affect their communication with one another?

That’s 20 scene ideas for you to play around with the next time you find yourself stuck with your writing. Have fun with it, and be as creative as possible. Happy writing!