60 Creative OC Writing Prompts for Character Development

Looking for creative OC writing prompts? Look no further!

Have you ever noticed your students coming up with their own characters during writing time? Maybe they’ve created an entire cast of characters for a story, or they’ve given their favorite superhero a new twist. It’s exciting to see how their imaginations come alive!

An OC (original character) is a character that your students create themselves—not one from existing books, movies, or TV shows. It’s their chance to be the storyteller and build a unique character from the ground up. These characters are original creations that reflect your students’ creativity and imagination.

Developing strong, well-rounded characters is one of the most important parts of storytelling. It helps your students understand the process of writing by making their stories feel real and engaging. When characters have depth, students will learn to show, not just tell, and create richer, more compelling narratives.

Why Character Development is Important for Students

Now let’s dive into why character development is so important for students.

Supports Writing Standards: The process of developing original characters ties directly into key writing standards. Students can practice understanding character motives, developing narrative structure, and writing vivid descriptions—skills that are essential for strong writing and aligned with many classroom writing standards.

Encourages Creativity: Developing an original character gives students the freedom to explore their imagination. They can think about what makes their character unique and how they will interact with the world around them. OC writing prompts give students a starting point to unleash their creative ideas and bring their characters to life.

Improves Writing Skills: Creating a character involves thinking about personality, backstory, and motivations. This helps students build a deeper understanding of how characters drive the story forward. The more students develop their characters, the more dynamic their writing becomes, which strengthens their overall creative writing skills.

Relates to Real Life: Characters with depth reflect real-world experiences, struggles, and triumphs. This gives students a way to express themselves through their writing. By imagining what their original character would do in certain situations, they can draw from their own emotions and experiences, creating stories that resonate on a personal level.

60 Sample OC Writing Prompts

Here are 60 OC writing prompts, divided into four categories: personality-based, backstory-based, motivation-based, and conflict-based. These OC writing prompts will help your students dive deeper into their character’s traits, history, goals, and challenges, sparking creativity and improving their storytelling skills.

Personality-Based Prompts

When developing a new character, understanding their personality is key. These OC writing prompts will help students dig deeper into what makes their characters unique and how they interact with the world around them.

1. “What’s your OC’s favorite hobby, and how does it define them?”
2. “How does your OC react when they meet someone who disagrees with their opinion?”
3. “Write about a time your OC made a decision that surprised themselves.”
4. “If your OC posted a picture on social media, what would it be and why?”
5. “What’s the first thing your OC does every morning, and how does it set the tone for their day?”
6. “How does your OC handle a situation when their protective partner is unavailable?”
7. “Does your OC have any quirky habits, like a silly little dance when they’re excited?”
8. “Write about a time your OC helped a family member when they were in trouble.”
9. “What is your OC’s favorite way to spend a quiet afternoon, and what does it reveal about their character?”
10. “How does your OC react when they stumble into an unexpected situation?”

Backstory-Based Prompts

The backstory of an original character gives them depth and a sense of history. These OC writing prompts will help students explore their character’s past, uncover secrets, and define the events that have shaped who they are.

1. “Where did your OC grow up, and how did it shape their personality?”
2. “What’s an important event from your OC’s past that made them who they are today?”
3. “Does your OC have any family secrets that they want to keep hidden?”
4. “Imagine your OC discovers they have a long-lost relative. How do they react to finding out their last name?”
5. “Write a scene where your OC finds a mysterious object that connects them to their family’s history.”
6. “Your OC just took a DNA test—what surprising results did they find, and how do they react?”
7. “What’s a significant event from your OC’s childhood that shaped their view of the world?”
8. “Write about a moment when your OC learns something about their family member that changes everything.”
9. “Does your OC ever feel like their life is a mix of a lot of different things? How do they reconcile this?”
10. “Create a scene that serves as a sort of prequel to your OC’s main story. What past experience shaped who they are?”

Motivation-Based Prompts

What drives your character? These OC writing prompts will help students understand what motivates their characters, whether it’s a goal they’re striving for, a cause they care about, or a deep desire to change the world.

1. “What’s your OC’s biggest goal in life, and why do they want to achieve it?”
2. “If your OC could change one thing about the world, what would it be and why?”
3. “What would your OC do if they discovered their best friend had a secret?”
4. “Write a scene where your OC decides that they are the protagonist of my story, and they take charge of their destiny.”
5. “How does your OC handle a situation when they want something desperately but have to wait for good luck?”
6. “If your OC was granted special powers, how would they use them to reach their life’s goal?”
7. “Imagine your OC faces a big decision in their career path. How do they navigate the situation?”
8. “Write about a time when your OC realized they had to approach something in new ways to succeed.”
9. “If your OC met their future self, what advice would they give?”
10. “How would your OC react if they found out their career path was all planned out for them?”

Relationships-Based OC Writing Prompts

In this section, we’ll dive into how your character interacts with others, from family to friends and even rivals. These OC writing prompts will explore the relationships that help shape your character’s journey and the moral dilemmas they might face along the way.

1. “How does your OC feel when they meet a new person for the first time and have to make a good first impression?”
2. “Write about a time when your OC stumbles in a relationship, but learns something important from it.”
3. “How does your OC react when a family member supports a career path they don’t agree with?”
4. “Describe a situation where your OC is in first place in a competition, but someone close to them doesn’t get the same recognition.”
5. “Your OC has just started a new life in a new town—how do they make friends and connect with others?”
6. “What happens when your OC faces a moral dilemma between helping a friend and doing the right thing?”
7. “Imagine your OC talking to their best friend about a dream they’ve had for the first time—how does the friend react?”
8. “How does your OC deal with a situation where someone they trust doesn’t believe in their abilities?”
9. “Your OC and their sibling have been close for years, but a major disagreement pulls them apart—how do they resolve it?”
10. “Write about a time when your OC helped someone else achieve their goal, even though it meant putting their own desires second.”

Environment-Based OC Writing Prompts

The environment your OC lives in plays a huge role in shaping who they are and how they view the world. These OC writing prompts will help you explore the influence of your character’s surroundings on their journey, mindset, and decisions.

1. “Where does your main character live, and how does their environment affect their personality and daily life?”
2. “Imagine your OC stumbles upon a hidden place in their neighborhood—what do they find, and how does it change them?”
3. “How does your character’s environment reflect their future career paths or dreams?”
4. “Your OC’s home is a mix of a lot of things, with pieces from different cultures or time periods. How does this influence their worldview?”
5. “How does your character’s favorite place make them feel, and why is it so special to them?”
6. “Write about the first time your OC leaves their hometown. How do they react to the new environment?”
7. “What’s one thing your OC would change about their environment to improve their life?”
8. “How does the weather or climate in your character’s world affect their mood and actions on a regular basis?”
9. “If your OC could create their dream home, what would it look like, and where would it be located?”
10. “Write a scene where your OC is in an unfamiliar environment—how does the setting influence their thoughts and decisions?”

Conflict-Based Prompts

Every good story needs a bit of conflict. These OC writing prompts will help students explore the tough choices and difficult situations their characters must face, whether it’s a moral dilemma or a battle against their own fears.

1. “Your OC has to make a tough decision between helping a friend or doing the right thing. What do they choose?”
2. “Describe a time when your character faced their biggest fear.”
3. “Your OC is in a competition with someone they care about. How do they handle the rivalry?”
4. “Write a scene where your OC is challenged by a moral dilemma and has to make a difficult choice.”
5. “Your OC stumbles into a dangerous situation. How do they handle the challenge and make it out safely?”
6. “What happens when your OC is stuck in a magical forest, forced to confront something from their past?”
7. “Imagine your OC gets trapped in a 20-year coma. How do they react when they finally wake up to a new world?”
8. “Write about a time when your OC had to make a tough decision and their protective partner disagreed with their choice.”
9. “Your OC faces a moral dilemma involving a random dog they find on the street. What choice do they make?”
10. “Write a scene where your OC has to fight for what they want—will they win or lose?”

Conclusion

Using these 60 creative OC writing prompts is a great way to help students develop strong, well-rounded characters for their stories. Whether they’re creating a good character for a short story or crafting a brand new fantasy story, these prompts can spark their imagination and keep them engaged. 

Encouraging students to tackle these OC writing prompts on a regular basis, or even as part of a daily writing challenge, will help them improve their writing skills and develop a deeper understanding of character development. I hope this blog post has given you fresh ideas to inspire your students and take their writing to the next level!

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