Here are some writing prompts. If any of these prompt a story or idea for you, go for it! Ideas a free, and you can use these prompts freely any way you want.

“An angry man — there is my story: the bitter rancor of Achilles…” Thus Homer begins The Iliad. When does a story begin? To answer that question, you should understand your story thoroughly. Author John Kessel says a story begins when a situation loses balance. Homer begins his story when Agamemnon insults Achilles at the siege of Troy, they fight, and as a result, soon the souls of champions glut Hell while dogs and ravens feast on their corpses. Star Wars begins when Princess Leia sends a desperate plea for help that falls into the hands of her long-lost brother (spoiler, sorry) who, eventually, tries to destroy the evil Empire.

Here are some possible story beginnings:

• This made-for-TV movie begins when a wildlife biology crew comes to a ghost town on Mars to study the creatures who have made homes in the empty buildings.

• This cyberpunk story begins as artificially reformed convicts try to make their way in a society that doubts their transformations — transformations they themselves doubt.

• This story begins with Rio, the first baby born after the human population exceeds the supply of souls available for reincarnation.