SWTOR Writing Prompts

Writing, Art, and Character Development Prompts for Star Wars: The Old Republic

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Still taking submissions?

Yep, they should auto-post.

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Submission - Regret

What is your character's biggest regret from the class story?

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Are you still taking prompts?

If you want to share a prompt, PLEASE DO! Don't let the fact that I've sunk into a swimming pool of mashed potatoes stop you!

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IT’S BAAAAAAAAACK!

First Line Prompt, 28 March 2020

After a long furlough, or maybe it was a shore leave to end all shore leaves, SWTOR-PROMPTS is back!!! Did you miss me? 

Back mostly because now, like a lot of you, I’m stuck at home and jobless for the time being. So one of my promises to myself is to write more and share more. And make the damn government keep my internet on. 

I probably won’t go on a regular schedule, I’ll just post when the Maker moves me. Like they did in a waking dream early this morning:

“It began -- as it always does -- with a sandwich.”

The Maker is such a joker. But use that as your first line for a drabble, a flash fic, a chapter or an epic a lot of us now have no excuse not to write.

Tag “swtor-prompts” if you do, please. And above all else: Stay safe, stay home and WASH YOUR FUCKING HANDS. 

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Gen or Any Pairing, Canon Divergence at The Foundry

For whatever reason, the Foundry encounter with Revan ends differently with Revan as the victor. Now what? Did he kill the team/person sent to take the Foundry? If not, what happened to them?

Revan as one of the main characters of the fic, not just a side character, please.

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Relentless Positivity Prompts

Blast from the Past Writing Prompts, 28 June 2019

Good old Tumblr won’t let me queue up old posts Because Tumblr(tm), so copypasta it is. From 20 July 2018:

You are hereby dared to think good thoughts and to share them with everyone else.

1. Shut up! You are not a loser! 2. I liked that outfit. Why’d you decide to wear it into combat? 3. You seem nice. Too bad I have to take you to jail. 4. I’m forcing you to have a nice day. (not Force-ing tho, that’s creepy) 5. What a nice day. Perfect day to do nothing. 6. That’s my favorite song, too!

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Five for Friday

Writing Prompt, 21 June 2019

This week, stop and write five sentences about your OC, or for a story you’d like to write, your WIP, an AU, a bit of dialogue, anything relevant. If you want, reblog this post and add your work ... you can tag others if you like. Please stick to PG-13 and only SWTOR stories. Thanks. 

And an announcement: The blog will take a break for the rest of June and July due to life stuff, but I will queue up some older posts (Fridays at noon Eastern US time) so you’re not left hanging. You can always turn to the archive here for inspiration. Have a happy summer, see you fresh and new for the dog days! 

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Pet Peeves

Writing prompts, 7 June 2019

What really, really, REALLY gets under your OC’s skin? What little things drive them nuts? How do their friends/crew/LIs cope? 

Need some starters? Here ya go:

“You can stop any time, you know.”

“As a matter of fact, I will make you.”

“I swear, we have the slowest holonet connection in the galaxy!”

“This is the last time I’m going to wait for you!” (said to Guss Tuno, anyone?)

“If you don’t stop pushing that elevator button, I’m shoving you off the edge.” 

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What’s in a cliche?

Writing Prompts, 31 May 2019

Cliches are bad, which is precisely why they can serve as great prompts for your writing. Many of them have a story built into them anyway, so don’t resist the temptation! 

For example: All that glitters isn't gold. That becomes “All that glitters isn’t gold. Sometimes, it’s mithril. Let’s steal it!”

Here are some others. Go forth and subvert:

Don't get your knickers in a twist

All for one, and one for all

The writing's on the wall

Time heals all wounds

What goes around comes around

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade

a bee in your bonnet

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

a blast(er) from the past

And especially for our Cathar friends: 

He has his tail between his legs

Cat got your tongue?

Brave as a lion

Weak as a kitten

Give us a tag at @swtor-prompts if you use one of these and want to share your writing. Or post with the #swtor prompts tag, too. 

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In Memoriam

Writing Prompt, 24 May 2019

Do you have OCs or companions or family members in your stories who have fallen, either in the line of duty or not? 

Write their obituary. Write a eulogy for them. What goes on their tombstone or urn? As far as that goes, what are the burial rituals they observe? How does your OC cope? 

Acta est fabula, plaudite!

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Need for Speed

Writing Prompts, 17 May 2019

Due to unforeseen circumstances, I’ve been thinking about transportation all week. Whether it’s landspeeders, bikes, airspeeders, skyhoppers or creature mounts, getting around is not always the same as getting around in style. Here are some speeder/mount prompts for you.

“So here’s the truth: I never learned to fly one of these.”

“Wow! I stole one just like this when I was 7 and flew to Grandma’s!”

“We’d get there a lot faster if this thing didn’t stop to poop every kilometer.”

“You guys go have fun. I’m going to fix this repulsor lift.”

“They’re onto us! Let’s get out of here!”/”I don’t know how to fly one of these.”/”Well, you’re gonna learn really quick then!”

“I was on this planet once where all the vehicles had wheels. Can you imagine?”

“I prefer a mount that doesn’t want to eat me, thanks.”

“Feeling cute, might crash this hunk of junk later, idk.”

“It’s not impossible. I used to shoot womp rats with my T16 back home. They were no bigger than two meters.” (I had to!)

And in the immortal words of Hondo Ohnaka: “You know what I always say… speak softly, and drive a big tank."

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One Weird Word Prompts

Writing Prompts, 10 May 2019

Part two from the kitchen junk drawer of the English language, a bunch of weird words of the day I’ve been collecting. Use to inspire whatever you wish to write about your OCs. 

Stravage – to wander aimlessly

Apotelesma – the influence of the stars on human (or any sentient race) destiny

Bumptious – offensively self-assertive

Appetence – an eager desire, an instinctive inclination, attraction or natural bond.

Oscitant – drowsy or inattentive

Abience – the strong urge to avoid someone or something

Sweven – a vision or a dream

Carfuné – running your fingers through your lover’s hair

Wellaway—expression of sorrow or lamentation; alas

Puissant – powerful or mighty

 Part 1 is here. Tag #swtor-prompts or #swtor prompts to share your work!

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May the Fourth Be With You

Always.

In honor of May the 4th tomorrow, sharing the very first prompt ever on this blog, from 25 June 2014. Yep, the blog is almost five years old! 

And since last week’s One Word Weird Words post was so popular (thanks!), I’m prepping one for next week with all new weird words for you. 

But now, for the ultimate blast from the past: 

Your character is stationed/vacationing/picking up cargo somewhere new. Somewhere far away from most things that are familiar to them. The locals are very friendly and offer your character food.

The food, however, smells something like wet bantha. Looks like purple rancor entrails.  And is that something.. alive in there?

How does your character react?

Tag us at @swtor-prompts (for the blog) or just #swtor prompts. 

And hope you get to celebrate in some Star Warsy way.

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One Word Prompts

Writing Prompts, 26 April 2019

From the kitchen junk drawer of the English language, a bunch of weird words of the day I’ve been collecting. Write a drabble, a chapter, a line or six, whatever motivates you to write today. You can either use the word in your writing or just capture the spirit of the definition.

Irenic – tending to promote peace or reconciliation

Solivagant – wandering alone

Alexithymia – inability to describe emotions verbally

Meliorism – the belief that the world gets better

Frabjous – wonderful, elegant, superb

Decathect – to withdraw one’s feelings of attachment from a person, idea or object, as in anticipation of a future loss (anyone else get Sith Warrior feels here?)

Zemblanity – the inevitable discovery of what we would rather not know; the opposite of serendipity

Clinomania – excessive desire to stay in bed

Apricity – the warmth of the sun in winter

Endgame -- ngl, my obsession for this weekend

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Blast from the Past

Writing Prompts, 19 April 2019

For all the holiday celebrants this weekend, and for those who aren’t, have a re-post originally titled “Little stories everywhere!” from 26 January 2018. If I were any less lazy, I would have collected a few more examples but truly, I love the little stories for the crafting missions. 

As you’re busy crafting to make your own gear and crystals to use, or stims and augments to sell, or running missions for companion influence points, do you ever read the text that goes along with those missions?

Like this one from Investigation: “The Spy’s Dead Drop: An unknown operative has been delivering strategic secrets to a Tion diplomat. Have your companion locate the operative’s dead drop and obtain those secrets.”

Or this from Underworld Trading: “Table Talk: A group of infamous smugglers hosts a monthly sabacc game where the participants make secret deals. Send your companion to infiltrate the game.”

And so on. Several hundred little stories just ripe for canon-approved writing!

The challenge this week is to write a scene or complete story of any length using one of these mission blurbs as your basis. You can send a companion alone, or your OC, or any combo you want.

Bonus: Write a mission that fails. Like missions do. When you need them most.

Double bonus: Write a mission from the opposite alignment that you are currently playing on that character.

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CELEBRATE!

All things Star Wars, 12 April 2019

Some of you lucky folks are celebrating this weekend while the rest of us poor schmucks hang around waiting to hear any and all good news about any and all things Star Wars. 

So no prompts this week. Maybe just scribble a love letter to your favorite franchise and/or MMORPG. Replay a class story you haven’t done in a while. Watch the Original Trilogy. Retcon the Twi’lek ear problem. 

And May the Force Be With You! 

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Training Day

Writing Prompts, 5 April 2019

A lot of fic writers start their OCs’ tales long before the official game story. Musing about what happens on Tython or Korriban (or elsewhere) has brought a lot of good discussion (and some not so good) to the fandom. 

Even if you never officially write it as a story or part of your million-word saga, it can be useful to understand where your game-bound protagonist came from. Here are some prompts to help. 

“I’ll get there. Someday.”

The joy and the terror of being top in the class

The outsider, aka, the “new kid” in school (it’s your OC, or someone else)

“Force, why am I stuck with ____ as my roommate?”

Meet cute with your eventual LI (but you get separated for years of course!)

Helping your Mortal Enemy(tm) because it’s the right thing to do

Pranking that instructor/jedi master/sith overseer you loathe (and living to tell the tale!)

As always, you can share your own prompts here. Don’t forget to tag #swtor-prompts if you post something on Tumblr from one of these prompts (just make sure it’s SWTOR and PG-13 please). Feel free to tag and share your headcanons about the training academies, canon or not.