Looking for witch story ideas or witch prompts for your next writing project? Read on for prompts like a woman identifying a dead body as herself. Three witches standing against rapid gentrification in their area and one of them ends up falling for one of the real estate development executive. And many more!
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What Classifies as a Witch Story?
A witch story usually centers around the practitioners of witchcraft or magic as the antagonist(s) or protagonist(s), with elements of fantasy interwoven throughout the narrative. Hocus Pocus and The Wizard of Oz are great examples of stories in this genre.
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The word witch colloquially refers to especially women practitioners of witchcraft or magic, although it doesn’t exclude men. The word witch itself originates from the Old English nouns wiċċa [ˈwit.t͡ʃɑ] (‘male witch, warlock‘) and wiċċe [ˈwit.t͡ʃe] (‘female witch’).
People also typically refer to a male witch as wizard or warlock (the latter may have an unpleasant connotation). Hence, the term witch in the story ideas below will refer to both male and female witches.
Why Do Witch Stories Fascinate Us?
Witch stories fascinates us because of the complex and mysterious characters. When portrayed as the marginalized group, readers enjoy reading these witches triumphing over their oppressors, but when they’re portrayed as evil characters, we enjoy reading them reaping the consequences.
A captivating witch story revolves around enigmatic characters with magical aptitudes interacting within a fantastical setting. Elements of magic that is a world away from our mundane daily lives is a crucial aspect in these stories.
Practical Magic (1995) is, perhaps, one of the most well-known witch novels out there and the basis of the classic film (1998) of the same name starring Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock.
Witch Story Ideas
Without further ado, here are some witch story ideas and witch short story ideas!
(Please note that the genders in these writing prompts are just placeholders, and the term “witch” may refer to a female or male practitioner of magic or witchcraft.)
Lighthearted Witch Story Ideas
These lighthearted witch writing prompts and story ideas can serve as story starters for middle schoolers, students, or your kids at home. Or they can serve as a side plot in any fantasy, modern, or even sit-com setting due to the levity of the theme!
1. A regular child without any magical/witchcraft aptitude was born to a family of witches and must endure bullying when they grow up. What is the reason he/she was born that way?
2. A baker/seamstress/actress/mechanic is a witch who uses his/her magic to excel at what they do. What happens when one day, they lose their power?
3. An aging witch is auditioning a handful of young witches to eventually take up her mantle when she passes away.
4. The story of a young witch auditioning his/her familiar.
5. The teenage grandchildren of a fussy, old witch matriarch concoct a spell to turn the old witch into a teenager, in order to get the crabby grandma to appreciate the complexities of their teen lives.
6. A fluffy story about witches in the modern era, how they shop for herbs online, share spells through online forums, Google the correct witchcraft practices, and advertise their services on social media.
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Romantic Witch Story Ideas
We love to see enigmatic women finding romance despite (or perhaps due to!) their magical aptitudes, and hence, any of these romantic witch story ideas will surely add a dash of magical, intense spark to your story!
1. Bound by a spell gone wrong, two witches must be in close proximity to each other or suffer an abominable consequence.
2. Three witches live in a small house in a neighborhood that is undergoing rapid gentrification, and then one of the young executives in the real estate developer company falls for one of the witches. (This prompt is credited to my favorite drag queen @thejinkx on Instagram! This is the post that inspires this prompt.)
3. Two neighbors meet after one of them posted a lost pet notice. When one of them learns that the other is a practicing witch who specializes in love potions, they begins to wonder how much of their chemistry is genuine. (This is a cross post from Romance Story Ideas with a Twist.)
4. Two children, each from the opposite faction of a witch war, were accidentally swapped at birth. Now grown up, their loyalties are tested and their beliefs shaken. Who swapped them and where will each of their loyalties lie?
5. An immortal witch leaves hints for their reincarnating partner to find them.
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Dark and Twisted Witch Story Ideas
When it comes to witch stories, dark and twisted witch story prompts are always going to be in the wheelbarrow.
1. The witch who lives deep in the forest kidnaps the descendants of the people who persecuted her ancestors and turns them into living hosts for those long dead relatives of hers.
2. Two witches duel for control over a town.
3. A woman is asked to identify a dead body, only to find that it’s herself. The incident leads her down the rabbit hole, uncovering the long-hidden family secret of a powerful witch lineage.
4. A hiker finds a witch’s lair during a hike. When he/she returns home, strange happenings start to follow them wherever they go. Are they possessed by the witch, or are they cursed for sacrilege?
5. Due to envy, a famed actor/painter/artist seeks the help of a witch to ruin a newcomer’s career. But what happens when it turns out that the newcomer is, in fact, also a witch?
6. A slighted museum curator finds out that he/she is a witch when the museum acquires an antique artifact belonging to their ancestor.
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Picture Prompts
A picture speaks a thousand words. What kind of witch story prompts come to mind using these pictures as inspiration? Below are some ideas.
(Please click on the image for more information.)
1. Write about a witch who follows a hunter home after the latter unknowingly steals her familiar.
2. Or what about a witch, who believes that she’s the last of her kind, until something happens that makes her believe otherwise?
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(Please click on the image for more information.)
1. Write about a priest’s daughter who finds out that her grandmother, who lives on the outskirt of the town on the edge of the forest, is actually a practicing witch.
2. Or what about a lawyer attempting to clear up the names of their witch ancestors who were accused of a gruesome crime more than a hundred years ago?
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More?
There they are, some witchy story ideas that hopefully will spark your inspiration!
That being said, here are some other posts that you might find interesting:
Or browse our Story Ideas & Writing Prompts category for more ideas! Have any question or feedback? Feel free to contact me here. Until next time!
