Writing Prompts to Help You Save the Planet

After a screwball couple of years in the industry, a recent 7-figure spec script sale by a previously unknown writer has the screenwriting community buzzing. Someone just like us won the lottery! Sure, Natan Dotan’s bio is prettttty intimidating. But still. Nobody knows whether this is a harbinger of good spec sales to come or just a one-off. Either way, we can use this collective sense of freudenfreude – and, yeah, the related touch of jealousy – to fuel our next spec.

I probably don’t have to tell you we’re in dire need of climate stories to break through the doom and gloom. Between record global heat, extreme weather events, climate talks breaking down, continued environmental injustices against vulnerable communities, climate deniers in positions of power, et cetera, et cetera, there’s a lot to take in. But stories that spotlight climate wins, or help us navigate our feelings about the state of the earth, or present visions of What Else Could Be are worth their weight in gold(en globes).

With that in mind, here’s a fresh batch of climate screenwriting prompts to add to last year’s. I’ve even added cinnamon this time around. (Psst, in case you need it, last year’s column also gave tips on how to work with prompts.) What do you say, shall we make 2025 the year screenwriters save the planet? Cool. Here are 14 story prompts to keep you satiated:

• A runaway teen living in the forest encounters rising tensions between loggers and clashing environmental groups with wildly different agendas. How do they figure out who to trust? What knowledge do they have after living in the forest that changes the course of events?

• There’s a new multi-galactic corporation in town. Rare Air! has just released a limited batch of the most breathable air in the galaxy. What’s the secret to how they manufacture this fresh air? Who’s “entitled” to this air? What do those who aren’t entitled to it do about it?

• A widowed farmer, clamoring to save their cinnamon trees from changing weather conditions, finds unexpected love in the struggle. Who are the characters that populate the story world of the cinnamon farm? What is the farmer’s backstory? How does the loss of their spouse change the way they view what they love?

• After a gigantic AI data center replaces a beloved urban park, a local investigative journalist uncovers a dark secret about the source of its power supply. Why was the park chosen as the data center location? How does AI become a character in this story? What’s the journalist going to do with this secret? Who wants to stop them from revealing it?

• At the urging of family, a grumpy mechanic goes back to school to learn how to repair electric vehicles. Who’s teaching this class and what does the mechanic think of them? Who are the other students in this class? What emotional journey does the mechanic go on as they learn a new skill?

• Amidst a frightening drought that threatens water supply, townspeople force their politicians to work with a mediator. Who are the key political figures representing each side of the aisle? What are their perspectives on the drought? How does the mediator get them to come to agreement on solutions?

• A ragtag group of trash pickers make friends and fall in love at the landfill. What objects populate the world of the landfill? What kinds of discoveries do the trash pickers make? How do they get to know each other?

• Corporate spies infiltrate a business to get their hands on groundbreaking sustainable technology. What tactics do the corporate spies use to reach the inner workings of the business? Who among them is a traitor? What is the technology capable of that makes it so desirable?

• On a planet just like Earth, extinct species are revived. What species are there? How do they interact with each other? How do they feel about being brought back to life?

• Fungi, algae, and other microorganisms take center stage in an animated musical. What topics do they sing about? What are the lyrics to their songs? What message do microorganisms have for humans?

• As part of their rehabilitation, prisoners are tasked with tending to a community garden and farm animals. What does the community garden look like? What job do prisoners consider to be the best? The worst? How does working in the garden and with the animals help heal something in them?

• A police officer finds herself at odds with fellow officers after they’re sent out to crack down on protestors at a global climate conference. Who are the climate protestors and what do they want? What happened in the officer’s backstory to make them feel increasingly uncomfortable in their job? What’s happening inside the conference?

• A frat house decides to become a utopian ecovillage. What are the first steps the brothers take to transform their space? How do parties help them achieve their vision? What was the catalyst for this wacky plan?

• After months of rain, a growing sinkhole threatens a historical cemetery. Now the town’s coroner and historian must figure out whose remains are worth saving. What has the sinkhole swallowed so far? Who’s buried at the cemetery? What habits and unique behaviors do the coroner and historian have?

Use these climate screenwriting prompts and tag us on socials to let us know how it went. Don’t forget to include the hashtag #ClimateScreenwriting!