230 OC Challenge Prompts for Artists and Writers

1. TL;DR

Use these 230 OC challenge prompts as a 30-day character challenge, a set of art exercises, or a writing prompt bank. Complete them in order or choose one whenever you want to learn something new about an original character.

2. How to Use the OC Challenge

Set a time limit that fits your schedule. A quick sketch, a paragraph, or a few notes all count. You can skip a prompt, change it, or use it to explore a different character.

If you need a character to try the prompts on, create one with OC maker before you begin. For general brainstorming strategies, the Purdue OWL prewriting questions offer ways to generate and develop ideas.

3. The 30-Day OC Challenge (1–30)

Days 1–7: Meet the Character

1. Introduce your OC in three sentences.
2. Draw or describe their everyday outfit.
3. List three things they carry most days.
4. Show their most recognizable expression.
5. Write a short scene from their morning routine.
6. Describe the place where they feel most comfortable.
7. Name one thing they wish others understood about them.

Days 8–14: Explore Their Past

8. Write about one memory they return to often.
9. Name a childhood belief they no longer hold.
10. Describe a person who taught them an important skill.
11. Show the first place they remember leaving.
12. Write a letter they never sent.
13. Describe an object they kept from childhood.
14. Explain one family story they now question.

Days 15–21: Reveal Their Relationships

15. Introduce the person they trust most.
16. Write a conversation with someone they avoid.
17. Describe how they act around a rival.
18. Show what they do when a friend asks for help.
19. Write a scene where they set a boundary.
20. Name a relationship they want to repair.
21. Describe how they behave when they feel left out.

Days 22–30: Test Their Choices and Future

22. Give them a difficult choice with no perfect answer.
23. Show how they react when a plan fails.
24. Write a scene where they admit they were wrong.
25. Describe a goal they are afraid to pursue.
26. Change one part of their design after a major event.
27. Write what they would tell their younger self.
28. Imagine them five years in the future.
29. Show a small act of kindness they would not mention.
30. Sum up what they learned about themselves during the challenge.

4. Bonus Art and Design Prompts (31–80)

31. Draw your OC using only three shapes.
32. Design a coat suited to their home climate.
33. Create a color palette from their favorite place.
34. Draw their hands holding an important object.
35. Redesign their outfit for a formal event.
36. Draw them in clothes borrowed from a friend.
37. Create an emblem they would choose for themselves.
38. Draw their silhouette from a distance.
39. Design a bag that fits their daily routine.
40. Show how their clothing changes after a long journey.
41. Draw the shoes they wear most often.
42. Create a hairstyle they would never normally try.
43. Draw them at a different age.
44. Design an object they repaired instead of replacing.
45. Draw them in an outfit chosen by someone else.
46. Create a simple character sheet with three expressions.
47. Design their room using only five objects.
48. Draw an outfit that hides a practical tool.
49. Make a palette based on their personality.
50. Draw them holding something they are afraid to lose.
51. Design a uniform for a job they might take.
52. Draw their outfit in heavy rain.
53. Create a formal look they would feel uncomfortable wearing.
54. Draw their most important accessory from three angles.
55. Redesign their clothing after a major change in status.
56. Show their appearance after a sleepless night.
57. Draw them trying to hide that they are nervous.
58. Design an outfit for a cold, crowded train.
59. Create a pattern based on their hometown.
60. Draw them using a tool they have never handled before.
61. Design a keepsake connected to someone they miss.
62. Draw two versions of their expression: public and private.
63. Create an alternate design from a different genre.
64. Draw the object they would take during an evacuation.
65. Design a badge or pin connected to their work.
66. Draw them standing beside a character they admire.
67. Create a disguise that is almost convincing.
68. Draw them in clothes that no longer fit.
69. Design a piece of jewelry with a hidden meaning.
70. Draw their favorite outfit as a worn-out version.
71. Create a color palette with no black or white.
72. Draw their reflection in a place they dislike.
73. Design an outfit around one unusual accessory.
74. Show how their posture changes across three situations.
75. Draw them in a setting that contrasts with their personality.
76. Design a visual motif that appears in their belongings.
77. Draw them beside their younger self.
78. Create a uniform for their chosen group or team.
79. Show their face after receiving unexpected good news.
80. Draw an object that represents their current goal.

To share one of these art prompts in a quick visual format, try OC Meme Templates.

5. Bonus Writing and Backstory Prompts (81–130)

81. Write the story behind their name.
82. Describe a childhood rule they still follow.
83. Write about a time they misunderstood someone.
84. Explain why they left their hometown.
85. Write a short scene from their first day at a new place.
86. Describe a skill they learned from a relative.
87. Write about the first time they felt independent.
88. Show how they react when they find an old letter.
89. Describe a childhood possession they lost.
90. Write a family story from two different viewpoints.
91. Name a promise they kept for years.
92. Describe a past mistake they still regret.
93. Write the story of their first serious friendship.
94. Explain why they stopped speaking to someone.
95. Describe a job they tried and left.
96. Write about a place they remember differently from everyone else.
97. Describe the first object they bought with their own money.
98. Write about a time they were praised for the wrong reason.
99. Explain what they used to believe about success.
100. Write a scene where they revisit an old workplace.
101. Describe a family tradition they chose to keep.
102. Explain a family tradition they chose to change.
103. Write a letter from their future self.
104. Describe a moment when they realized an adult was wrong.
105. Write about a skill they learned by making mistakes.
106. Explain a gap in their personal timeline.
107. Describe a past decision that changed a friendship.
108. Write a scene where they must tell a difficult truth.
109. Explain what they would take from their childhood home.
110. Describe the first person who believed in them.
111. Write about a time they disappointed someone they admired.
112. Describe how they earned their current reputation.
113. Explain what part of their reputation is false.
114. Write the story behind an object they refuse to discard.
115. Describe a place they only visited once but remember clearly.
116. Write about the day they changed their mind about someone.
117. Explain why they kept a secret for too long.
118. Describe what they learned from their first failure.
119. Write a scene where a childhood friend recognizes them.
120. Explain what they misunderstood about their family.
121. Describe a past event they tell as a joke.
122. Write the story behind a scar, mark, or keepsake.
123. Explain why they changed their name or nickname.
124. Describe an opportunity they once rejected.
125. Write a scene where they make peace with an old mistake.
126. Name a memory they wish they could share with someone.
127. Describe a piece of advice they ignored.
128. Write about a time they asked for help.
129. Explain what they wish they had known earlier.
130. Describe what part of their past they want to leave behind.

6. Bonus Emotion and Relationship Prompts (131–180)

131. Show what your OC does when they feel jealous.
132. Write how they react to an unexpected compliment.
133. Describe what makes them feel understood.
134. Show how they respond when a friend cancels plans.
135. Write a disagreement where both characters are partly right.
136. Describe a person they trust but do not fully understand.
137. Show how they apologize without making excuses.
138. Write about a kindness they struggle to accept.
139. Show how they invite someone else in after noticing they were left out.
140. Show what they do when someone cries in front of them.
141. Write a conversation where they ask for more time.
142. Describe a friendship they miss.
143. Show how they react when a rival succeeds.
144. Write about a boundary they need to set.
145. Describe what makes them feel safe with someone.
146. Show how they act around a person they admire.
147. Write a scene where they forgive someone but do not trust them yet.
148. Describe a relationship they have outgrown.
149. Show how they support a friend who made a mistake.
150. Write how they react when someone remembers a small detail.
151. Describe what kind of praise makes them uncomfortable.
152. Show how they handle a secret shared in confidence.
153. Write about a time they felt proud of another person.
154. Describe the person who can tell when they are pretending.
155. Show how they ask someone to stop.
156. Write a conversation where they admit they need company.
157. Describe what makes them envy a friend.
158. Show what they do after hurting someone’s feelings.
159. Write a scene where two people remember an argument differently.
160. Describe how they respond when a friend sets a boundary.
161. Show their reaction to being introduced by an old nickname.
162. Write about a relationship they want to repair.
163. Describe how they behave around someone they fear.
164. Show what they do when a partner needs space.
165. Write a scene where they ask for forgiveness.
166. Describe a person they trust with an unfinished idea.
167. Show how they react to being excluded from a decision.
168. Write about a promise they made to a friend.
169. Describe someone who brings out their playful side.
170. Show how they disagree with someone they love.
171. Write a conversation where they explain what “home” means.
172. Describe the friend they would call during a crisis.
173. Show how they react when a friend changes unexpectedly.
174. Write about an apology they are still waiting for.
175. Describe a relationship where both people avoid the same topic.
176. Show what they do when a loved one succeeds without them.
177. Write a scene where they choose honesty over approval.
178. Describe how they respond when someone misunderstands their kindness.
179. Show how they reconnect with a person after a long silence.
180. Write what they would say to a friend they have outgrown.

7. Bonus Worldbuilding and Roleplay Prompts (181–230)

181. Place your OC in a town where nobody uses clocks.
182. Write how they react to a new rule in their community.
183. Describe a local festival they would attend reluctantly.
184. Give them a job in a world with unfamiliar technology.
185. Write a scene where they arrive in a town during a blackout.
186. Show them asking for directions in a place with no signs.
187. Describe how they respond to a local custom they misunderstand.
188. Put them in a group with people from rival communities.
189. Write what they do when a shared resource runs low.
190. Describe a place where their skills are not useful.
191. Give them a role in a public meeting.
192. Write a scene where they must negotiate for shelter.
193. Show them adapting to a climate they have never experienced.
194. Describe what they would trade for safe passage.
195. Put them in a community that distrusts outsiders.
196. Write how they respond to a rule that protects one group but harms another.
197. Describe what they notice first in a new settlement.
198. Show them helping someone who speaks a different language.
199. Give them a task during a town evacuation.
200. Write a scene where the map does not match the landscape.
201. Describe how they react to a local food they cannot identify.
202. Put them in charge of sharing a limited supply.
203. Show them deciding whether to follow an unfamiliar law.
204. Write a scene in a city where public space is disappearing.
205. Describe how they contribute to a community celebration.
206. Give them a role in a traveling group.
207. Write what they do when a storm interrupts their plan.
208. Show them navigating a place where magic is unreliable.
209. Describe a local belief they question.
210. Put them in a setting where they cannot use their usual name.
211. Write how they respond when a new technology fails.
212. Give them a responsibility in a small isolated village.
213. Describe what they learn from a local craftsperson.
214. Show them handling a conflict over land or water.
215. Put them in a community that has lost its public records.
216. Write a scene where they must choose who receives help first.
217. Describe how they react to a world with different social rules.
218. Give them a reason to return to a place they left.
219. Show them helping a group preserve a tradition.
220. Write a scene where a leader asks them to keep a secret.
221. Describe what they would do during the first night in a new world.
222. Put them in a roleplay where their rival controls the only boat.
223. Write how they respond when a community refuses outside help.
224. Give them a reason to question the history taught in school.
225. Show them working with a group that has competing goals.
226. Describe what they do when the safest path is also the longest.
227. Put them in a roleplay where everyone remembers a different past.
228. Write how they respond when a local resource is damaged.
229. Give them a chance to change a rule in their community.
230. Describe what they leave behind when they move on.

8. FAQ

Do I have to complete the 30-day challenge in order?

No. Follow the calendar, skip prompts, or choose one at random.

Can I use one OC for every prompt?

Yes. Reusing one character can reveal how they respond in different situations. You can also use separate characters for different prompts.

Do the prompts work for writing as well as drawing?

Yes. Each prompt can be answered with a sketch, a scene, a few notes, or a mix of formats. For a visual interpretation of a character prompt, try the AI Anime Generator.

9. Conclusion

An OC challenge is a way to explore a character, not a test to finish perfectly. Pick a prompt, make something small, and keep the details that help you understand the character better.