100 Man Vs. Nature Story Prompts

The theme of man vs. nature is among the oldest in storytelling. From the very beginnings of humanity, both men and women have found themselves in a constant struggle against the elements.

These types of tales captivate us primarily through the physical challenges faced by the protagonists. However, the true essence of these stories lies deeper, in the emotional and philosophical layers beneath the core character versus nature concept. This richness of underlying meaning adds profound depth to these ideas, offering readers and audiences a more immersive and thought-provoking experience.

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The castaway battles the elements of the island on which he has been stranded.

An adventurer facing the inevitable task of survival.

A mother struggling to protect her child (and herself) amidst a natural disaster.

These are the universal stories that all can relate to and empathize with, creating cathartic experiences for readers and audiences that last far beyond the last page, and the screen fading to black. People began to ponder what they would do in such dire situations—and if they could survive. Needless to say, man vs. nature stories are powerful.

With that in mind, here we offer one hundred man vs. nature story prompts to get your creative juices flowing.

Note: Because we’re all connected to the same pop culture, news headlines, and inspirations, any similarity to any past, present, or future screenplays, novels, short stories, television pilots, television series, plays, or any other creative works is purely coincidental.

Read More: Breaking Down the Character Archetypes of the Hero’s Journey

100 Man vs. Nature Story Prompts

1. A group of friends must survive with limited resources on a stranded island.
2. A severe drought threatens the livelihood of a small farming community.
3. A lone astronaut on a distant planet faces unpredictable weather phenomena.
4. A sailor battles the sea after a shipwreck.
5. During a devastating hurricane, a family becomes trapped in their home.
6. A hiker tries to find their way back to civilization after becoming lost in a dense forest.
7. A scientist in the Arctic studying climate change faces extreme conditions.
8. A group of researchers in the Amazon jungle encounter a rare and deadly animal.
9. Survivors of an earthquake navigate a city reduced to rubble.
10. A pilot crash-lands in the Sahara Desert and struggles against the elements.
11. A medieval village faces the wrath of a prolonged volcanic winter.
12. An extreme athlete challenges the highest peak of an unclimbed mountain.
13. A community on a floodplain faces the threat of rising waters during a one-hundred-year storm.
14. A diver gets lost in an underwater cave system.
15. A couple camping in the wilderness is trapped in a deadly wildfire.
16. A family’s road trip goes bad as they face multiple tornados.
17. A wildfire fighter battles a massive, uncontrollable forest fire.
18. A photographer in the Arctic faces off against a rogue polar bear.
19. An African tribe battles lions that have a craving for human flesh.  
20. A small coastal town survives an impending tsunami.
21. An explorer in the Australian Outback faces extreme temperatures and wildlife.
22. A lost child from a rural village learns to coexist with nature’s predators.
23. A mountaineer gets caught in a deadly snowstorm.
24. In a future world, citizens face the realities of a new ice age.
25. A scientist on a solo mission in the rainforest discovers a new species.
26. A family rebuilds their life after a catastrophic mudslide.
27. A group of teenagers get lost during a hiking trip in a national park.
28. A park ranger confronts a deadly mountain lion.
29. A fisherman faces the fury of the ocean during a dangerous storm.
30. A naturalist studying wolves in the wild gets too close to the pack.
31. The sole survivor of a plane crash must find a way to contact civilization.
32. A climber on an expedition must help get their injured climbing partner to safety.
33. A young couple is stranded in a blizzard.
34. A farmer battles the elements that threaten their crops.
35. One of the first expeditions of the Mississippi but navigate the river’s dangerous rapids and waterfalls.
36. A community in the Himalayas struggles to survive amidst a series of earthquakes.
37. A scientist’s experiment goes awry, unleashing a natural disaster.
38. An ancient civilization faces the consequences of deforestation.
39. A family living off-grid is the sole survivor of catastrophe.
40. A group of settlers in a new land faces harsh weather and unfamiliar terrain.
41. A city dweller experiences a life-changing journey in the wilderness.
42. A survivalist test their skills in a remote, uninhabited area.
43. A couple stranded in a desert must find water to survive.
44. A village is threatened by a rapidly spreading virus.
45. A story about a nomadic tribe that follows the seasons, adapting to different environments.
46. A professional storm chaser gets too close to a deadly twister.
47. A biologist on a remote island studies the effects of isolation.
48. A town rebuilds after being nearly destroyed by a nuclear attack.
49. A family’s sailing trip turns perilous when they encounter a rogue wave.
50. A group of scientists studying an active volcano get caught in an eruption.
51. A lone traveler in the Gobi Desert must survive a sandstorm.
52. A couple skiing in the Alps gets separated by a sudden avalanche.
53. A family living on a tropical island must survive a cyclone.
54. A group of climbers on Everest confronts oxygen scarcity and harsh winds.
55. Survivors of a plane crash in the Amazon rainforest face hostile wildlife.
56. A hermit living in the wilderness battles a prolonged famine.
57. A group of tourists in Africa gets stranded during a flash flood.
58. A group of tourists in Australia gets stranded in the Bush. 
59. A pilot encounters a series of severe storms while flying over the Pacific.
60. A young woman surviving alone in a post-apocalyptic frozen world.
61. A fishing village contends with the depletion of its fish stocks.
62. An explorer in the Congo navigates through dense, uncharted territories.
63. A couple in a remote cabin endures a harsh winter.
64. A group of teenagers on a ski trip gets caught in a blizzard.
65. A city is plagued by a series of unexplained, destructive earthquakes.
66. A solo sailor circumnavigating the globe faces a series of storms.
67. A group of people gets trapped in an underground cave system.
68. An old lighthouse keeper faces the challenge of a century’s worst storm.
69. A survival expert is forced to test their skills in the swamps of the Everglades.
70. A couple gets lost in the wilderness during a honeymoon hike.
71. An island village community deals with the aftermath of a corporate oil company oil spill.
72. Two climbers trapped on a cliff face must climb to the top after they lose their ropes.
73. A group of soldiers must navigate a treacherous mountain pass.
74. An endurance runner faces extreme conditions in a desert ultramarathon.
75. A town deals with the threat of a rapidly spreading wildfire.
76. A young explorer ventures down an unknown path in a dense rainforest.
77. A group of kayakers navigates dangerous rapids after unexpected rainfall.
78. A lone survivor in a post-flood world adapts to the new environment.
79. A group of friends on a camping trip encounters a bear.
80. A family in a mountain cabin gets snowed in for weeks.
81. A scientist studying earthquakes gets trapped during a massive tremor.
82. A pilot is forced to land in the jungle and must survive on limited resources.
83. A small town faces the threat of a dam breaking upriver during record rainfalls.
84. A group of children lost in a snowstorm must find their way home.
85. A city experiences a series of catastrophic power outages due to solar flares.
86. A group of friends on a diving trip encounters a dangerous shark.
87. Suburban neighbors are cut off from the city after a nuclear attack.
88. Street animals struggle to survive during the Great Chicago Fire. 
89. Chicago residents struggle during the Great Chicago Fire. 
90. Street animals struggle to survive during the Great San Fransisco Earthquake of 1906. 
91. San Fransisco residents struggle to survive during the Great San Fransisco Earthquake of 1906. 
92. Astronauts in the International Space Station must survive a meteor shower. 
93. An alien stranded on Earth must survive unfamiliar elements. 
94. A colony of ants must survive a rainstorm that ravages their system of ant hills and tunnels.
95. Two siblings travel through a post-apocalyptic world to return to their hometown.
96. Settlers brave the New World of America. 
97. A group of scientists explores the tips of the tallest tree system in the world. 
98. Ice climbers fall into a deep glacier cave and must find a way out.
99. An astronaut is stranded on the moon after the Earth is decimated by an asteroid.
100. A teenager wakes up in their family’s tent, only to find out that they are the only one left alive as a grizzly bear circles the perimeter.

‘The Revenant’ (2015)

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Have fun conjuring stories these man vs. nature prompts may have inspired!

WANT MORE IDEAS? TAKE A LOOK AT OUR OTHER STORY PROMPTS!

CHECK OUT OUR PREPARATION NOTES SO YOU START YOUR STORY OFF ON THE RIGHT TRACK!

Ken Miyamoto has worked in the film industry for nearly two decades, most notably as a studio liaison for Sony Studios and then as a script reader and story analyst for Sony Pictures.

He has many studio meetings under his belt as a produced screenwriter, meeting with the likes of Sony, Dreamworks, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers, as well as many production and management companies. He has had a previous development deal with Lionsgate, as well as multiple writing assignments, including the produced miniseries Blackout, starring Anne Heche, Sean Patrick Flanery, Billy Zane, James Brolin, Haylie Duff, Brian Bloom, Eric La Salle, and Bruce Boxleitner, the feature thriller Hunter’s Creed, and many Lifetime thrillers. Follow Ken on Twitter @KenMovies and Instagram @KenMovies76

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