diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/EditorPage.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/EditorPage.jsx
index ad68b35..5c4fe38 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/EditorPage.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/EditorPage.jsx
@@ -14,6 +14,33 @@ import NotesPanel from '../components/NotesPanel'
 const MIN_FONT = 13
 const MAX_FONT = 26
 
+// Small client-side fallback pool — used instantly when the AI queue is empty.
+// Shuffled so the same prompt doesn't appear twice before cycling through all.
+const LOCAL_PROMPTS = (() => {
+  const list = [
+    "A door appears in your bedroom wall overnight. It wasn't there when you went to sleep.",
+    "You find a letter in your pocket written in your own handwriting — dated next week.",
+    "The last dragon in the world lands in your garden. It is very small and very scared.",
+    "Your shadow starts leaving notes under your pillow.",
+    "Every story you write comes true — but always with one small, wrong detail.",
+    "A train arrives at your station that isn't on any timetable. The conductor says you have been expected.",
+    "You discover you have one magical power: you can always find things that are lost. Not everything that is lost wants to be found.",
+    "The stars rearrange themselves every night. Last night you finally worked out what language they're writing in.",
+    "A bookshop appears on your street that wasn't there yesterday. Inside are books about your life — including things that haven't happened yet.",
+    "Everyone in your town wakes up speaking a different language. Everyone except you.",
+    "The person chosen to save the world is seventy-three years old, very tired, and was just about to have a cup of tea.",
+    "You are the only one who can hear the sea talking. It is furious about something.",
+  ]
+  let queue = []
+  const shuffle = arr => [...arr].sort(() => Math.random() - 0.5)
+  return {
+    next() {
+      if (!queue.length) queue = shuffle(list)
+      return { prompt: queue.pop(), source: 'local', model: null }
+    },
+  }
+})()
+
 export default function EditorPage() {
   const { id } = useParams()
   const navigate = useNavigate()
@@ -33,7 +60,6 @@ export default function EditorPage() {
   const [promptText, setPromptText]     = useState(null)
   const [promptSource, setPromptSource] = useState(null)  // 'ollama' | 'local'
   const [promptModel, setPromptModel]   = useState(null)
-  const [promptLoading, setPromptLoading] = useState(false)
   const [fontSize, setFontSize] = useState(
     () => Math.max(MIN_FONT, Math.min(MAX_FONT, parseInt(localStorage.getItem('sw-fontsize')) || 17))
   )
@@ -43,9 +69,10 @@ export default function EditorPage() {
   const latestContent  = useRef({})
   const prevWordCount  = useRef(0)
   const coverRef       = useRef()
-  // Holds the in-flight prompt request so the click can await it rather than
-  // starting a brand-new fetch (which would have to wait all over again).
-  const pendingPrompt  = useRef(null)
+  // Prompt queue — up to 5 AI prompts pre-fetched and ready to go.
+  // pendingFetches tracks in-flight requests so we know how many more to start.
+  const promptQueue    = useRef([])
+  const pendingFetches = useRef([])
   const editorRef      = useRef()
   const saveRef        = useRef(null)
 
@@ -62,9 +89,8 @@ export default function EditorPage() {
       .catch(() => setLoadError(true))
   }, [id])
 
-  // Kick off a prompt fetch in the background as soon as the page loads so
-  // Ollama has the full response time before the user ever clicks the button.
-  useEffect(() => { kickPromptFetch() }, [])   // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  // Start filling the prompt queue as soon as the page loads.
+  useEffect(() => { refillPrompts() }, [])   // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
 
   useEffect(() => {
     localStorage.setItem('sw-fontsize', fontSize)
@@ -167,32 +193,28 @@ export default function EditorPage() {
     await api.updateStory(id, { cover_image: null })
   }
 
-  // Returns the in-flight prompt Promise, or starts a fresh one.
-  // Calling this twice before the first resolves hands back the same Promise.
-  function kickPromptFetch() {
-    if (!pendingPrompt.current) {
-      pendingPrompt.current = api.getPrompt()
+  // Keep up to 5 AI prompts pre-fetched. Each request is tracked individually
+  // so we always know exactly how many are in-flight vs. ready.
+  function refillPrompts() {
+    const needed = 5 - promptQueue.current.length - pendingFetches.current.length
+    for (let i = 0; i < needed; i++) {
+      const p = api.getPrompt()
+        .then(data => { promptQueue.current.push(data) })
+        .catch(() => {})  // server always returns something; this is a safety net
+        .finally(() => {
+          pendingFetches.current = pendingFetches.current.filter(x => x !== p)
+        })
+      pendingFetches.current = [...pendingFetches.current, p]
     }
-    return pendingPrompt.current
   }
 
-  async function fetchPrompt() {
-    setPromptLoading(true)
-    setPromptText(null)
-    const promise = kickPromptFetch()
-    try {
-      const data = await promise
-      pendingPrompt.current = null   // clear so the next kick starts fresh
-      setPromptText(data.prompt)
-      setPromptSource(data.source ?? null)
-      setPromptModel(data.model   ?? null)
-      kickPromptFetch()              // pre-load the next one immediately
-    } catch {
-      pendingPrompt.current = null
-      toast('Could not fetch a prompt', 'error')
-    } finally {
-      setPromptLoading(false)
-    }
+  function fetchPrompt() {
+    // Use an AI prompt if one is ready, otherwise fall back to a built-in instantly
+    const item = promptQueue.current.shift() ?? LOCAL_PROMPTS.next()
+    setPromptText(item.prompt)
+    setPromptSource(item.source ?? 'local')
+    setPromptModel(item.model  ?? null)
+    refillPrompts()   // top the queue back up to 5
   }
 
   function insertPrompt() {
@@ -251,19 +273,20 @@ export default function EditorPage() {
           </div>
           <div className="topbar-right">
             <div className="prompt-wrap">
-              <button className="btn btn-ghost" onClick={fetchPrompt} disabled={promptLoading} title="Get a writing prompt">
-                {promptLoading ? '…' : <>💡 <span>Prompt</span></>}
+              <button className="btn btn-ghost" onClick={fetchPrompt} title="Get a writing prompt">
+                💡 <span>Prompt</span>
               </button>
               {promptText && (
                 <div className="prompt-popover">
-                  <p className="prompt-text">{promptText}</p>
                   {promptSource && (
-                    <div className={`prompt-source prompt-source--${promptSource}`}>
-                      {promptSource === 'ollama'
-                        ? <>🤖 AI · {promptModel || 'ollama'}</>
-                        : <>📚 Built-in prompt</>}
-                    </div>
+                    <span
+                      className={`prompt-source-icon prompt-source--${promptSource}`}
+                      title={promptSource === 'ollama' ? `AI · ${promptModel || 'ollama'}` : 'Built-in prompt'}
+                    >
+                      {promptSource === 'ollama' ? '🤖' : '📚'}
+                    </span>
                   )}
+                  <p className="prompt-text">{promptText}</p>
                   <div className="prompt-actions">
                     <button className="btn btn-ghost" onClick={fetchPrompt}>↻ Another</button>
                     <button className="btn btn-primary" onClick={insertPrompt}>Insert</button>
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/index.css b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
index eb382d1..d94a60f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/index.css
@@ -1488,18 +1488,14 @@ button { cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; }
   margin-bottom: 0.875rem;
 }
 
-.prompt-source {
-  font-size: 0.7rem;
-  letter-spacing: 0.05em;
-  font-family: var(--font-head);
-  margin-bottom: 0.6rem;
-  display: inline-block;
-  padding: 0.15rem 0.5rem;
-  border-radius: 99px;
-  border: 1px solid currentColor;
+.prompt-source-icon {
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0.6rem;
+  right: 0.7rem;
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+  line-height: 1;
+  opacity: 0.55;
 }
-.prompt-source--ollama { color: var(--accent-hi); }
-.prompt-source--local  { color: var(--text-muted); }
 
 .prompt-actions {
   display: flex;