Fresh new prompts! Get ‘em while they’re hot!
I feel like any of these could easily be used to craft a holiday story. What’s more, you could pull that off in practically any genre. So if you’re feeling up for an extra challenge this week, give your story a little holiday spirit.
New to prompt-based flash fiction? Welcome! I find prompts to be a fun way to get things moving. And the process couldn’t be easier.
Just pick your length and roll with the prompt to get your creative process started. And if you publish your fiction online, please link back to this page. Thanks!
100-word prompt
Write a short story in any genre that’s 100 words or less and includes the following three words: moon, silently, sizzle.
Advanced Challenge: Make your story drabble. Drabble is exactly 100 words, including the title.
500-word prompt
Write a short story in any genre that’s 500 words or less and includes the following elements:
Location: Somewhere that is technically not private
Item: A very worn deck of playing cards
Character: Someone whose entire life revolves around a promise they made years ago
Feel free to get creative with how you include the elements. The story doesn’t have to be trapped in the location, for example. The way you interpret the character summary can be as unconventional as you like.
Just make sure you touch on each.
Advanced Challenge: Make your story microfiction. Microfiction is 300 words or less.
1,200-word prompt
Write a short story in any genre that’s 1,200 words or less and uses the following situation as a starting point:
Write a story where a single, seemingly trivial object—a chipped ceramic mug, a faded ticket stub, or a rusty key—is the anchor point for your main character’s entire self-worth. What happens when that object is lost, broken, or revealed to be a fake?
Advanced Challenge: Include the three words from the 100-word prompt.
Happy writing!