If you’re new to prompt-based flash fiction and unsure which prompt to use, I suggest starting with the 500-word prompt. The length is good—neither too long nor too short. And the nature of the prompt is the easiest to work with.
You might be tempted to take a stab at the 100-word prompt. It’s shorter, so it should be the least challenging, right? Wrong. Creating a whole scene in 100 words is hard. Plus, it’s harder to make those three words fit seamlessly than you’d think.
But really, you can’t go wrong with any of these prompts. The goal isn’t to write the greatest short story of all time. The goal is simply to write something. That’s the only way to become a better writer. To write.
So 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: smooth, calendar, float.
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 deceptively quiet
Item: A miniature telescope
Character: Someone who insists on counting everything they see
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:
Start your story on the precise moment your main character realizes they are no longer experiencing time in a linear fashion. One moment, they’re making coffee. The next, they’re finishing a conversation that hasn’t started yet. Focus on their immediate attempts to navigate this new reality.
Advanced Challenge: Include the three words from the 100-word prompt.
Happy writing!