Hey there, fellow writers.
I can’t say enough good things about the most basic ingredient for developing as a writer: showing up. You have to write, even when inspiration feels sparse.
To help you maintain that discipline, here are three new prompts. These starting points are perfect for exploring your fiction without the pressure of starting a massive project from scratch.
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: hammer, argue, weekly
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 high up
Item: A ceramic mug
Character: Someone who is pretending to be much wealthier than they are
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:
Your character turns to reach for a towel, but their reflection doesn’t turn with them.
Advanced Challenge: Include the three words from the 100-word prompt.
Happy writing!