The Old Cinema Reopens
A character inherits an old, rundown cinema from a relative they hardly knew. Detail their journey as they decide to restore it and the eclectic mix of people they meet because of this project.
Suggested length: A short story: 1,500 to 5,000 words, or flash fiction under 1,000
Start the clock
Pick a sprint, press start and keep going until it stops. Momentum beats polish on a first draft.
Make it yours
Three ways to take this prompt somewhere nobody else will.
- Keep what the hero wants and what they need in tension.
- Tell it through the messages, notes or voicemails the characters leave.
- Write the scene everyone else would skip: the morning after.
Writing contemporary fiction
People like us, now, in trouble we recognize.
Contemporary fiction is set in the present day and deals with life as it's actually lived: families, marriages, friendships, work, loss. It sits between literary and commercial fiction, often shelved as book club or upmarket fiction.
What readers expect
- A present-day, realistic setting
- Relatable, flawed characters
- Emotional stakes over action
- Issues readers face themselves
A tip before you start
Today is your setting, so use it: the group chat, the parking ticket, the brand of cereal. Specifics make it feel true.
More Contemporary Fiction prompts
- The Bookshop ComebackDescribe a scenario where a character inherits an old, rundown bookstore and decides to revive it. Detail the challenges faced, the quirky customers…
- The Career Choice DeadlineImagine a world where everyone must officially decide their career by the age of 16. Write about a teenager who refuses to choose, and what happens…
- Letters from the FutureDive into the life of a protagonist who begins receiving dated, handwritten letters in their mailbox with advice about upcoming life events. These…
- A Stray Dog’s CityWrite a story from the perspective of a stray dog in a bustling city, revealing its encounters and relationships with different humans and animals…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
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