The Gentrification Mural
An overambitious street artist in New York City creates a mural overnight that sparks a city-wide conversation about gentrification. Unbeknownst to the public, key figures in the city are represented in the mural. Write about the ramifications of this artwork on the artist's life and on the neighborhood it portrays.
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.
- Tell it through the messages, notes or voicemails the characters leave.
- Write the scene everyone else would skip: the morning after.
- End on a small gesture rather than a speech.
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 Urban Fiction prompts
- The Blackout on IceOn the coldest day of the year, the power goes out in a densely populated neighborhood. Amidst this chaos, two strangers—a seasoned local and a…
- The Restaurant’s Second ChanceImagine a young chef is trying to bring a sabotaged family restaurant back to its former glory in a gentrifying neighborhood. Along the way, they…
- The Farewell Bus TourA retired public transit driver decides to ride all the bus routes in the city as a farewell tour and unknowingly becomes a hero by helping various…
- The Cab's Midnight PassengersImagine a character who works as a cab driver in a bustling metropolis. Over the course of one night shift, they encounter several passengers who…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
Plans from $9.99 a month. Cancel any time. Your words are always yours.