Two Families in Mourning
Construct a story about two families from wildly different socioeconomic backgrounds that are brought together by a mutual tragedy. Focus on their interactions, the unfolding mutual empathy, and the bridging of their worlds through shared loss and healing.
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.
- Set it all in one day.
- Make the conflict something the reader has faced themselves.
- Keep what the hero wants and what they need in tension.
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 Shipping Container ClothesWrite a story about a character who discovers an abandoned shipping container filled with hundreds of unworn, designer clothes in their small…
- The Old Cinema ReopensA 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…
- 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…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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