The Library of Altered Pasts
Construct a tale about a librarian who stumbles upon a secret section in the library that houses books affecting the reality around them. One particular book allows them to alter aspects of the past — delve into their experiments with history and the consequences of these changes on the present.
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 from the point of view of someone who thinks this world is perfectly normal.
- Shrink the stakes to one family, one street, one night.
- Choose one ordinary object and show how this world changed it.
Writing fantasy books
Magic is real, and it costs something.
Fantasy builds a world where the impossible works: dragons, spells, gods who answer back. It might be a whole invented continent or one enchanted door in an ordinary house. Either way, readers come for the wonder and stay for the people paying the price for it.
What readers expect
- Magic or the supernatural, with limits
- A world that feels lived in
- Quests, wars or a power worth fighting over
- Myths and history under the surface
A tip before you start
Give magic a cost. Readers believe in a power when they can see what it takes from the person using it.
More Science Fiction and Fantasy prompts
- The Living Books of OrraAn ancient library is found on a distant planet, filled with books in languages no human can read. Follow the story of a linguist and a team of…
- The Library of WorldsDevelop a narrative about a mystical library where every book is a portal to a different universe. A novice librarian accidentally opens a cursed…
- The Magical EngineerEnvision a city where magic isn't just real—it's part of everyday life and industry. Follow the life of an engineer who specializes in blending…
- The Fifth Element's SongImagine a society where musical notes can manipulate the elements—fire, water, air, and earth. The protagonist, born mute in a family of renowned…
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