Back to College
Craft a narrative about a middle-aged woman who decides to return to college after her children have grown up. Explore her challenges in adapting to a new generation of classmates and technology, all while dealing with the skepticism of friends and family and her discovery of new passions and a second career.
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.
- Write the scene everyone else would skip: the morning after.
- End on a small gesture rather than a speech.
- Give your main character a job you know well, and use its details.
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 Women's Fiction prompts
- One-Way Ticket to ElsewhereDescribe the life of a woman who has always played by the rules, living a seemingly perfect life from the outside. One day, she impulsively buys a…
- The Chaotic Celebrity WeddingExplore the life of a female wedding planner who, on the verge of giving up on love, is tasked with organizing a high-profile celebrity wedding that…
- The Island Painter's FightA heartbroken young artist moves to a remote island to find solace and inspiration but instead finds herself involved in the island community’s…
- Three Generations on the RoadCreate a narrative about three generations of women from the same family who embark on a road trip together for the first time. Explore the dynamics…
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.