The Corner Grocery
Craft a story set in a gentrifying neighborhood, centering around a small, family-owned grocery store struggling to stay afloat amidst the changes. The narrative unfolds through the eyes of the store's owners and the diverse set of patrons who share their histories, dreams, and fears through casual conversations.
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.
- End on a small gesture rather than a speech.
- Give your main character a job you know well, and use its details.
- Let a minor character change the ending.
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
- Three Views of the Park SculptureA small, overlooked city park becomes the center of controversy when a local artist unveils a provocative sculpture. Write from the perspective of…
- The Bakery Money TrailAfter receiving an anonymous tip, a young investigative journalist discovers that a beloved local bakery is a front for laundering money. Delve into…
- The Café NotebookWrite about a young artist moving to a big city for the first time. On the first night, they find a mysterious notebook at a local café that contains…
- A Taxi Driver's Last ShiftDetail a day in the life of a taxi driver who picks up a series of passengers that challenge their perspectives on life, politics, and love…
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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