Saving the Family Bookstore
Craft a tale around a small, family-owned bookstore that is on the verge of closing. Introduce a cast of characters including the family members, regular customers, and maybe a stranger or two who all come together in a unique way to try to save this cherished establishment.
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 literary fiction
Who is this person, really?
Literary fiction cares most about character, language and meaning. Plot still matters, but it serves the inner life. These are the books that win prizes and start arguments in book clubs, and they ask to be read slowly.
What readers expect
- Rich inner lives
- Prose that rewards attention
- Themes that linger
- Endings that may stay open
A tip before you start
Read your pages aloud. In literary fiction the rhythm of a sentence is part of what you're promising.
More Literary Fiction prompts
- The Thrift Store LetterImagine a character who finds an old, unmailed letter in the pocket of a vintage coat purchased at a thrift store. Driven by curiosity, the character…
- The Garden GraveImagine a story where the main character is an amateur gardener who discovers a mysterious, unmarked grave in their backyard. Delve into how this…
- Borrowed EmotionsImagine a world where people can physically feel the emotions of those they are closest to. Write from the perspective of someone who struggles to…
- The Heirloom JournalCraft a story centered around a family heirloom that gets passed from one generation to another. Each bearer of the heirloom is supposed to write down…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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