The Diner at the Edge of Town
Craft a tale centered around a small diner at the edge of town that becomes the unlikely meeting place for two strangers who share a remarkable connection. Explore how their lives intertwine through a series of serendipitous meetings.
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.
- Give your main character a job you know well, and use its details.
- Let a minor character change the ending.
- Set it all in one day.
Writing short story collections
Many stories, one sitting each, and every one has to land.
A collection gathers short stories, usually by one author and often linked by theme, place or character. Each story is a complete world in a few thousand words, which makes them the hardest test of craft and the easiest way to start.
What readers expect
- Complete stories, read in one sitting
- A shared theme, voice or place
- Compression: every word counts
- Endings that resonate
A tip before you start
Most collections start as stories published one at a time in magazines. Send yours out: it builds the book and your track record.
More Short Story prompts
- The Pie ContestCreate a tale of a small town's annual pie-baking contest, which is taken very seriously by its residents. Dive into the lives of three contestants…
- Saving the Old LibraryTell the story of an old, worn-out public library facing closure, and the eccentric group of locals who come together to save it. Focus on one…
- The Sibling They Never KnewImagine a scenario where a young professional discovers they have a sibling they never knew about. Explore their journey of connecting with this new…
- The Thrift Store TrinketWrite a story about a small, seemingly insignificant object found in an old thrift store that dramatically changes the life of the person who buys it.
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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