One Day at the Cafe
Craft a tale set in a bustling city cafe, where the lives of four strangers intersect in profound and unexpected ways over the course of a single day.
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 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
- A Day in Their ShoesImagine a scenario where a character is given the opportunity to switch lives with someone they admire for one day. Describe the day from both…
- The Letter UpstairsImagine a story where the main character discovers a forgotten letter in the attic, leading to the unraveling of a long-held family secret that could…
- Blackout in the Apartment BuildingConsider a story set during a city-wide blackout that forces residents of an apartment building to interact with one another, revealing secrets and…
- The Violin Case LetterWrite a story about a young violinist who discovers a forgotten letter hidden inside an ancient violin case that changes everything they thought they…
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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