The One Thing He Couldn't Fix
Describe a character who is an expert at repairing things, from antique clocks to broken relationships. Dive deep into a narrative where they confront something personal that is beyond their ability to fix, exploring themes of acceptance and letting go.
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
- Five Weeks With FriendsCreate a narrative that follows a character who, after a fire destroys their home, must stay with five different friends over the course of five…
- The Gardener’s Secret KeepDetail the life of a small-town gardener whose daily routine is disrupted when they inadvertently become the keeper of the town’s secrets, shared with…
- The Siblings' Last WeekendCraft a narrative centered around a family gathering that reunites estranged siblings after many years. Explore the tensions and latent affections…
- Postcards from Unknown CitiesTell the story of a character who begins receiving postcards from cities they’ve never visited, all signed with the same enigmatic initials. As they…
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