The Subway Driver's Journal
Describe a day in the life of a New York City subway driver who discovers a lost, handwritten journal on the train and becomes obsessed with finding its owner, uncovering personal stories that parallel their own life.
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.
- Let a minor character change the ending.
- Set it all in one day.
- Make the conflict something the reader has faced themselves.
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 Contemporary American Fiction prompts
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- The Green Business GambleExplore the life of an entrepreneur who starts an innovative, eco-friendly business in a big city, but struggles with balancing their personal ethics…
- The Podcast and the Buried SecretWrite a story about a small Midwestern town where everyone knows each other, and a secret buried for decades suddenly resurfaces when someone starts a…
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