The Intern and the Scandal
Describe the life-changing day of a young Wall Street intern who accidentally discovers confidential information that could lead to a major financial scandal. Faced with a moral dilemma, they must decide whether to expose the truth or protect their newfound career.
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.
- Keep what the hero wants and what they need in tension.
- Tell it through the messages, notes or voicemails the characters leave.
- Write the scene everyone else would skip: the morning after.
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
- 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…
- Saving the Route 66 DinerImagine a scenario where a family-owned diner on Route 66 is threatened by a big interstate development. Tell the story from the perspective of the…
- The Teacher's InheritanceEnvision a scenario in which a middle-aged school teacher in Chicago receives a mysterious inheritance from an unknown relative, leading them on a…
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