The Dancer’s Second Calling
Develop a narrative about a professional dancer who loses the ability to perform following an accident, focusing on their journey of discovering a new passion or calling through the healing process.
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.
- Make the conflict something the reader has faced themselves.
- Keep what the hero wants and what they need in tension.
- Tell it through the messages, notes or voicemails the characters leave.
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 Bookstore's Last WeekPen a tale about an old, renowned bookstore threatened with closure as the city modernizes around it. Explore the last week before its scheduled…
- The Neighborhood GardenWrite a story about a character who decides to start a community garden in a neglected neighborhood lot. Describe the challenges they face from the…
- The Unreliable Road TripDevelop a narrative about a family road trip across the country in an old, unreliable car. Explore the family dynamics, personal revelations, and the…
- One Day at the CafeCraft 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.
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
Plans from $9.99 a month. Cancel any time. Your words are always yours.