Writers at the Beach House
Develop a story about a group of women who meet every week at a beach house to write together. Each character has their own struggles and aspirations. Through their shared passion for writing, they find solidarity, inspiration, and the courage to change their lives.
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.
- Set it all in one day.
- Make the conflict something the reader has faced themselves.
- Keep what the hero wants and what they need in tension.
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 Women's Fiction prompts
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- The Sisters' Buried ScandalThree sisters reunite in their childhood home in the Midwest for their mother's 70th birthday. Over the weekend, old conflicts resurface, secrets are…
- The Reunion WeekendExplore the story of three high school friends who reunite in their hometown for their 20th reunion. Each woman brings with her a life filled with…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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