A Resistance Courier
Dive into the life of a member of the German resistance. Faced with moral and ethical dilemmas, your protagonist secretly works against the oppressive regime. Describe a close call with the Gestapo and the support they receive from unexpected allies.
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 your character believe something about their world that turned out to be wrong.
- Give the hero a rule of the era they have to break.
- Choose one real detail of the period, like a price, a law or a song, and build a scene around it.
Writing historical fiction
Step into another time and feel what it was like.
Historical fiction is set in the past, usually at least 50 years before it was written. Real events and people often appear, but the story belongs to its characters. Readers come for the immersion: the smells, the rules, the dangers of a world that's gone.
What readers expect
- A vivid, well-researched setting
- Real events as backdrop or engine
- Characters shaped by their era
- Details that feel lived, not looked up
A tip before you start
Research deeply, show lightly. One telling detail in a scene beats a paragraph of facts.
More World War 2 Historical Fiction prompts
- Italian Siblings After MussoliniNarrate a story about an Italian family torn apart by differing political views during WWII. Focus on the reunion of the siblings after years of…
- Espionage in the London BlitzWrite a story centered around an American journalist who, while reporting from London during the Blitz, discovers a story of espionage and betrayal.…
- A Nurse at StalingradTell the story of a nurse stationed in a makeshift hospital during the Battle of Stalingrad. Explore her daily challenges, the relationships she forms…
- The Watchmaker of WarsawImagine a Jewish watchmaker living in Warsaw, Poland, during the Nazi occupation. Describe how they use their skills to secretly sabotage German…
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