A Day in Their Shoes
Imagine a scenario where a character is given the opportunity to switch lives with someone they admire for one day. Describe the day from both perspectives and the aftermath of their experiences.
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.
- Tell it through the messages, notes or voicemails the characters leave.
- Write the scene everyone else would skip: the morning after.
- End on a small gesture rather than a speech.
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 Letter UpstairsImagine a story where the main character discovers a forgotten letter in the attic, leading to the unraveling of a long-held family secret that could…
- Blackout in the Apartment BuildingConsider a story set during a city-wide blackout that forces residents of an apartment building to interact with one another, revealing secrets and…
- The Violin Case LetterWrite a story about a young violinist who discovers a forgotten letter hidden inside an ancient violin case that changes everything they thought they…
- Friends at the Old HangoutWrite about two childhood best friends who reunite after many years apart. One has achieved significant success while the other has quietly struggled.…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
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