Friends Across the Front
Imagine a story set in a small town divided by the Civil War. Focus on two childhood friends who find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. Explore how their friendship evolves and is tested by their allegiances.
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.
- 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.
- Keep the famous event offstage and show its ripples.
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 Civil War prompts
- Freedom on the PlantationImagine a southern plantation during the Civil War where an unlikely friendship forms between a Confederate soldier's daughter and an escaped slave…
- The Siblings Before BattleImagine a scenario where two siblings find themselves on opposing sides of the Civil War. Construct their last conversation before heading to battle…
- The Battlefield NurseDescribe a day in the life of a nurse working in a makeshift hospital near a major Civil War battlefield. Detail her daily challenges, the soldiers…
- The Union SupporterPortray the life of a Southern plantation owner who secretly supports the Union. Explore the complexities of leading a double life in a divided…
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