The Garden Grave
Imagine a story where the main character is an amateur gardener who discovers a mysterious, unmarked grave in their backyard. Delve into how this discovery leads them on a journey through local history, tangled family ties, and self-discovery.
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.
- Write the scene everyone else would skip: the morning after.
- End on a small gesture rather than a speech.
- Give your main character a job you know well, and use its details.
Writing literary fiction
Who is this person, really?
Literary fiction cares most about character, language and meaning. Plot still matters, but it serves the inner life. These are the books that win prizes and start arguments in book clubs, and they ask to be read slowly.
What readers expect
- Rich inner lives
- Prose that rewards attention
- Themes that linger
- Endings that may stay open
A tip before you start
Read your pages aloud. In literary fiction the rhythm of a sentence is part of what you're promising.
More Literary Fiction prompts
- Borrowed EmotionsImagine a world where people can physically feel the emotions of those they are closest to. Write from the perspective of someone who struggles to…
- The Heirloom JournalCraft a story centered around a family heirloom that gets passed from one generation to another. Each bearer of the heirloom is supposed to write down…
- New Start, Old Coffee ShopDevelop a story about a character who decides to start their life over in a new city after a sudden layoff. Document their journey through the lens of…
- One Day at the MarketWrite a story that unfolds over the course of a single day within a bustling farmers' market. Include vibrant descriptions of the surroundings and…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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