The Career Choice Deadline
Imagine a world where everyone must officially decide their career by the age of 16. Write about a teenager who refuses to choose, and what happens when the deadline passes.
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 your main character a job you know well, and use its details.
- Let a minor character change the ending.
- Set it all in one day.
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 Contemporary Fiction prompts
- Letters from the FutureDive into the life of a protagonist who begins receiving dated, handwritten letters in their mailbox with advice about upcoming life events. These…
- A Stray Dog’s CityWrite a story from the perspective of a stray dog in a bustling city, revealing its encounters and relationships with different humans and animals…
- The Coffee Cup ConnectionDevelop a tale where a mundane item - like a coffee cup or a pair of glasses - plays a pivotal role in intertwining the lives of two characters from…
- The Letter in the Secondhand BookWrite the inner monologue of a person who decides to change their life completely after discovering a letter hidden in a secondhand book. What does…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
Chapterly gives a draft somewhere to grow: chapters, daily word goals, and readers when you're ready.
Plans from $9.99 a month. Cancel any time. Your words are always yours.