The Delphi Priestess's Choice
On the eve of an important oracle’s prophecy, you, a temple priestess in Delphi, find yourself swayed between maintaining the sacred neutrality of your position and influencing the political landscape of various city-states vying for supremacy. Explore the ethical and moral dilemmas through your eyes.
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.
- Keep the famous event offstage and show its ripples.
- Make the dialogue sound of its time without becoming hard to read.
- Tell it from someone the history books ignored.
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 Ancient Greece prompts
- The Sailor at OlympiaNarrate the tale of a Greek sailor from Ithaca who, during his voyages, comes to witness the rise of the first Olympic Games. Blend his personal…
- The Athenian War ScrollAfter discovering a hidden scroll in your late father's belongings, you, a young Athenian scholar, uncover a secret that could potentially change the…
- The Corinthian PoetA lyrical poet from Corinth travels across various city-states during the flourishing era of the Greek poleis. As the poet witnesses the unique…
- The Athenian ScientistYou are a philosopher in ancient Greece, but unlike your contemporaries, you believe in the power of science over mythology. Write about your…
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