The Town's Bicentennial Feud
Write a story about a small Midwestern town preparing for its bicentennial celebration. A long-standing feud between two families threatens to overshadow the festivities, and it’s up to the newest member of the town council, who just moved from a major city, to unite the town.
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 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 American Fiction prompts
- A Teacher's Long DayDescribe the day in the life of a high school teacher in an underfunded urban district, detailing the personal challenges they face outside of school…
- The Fusion RestaurantA couple from different cultural backgrounds opens a fusion restaurant in a predominantly conservative town. Explore their experiences as they try to…
- The Oregon Town ProjectTell the story of a high school teacher in a rural Oregon town who inspires her students to organize a community project that unexpectedly brings…
- The Garden on Main StreetWrite about a woman who starts a community garden in a struggling, economically depressed town and how the garden becomes a unifying force for the…
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