The Violin Case Letter
Write a story about a young violinist who discovers a forgotten letter hidden inside an ancient violin case that changes everything they thought they knew about their family's past.
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 short story collections
Many stories, one sitting each, and every one has to land.
A collection gathers short stories, usually by one author and often linked by theme, place or character. Each story is a complete world in a few thousand words, which makes them the hardest test of craft and the easiest way to start.
What readers expect
- Complete stories, read in one sitting
- A shared theme, voice or place
- Compression: every word counts
- Endings that resonate
A tip before you start
Most collections start as stories published one at a time in magazines. Send yours out: it builds the book and your track record.
More Short Story prompts
- Friends at the Old HangoutWrite about two childhood best friends who reunite after many years apart. One has achieved significant success while the other has quietly struggled.…
- The Four-Hour Train RideCreate a tale where two strangers share a four-hour train ride and discover they have more in common than they initially thought, leading each to…
- Save the Old BookshopWrite a story about a small town that comes together to save its oldest bookstore from closing, where each character shares a unique memory tied to a…
- The Neighborhood's Secret NightImagine a neighborhood that holds an annual, secret event that is not spoken of outside its bounds. Write about a newcomer's first experience of this…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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