Drummer at Valley Forge
Write a story from the perspective of a young drummer boy in the Continental Army during the harsh winter at Valley Forge. Detail his daily struggles, the friendships he forms, and his thoughts on the war.
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.
- Make the dialogue sound of its time without becoming hard to read.
- Tell it from someone the history books ignored.
- Write it as a letter that took weeks to arrive.
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 American Revolution prompts
- The Soldier and the Rebel's DaughterWrite a story from the perspective of a young British soldier stationed in the American colonies during the revolution who begins to sympathize with…
- The Nurse at Valley ForgePen a narrative set during the harsh winter at Valley Forge. Explore the camaraderie and conflict among Continental Army soldiers trying to survive…
- The Boston Loyalist FamilyDevelop a story about a loyalist family in Boston whose sentiments and loyalties are tested as the revolution intensifies. Focus on family dynamics…
- The Other Midnight RiderFollowing the midnight ride of Paul Revere, imagine the tale of a lesser-known rider who also went out to warn the countryside of the approaching…
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