The Government's Game
Write a story set in a world where role-playing games are not just for fun, but are mandated by the government once a year as a means to assign professions and social standings based on players' performances. Describe your protagonist's preparation and the unexpected alliances and betrayals they encounter during their game.
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 the villain a reason that would convince you, if you lived there.
- Let the hero's plan work, and make that the problem.
- Tell it from the point of view of someone who thinks this world is perfectly normal.
Writing fantasy books
Magic is real, and it costs something.
Fantasy builds a world where the impossible works: dragons, spells, gods who answer back. It might be a whole invented continent or one enchanted door in an ordinary house. Either way, readers come for the wonder and stay for the people paying the price for it.
What readers expect
- Magic or the supernatural, with limits
- A world that feels lived in
- Quests, wars or a power worth fighting over
- Myths and history under the surface
A tip before you start
Give magic a cost. Readers believe in a power when they can see what it takes from the person using it.
More Role-Playing Game prompts
- The Warrior at Game NightAn ancient and revered tabletop game holds the secret to actual magic. You, a novice player, accidentally trigger this power during a game night and…
- The Summoner's StarBridge GameEvery century, the disparate clans of the Nebula Archipelago send their champions to compete in a celestial tournament, battling not just for honor…
- The Game Behind the WorldWrite a tale set in a dystopian future where an AI supervises humanity through a continuous, global role-playing game. Every human must role-play…
- Prophecies in the GameThe game developers of a virtual reality RPG have disappeared under mysterious circumstances just as their game begins exhibiting strange, autonomous…
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.