The Collective Planet
Write a story set on a distant planet where the indigenous species has evolved to communicate, learn, and make decisions collectively. What happens when a human expedition arrives and introduces the concept of individuality?
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.
- 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.
- Shrink the stakes to one family, one street, one night.
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 Science Fiction and Fantasy prompts
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- The Dreamless DreamerIn a future where dreams are mined like resources, write about a character who has never been able to dream. One night, they start having vivid dreams…
- The Human and the Damaged RobotIn the aftermath of a robotic uprising, a lone human and a damaged robot form an unlikely alliance. Describe their travels across a post-apocalyptic…
- Dreams That Rewrite RealityIn a world where dreams are harvested as energy, one low-level technician discovers that their own dreams can alter reality. Explore the implications…
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