The Samurai and the Thief
Write about a pair of twin brothers in Feudal Japan who are separated at birth. One grows up as a noble samurai, the other as a cunning thief. Their paths cross on the eve of a significant and tumultuous battle, forcing them to confront their shared past and the future of their country.
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.
- Keep the famous event offstage and show its ripples.
- Make the dialogue sound of its time without becoming hard to read.
- Tell it from someone the history books ignored.
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 Historical Fiction prompts
- The Housemaid's DiscoveryImagine you are a housemaid in Victorian England who uncovers a scandalous secret about the family you work for. Explore how you navigate the complex…
- Jazz on New Orleans StreetsDepict the life of a jazz musician in 1920s New Orleans, capturing not only the vibrant music scene but also the racial tensions and cultural…
- The Mediterranean MerchantCreate a tale based on the voyages of a female merchant in the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages, dealing with pirates, storms, and rival traders…
- The Soldier at the WallWrite a story set during the construction of the Great Wall of China, through the eyes of a young soldier who has left his village for the first time…
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.