Letters from the Civil War
Write from the perspective of a young soldier who is writing letters home during the Civil War. Explore his fears, dreams, and the realities of war through his words, and how his tone shifts throughout his service.
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.
- End with a choice that history would never record.
- Let your character believe something about their world that turned out to be wrong.
- Give the hero a rule of the era they have to break.
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 Civil War prompts
- Brothers at the Old HomeDescribe the reunion of two brothers who fought on opposing sides of the Civil War. The meeting takes place in their childhood home, now a dilapidated…
- The Drummer Boy's Secret CodeWrite a story from the perspective of a drummer boy in the Civil War, who is sending secret messages through the rhythms he plays. Explore how he…
- The Confederate Double AgentWrite a story that follows a spy for the Confederacy. Delve into the complexities of their double life, the risks they face, and their internal…
- Friends Across the Civil WarImagine a small, divided border town during the Civil War where families and friendships are torn apart by differing loyalties. Craft a story focused…
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.