A Soldier's New Land
You are a retired Roman soldier granted a piece of land in a remote part of the Empire. Describe your journey to this new home, the people you meet along the way, and the challenges you face as you attempt to build a new life in a strange and sometimes hostile environment.
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 Ancient Rome prompts
- Rivals at the Circus MaximusCraft the tale of two siblings who compete as charioteers in the Circus Maximus. Explore their rivalry, deep bond, and the political intrigue they…
- The Roman General Behind Enemy LinesSet during the peak of the Roman Empire, a seasoned general finds himself stranded in enemy territory after a brutal battle. With minimal resources…
- Friends in Augustus’s RomeSet during the reign of Caesar Augustus, recount the tale of two childhood friends whose paths diverge drastically as one rises through the political…
- The Roman Woman PhysicianImagine the life of a female physician in Ancient Rome. Despite the restrictions placed on women, she has gained a reputation for her skills. Describe…
Fifteen minutes in? Keep going.
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