The Converso’s Secret
Your story unfolds during the height of the Spanish Inquisition. Your main character is a secret Jewish converso who has been pretending to be a devout Catholic. When a new inquisitor arrives in town determined to root out all heretics, your protagonist must protect their family without betraying their true faith. Explore the themes of fear, identity, and resilience.
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.
- Tell it from someone the history books ignored.
- Write it as a letter that took weeks to arrive.
- End with a choice that history would never record.
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 Christian Historical Fiction prompts
- The Merchant’s MiraclesSet your tale in the bustling trade city of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus. Imagine your protagonist is a skeptical merchant who has never paid…
- The Slave Girl in Nero's PalaceSet in ancient Rome during the reign of Nero, a young Christian slave girl is chosen to work in the imperial palace. As she navigates the dangerous…
- The Planter's Daughter and the RailroadDuring the height of the Underground Railroad in the United States, a Southern plantation owner's daughter discovers her own Christian faith leads her…
- A Soldier and the Escaped SlaveDuring the tumultuous times of the American Civil War, a Confederate soldier's life is saved by a mysterious figure—an escaped slave who is a devout…
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