Flash Fiction Prompts
Flash Fiction Prompts
Flash fiction, often defined as very short stories, packs a punch with just a few words. Writing flash fiction can be a great exercise in brevity and creativity. Here are some prompts to get you started.
Character Focused Prompts
- A young woman discovers she can read minds but only when she is asleep.
- An old man finds a time capsule he’s been searching for his whole life.
- A teenager finds themselves in a parallel universe where they never existed.
- An artist gains popularity after their work mysteriously changes overnight.
- A detective who solves crimes with the help of his ghostly partner.
Setting Focused Prompts
- A bustling marketplace in an ancient city where everyone has a secret.
- A decaying mansion with letters scattered that tell a tragic story.
- A tiny island in the middle of an endless sea with a single tree that grants wishes.
- A futuristic floating city where gravity occasionally falters.
- An abandoned amusement park with whispers of children’s laughter at night.
Plot Focused Prompts
- A character wakes up to find they’ve aged 50 years overnight.
- Two strangers discover they share an exactly identical tattoo.
- Throughout the day, a person receives messages with clues that lead them to a hidden treasure.
- A scientist creates a potion that brings inanimate objects to life.
- A child discovers a portal under their bed that leads to another dimension.
Emotion Focused Prompts
- A person grapples with the guilt of an accidental crime.
- A reunion between old friends where one harbors a long-hidden pain.
- Experiencing joy after completing an almost impossible task.
- A character feels an inexplicable sadness after achieving their lifelong dream.
- Overwhelming love in an unlikely place.
Dialogue Prompts
- “What do you mean, the sun won’t rise tomorrow?”
- “I’ve been looking for you for a very long time.”
- “This isn’t just a key; it’s the answer to everything.”
- “Every time I close my eyes, I see these numbers.”
- “You’re not supposed to be here. This place is forbidden.”
Action Prompts
- Running through a forest chased by shadows.
- Finding a hidden diary with disturbing secrets.
- Escaping from a labyrinth with seemingly no exit.
- Discovering a hidden talent during a dire situation.
- Overhearing a conversation that alters one’s fate.
Theme Focused Prompts
- Alienation in a crowded city.
- The intersection of technology and humanity.
- The cost of immortality.
- The impact of one’s legacy.
- The struggles of unexpected heroism.
Conflict Focused Prompts
- Two people fighting over a forgotten inheritance.
- A character caught between two conflicting loyalty.
- A town divided by the arrival of a mysterious stranger.
- Nature reclaiming a city as survivors struggle.
- A character’s internal struggle with their dark side.
Conceptual Prompts
- A world where emotions are traded as currency.
- Memories being stored and sold like items.
- A society where dreams are shared experiences.
- Technology allowing conversations with past selves.
- Buildings that move and change every night.
First Line Prompts
- “The day started like any other, until I found the note.”
- “I never believed in fate until it led me to her.”
- “In this town, secrets are the only currency.”
- “It had been years since the sky last turned blue.”
- “My reflection blinked before I did.”
Random Word Prompts
- Shadow, whisper, glass, moonlit, echo
- Rusted, map, forgotten, lantern, reflection
- Horizon, secret, clock, ripple, forbidden
- Scar, midnight, phantom, mirror, flicker
- Enigma, dusk, chess, labyrinth, ember
Object Prompts
- A hand-carved wooden box with an intricate lock.
- An old photograph showing someone who looks exactly like the protagonist.
- A locket with a portrait inside and a hidden message.
- A weathered journal with entries written in different handwriting.
- A painting that seems to change slightly every time it is looked at.