Over 20 "Literary" Writing Prompts
Write a story about a retired professor who finds an old, unopened letter in a used book, which reveals a secret that challenges everything they thought they knew about their past.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Pen a story about a failed writer who decides to start a new life by moving into an old lighthouse. The isolation and the people they meet there inspire a new novel based on their own experiences and the tales of the sea told by locals.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Your protagonist finds a forgotten letter tucked inside a library book that was due decades ago. The letter is poignant and filled with unfulfilled promises. Explore the impact this discovery has on them, and how it connects them to the unknown author of the letter.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Describe a character who is an expert at repairing things, from antique clocks to broken relationships. Dive deep into a narrative where they confront something personal that is beyond their ability to fix, exploring themes of acceptance and letting go.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Create a narrative that follows a character who, after a fire destroys their home, must stay with five different friends over the course of five weeks. Explore how each household changes the character's perspective on life and relationships.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Detail the life of a small-town gardener whose daily routine is disrupted when they inadvertently become the keeper of the town’s secrets, shared with them by different residents under the guise of casual conversation.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Craft a narrative centered around a family gathering that reunites estranged siblings after many years. Explore the tensions and latent affections that surface over a long weekend in their childhood home, now on the brink of being sold.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Tell the story of a character who begins receiving postcards from cities they’ve never visited, all signed with the same enigmatic initials. As they piece together clues in an attempt to discover the sender’s identity, they also embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Develop a narrative where the protagonist, after experiencing a profound loss, begins to notice peculiar coincidences that suggest an underlying connection between strangers' lives in a bustling city neighborhood. Explore themes of interconnectedness and destiny.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
Write a story in which a character inherits a small, independent bookstore in a quaint coastal town. The previous owner leaves behind a series of notes hidden among the books, each revealing a fragment of the town's history and a deeply held secret.
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Literary
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