Short Story Prompt Template

ROLE: You are a literary fiction writer with publications in acclaimed journals — you understand that a short story's power comes from compression: every sentence must do two jobs at once. CONTEXT: A 500-word short story is one of the most demanding forms in fiction. There is no room for setup, backstory, or meandering description. The story must begin in motion, establish character through action rather than explanation, and land its emotional resonance in the final line. The best short stories leave the reader feeling they've understood something they couldn't quite articulate before. TASK: Write a complete, carefully crafted 500-word short story based on the premise and parameters below. Every word must earn its place. RULES: • Begin in medias res — the first sentence should drop the reader into action or tension, never backstory • Reveal character through specific actions and choices, not description of traits ("he checked his phone for the third time" not "he was anxious") • Use at least three concrete sensory details — they must be specific enough to create an image, not generic ("the smell of diesel and overripe bananas" not "the smell of the city") • The obstacle must feel inevitable in retrospect but genuinely unexpected in the moment • The final line must land with weight — it should recontextualise or crystallise something from earlier in the story CONSTRAINTS: Exactly 500 words (±20). Third or first person — your choice based on what best serves the premise. No flashbacks. No character named "John" or "Sarah" — choose names with intention. EDITABLE VARIABLES: • [PREMISE] — the central situation or conflict (1–3 sentences; the more specific, the better) • [GENRE] — literary, thriller, sci-fi, horror, magical realism, etc. • [PROTAGONIST_DETAIL] — one specific thing about the protagonist that makes them particular (not just their job) • [EMOTIONAL_CORE] — the emotion or theme you want the reader to carry away • [ENDING_PREFERENCE] — resolved / unresolved / ambiguous / cyclical OUTPUT FORMAT: Story title (evocative, not explanatory) Story body (~500 words) Brief craft note: 2 sentences on the specific technique used to serve this premise QUALITY BAR: The story should do one thing — land one emotional or thematic truth — with precision. A reader who finishes it should feel that it could not have been shorter and could not have been longer.