Writing Prompt 1: The Trusting Liar (First-Person Unreliable)
The Challenge: Write a 750-word scene from the first-person perspective of a character who is actively trying to hide a massive secret or a terrible mistake they made. They are not lying to the reader, they are simply misinterpreting or rationalizing the events in a way that makes them look innocent.
The Setup: Your character has just discovered a priceless, fragile heirloom is broken (a statue, a clock, a unique plant, etc.). They were alone with it. They are now describing the moments leading up to and immediately after the discovery to another person—a detective, a spouse, or a friend.
P.O.V. Practice Focus:
- How does the narrator’s guilt or fear manifest as misdirection in their thoughts and observations?
- Use internal monologue to show their panicked attempts to construct a plausible, yet false, explanation.
- The reader should be able to deduce the truth by reading between the lines of what the narrator chooses to focus on and what they gloss over.
Writing Prompt 2: The Evolving Distance (Third-Person Limited to Deep P.O.V.)
The Challenge: Write a 1,000-word scene where a character is attempting a difficult, high-stakes task (e.g., a tightrope walk, defusing a bomb, performing a delicate surgery).
The Structure:
- Start with the first 250 words in a distant, objective Third-Person P.O.V. Describe the scene, the character’s movements, and the atmosphere as if watching a video feed. The narrator knows only what they can observe.
- In the next 250 words, transition to a standard Third-Person Limited P.O.V. Introduce the character’s general feelings and simple thoughts (“He was nervous,” “She hoped this would work”).
- Finish the remaining 500 words in a Deep Third-Person P.O.V. Collapse the distance completely. The narration should be indistinguishable from the character’s own thoughts and sensory experience. Use their specific vocabulary, internal rhythms, and raw emotions. Forget the narrator—the reader should only feel the character’s heart pounding, the burn in their muscles, and their moment-to-moment decisions.
P.O.V. Practice Focus:
- Mastering the use of sensory detail that moves from external observation to internal sensation.
- Seamlessly changing the level of access to a character’s mind without abruptly changing tenses.
Writing Prompt 3: The Sentient Object (Non-Human or Inanimate P.O.V.)
The Challenge: Write a 500-word monologue from the perspective of an inanimate object or a non-human entity that has witnessed a key moment of human drama.
The Setup: Choose one of the following narrators:
- A worn, antique mirror hung in a hallway.
- The wooden cat carved into the porch of a neighborhood’s only remaining house while others are rebuilt into apartment buildings.
- A deep-sea submersible robot on a solo mission.
Describe a brief human interaction, such as a whispered argument, a clandestine meeting, or a moment of profound silence, through the lens of this narrator.
P.O.V. Practice Focus:
- How are their senses limited or enhanced? (e.g., The mirror can only see reflections; the cat registers scents and vibrations before sound.)
- How do they interpret human behavior? Do they even understand concepts like love, fear, or malice?
- Challenge yourself to avoid anthropomorphism—the narrator must sound like their nature (cold, mechanical, instinctual).
Writing Prompt 4: The Judgmental God (Third-Person Omniscient)
The Challenge: Write a short story (approx. 750 words) using a traditional Third-Person Omniscient P.O.V., but give the narrator a clear, opinionated, and judgmental personality.
The Setup: The story centers on a character who is about to make a simple but ethically ambiguous decision, such as returning a found wallet, confronting a noisy neighbor, or taking credit for someone else’s idea.
P.O.V. Practice Focus:
- The narrator should dip into the minds of multiple characters, but always with a specific agenda: to comment on the morality, foolishness, or potential consequences of the main character’s actions.
- Use direct address, rhetorical questions, and editorializing, such as “The fool didn’t realize that this was the precise moment his life would pivot,” or “Naturally, she chose the selfish path, as always.”
- The narrator’s voice should be distinct from the characters’ voices.
Writing Prompt 5: Two Sides of a Single Coin (Switching Limited P.O.V.s)
The Challenge: Write a single, continuous scene (approx. 800 words total) about a crucial miscommunication or a missed connection. The scene must be structured in two halves.
The Structure:
- Part 1: The View from Character A (400 words). Use a close Third-Person Limited P.O.V. The scene is about A waiting for B. A’s thoughts and internal monologue should be filled with anticipation and optimism about what B is about to say or do.
- Part 2: The View from Character B (400 words). Rewrite the exact same stretch of time and dialogue from B’s close Third-Person Limited P.O.V. B’s internal monologue should be filled with dread, distraction, or a completely different, darker intent than A expected.
P.O.V. Practice Focus:
- Demonstrating how internal bias and perspective can completely change the tone and meaning of a shared external reality (the dialogue and actions).
- Using sensory details to reflect the character’s mood (A might notice the beautiful sunset; B might only feel the rough texture of the table).
Prompts and Prose 