A Story Every Day - Prompts for January 2024

I was going to post this tomorrow, but for those who are joining me I thought you might like a list of prompts a bit sooner, to give your brain a chance to mull on them.

Reminder:

The aim is to post a short story (flash fiction) EVERY DAY in 2024.

Here's the post about it, and the follow-up.

TL;DR

• Word limit is 366 (minimum count 300)
• The prompts are aids only, not challenges (unless you want to use them that way).
• It doesn't have to be perfect. Hopefully a decent standard, but not perfect. Perfection is the enemy of creativity, no? The idea is to get the juices flowing. Stories that are short and sweet, and plenty of them.
• There's a way to keep your streak going if you know in advance you won't be able to get online on certain dates

PROOOOOOMPTS! GITCHORE PROMPTS HERE!

1st (New Year's Day) (It had to be) a story about New Beginnings. Interpret that however you like!

2nd (World Introvert Day) Your main character is an introvert. Any genre, any theme, any perspective.

4th (World Braille Day) A story in the first person where your main character cannot see.

5th (Last Day of Christmas) Sentient Christmas tree decorations.

6th (World Day of War Orphans) Write a story about a child orphaned by war.

8th (Elvis' birthday)

Here's your prompts - choose any of them

• Write a story about a character called Elvis
• Use an Elvis song for inspiration. (Link to it at the start of the story.)
• Some theorise he faked his death. What if he did? Why did he? How did he pull it off? What happened next?

15th (MLK day) Write a story centred around at least one of the issues, themes and qualities MLK is famous for. You've got bags to choose from (this is not an exhaustive list) - segregation, civil rights, disobedience, superb oration. Take your pick.

21st (World Religion Day) Write a story about a fictional religion you've invented

22nd (Cervical Cancer Prevention Week) Write a story with female reproductive health at the centre of it

24th (Day of Education) Write a story set in a school. Base the school, or class, or teacher on the one that was perfect for you, or the one you wish you had.

25th (Burns Night) Include a poem and/or set your story in Scotland

If you have a birthday in January: On your birthday, write a story that is autobiographical, or partly autobiographical.

Photo prompts

Prompts from other Vocal members

(Please leave a small tip for the person who suggested it if you use the prompt)

- From Kenny Penn - Genre: Stoner in Time. Subject: Satisfying revenge. Action: Hanging

- From Stephen Kramer Avitabile - The gravity shifts in, and only in, the main characters house.

From - Alexander McEvoy - Include the line, "I am way too sober for this"

More Prompts

• a title prompt for "Janus", the Roman god with two faces. Use the title Hidden Faces. Someone is not what they seem - a con man, a spy, an assassin, a bigamist with a second family, a shapeshifter, whatever.
• a society where it's unlawful to eat or use animal products
• an undelivered letter changes the course of person's life, or the course of history
• the theme is going sober, or a story set in a "dry" region
• a woman who wants to murder her husband
• someone is trapped in a maze/tomb/laboratory. Why, what happens?
• Start with the line "She made a poor job of hiding the damage"
• a story about a mythical sea creature but NOT a mermaid/merperson
• your main character is a woman who just got her period. It's blue. What now?
• your main character is a child who lives on a farm with strict parent/guardian(s). She wakes up one day with the ability to hear the animals speaking to her.
• a Bond-esque protagonist, but he's not human

++++++++++++

Here are the Vocalites joining me on this adventure (if I've missed you, please let me know in the comments.) Please go and sub if you haven't already, and get your pom poms ready 😁

Sirena Carroll - The Blind Single Mom

Rachel Deeming

Deni Sahaya

Conor Darrall

Paul Stewart

Gerard DiLeo

Mother Combs

++++++++++++

Thank you for reading! Please leave me a comment so it's easy for me to reciprocate.

More prompts always welcome! 👇