Fiction Writing Prompt: Character Choices and a Clear Conflict
Draft an original scene around a character goal, obstacle and consequence. Revise dialogue, viewpoint and pacing with specific checks.
Illustrative cover; not a verified result from this prompt.
Read the full prompt
Write an original [SHORT STORY/SCENE] in [GENRE]. Setting: [SETTING]. Main character wants [GOAL] but faces [OBSTACLE]. Viewpoint and tense: [DETAILS]. Use concrete sensory detail, purposeful dialogue and a clear change by the end. Preferred length: [LENGTH]. Describe desired traits such as restrained prose or dry humor rather than copying an author's wording. Avoid adding a twist that contradicts established facts. After the draft, identify one pacing choice and one revision question.
Give the character a choice to make
A setting supplies atmosphere, but a goal and obstacle create movement. Decide what the character wants in this scene and what they risk by pursuing it. One focused conflict is enough for a short piece.
Example: the last bus
Try “A night-shift cleaner finds a lost wallet just as the last bus arrives. They need the bus to get home, but the owner's address is nearby. Close third-person viewpoint, present tense, quiet tension.” Ask for a scene that ends with a decision rather than a moral lecture.
If the draft solves everything by coincidence, introduce a believable cost or consequence. Let the character's action reveal their priorities.
Revise the scene
Check that the viewpoint does not jump between minds without purpose. Read dialogue aloud and remove lines that only explain information both speakers already know. Use a few precise sensory details rather than decorating every sentence. The sample brief is a writing exercise, not an account of a real person's experience.