Short Story Prompt Generator: One Scene Under One Limit

Short Story Prompt Generator: One Scene Under One Limit: 30 prompts

Padlock: keep a part. Arrows: change only that part.

• Momentthe weekly call home
• Peoplea widower and his late wife's sister
• Objecta houseplant older than the youngest person there
• Turnthe quiet one is doing the talking
• Limittold in short sentences, none with a comma

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1. The weekly call home: a widower and his late wife's sister. Somewhere in it, a houseplant older than the youngest person there. By the last line, the quiet one is doing the talking. Limit: told in short sentences, none with a comma.
2. The day a map shows one street that is not there: a widower and his late wife's sister. Somewhere in it, a lawn chair in the middle of a field. By the last line, the engine turns over. Limit: told by two narrators who take turns.
3. The hour the fog lifts off a field: two old shipmates at a diner counter. Somewhere in it, a stack of quarters on a windowsill. By the last line, one of them takes the blame. Limit: told in the second person.
4. The hour the fog lifts off a field: two brothers running the family business badly. Somewhere in it, a stack of newspapers from one single day. By the last line, one of them takes the blame. Limit: told in three paragraphs: before, during, after.
5. The commute, same car as always: a dog walker and the man on the porch. Somewhere in it, a zipper that gave up. By the last line, a hand rests on a shoulder. Limit: ending on an image, with no comment.
6. A speech left in the other jacket: a farmer and a hired hand, last day of harvest. Somewhere in it, a postcard with only an address on it. By the last line, a compliment lands like an accusation. Limit: told as a vignette, one moment and no plot.
7. The first night in a new apartment with no curtains: a tow truck driver and the driver he came for. Somewhere in it, a tuba case with no tuba in it. By the last line, the coffee is poured again. Limit: ending one second before the important thing happens.
8. A lunch break on a loading dock: two rivals in the same chili cook-off. Somewhere in it, a wedding dress in a dry-cleaning bag. By the last line, the truth is told to the wrong person. Limit: told as messages left on an answering machine.
9. A morning locked out in slippers: college roommates at their first reunion. Somewhere in it, a porch light that flickers in threes. By the last line, the truth is told to the wrong person. Limit: told with no dialogue at all.
10. The evening a guest arrives a day early: a couple married longer than their house has stood. Somewhere in it, a pair of reading glasses held together with tape. By the last line, the offer is turned down, kindly. Limit: told as a speech to one silent listener.
11. A haircut that takes longer than it should: a street musician and the one listener. Somewhere in it, a text thread that ends on a question. By the last line, one of them takes the blame. Limit: told without naming anyone.
12. The day a package arrives for someone long gone: two old shipmates at a diner counter. Somewhere in it, a quilt with one unfinished square. By the last line, the thing is given away. Limit: told in the present tense throughout.
13. A waiting room where the clock has stopped: a locksmith and the person locked out. Somewhere in it, a stack of quarters on a windowsill. By the last line, somebody stays who meant to leave. Limit: opening and closing with the same sentence.
14. A delayed flight landing at three in the morning: a stepfather and a teenager, one week in. Somewhere in it, a single child's shoe on the roof of a car. By the last line, the engine turns over. Limit: told as newspaper clippings.
15. The day the moving truck comes: business partners dissolving the business. Somewhere in it, a pay phone that still takes coins. By the last line, the radio is turned up. Limit: told as a speech to one silent listener.
16. The day a package arrives for someone long gone: a crossing guard and the last kid of the day. Somewhere in it, a school report card from another decade. By the last line, the engine turns over. Limit: told by two narrators who take turns.
17. A dress rehearsal where the set falls over: a new parent and their own parent. Somewhere in it, a wedding ring in a tackle box. By the last line, one of them pays without a word. Limit: told as a toast at a dinner.
18. The last breakfast in a house full of boxes: two people who booked the same room. Somewhere in it, a telegram kept in a cookbook. By the last line, the rain stops and nobody mentions it. Limit: told by someone who was not in the room.
19. The hour before the results are posted: twins who chose different coasts. Somewhere in it, a coffee can of screws sorted by nobody. By the last line, the real reason for the visit comes out. Limit: told with no flashbacks and no memories.
20. The night the fair packs up and leaves town: a mother and daughter sharing one car. Somewhere in it, a single child's shoe on the roof of a car. By the last line, the helper is the one who needs help. Limit: told with no dialogue at all.
21. The day a wall comes down and shows a painted door: a father and the grown son who came back. Somewhere in it, a stack of newspapers from one single day. By the last line, somebody sits down at last. Limit: told in one paragraph.
22. The night the dog digs up something wrapped in cloth: a mail carrier and the customer who waits for her. Somewhere in it, a tuba case with no tuba in it. By the last line, the light is switched off. Limit: lasting exactly as long as it takes to read.
23. A delayed flight landing at three in the morning: a child selling lemonade and a first customer. Somewhere in it, a toolbox with initials burned into the lid. By the last line, a window is opened. Limit: told by a narrator you cannot trust.
24. The first snow of the year, at dusk: an old man and the kid who mows his lawn. Somewhere in it, a birthday card signed with the wrong name. By the last line, the invitation is finally accepted. Limit: ending one second before the important thing happens.
25. A haircut that takes longer than it should: two rivals in the same chili cook-off. Somewhere in it, a painting of this very room, slightly wrong. By the last line, a lie is allowed to stand. Limit: told as a list of instructions.
26. The first night in a new apartment with no curtains: a mechanic and an apprentice on day one. Somewhere in it, a text thread that ends on a question. By the last line, somebody reads the message aloud. Limit: told by a child who misreads what the adults do.
27. A canoe drifting off with nobody in it: a mother and daughter sharing one car. Somewhere in it, a mailbox full of someone else's mail. By the last line, one of them keeps the secret after all. Limit: told as the object sees it.
28. The wrong suitcase taken from the carousel: two families sharing one driveway. Somewhere in it, a crossword finished in two different pens. By the last line, the stranger is no longer a stranger. Limit: told in the second person.
29. The day the attic turns out to have a window: two security guards and one working radio. Somewhere in it, a cake with the wrong name in icing. By the last line, they are on the same side, briefly. Limit: told as a list of instructions.
30. A dress rehearsal where the set falls over: siblings dividing a house into piles. Somewhere in it, a voicemail nobody has played. By the last line, the door is left unlocked on purpose. Limit: started in the middle of things.