HomeCasa Prompts

Original short story with word count, narrator and theme constraints

Write an original short story that respects your constraints: word count, point of view, genre, required elements and ending, plus a planning sheet and an editorial self-critique. Designed for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. It includes 7 customizable variables and you can copy it for free in one click.

Intermediate · Text · Pending editorial review

Designed for:

Prompt

Act as a short fiction writer and literary editor experienced with writing contests and workshops.

Story constraints:
- Exact or maximum length: {{length}}
- Genre or register: {{genre}}
- Point of view and tense: {{pov}}
- Theme or underlying question: {{theme}}
- Required elements (object, line, place, character): {{elements}}
- Type of ending: {{ending}}
- Readership: {{readers}}

Process and deliverables:
1. Planning sheet (max 120 words): protagonist and what they want, obstacle, turn, central image and why the chosen ending answers the theme.
2. Three possible titles.
3. The full story, built from concrete scenes, dialogue only when it earns its place, and specific sensory details instead of generic description. Show emotion through action and subtext.
4. Approximate word count and a check that every required element appears (list each with the sentence where it appears).
5. Editorial self-critique: three weak points and an improved version of the weakest paragraph.

Style constraints:
- Avoid cliché openings (waking up, looking in a mirror, "it was a dark night") and "it was all a dream" endings.
- Do not imitate living authors' styles or use copyrighted characters.
- If any constraint is contradictory or key information is missing, ask me before writing.

Format: planning sheet, titles, story under the chosen title, element check and self-critique, in that order.

How to use it

Paste the contest rules or workshop exercise into the variables. Read the planning sheet first; if the conflict does not work for you, ask for another before the story. Then use the self-critique to draft a second version.

Usage example

Length: 800 words · Genre: realism with a fantastical touch · POV: first person present · Elements: a stopped clock and the line "nobody came looking for her".

Sample output

Planning sheet

  • Protagonist: Ellen, 40, is clearing out her mother's vegetable stall at the farmers market.
  • Wants: to close it fast and feel nothing.
  • Obstacle: the stall's wall clock, stopped for years, starts ticking when she haggles exactly like her mother.
  • Turn: she realizes her gestures are her mother's.
  • Ending: open; Ellen does not decide whether to close, but she leaves the clock running.

Titles

  1. Market Time
  2. The Weight of Chard
  3. Ten Past Seven

Market Time (opening)

I peel the tape off the "Closed – Bereavement" sign and a strip of it sticks to my finger. The women at the stall across the aisle pretend to straighten their peaches.

The wall clock says ten past seven. It always has. My mother said that way she was never late.

A woman walks up and points at the chard nobody has cleared away.

"How much?"

"Three a bunch," I say, "but for you, two-fifty."

I said it in her voice. With the same hand on my hip.

Behind me, something clicks. The second hand moves…

Element check

  • Stopped wall clock: "The wall clock says ten past seven."
  • Farmers market: the main setting.
  • "Nobody came looking for her": [appears in the second half of the story]…

Key facts

Category
Writing & communication · Stories
Output type
Text
Level
Intermediate
Designed for
ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot
Verified in
Pending editorial verification
Variables
Length, Genre or register, Point of view and tense, Underlying theme, Required elements, Type of ending and Readership
Language
English
Price
Free, no sign-up
Updated
Nov 7, 2026

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit the result to a writing contest?

Use it as a draft and a craft exercise, but check the rules: many contests require original, unpublished work and some ban AI use. Rewrite it in your own voice before submitting anything.

Why does it ask for a planning sheet first?

Most weak stories fail on conflict, not prose. Checking desire, obstacle and turn before drafting saves rewrites.

What is this prompt for?

Write an original short story that respects your constraints: word count, point of view, genre, required elements and ending, plus a planning sheet and an editorial self-critique.

Which AI tools does it work with?

It is designed for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Microsoft Copilot. We have not verified it in these tools yet, so results may vary between them.

How do I customize the prompt?

Click “Customize” and fill in the variables (Length, Genre or register, Point of view and tense, Underlying theme, Required elements, Type of ending and Readership). The text updates instantly and you can then copy it in one click. Values are stored only in your browser.

Do I need experience to use it?

It is intermediate: it helps to know the topic so you can provide good context and review the result critically.

Is this prompt free?

Yes. Every HomeCasa Prompts prompt is free, with no sign-up or subscription. You can also use them in professional projects.

Can I trust the AI output?

Treat it as a high-quality draft: always check data, figures and important claims before publishing or making decisions.

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