Your character is timid by nature, and they have some challenge to overcome. Can they do it? If not, why not? If so, how do they manage it?

Whatever your story, it must include a promise. One that was kept, or one that was broken. Remembered forever or long forgotten. Any sort of promise will do.

I am positively inclined toward collective animal names. Use one (real or that you made up) in a story. Here is a short list. More are out there if these aren't to taste. https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/99-strange-collective-animal-names

One person gifts a cake to a complete stranger in the park. A conversation ensues.

Write a story where a character gets paid to sleep.

From Twitter, Jennifer Shelby writes, "They arrived in ships like dragons, breathing fire, and that is how we knew they'd been here before."

Who are they?

Given powers, responsibilities, and enemies that they don't fully understand, Magical Girls are often in over their heads. Whether trying to balance a normal life and their powered one, or saving people in general, their lives are messy. Tell me your stor…

Your story must begin with the following...

"Klaxons. Klaxons everywhere. Truly this was it."

Feel free to wrap in any other genres you like.

Start your story with "It's been raining for two days straight". Where you take the story after that is up to you.

The classic six-word story. Make it classy, make it memorable. Make it in six words.

You may need to pad with ..... in order to beat the minimum-length pixies.

If a dream is a wish your heart makes, then this is an oath sworn by your deepest fears.

"It was mostly screaming and threats after that..."

The theme with this one is isolation. Interpret it however you please. Maybe they've long since gone insane from being alone, or maybe this could be the start of them being alone.

Write something in the second person point of view. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narration#Second-person

You must start your story with "It had been fourteen days." but it can be whatever genre and subject matter you desire.

A few years ago I wrote a short story about a man trapped inside an hourglass. Sadly, I can't find it anymore. But perhaps you could write a new one!

Write a story about someone (not necessarily a man or a human being) trapped inside an hourglass.

Write a story from the point of view of an outcast.

Make a character's diary entry. It should include a date, or a beginning like "Dear Diary" that makes it clear that it's written in a diary, but otherwise, write whatever you want.

Write a story taking place in the future. It can be utopian or dystopian, space opera or cyberpunk, soft or hard - all I ask is that it takes place noticeably in the future, and ideally couldn't take place now without massive revision.

Monster hunting takes it's toll on on the hunters in the form of strained relationships, bodily injury (up to and including death), the doubts that they are doing any good at all. Show the price that a hunter is paying.

Write a story with this as the theme or a statement in the story itself.

Whatever happens, it's not personal, is it?

See if you can convey an emotion without any reference to the feeling itself. Think about how the emotion makes you feel, what it does to your body.

Most of all, think of Disney xxx

Write a story (any length) consisting entirely of song lyrics or titles.

Optionally (and space permitting), list the musicians you've plagiarised...

Write a story where this is the theme, stated of unstated (your choice). All genres and characters welcome.

The subject of your story should involve a character doing something against their usual moral alignment, whether they're a normally good individual who's fallen to the dark side or something else.