Written by Emily Harstone August 22nd, 2013

Writing Prompt: Invasion

You wake up in bed. You hear the sound of a gun being loaded, or a vase being broken, or the door being kicked in.

You start writing from the point of being woken up by a strange and dangerous sound. What happens next is up to you.

You could be writing from your own point of view, or the point of view of a character. In the story the narrator could have been sleeping at home, or in a cabin, a hotel, or a friend’s house. The narrator could be in their home town or a strange city.

So many elements of this story are up to you. It is your choice what happens next. This could be come a serious story or a comedic farce. The direction you take it is up to you.

You could even try this prompt in poetic form for a bit of fun.

The great thing to do with this prompt is to pass it on to friends so that you see some of the different ways it could be interpreted.

 

We Send You Publishers Seeking Submissions.

Sign up for our free e-magazine and we will send you reviews of publishers seeking short stories, poetry, essays, and books.

Subscribe now and we'll send you a free copy of our book Submit, Publish, Repeat

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: May 2025

Notes from the Editor’s Desk: May 2025

Authors Guild Sues to Bring Back Grants; Major Newspapers Use AI to Recommend Books that Don't Exist; Plus Publishing Opportunities, Success Stories, and Editing Jobs

Scavengers: Now Seeking Submissions

Scavengers: Now Seeking Submissions

Seeking flash, poetry, artwork, comics, experimental writing, and mixed-media.

How to Get Back Into Writing

How to Get Back Into Writing

Took a break from writing? Here are some tips to get back in the game.

Guppy Books: Accepting Contest Submissions

Guppy Books: Accepting Contest Submissions

Guppy Books is a respected publisher of children’s fiction. Founded in 2019 by Bella Pearson, the books they have published have been finalists and winners of a number of awards. They also have excellent distribution. You can learn more about the company and their track record, here. They are based in the UK, and generally…