Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: The Collector
Welcome to Fiction Friday, our weekly flash fiction challenge.
Here’s how it works:
Set a timer for five minutes and start writing
Keep going for as long as you can once the timer goes off
No editing allowed—raw writing only
When you’re finished, feel free to share in the comments (but there’s no pressure.)
Today’s prompt – “The Collector”
Your character works a job where they interact with hundreds of strangers daily. One day, they notice something: a regular customer always buys the same item, but never the most obvious version of it. They buy the slightly damaged book instead of the pristine one. The shirt with the barely-noticeable stain. The dented can. The last apple in the bruised bin.
Curious, your character starts paying attention. They realize this person is deliberately choosing things that others have rejected or overlooked.
When your character finally asks why, the answer changes everything. It reveals a philosophy, a grief, a mission, or a secret that forces your protagonist to see their own life differently.
The story ends with your character making a choice that mirrors what they’ve learned.
by 
Novel Kicks Writing Room: Side Characters
Hello and welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room.
Side characters are sometimes a bit forgotten when we’re writing a story.
The main protagonist is obviously important, but today, those supporting characters are getting a bit of love.
First, pick a setting from the following (if you want to make it more interesting, pick one at random. Here’s a link to a random number generator.) –
. An abandoned hotel on a cliff edge
. A hospital at night
. A busy carnival/fair/theme park
. A forest
. A small town
Next, pick a genre –
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: The Lost Person
Welcome to Fiction Friday, our weekly flash fiction challenge.
Here’s how it works:
Set a timer for five minutes and start writing
Keep going for as long as you can once the timer goes off
No editing allowed—raw writing only
When you’re finished, feel free to share in the comments (but there’s no pressure.)
Today’s prompt: The Lost Person.
Your character is channel surfing and land on a channel that doesn’t appear in the guide.
It’s showing live footage of somewhere ordinary—a street, a café, a park.
Suddenly, your character recognises someone in the crowd.
Someone from their past who has been missing for years.
Who is this person? What relationship did your character have with this person?
Continue the story.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Reflection
Welcome back to the Novel Kicks Writing Room and the Plot Challenge.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been focusing on plotting a piece of fiction, one task at a time. Today marks the final task.
I’m hoping that, over the last few weeks, these writing exercises have helped you master plot structure by writing all major plot points, then analysing how each element builds toward a cohesive story. All the previous tasks are listed below.
The final task – Reflection.
Your task today is to write a final reflection on your story and on the process. Try to write 300-500 words. Consider the following –
- What did you learn about plot structure from writing this story?
- Which section was hardest to write? Why?
- What surprised you about how the story developed?
- If you were to write this story again, what would you do differently?
- What’s one “plot rule” you’ve learnt from this exercise?
Here are links to the previous tasks –
Click to view the story conception task from week 1.
Click to view the inciting incident task from week 2.
Click to view the rising action task from week 3.
Click to view the midpoint task from week 4.
Click to view the climax task from week 5.
Click to view the resolution task from week 6.
Click to view the assembly task from week 7.
Click to view the anaylsis task from week 8.
Click to view the revision task from week 9.
I really hope you’ve gained from this plot challenge and that you’ve enjoyed it.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: The Repeating Encore
Welcome to Fiction Friday, our weekly flash fiction challenge.
Here’s how it works:
Set a timer for five minutes and start writing
Keep going for as long as you can once the timer goes off
No editing allowed—raw writing only
When you’re finished, feel free to share in the comments (but there’s no pressure)
Today’s prompt: The Repeating Encore.
Your band finally gets its big break: a sold-out stadium show after years of playing dingy clubs. The energy is electric. The crowd is screaming. You’re in the zone, playing better than you ever have.
by Book Club
