Once a Prompt a Time: Stories Sparked by Quirky Contest Prompts

By: O'Connor Stephans, Laurie

What happens when a writer is given strange, challenging, and completely unexpected prompts?

The result is Once a Prompt a Time: 44 innovative short stories spanning multiple genres, and each inspired by a unique writing contest prompt. Whether 100 words or 3,000, each story was written under a tight deadline (sometimes just 24 hours ) and within the guidelines of specific and decidedly unusual prompts.

Like the prompts themselves, the book is one-of-a-kind in that the original prompt appears at the end of the story it inspired, allowing readers to experience the story with no spoilers or preconceived notions.

Ideal for Readers

If you enjoy short fiction and love to explore a variety of genres, this book is for you.

Likewise, if you tend to keep to one genre, it's also a great read. It allows you to test the waters by just dipping your toe versus being pushed into the deep end of the pool.

A terrific option for your Book Club-something for everyone and guaranteed to spur lively discussion

Indispensable for Writers

New to prompted writing contests? Here's a playbook to get you started.

Need a push out of your genre comfort zone? See how another writer overcame the same trepidation and the resulting stories.

Simply looking for another avenue of inspiration? You'll find it here.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GR1S2KWW
• ISBN13: 9798995057604
• Release Date: March 2026
• Publisher: Peggy''s Library Card Publishing
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"