The Prompt
Choose a bleak, hopeless setting (examples: a dystopian city, a prison, a refugee boat).
Write a story in this setting and make everything dark for the protagonists. They can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel.
Without changing the setting or the characters (and without writing a sequel/prequel), write a story where everything is hopeful.
- What choices from the protagonists can make that setting a hopeful one?
- What narrative decisions could change this perspective?
- What plot beats could change the story from a dark one to a hopeful one?
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Renan Bernardo
Renan Bernardo is an author of science fiction and fantasy.
He is a Nebula Finalist, Ignyte Nominee, Utopian nominee, and a Locus-recommended author. His work has been published in English, Portuguese, Chinese, German, Italian, and Japanese.
You can find his stories in several publications, including Clarkesworld, Reactor (Tor.com), Apex Magazine, Podcastle, Escape Pod, Samovar, Solarpunk Magazine, Translunar Travelers Lounge, and more.
His collection of Solarpunk/Climate Fiction stories, DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEFIANCE, was published in 2024 by Android Press. His dark space opera novella, DISGRACED RETURN OF THE KAP’S NEEDLE, was published in 2025 by Dark Matter Ink and was a finalist for the Nebula Award.
Join the discussion: what will you do with today’s prompt OR how did it go? Need support? Post here!
Remember: Please don’t post your story in the comments here (and I talk more about why not, here). Best practice: Leave us a comment about how it went, or share your favorite line from your story.
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Prefer paper crafts? Here’s the cut & paste version
I followed the suggestion to write in response to the first part of the prompt. I also took the advice to look back at what I have already written. I pulled up the story from May 4, and took a different perspective. I don’t know what day it came from, but another day’s story played into it as well. I am at a point where it is time to shift into the second part of the prompt. I will revisit that another day. Thank you so much for this prompt too. I found it quite interesting to create the lists too.
Sounds like you’re rolling into the challenge nicely.
Doing the flip from Dark to Light was a good exercise for me today. Everything in balance!
I was so happy to read the second part of this prompt.
My stories of the day lame, but they are done. There is some satisfaction in that. Box checked.
My stories of the day are lame, but they are done. There is some satisfaction in that. Box checked.
Keeping going is the win!
Thank you!
I find creating great characters, and fantastical settings totally fun…. But despite this I really seem to struggle with sci-fi as a genre ( I have tried to make sci-fi work before )
So this is the first prompt I’ve done very little with…..
But I’m not giving up, I’ll see if I can somehow tie a couple of prompts in together. My psychic character with abilities may be the perfect candidate to try this prompt again.
But, happy writing everybody, I am really enjoying challenging myself with StoryAday. Good luck everyone 🙂
I always like finding ways to play with existing characters…
I thought for hours about ideas for stories for this prompt before I came up with one that wasn’t boring. Actually two.
My MC was accidentally sent to the wrong planet. Her physical adaptability being difficult there, added to a physical limitation she already possessed that sets off a bad reaction to something in the room she’s supposed to tolerate on the planet, has her temporarily disabled…until something regarding the inhabitants of the planet creates an opening for her to not only deal with her problems, but offer her a new lease on life. I found that the disability I used for the MC in story 9 also worked perfectly for this story.
Then I wrote a second story:
Rich woman’s kids put their names on her property’s title and shove her into a retirement home. She’s fine mentally but does have a disability but she’s been able to deal with it. She meets a woman in the retirement community which opens a door to a new life which I won’t explain here.
Well this one got me. Actually yesterday’s story would better suit today’s prompt. It takes place in a dark integration room with a ringing phone just out of reach. I was thinking about writing a continuation of it or maybe just another story with the same setting. Anyway, hope everyone has a great writing day and Happy Mother’s Day for those that celebrate.
I love stories set in the same setting. You get to know it. That’s why I like reading series so much. I have a series of short stories, and I love writing the familiar. So going with the same location as yesterday is a great idea!
Thanks Jennifer. It happens to me quite often. I write a story and the next day I see a prompt and it just goes on from there. One year all but 3 story a days just continued on.
Ok, I went without a prompt today, let’s say I leaned in and committed to the month of may, or maybe I didn’t.
No prompt, just and Idea – Personal Essay/Memoir – & Me
https://afstoryaday.blogspot.com/2026/05/me.html
You’re always welcome to work on the day’s prompt a day late, if it speaks to you…