The Prompt
Write a story that revolves around an heirloom toy.
This might be a single character’s reminiscence of a beloved toy; a character’s discovery of an heirloom toy that changes everything; or perhaps you want to follow your heirloom toy through several ‘lifetimes’ in a series of short flash or micro-fiction pieces.
This can be a delightful story…or delightfully horrific, or anything in between.
A Toy’s Tale
Julie Duffy is a writer and the host of StoryADay. She recently made an accidental pilgrimage to the Merrythought Teddy bear factory in the town of Ironbridge, that made her beloved child bears…and brought home a new friend. Because if we can’t play, what’s the point?
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.
Here’s your next Game Piece. save the image and share on social media with #storyaday
Prefer paper crafts? Here’s the cut & paste version
I actually wrote 2 stories on this prompt. The one I posted the link to about a handed down dollhouse. But late last night I thought of another and wrote it quickly about a LEGO town and how the little people come to life. (Inspired by the movie Toy Story). But in mine my little girl actually sees this town come to life. I’ll try to post it later along with today’s prompt.
I’m coming in under 1000 today. Future revisions will determine whether word count will expand or tighten. I’m not tied to either at the moment, just happy to check the box on a day which, in the best sense of things, felt like two. Happy Day 24.
I got to this late today. I have a good idea, that I can’t quite make happen yet. I want to tell the story of how a beloved toy becomes a powerful magic object.
If how much I like a prompt is measured by the number of words I write, this has been by far my absolute favourite prompt this year. I wrote a story about an eight year old girl who wishes for a dollhouse. When the wish doesn’t come true, she turns to making her own out of cardboard, magazine cutouts, paper tape and glue. As she gets older, she gets more creative, her creations get better, and she starts selling some. But, more than that, she tells stories about the people, animals, furniture, and monsters that inhabit the dollhouse. This very rough first draft, which includes many square brackets with notes like [insert creepy story here], is almost 2000 words! My longest draft this month. And I loved writing it! It is the most fun I have had all month. I can see this being a series of stories I tell aloud with the framework of the dollhouse and the little girl shaping the beginning and ending of each story. Thank you so much for this prompt. Thank you too for the warmups and brainstorming. They are shaping my new writing routine. Also, I’m writing morning pages most every day again! I’m so glad I have pushed through the really tough days and I’m not doubting there will be more tough days. For now, I am treasuring the joy of this day.
Do you ever have a deep idea but don’t feel deep enough to write it on the day you have it? That’s me today. Fun prompt! It got deep.
I do have that happen, Elizabeth. Sometimes I try to write it anyway and when I don’t feel the depth enough, I use square brackets […] to include notes in the right spot so taht I can return when I am feeling deep!
I actually came up with 2 stories. This is the one I liked the better.
https://giggiwrites.blogspot.com/2026/05/the-hand-me-down-dollhouse.html
I was struggling with this one until I decided to write it from the POV of the toy. It was easier to write from its POV than mine.
As I made my list—from today’s warm up—several stories/angles leaped out at me. Not sure which I’ll go with, but something’s churning in my brain…
I haven’t written the past 2 days. Life and family had their way. But that’s ok. The only thing I love more than writing is spending time with my granddaughter. I saw this morning’s prompt. While cleaning up my granddaughters play room a few ideas popped up. I’ll post my link later.
Seems appropriate!
24 days in, juggling family and life commitments, a ‘Poem’ idea struggling, staggering for a starter, for its tone (three days now). Desperation and challenge.
So I rolled the dice, I’ve done it before, it’s a cheat’s way and not to get going – so here are 500+ words on the roll of some dice, enjoy.
https://afstoryaday.blogspot.com/2026/05/dice-day-24-in.html
Great! Movement and suspense in so few words!