Spotlight Storyteller Awards Season 2

Prompts

1. Romance

A traveler and a local fall in love over a series of postcards exchanged while the traveler is stuck in quarantine.

Two soulmates are destined to meet in every lifetime, but in this one, they are on opposite sides of a war.

A coffee shop barista secretly writes poems for a customer who always orders the same drink but never notices them.

---

2. Fantasy

A blacksmith discovers that the weapons they’ve been forging are being used by mythical creatures to fight an ancient war.

Every year, a dragon comes to a village to collect tribute, but this year, a child offers a story instead of gold.

A dying star grants its final wish to a mortal who unknowingly saved it centuries ago.

---

3. Science Fiction

An astronaut discovers they are not alone on a spaceship meant for a solo mission.

A device that lets people relive their memories malfunctions, creating a shared dreamscape between its users.

After a new app predicts death dates with eerie accuracy, society grapples with the consequences of knowing their mortality.

---

4. Mystery/Thriller

A locksmith is hired to break into a safe, only to find a chilling letter addressed to them inside.

A detective investigates a crime scene where every piece of evidence seems to be pointing toward them.

A night-shift worker discovers that their security camera captures events that happen 10 minutes into the future.

---

5. Horror

A family discovers an old photograph of themselves in their new home—except it’s dated 50 years before they moved in.

A ghost follows a single person throughout their life, seemingly harmless until they begin influencing major events.

A person wakes up in a coffin, hearing voices above them debating whether they deserve to stay buried.

---

6. Historical Fiction

Here are some unique one-shot prompts inspired by the Mahabharata and Ramayana, blending historical fiction with imaginative storytelling:

Mahabharata-Inspired

1. Karna’s Letters to Radha
After his coronation as Anga’s king, Karna writes unsent letters to his foster mother, Radha, expressing his loneliness, dilemmas, and yearning for her embrace amidst his newfound status.

2. Draupadi’s Reflection
The night after the dice game, Draupadi writes a poignant soliloquy, questioning fate, dharma, and the silence of her husbands during her humiliation.

3. The Lost Sage
A wandering sage recalls witnessing Arjuna’s Pashupatastra duel with Lord Shiva and the immense destruction it caused in the hidden valley of Mount Kailash.

4. Sahadeva’s Secret
Sahadeva, blessed with the knowledge of past and future, struggles with the burden of knowing the Pandavas’ destiny but being unable to share it due to his vow of silence.

5. Kunti’s Choice
On the day Kunti sends Karna to the battlefield, she wrestles with the guilt of revealing his true parentage, knowing it would tear her sons apart.