We often think of settings as discrete things: this story takes place in a city or in the countryside or on a boat, etc. However, it’s interesting when various settings are blended together. One that fascinates me is the post-apocalyptic city, where nature is starting to reclaim the city and trees are growing up out of office buildings and so on.

This blending could be as simple as a small park in the middle of a city or a some aspect of a city (e.g. a vending machine or a parking meter) in the middle of a forest (kind of like the lantern post in the middle of the forest in Narnia). Or a city on a boat or whatever you want.

The idea is to take aspects of different settings and blend them to make a unique story setting. As a mental exercise, take the settings of two stories and mix them together, like a middle school classroom and a 19^th century whaling vessel. How would that change the story?

Story Prompt: September 15, 2025

Write a story somewhere that uses aspects of different settings.

If you write a story with this prompt, send me a link to your story on your own site, either in the comments or at info@greenwalledtreehouse.com. You can also submit your story here for a chance to have it published on the site next week.

Today is International Day of Democracy, so let’s celebrate that since democracy is, you know, a good thing.