You know what doesn’t normally make a good story? Doing the dishes. Or laundry. Or dusting or any of the other normal household chores we have to do. That’s because these are regular actions that probably don’t have much conflict involved. However, there are engaging stories everywhere so the fun is finding one.

Story Prompt: May 4, 2026

Write a story that has to do with household chores

Here are some ideas to make an engaging story from this prompt, if you’re stuck:

1. Interrupted action – something happens in the middle of doing chores: for example, the maid is changing the sheets when she overhears her boss plotting a murder
2. Change of character – the person doing the chores is not normal: for example, the emperor has to do the dishes, for some reason
3. Change of setting – the place or time is different from normal: for example, the character is cleaning the bathroom, but on an alien slave ship
4. Unusual obstacle – there is some extra element that adds conflict: for example, a character tries to clean up the house after becoming newly blind; or a character has to do the dishes completely silently to avoid detection

See what you can come up with. Just because the set up is mundane doesn’t mean the story has to be.

Today is Star Wars Day (May the Fourth) so do something sci fi if you want.

Happy birthday to my sister tomorrow, as well.