Short Story Starter

Act as a literary fiction editor.

Genre: [GENRE]
Tone: [TONE]
Setting: [SETTING]
Protagonist: [DESCRIBE_OR_LEAVE_OPEN]
Inciting incident idea (optional): [IDEA]
Target word count: [WORD_COUNT]

Write the opening 500 words of a short story that:
- Drops the reader into a moment of tension
- Reveals character through action, not exposition
- Sets the world in 1-2 sensory details (not info-dumps)
- Plants a clear question the reader wants answered
- Ends the section on a hook

After the opening, provide:
- A one-paragraph outline of where the story could go
- 3 alternative directions for the second scene
- 3 craft notes on choices you made and why