First of all, huge congratulations to everyone who attempted last month’s NaNoWriMo challenge! Whether or not you met your writing goal or not (and I know a lot of you did – incredible work!), just taking part was a big step – and this year especially, anything you managed to write should be celebrated as a big win!

I was really impressed with all of the writing samples you posted. I particularly liked Edith’s Hunger Games fanfiction (completed lower down in the comments!), Elise’s evocative music-box doll story, Lucy B’s boarding school story and Inaya’s story about a British soldier in India, but you are all winners in my book!

This month’s prompt is the 25th, and the last of 2020. I first started these prompts in the spring, during the first lockdown in the UK. It’s been such a strange, hard year, and I feel so proud of everyone who’s taken part over the last eight months. You’ve supported each other so wonderfully, and it’s been such a joy to see your skill and creativity grow with each story you post.

The first prompt of 2020 was all about history, and so I think it’s fitting that the last should be about the opposite. I’d like you to write about the future.

As usual, you can interpret this in any way you want. You can write about your ideal (or nightmare!) future, you can write about what you imagine will happen in six months or in six hundred years, you can write about a future very different to today or one that is almost the same. You can write fanfiction, you can write a poem, you can write a song or a play script – whatever you want!

The rules, one last time for 2020:

It can be as long or as short as you like, and take you as much or as little time as you want.It can be any genre (type) of story you want. If you have an idea for something that I haven’t mentioned, don’t wait for my permission – just go for it! This is your creativity working!You are not allowed to worry about grammar or spelling.You are not allowed to worry if it isn’t perfect, or criticise yourself as you’re writing.You are encouraged to make a plan before you begin, to make it easier for you to get to the end of the story. This can be two words or a whole page! But if you don’t want to do this, you don’t have to.Get to the end of the story without stopping to go back and fix bits you don’t like. Once you’ve finished, read it through again. If you still don’t like those bits, you can edit them now!If you want (and only if you want!) you’re allowed to post the first 500 words of your story in the comments below. I have to moderate the comments so it may take a while for them to show up – please be patient. I don’t want to see you apologising for your story or minimising what you’ve done when you post – writing a story is a triumph and you should be proud!Please do not use your full name when you comment – first names are fine, or you can make up a username that you like! Also remember to stay safe online and not get into private discussions with anyone you don’t know in real life without telling an adult first.If you like someone else’s story, you are allowed to comment to say so! If you’d like to give them ideas that might make their story even stronger, that’s OK, but please be kind and remember how deeply we all care about our writing. A good format for feedback might be something like: ‘I loved ****! Have you thought of ****? I think it might make your story even better!’ I will delete any comment if I feel it’s critical without being constructive.I can’t promise to give feedback on any individual stories – I’m not marking them!This isn’t a competition, and there will be no winners and no prizes, though I may choose a story or two to highlight in future posts.

Of course, this doesn’t mean the end of these prompts. I’ll be back in the second week of January 2021 (a bit later that usual because I won’t be back from my Christmas break on Monday 4th yet!) to give you your first prompt of the new year. Stay safe and happy, wherever you are, and enjoy whatever holiday (if any!) you’re celebrating. And thank you again for making these prompts so much fun to post!