Hello and welcome to a new week for the 50-word challenge. This post provides links to the full collection of 50-word stories from last week and highlights a few goodies. You will also find the new prompt for this week.
(Image credit: Original image by pixel2013, Pixabay)
Last week’s 50-word stories
I’d like to welcome our newest contributors, @joyyrush, @jasminearch, @thinknzombie, @bex-dk, @jluvs2fly, and @gaming-stuff. Thanks for joining the Fifty Worders!
Last week’s prompt was “tear.”
Here is the complete list of stories inspired by the “tear” prompt:
- Sisyphus-Like Malady, by @alexandered
- JOY, by @happyhairdays
- The Offer, by @bex-dk
- Torn, by @jasminearch
- Why Do They Envy Me? by @creatr
- Behind the Sky-Fabrics, by @kaelci
- Why the tears, by @ablaze
- Flames of the Mist, by @ahmadmanga
- Reunion, by @joyyrush
- Tearing at the Pain, by @papacrusher
- Tear, by @theironfelix
- A Silent Tear Drop, by @pyemoney
- Tears, by @thinknzombie
- The Moment He Stops Crying, by @gaming-stuff
- Tear it up Toddler, by @anonymummy
- Tears! by @anonymummy
- Food, by anonymummy
- The Tears of a Clown, by @vdux
- Tears for Fears, by @negativer
- The most beautiful day, by @roxy-cat
- The Tear – An Embarrassing Moment, by @jluvs2fly
- Bully Tears, by @cizzo
- Near, by @blueteddy
- The tear-down, by @jayna
- Anger Management, by @botefarm
If I missed yours, please let me know and I will add it! I always try my best to list them all, but I do occasionally miss one somehow.
Highlights of the week
Each week I highlight a few of the stories from the previous week that are well-written, well-edited and compelling. It’s excruciating every time because there are so many! Here are just a few picks from last week.
A Silent Tear Drop, by @pyemoney
The author examines how even in an extreme moment, childhood lessons about tears are at play.
Rod’s heart pounded rapidly as he counted to ten. He couldn’t breathe.
His emotions swelled inside … mind spinning out-of-control.
Shaking and sweating, Rod remembered his mother saying, “Son, big boys don’t cry.”
Suddenly, a silent tear rolled down his face to the sound of prison doors slamming behind him.
The Offer, by @bex-dk
To sign or not to sign? That is the question. Be sure to read about the author’s editing process, as she walks through how she went from idea through several stages of editing–a valuable process for refining and perfecting any story.
Sign this contract and they could go home–no more shitty apartments.
Play the dutiful wife in public. The kids get the benefits of his position and wealth. She gets compensated for smiling through the insults.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. A cardboard life.
Hands shaking, she ripped it to shreds.
Bully Tears, by @cizzo
A bully finally gets his due.
Ian flings his balled fist against the kid’s jaw. A sickening crunch of cartilage and bone. He tightens his fingers and swings again.
He stands over the kid that has taunted him for years. Tears roll down the bully’s face mixing with blood from a broken nose.
No more bullshit.
Tears, by @thinknzombie
The author takes us into a reality we can only imagine.
The rift drew closer to the station. A colossal tear in space-time, looming behind the final escape pod.
Inside, Jeffrey waved happily. Unaware, but so perfect.
She shuddered. “You fucking look after him, Tom.”
He nodded, buckling himself in.
With a final look at her baby, she sealed the hatch.
Torn, by @jasminearch
When the best day turns into the worst one….
Funny how small mishaps could become omens. Annie poked a finger through the tear in her voluminous wedding dress. As unexpected as her best friend’s last-minute confession, but there it was.
Looping the heavy train over one arm, she walked away from the church.
Mum was right. Men are pigs.
Why the tears?? by @ablaze
Things are not as they seem.
Tears meandered slowly down her face like glacial meltwater.
Was it something he said?
She wouldn’t look up, her head bowed low in quite reverie.
Her gaze transfixed now and focused.
It ached every fibre of his six foot frame to see her this way.
She put down the onion…
This week’s 50-word story prompt
The prompt for this week is “break.” There are so many possible directions for this one, Fifty Worders. I look forward to seeing where you take it.
Guidelines
Please review carefully. Images must follow the *Proper use of images* guidelines below.
- Write a story in 50 words. (It’s especially cool if you can hit 50 words exactly!)
- Use the #fiftywords tag, and **post the link in the comments of this post**.
- Be sure to read and upvote the work of the other participants. It’s all about community!
- Use only artwork that you have the right to use, and attribute it properly. See the following guidelines.
Proper use of images
Proper use of images means one of the following:
- The image is public domain, or under creative commons licensing rules.
- It is your own image.
- If it is not one of the above, you must have actual permission.
Be sure to properly attribute the image’s source or mention that the image is yours. And if it’s not public domain, under creative commons license, or your own image, be sure to state that you have permission.
I have two resources for you, from my friends at @thewritersblock:
* Image licensing, by @rhondak
* Creative Commons Resource Library, by @therosepatch
And speaking of @thewritersblock, if you would like editing help for your stories before posting them, follow #thewritersblock tag to find them on Discord.
Deadline for this week: Saturday, July 14th.
The 50-word story clan
I’m mentioning you here if have participated in the #fiftywords short story challenge in the past. Please let me know if you would like your tag removed in this or future posts. (Note that I do trim the list. Those who have not participated for a long time or are not active on Steemit will eventually drop from the mentions.)
@ablaze, @adigitalife, @aggroed, @agmoore, @ahmadmanga, @akdx, @aksounder, @alexandered, @alheath, @anikekirsten, @anixio, @anonymummy
@bagpuss, @beginningtoend, @bex-dk, @blueteddy, @botefarm @brandonsadventur, @bryarose23
@caleblailmusik, @carn, @cheekah, @cizzo, @clacrax, @creatr
@damianjayclay, @deirdyweirdy, @desmoniac, @diebitch, @dirge, @divineinyang, @donnest
@eaglespirit, @elementm, @emwalker, @enjar, @eroticabian, @esttyb, @evgsk
@feebie, @felt.buzz, @ficciones, @foxfiction, @foxyspirit
@galactichunter, @gaming-stuff, @girlbeforemirror
@happyhairdays
@iamthegray, @isa93
@jadams2k18, @janine-ariane, @jakeybrown, @jasminearch, @jayna, @jluvs2fly, @jonknight, @josecarrasquero, @joyyrush
@kaelci, @kally, @khadija14, @kimberlylane, @ktfabler
@ldacey-laforge, @lightoj, @liverussian, @lucylin, @luiskrupaz
@Mammasitta, @marie-jay, @mark-dahl, @mgaft1, @mineopoly, @miniature-tiger, @mizdais, @momzillanc, @mydivathings
@navaneeth, @negativer, @niallon11
@olakunle10
@paintingangels, @papacrusher, @phillyc, @pixiehunter, @poeticnest, @preparedwombat, @prydefoltz, @puppetmaster1111, @purpledaisy57, @pyrowngs
@ravencorinn, @riottales, @rodrigocabrera, @roxy-cat
@sharoonyasir, @spalatino, @sue-stevenson, @sukhasanasister
@tanglebranch, @thatlovechild, @theblackcrow, @theironfelix, @therosepatch, @thinknzombie, @tiatu, @tinkerrose, @tuwore, @tygertyger
@vaitelavicius, @vdux, @vivek-g
@wa2qr, @wales, @whitelite, @wylde
@zen-art
About the 50-word challenge
This weekly 50-word challenge starts off each Sunday with a one-word prompt. Participants use the prompt to create a micro-fiction story in just 50 words. For more info and inspiration: check out the recent post about this project, [Fifty-word challenge: FAQs, ideas, motivation and showcase](https://steemit.com/fiftywords/@jayna/fifty-word-challenge-faqs-ideas-motivation-and-showcase).
Thanks so much for reading! If you haven’t yet written a story in 50 words, try it. It’s a really amazing challenge to see what can unfold in a mere 50 words!
