The 50-Word Short Story challenge continues this week with a new mini writing workshop and a new prompt. If you’re new here, welcome! Please read the work of the participants, and if you’re so inclined, try the challenge to write an entire story in just 50 words.
I’ve been at SteemFest for the past five days, and am now in Munich for another conference. I apologize if I am less responsive than usual!
What’s in this post?
In this post you will find:
- A short micro-fiction writing workshop.
- Links to all 50-word stories from the previous week’s challenge.
- A few story highlights of the week.
- A new challenge prompt, along with the rules and some very important rules for proper use of images. Please be sure to read and follow these rules.
Mini writing workshop
This week’s workshop is about taking the time to write.
Finding time for writing is difficult. I have struggled with it all my life. I’m an active person, and I love exercise, biking and the outdoors. I’m also very social and I love to be with people, enjoying social activities. And I have a full-time job, a family, and a lot of responsibilities. And I read books as much as I can.
There is very little left. But if I don’t take time to write, my life feels hollow and unfulfilled.
I find that writing even a few times a week keeps me tethered. And when I write a short piece — even a 50-word story. I need to give it time to breathe. I never publish it the instant I write it, even if I feel fairly satisfied with it. I know it needs more time.
So, I let it sit for a little while and do something else and then come back to it a little later with fresh eyes. If I don’t have time for that, I sit back for a bit, re-read the story, and think about what another reader might see in in. And I change the words around a bit to make it better, stronger, more impactful.
How do you find time to write and edit? Please feel free to share your own process.
Note: I offer some limited editorial support to writers who would like an editor’s eyes on their 50-word stories before posting. Please mention in a reply to this post if that is of interest to you.
Okay, let’s survey the 50-word stories from last week!
Last week’s story collection
I’d like to welcome our newest contributors, @hamg96 and @michaias. Thanks for joining the Fifty Worders!
Here is the complete list of stories inspired by last week’s “soul” prompt. I hope you will read them all:
- A City Has Many Souls, by @manoldonchev
- Suit, by @anixio
- Lost Souls, by @theironfelix
- Now I Die, by @marlyncabrera
- Liberated Souls, by @felixgarciap
- Empty, by @therosepatch
- Soul, by @michaias
- Soul, by @blueeyes8960
- Dwarf, by @tristancarax
- Shackled, by @poetrybyjeremy
- Sacrificial Lamb, by @hlezama
- Soul, by @hamg96
- This New House, by @jayna
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.
Highlights of the week
Each week I choose a few well-told stories from the previous week’s entries to share as inspiration. Last week authors explored concepts around the word “soul.”
I have to say, this was a tough group of stories. This prompt primarily brought out tales of sadness, grief, and death.
Empty, by @therosepatch
This story rocked my world. I think some types of loss are unimaginable to those of us who have not had a similar experience. (Although I will say that I can relate in a small way, as I lost one pregnancy very early.) A good storyteller like @therosepatch can help us to imagine the unimaginable.
I hold tight to my husband as the nurse carries my baby away.
Eleven weeks pregnant, and now no more. My child’s soul has flown to heaven on angels wings.
Why couldn’t she stay here with me? I would’ve loved her so much. Now I’m left here, bleeding and empty.
Soul, by @blueeyes8960
This story is beautiful and sweet. Though I have never done so before, I have included the picture the author shared with the story, as the image is part and parcel with the story.
My human has sadness radiating from her in dark waves visible to my old soul. She knows I’ll be leaving her world soon.
I lay my head upon her knee and try to convey to her, once again, that our time together is not ending.
I will be returning soon.
Dwarf, by @tristancarax
Let’s have a story with a happy ending, shall we?
“Who’s there?”
“A little man in tattered clothes.”
“Problem?”
“Cold, wet, and hungry.”
The door swings open.
“You poor soul. Do come in.”
“What may I gift you for your service, after having eaten, drunk, and rested?”
“Keep your riches. You are the gift who showed up at my door.”
A City Has Many Souls, by @manoldonchev
I love the lyrical quality of this story, and could almost see it turning into the refrain of a song.
I am everywhere but you don’t see me. I am not invisible. You just don’t. Usually. You just take me for granted.
What if I did not exist? Whatever. You don’t think of me much. I am just a soul. In a city.
I am We. We are the sparrows.
Now I Die, by @marlyncabrera
Normally, I just share the author’s story. But in this case, the “backstory” provides so much insight into the author’s intent that I decided to share it as well.
Backstory:
What would your soul look like if it was a person? I like to imagine mine is a hot brunette and a salsa dancer, but I guess it is more like a forty-year-old loner with a taste for strong beer and coffee and too many cats (hopefully enough wine). I also like to think my ego is in a safe place in between the extremes, but you can never tell when you have made your peace with the alien you are; then you are definitely biased.
Your soul is supposed to be that part of you which is pretty much your actual you: your character, thoughts, feelings, etc. In order to get my fingers typing, I imagined that (fictional) moment before I die. Would I see my real me, or this better version of myself I ever was while I was alive?
The story itself:
The fading sunlight feasts on Virginia’s freckles, as it still veils the stars to come—not for long. Done her little choreography, the dreamed thirteen-year-old makes a caravan, and stares. Dreaming 93-year-old Virginia has finally found her; stares back. There she is, eighty years before her demise. And she’s gone.
Soul, by @michaias
This story by one of our newest contributors does a nice job of describing a rather distasteful job without going into gory details.
I couldn’t tell you what she got out of our deal. She could do this job just fine without me, after all.
We had an arrangement, however, and she insisted that I keep going.
She provided the blade. I supplied the corpses. The corpses, presumably, kept Hell stocked with souls.
Great work, everyone!
This week’s 50-word story prompt
The prompt for this week is “memory.” Deadline for this week: Saturday, November 17th, with a grace period until the new prompt is published.
I look forward to reading your stories, Fifty Worders!
Challenge rules
Please review and follow the guidelines for the challenge and the rules for use of images.
- Write a story in 50 words. (Try to 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.
Image Rules
Please follow these important rules for use of images:
- 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.
Here are some creative commons and public domain image resources:
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, @agmoore, @ahmadmanga, @akdx, @aksounder, @aleli, @alheath, @amelin, @andersonrivas, @anikekirsten, @anixio, @anutu, @aresbon
@bex-dk, @blueteddy, @botefarm
@caleblailmusik, @carn, @cheekah, @cizzo, @clacrax, @creatr
@damianjayclay, @dbzfan4awhile, @deigoam, @deirdyweirdy, @diebitch, @dirge
@eaglespirit, @elbrujo, @elementm, @emergehealthier, @erh.germany, @esttyb
@felixgarciap, @felt.buzz, @four20, @foxfiction, @foxyspirit, @fromage, @frizzy
@gaby-crb, @girlbeforemirror, @gmatthe2, @goastrighter
@hamg96, @hebrewhousewife, @henry-gant, @hlezama
@iamthegray, @intothewild, @isa93
@jadams2k18, @jasminearch, @jayna, @jonknight,
@kaelci, @khadija14, @kimberlylane
@lahvista, @lightoj, @lucylin, @luiskrupaz
@manoldonchev, @marciabon, @marie-jay, @michaias, @mineopoly, @mizdais, @momzillanc, @mydivathings
@negativer, @niallon11
@paintingangels, @papacrusher, @pizzachain, @poetrybyjeremy, @preparedwombat, @prydefoltz, @purpledaisy57, @pyrowngs
@ravencorinn, @rensoul17, @riottales, @roxy-cat, @rvag5
@spalatino, @stbrians, @steemgiant, @steemitdiversify, @sue-stevenson, @swizzyl
@tanglebranch, @thatlovechild, @theironfelix, @therosepatch, @thinknzombie, @tristancarax, @tuwore, @tygertyger
@vaitelavicius, @vdux
@yeceniacarolina, @yimiipsa, @zen-art
Thanks so much for reading! I hope you try the Fifty-Word Challenge. It’s so fun to see what can unfold in a mere 50 words!
