Flash 500: Fifty Words

Details

This fortnight's mini-contest is inspired by Max Keanu, who posted a link to the Foundling Review's Pachaas contest.

If you've never written micro-fiction before, it may seem impossible to fit a complete story into anything so short as fifty words. However, as Camille Renshaw points out, it can be a great way to let "Readers discover something brief and intimate in a very short space."

The way to do this, according to Renshaw, is via implication, not explanation. Unlike a short story, you can't spend a lot of words on description or charachter psychology. You have to suggest the story. At the same time, though, try to avoid just writing a scene. Even a piece of micro-fiction needs closure.

Although Renshaw sets the wordcount at about 400, for the purposes of this contest I'm raising (lowering?) the bar considerably: You have only fifty words. Why? Because, ideally, all of you will get a chance to win not just the $15 for this contest, but the $50 Foundling Review is offering for theirs.

So, without further ado (brevity the soul of wit and all that):

Write up to five stories of fifty words each. The stories can be related, or they can have nothing to do with one another. You can write just one story, or you can write five, or anywhere in between. However, make sure you keep the wordcount of each individual piece below 50 words.

To enter, post your pieces in the body of a single work and enter it into the contest as usual.

Winning entries

Winners have been announced! Log in to see them.

Prizes

Rules

• You must submit your entries before 23:59:59 on Thursday, May 31st (UTC time); we will announced the winner within one week of that date.

• Entrants should read CAmille Renshaw's article on micro-fiction, linked here.

• Your entry should consist of up to five separate fifty-word stories.

• Sharing what you've learned makes these mini-contests better for everybody: although we don't require it, we'd appreciate it if you come weigh in on the group discussion thread here

• Only one entry per member, please. If you enter more than once, we will disqualify all entries.

• Work must have Public visibility on Scribophile until we announce the winner.

• Winners must have a valid Paypal account in order to receive the prize money!

Submission guidelines

• To enter the contest, post your work on Scribophile and check the box that says "Enter this work into the Flash 500: Fifty contest". The system will automatically enter your work. You can see this checkbox until the contest deadline, given in UTC time.

• Entry is free, but you'll need karma points to post your work. You can earn karma points by writing critiques of work by other members.