Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog

Menu

✕
CONNECT
Editing Design Marketing Publicity Ghostwriting Websites
BLOG
Success Stories
APPS
TOOLS
Book Promotion Sites Book Review Blogs Booktube Channel Guide Book Title Generator Character Name Generator Independent Publishers Literary Agents Literary Magazines Pen Name Generator Plot Generator Publishers Directory Short Story Ideas Writing Contests Writing Exercises Writing Scholarships
ABOUT
About Reedsy Terms Privacy

CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#230: In a Flash

I’ve been reading a lot of flash fiction recently. It’s a great format for close study, as its compression forces writers to question the function of every sentence.


Since there are many lessons to be learned from reading, writing, and thinking about flash fiction, I thought we could make it the focus of this week’s contest. To be clear, this contest accepts stories between 1,000 and 3,000 words, but this week, I’m inviting you to try and stay as close to the lower limit as you can. Our usual word count range is still the official guideline, and stories that are closer to 3,000 words will not be disqualified — but I hope that with flash stories in mind, you’ll feel inspired to be as economical with language as possible. 


Not sure how to begin? Check out our best tips for writing flash fiction.

This week's prompts

Write a story framed by a single scene: something happens, a flashback or inner monologue intervenes, and then the story ends with the rest of the original scene.

Narrative – 90 stories

Write a story in which a character achieves a new level of clarity about how they’re really feeling.

Character – 57 stories

Start your story with someone uttering a very strange sentence.

Dialogue – 52 stories

Write a story that hides something from its reader until the very end.

Mystery – 101 stories

Write a story in the form of a list.

Narrative – 62 stories

Stories

“Whispers of Emerald” by Gail Ormsby

Submitted to Contest #230

In the whispering heart of Emerald Valley, shrouded in the emerald embrace of ancient sequoia, nestled the quaint bookstore, "Whispers of Time." Its facade, weathered by whispers of a thousand autumns, bore a faded inscription: "Where stories find whispers, and whispers find you." Inside, the air held the musty scent of aged paper, sunlight filtering through stained glass windows, painting the floor in kaleidoscopic hues. Here, amidst towering shelves groaning with the weight of tales untold, resided Eleanor, the bookstore's enigmatic owner....

5 comments 5
Read story

“Ballygilmore” by Raymond Derouin

Submitted to Contest #230

                                            Ballygilmore "There's no reason for optimism." That's what Donald told me when I asked him where our relationship was headed. His rejoinder won him a gold star for honesty and me an empty apartment. Thus ended seventeen months of sharing my bed and meager budget with a wannabe ac...

7 comments 7
Read story

“3 o ' clock ” by Vanessa Severino

Submitted to Contest #230

She woke up in the middle of the night to a strong gust of wind, as her bedroom shudders flung open. She raced to the window to pull the shudders towards her, until they were fastened shut and locked securely. She let out a huge sigh of relief. She could not help but notice a shadow of a man standing in the grass one story beneath her. "Could it be?" She asked herself in a breathless whisper. She shook her head no, pushed away the thought, and crawled back into bed, for it was only 3' o clock. Fast forward to that afternoon, she was leav...

0 comments 0
Read story

“We Had a Deal” by David Willett

Submitted to Contest #230

"If you get me his phone, I might reconsider,” Detective Pike said as he turned to walk away. Sharon knew she could not let the negotiation end here. She searched the ground as if the canals forming between the cobblestones would give her the right words. She looked back at Pike’s caramel-coloured trench coat moving further away. The downpour cascaded like a waterfall around his muscular frame as it streamed off his black umbrella. It was the image of her last chance, framed on either side by the cement walls of two city skyscrapers.  ...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Stalker” by R.S. Daniels

Submitted to Contest #230

The day’s heat, trapped in the asphalt of the parking lot, barely leaked enough away to not scorch the skin. Large, misshapen rocks formed a barrier along the edges, so vehicles didn’t go down the steep cliffs and crash into the houses below. For those old enough to remember, a one man kiosk used to split the entrance and exit lanes, a silent guard ensuring orderly traffic. But now, all that was left were small, jagged pieces of metal, jutting from the ground like some extinct animal’s rib cage.   Stalker’s senses came back one at...

0 comments 0
Read story

“Hidden in Plain Sight” by Jean Widner

Submitted to Contest #230

“I’m recommending the removal of your right eye.” “Come again?!?”, I blurt leaning forward in the grey leather exam chair.  We’re at UCLA, my husband Kyle and I, at the Jules Stein Eye Institute. We’re receiving confirmation of the diagnosis I was given in Las Vegas the week prior. However, they don’t have the capacity to treat me, so I’ve been sent up the medical food chain to the top of the heap. They get me seen within a week. They’re in a rush. Which makes it even more frightening. I have a choroidal melanoma in my right eye. Wh...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro Cold Brew” by Abhijit Bharadwaj

Submitted to Contest #230

Cinnamon .. Cinnamon caramel Cinnamon Caramel cream Cinnamon Caramel Cream Nitro cold brew 6 words, the longest item on a Starbucks menu Also, the most expensive drink you can order I say these words softly so though saying a prayer. why was I saying these words? Well, I am practicing.  So that when my turn comes, I shall be able to place an order for my drink, without any difficulty. Why would there be any difficulty to place such a “simple” order, in the first place, you may be wondering? To answer this, I will first take a deep b...

3 comments 3
Read story

“Chance Encounter” by Diana Moor

Submitted to Contest #230

It was a cold Wednesday in October, right after the sun had set.  I was on my way to visit my mother, who lived an hour outside of town. My car broke down five minutes out, right at the edge of the forest that surrounds her property. My phone had also been broken earlier that day, when someone running through a crowded sidewalk knocked it out of my hand; so I couldn’t call anyone. Nothing for it then, I suppose I could use the exercise. The trees were sparse, and the moon was full and unclouded tonight; it should be safe.  ...

1 comment 1
Read story

“Conversations With a Man in My Fridge” by CG Casci

Submitted to Contest #230

Reference to Torture and Imprisonment Slowly, I edged the fridge door open. I peeked through the gap to see if there was a man in my fridge. As suspected, there was. My father bought the apartment in Paris before he was exiled. It is spacious and beautiful and looks down on a courtyard with a pond that catches the afternoon sun. The kitchen is appointed with German appliances and Italian marble, and next to it is a utility room where the concierge drops off parcels without entering the apartment. And the fridge has a door at the back ...

3 comments 3
Read story

“Razor's Return” by John Boyack

Submitted to Contest #230

Daniel waved goodbye and pulled away from the curb, starting the drive home. As he left the sunny neighborhood and joined the through street he heard a familiar sigh coming from the dog crate on the passenger seat. Glancing to the side, he saw the grayed whiskers, panting tongue, and eager eyes of his Yorkshire terrier. Well…now it was his. He wouldn’t be able to say anymore, “Oh, that’s Allie’s dog.”  “I’m happy to see you too, buddy.” He inhaled deeply, and put a hand to his forehead. Silence resumed as he continued the drive.&nb...

4 comments 4
Read story

“Jules, Please” by Danielle Scott

Submitted to Contest #230

I watched as the wolf—or dog—held my brother’s neck clamped in its jaws, its teeth piercing the skin just above his left collarbone. He still fought, weak but desperate. Dying. His left shoulder and arm were useless, bright red shining through the shreds of his dark jacket and seeping past the cuff of his sleeve to his mangled hand. His chest was peppered with tiny wounds, blood blooming across his shirt like a bright red flower. He was frantic, an animal caught in a trap. His body convulsed as he angled towards the wolfdog’s grip, his right...

6 comments 6
Read story

“Rilestone: Fulfillment” by Steffen Lettau

Submitted to Contest #230

Author's Note: This is more an excerpt from the Rilestone Series in the works. "Thousands shall march, from near and far, Fast held the rumors of war sewn; Kin born from Four, they stay where they are, Graves paved to those they own By the blood of the Morning Star." Rilestone stood up, having kneeled in deep prayer after his training was done. It was his voice, but it had sounded distant. He felt no malevolence, no presence of any sort from an ill being. He quickly smelled the air; no, no brimstone, so no Hellhounds nearby. What about...

2 comments 2
Read story

“First Date” by Brian Haddad

Submitted to Contest #230

Things weren't off to a great start. Edward could feel cool beads of sweat surfacing on his brow. He chuckled nervously and looked into her distant, glassy eyes. His stomach churned and he felt as though he were falling, his arms and legs flailing as he desperately sought to catch himself. "I'm really glad you're here with me," he said haltingly, watching her eyes for any indication of reciprocation or even understanding. It felt as though an elephant was standing on his chest and his mind was racing, frantically searching for any possible...

8 comments 8
Read story

“Buried Roots” by Carrie R

Submitted to Contest #230

Wellsboro, Pennsylvania  June, 1987 The day was mild. The sunshine was warm, with a soft breeze. Everything took on that golden glow of evening. Carly took a sip of her creamy vanilla milkshake and tasted the salt on her lips from the fries. Her mom and dad leaned back against the picnic tables. They had the park to themselves. Samantha, Carly’s older sister, lay sprawled on the merry go round. Carly loved Friday nights in summer. This was the night her family would pick up cheeseburgers, fries, and milkshakes and head to the town ...

2 comments 2
Read story

“Killer Hamster” by Bobi Neher

Submitted to Contest #230

Astrologers and soothsayers, I wish they would all return to their medieval caves and stop interfering in real life. The witches pick out the worst and make it more important than everything else. I heard a whisper in the wind saying, “What is important to you?” Those seers ruin the lives of innocent people because their facts must be the only facts that can exist. If you don’t believe their "facts," you must die. If you refuse to change your life to fit their lies, then you must die. If you won’t drink their concoctions and eat their wi...

0 comments 0
Read story

$250

Prize money

362

Contest entries

108

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Dec 29, 2023 EST

Won by Ethan Zimmerman 🏆

Title: The Lop-it-off-a-me List

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.

NEW VIDEO COURSE 🎉

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

Explore more writing prompt ideas:

Adults Writing Prompts ⭢

Adventure Writing Prompts ⭢

Angst Writing Prompts ⭢

Character Writing Prompts ⭢

Christmas Writing Prompts ⭢

Dark Writing Prompts ⭢

Dialogue Writing Prompts ⭢

Dramatic Writing Prompts ⭢

Dystopian Writing Prompts ⭢

Fall Writing Prompts ⭢

Fantasy Writing Prompts ⭢

Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Fluff Writing Prompts ⭢

Funny Writing Prompts ⭢

Halloween Writing Prompts ⭢

High School Writing Prompts ⭢

Historical Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Holiday Writing Prompts ⭢

Horror Writing Prompts ⭢

Kids Writing Prompts ⭢

Middle School Writing Prompts ⭢

Mystery Writing Prompts ⭢

Narrative Writing Prompts ⭢

Nonfiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Novel Writing Prompts ⭢

Poetry Writing Prompts ⭢

Romance Writing Prompts ⭢

Sad Writing Prompts ⭢

Science Fiction Writing Prompts ⭢

Short Story Writing Prompts ⭢

Spring Writing Prompts ⭢

Summer Writing Prompts ⭢

Teens Writing Prompts ⭢

Thanksgiving Writing Prompts ⭢

Thriller and Suspense Writing Prompts ⭢

Valentine's Day Writing Prompts ⭢

Vampire Writing Prompts ⭢

Winter Writing Prompts ⭢

Prompts | Big Blue Hand | 2024-11

Join our weekly contest

Get 5 new writing prompts every Friday. Write and submit a story for a chance to win $250.