Hey! Every month I post all the MicroStories I’d tweeted during the previous month, but this post isn’t about that so much. Some of my blogging friends suggested that I host a MicroStory contest, asking people to submit their own flash fiction entries. To be judged! (But not by me.)
This is entirely based on one of the suggester’s own weekly contest: Nicola Auckland hosts six word story contests over on her blog, Sometimes Stellar Storyteller. She has regular contests where people submit a six word story, based on a theme she provides. I won’t be that restrictive in word count (but, knock yourself out if you want to harness your inner Hemingway.)
Here are the rules:
- In the comments section below: post a story that could be tweeted out via Twitter. (I will verify the length.)
- Your story must include the hashtag #MicroStory (so, your story really can’t be longer than 129 characters.)
- I may change this, but I’m asking for only one submission: multiple submissions from the same person will not be counted. (If you post something and then don’t like it, just leave a comment asking it not to be considered.)
- If we get enough submissions, I’ll announce first, second, and third place winners. The criteria for winning will entirely be the number of likes an individual microstory gets. (I want to remain neutral, so I will not be voting.)
- Ties will allow multiple winners, so there might be more than one second place winner, for example.
- To be eligible, in addition to having your story be tweet-sized, the author must also vote for at least one other eligible microstory. I won’t count votes where an author votes for themselves.
It’s a contest? What’s the prize?
Uh, realistically nothing. This is being done for fun. Nicola, for her contest, has lovely 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place graphics that the six-word-story winners are encouraged to post in their blogs or whatever. There’s a chance I’ll try to put something like that together, but don’t hold me to it.
This is really just for everyone’s amusement. Hopefully everyone who participates will be entertained.
I consider the stories posted on this page to be the property of the respective author; I won’t be using the stories in any way whatsoever. Feel free to also post your own submissions on your blogs, tweet them out, etc.
Will there be a theme to write about?
Not really, or at least I won’t require one this time. This month is October, so if you want to write a spooky Halloween-ish story, that might be cool (and get you more votes) but I won’t require it.
Wait? What’s a Story?
MicroStories are interesting animals, and I’m making no other requirements other than it fit into the size of a tweet with the #MicroStory hashtag. If you want examples or what I consider a MicroStory, you can check out three years worth of stories of mine for inspiration. Or you can check out my inspirational muse, the MicroSFF twitter account, that spurred me to write and tweet out little story snippets all the time.
I make use of abbreviations, ampersands, using numbers instead of spelling them out, etc. when I write my MicroStories to have them fit into a tweet. I personally wouldn’t hold it against you for doing the same.
So, if we’re clear on the rules: post a MicroStory/haiku/joke/whatever in the comments section of this post. Come back and vote for someone else’s if you want to be eligible yourself, but please vote for as many stories as you like. At the beginning of next month, I’ll announce the winners.
To start you off, this is a spooky-themed MicroStory from my monthly collection from two months ago, just as an example (there’s no need to vote for it or whatever, this is just an example…)
Once, a witch settled in our woods. Once.
Once, a vampire came in the night. Once.
Once, a swarm of plague rats came to town.#MicroStory
Good luck everyone!
© Patrick Sponaugle 2016 Some Rights Reserved
“Trick or treat!”
“I have a choice?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll take the treat.” A boney hand reached out.
“No! I get a treat! No! No–”
#MicroStory
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Excellent kick off entry, Sue!
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Lol! What can I say? You got me all excited. 😉
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Congratulations Sue! You tied for first place! Thank you for setting the bar high with such an excellent MicroStory
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Wow! Thanks! (Truth be told, I visited for a final time last night and did some more voting. That’s when I realized I could give it all to doodletllc or hope to keep the tie. I felt guilty about it only until I realized doodletllc hadn’t voted for mine, either. 😉 )
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Boom! It’s all good.
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Lol!
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Reblogged this on Aloada Bobbins and commented:
Seeing as I was 33% responsible for cajoling Patrick into hosting this competition, I thought it was only fitting that promote its existence! Get on board, try your hand at penning some tweetable micro-fiction and spread the word!
Okay, time to start thinking about my submission…
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“I never realised vampires needed so much concealer.”
“Well, when most of us were human, smallpox was still a thing.”
#MicroStory
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Nice!
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There doesn’t seem to be a like button on my browser so I’ll just say I like this!
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Wait! I hope this isn’t a problem for anyone else. Hmmm.
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It could just be my browser, but I just noticed there wasn’t one! I think there’s a setting that you either remove or put a like button though. I’ve been to a few blogs that don’t have that or comments enabled.
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I’ll see what I can do. It’ll bum me out if I can’t enable Likes on comments.
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Hey! I managed to turn on Likes for all comments. WHEW.
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I think I fixed it, so if you get a chance, come back and “Like” the story, we’ll be all above board. Thanks for letting me know, I was an idiot for not noticing before. (I had to enable comment liking on one of the settings pages, it was hard to find.)
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You can’t possibly notice everything all the time :p
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I see what you did there.
🤔😃👍
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Yes! I love when people pick up on my purposeful dorkiness :p
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Richard, congratulations on grabbing second place in the MicroStory challenge! Well done!
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Is it okay to use a story that’s been posted or tweeted before or do you want unposted and original?
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That’s a good question. I think the spirit of the contest is unposted and original, but I would not forbid you posting something that you’ve posted or tweeted before. So if you have something you like and have done before, you can post it.
Alternatively, you can re-engineer the post to be more original?
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That sounds fair!
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Reblogged this on Space, Time, and Raspberries and commented:
Ooo! A new challenge! Tweet-length stories. Learn the rules, read some fine examples by Patrick and his inspiration (MicroSFF on Twitter), and join me in a race for bragging rights!
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What a great idea… Will be back as soon as I’ve thought of a story!
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Great!
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Terrific idea. But, as it happens, I can’t tell stories and usually forget the punch lines of jokes as well.
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That already sounds like a #MicroStory. I won’t try to pressure you into submitting or voting for someone else (because I’m low energy) but thanks for dropping by. You are welcome to participate, or make comments, or start a joke and then forget the punchline… it’s all good.
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Brooklyn. Desolate Subway Platform. Except for the Rats. Stop. Listen. Shallow Breathing Edging Close. Walk Fast with Confidence. Shift to High Alert. Run. Now.
#MicroStory
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Hi there!
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Hi – My first tweeter – thanks! I’m glad I found your blog.
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You’ll probably see more posts about a Game of Thrones than much of anything else…
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Hey, your microstory tied for first place in the challenge! Congratulations, and thank you for participating
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I always loved Halloween. The one time of year I didn’t need a mask. Hiding in plain sight, you could say. #microstory
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I’m glad to see another of the six word story veterans participating, thanks!
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Reblogged this on kirstwrites and commented:
This is a great idea for those of us who love the Six Word Story – can you come up with a tweet-length story instead?
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I like to hand out nuts at Hallowe’en. Really helps the allergic kids with their costumes
#microstory
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😳 Harsh (and sinister)! I live with a nut allergist, so I’m not sure I should like this…
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🤔
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My mate has a really severe one so was written with him in mind heh heh
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“What big teeth you have!” giggled the girl. “Awesome costume, so realistic!”
“It’s…all my own work” he replied, snarling…
#MicroStory
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I don’t know why I’ve never imagined a Red Riding Hood story involving Halloween, but both things share so many elements: tricks, treats, costumes. Well done!
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Thank you! 😊
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As you already know, your microstory scored in the top three (or four, since there was a tie for first)
Congratulations!
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*Happy Dance*
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“Did not you see it Sir? The beast responsible?” He scooped at the girl’s discarded viscid skin.
Dr Frankenstein made no answer.#microstory
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Thin fingers, grasping. Grisly faces, scowling. Harsh voices, shrieking:
“Trick or treat!”
Weary Mums, sighing: “No. Go to bed.”
#MicroStory
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[…] week, after much haranguing, Patrick Sponaugle finally relented and agreed to host a unique microstory contest. If you follow Patrick’s blog and Twitter, you will know he is the master of these […]
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Post-witch, there was plenty of Halloween candy to give out. Children to trick or treat, well that was another story.
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Elevator door opened, stepping out I heard a eerie voice from behind “Trick or treat”, it was not halloween #Microstory
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😮 Uh oh!
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Both were handling their separation with a kiss.
He kissed a cigar, while she kissed another man.
#MicroStory
Can I submit more than one micro story?
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I’m sorry, to make things easier on me for contest judging, I’m asking for only one submission. But if you really want to, you can reply to your existing story and state that it’s not in competition.
(But honestly, you can submit as many as you like if you want to, but per the contest rules, multiple submissions is a disqualifier for the contest. But I’m happy to read your stories.)
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Hey, thanks a lot. If I come up with something better, I’ll cancel this existing story, and submit a new one.
I usually find micro stories tough to write. Capturing something and making the reader feel some emotion in just few words is always harder than it seems.
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At a cost of years and lives, the miners cut the tunnel through the mountain. Not until the game show ended did they know why. #MicroStory
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The seance was just for fun. It wasn’t real. That’s what they said. Tell that to the dead guy who followed me home afterward. #MicroStory
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[…] Written for Patrick Sponaugle’s #MicroStory Challenge. Prompt was Halloween. Story must be no longer than tweet-length, including #microstory. WC 24. CH […]
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‘Girl on the Train’s’ train strikebound. Therapy instead, loves again. Lives happily ever after
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Love these micro stories – think the brevity is a brilliant discipline ! Mine is clearly not on a Halloween theme. Its just that I tried to read ‘Girl on a Train’, didn’t get on with it – so imagined it being different.
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Thank you for your entry! I liked your reimagining.
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Through the portal, he witnessed the eye of God. Silently it wept and the spirits of lost creations rose from the parched earth. #microstory
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“Don’t drop any candy in the house. I don’t want ants.”
He nodded, trying to ignore the tickle of a hundred legs on his tongue.
#MicroStory
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[…] than six words, there’s still time to enter Pat’s challenge for Tweetable tales over at I Can’t Possibly Be Wrong All The Time […]
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