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Flash Fiction Month

Remember how your mother told you never to flash your fiction in public? Well, we here at Flash Fiction Month don’t adhere to such societal norms.

FFM is an annual community writing event, run during the month of July, in which participants write one piece of flash fiction between 55-1000 words every day for a month.

Each day we post prompts, and the occasional (optional) extra challenge, and though it may seem daunting at first, we guarantee you'll have a good time, meet some new people, and learn a thing or two about writing along the way.


:bulletgreen: What is Flash Fiction Month all about?

Flash Fiction Month is an annual community writing event, run in July, in which participants write one piece of flash fiction every day for a month.

:bulletgreen: What is Flash Fiction?

Flash Fiction is simply very short prose pieces, generally defined as being 1000 words or less. The word limits for Flash Fiction Month are 55 words minimum, to 1000 words maximum.

:bulletgreen: Do I have to write every day?

Yes. No. Whatever you can manage - we at FFM realise that life can get busy, so we understand that some people may not be able to write a 1000-word story every day. But c'mon - it's flash fiction! We think a three-a-week minimum is a reasonable expectation, considering you can write three 55-worders, if you like.

However we do hope you'll give the full FFM experience a try. It can be difficult, but we guarantee you'll reach the end of the month a better writer, and ideally you'll have had some fun, and made some new friends.

:bulletgreen: How do I join?

Simple! First, make your commitment official and let us know you're participating on the yearly Sign-Up Page. Then join the official FlashFictionMonth group so that you can share your stories with fellow participants during July! And finally, watch our founding account Flash-Fic-Month, to receive timely (separate) notifications for the daily prompts, so the important stuff doesn't get lost in the fray!

:bulletgreen: Still have questions?

Visit our comprehensive FAQ page and all will be revealed.

:bulletgreen: Feeling generous?

Our FFM winner's prizes are funded entirely by donations! So if you're feeling altruistic, and you have a few spare points to hand, head over to Flash-Fic-Month and donate! :flirty:


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Treasure ChestSmogg, the greatest of the crimson dragons, wheeled in the skies above Pondtown, belching impenetrable clouds of smoke and showers of white-hot sparks. A band of treasure-hunting dwarves had driven it out of its lair, and their fastest messenger had raced into town bearing the sole arrow capable of killing it.Burt the bowman drew the arrow back to his cheek and waited patiently for his target to present itself. He had a reputation for unfailing accuracy, and it was well deserved.“His entire underside is coated in gems from his hoard,” said the messenger, hurriedly, “but there's a gap on his left breast. It's the only way to kill him.”“No!” protested the mayor, waving his arms blubberously. “If you kill it now its body will crush half the town! Aim for its eye – drive it back to its lair!”Smogg swooped low, flaring its wings to impose upon them the full majesty of its impervious glittering armour. Still, Burt held off, the perfect opportunity apparently not yet perfect enough. Heat poured from the body of the beast as it flapped, casting a gale through the streets that stripped the leaves from the trees and sandblasted the windows opaque. The dwarven messenger, the mayor and his aide all ducked for cover, but Burt stood his ground. As the dragon rose up again, he loosed his arrow. “I don't believe it,” gasped the messenger.“You missed!” spat the mayor.The arrow had winged the dragon, ploughing a furrow through the armour on its side. “Whoops,” said Burt, just barely restraining a smile as an enormous diamond tumbled into his chimney.
How / You / FeelIt was patterns. It was a thing spinning in time, existing only in how it changed from one moment to the next. Existing only in how it stayed the same. It was music. It was a song, the song. The one Master had made with loving iron gloves, had been told: spin, sing, here, manage each beat, overlay them, control them— It was the one who could see through itself as it spun its vibrations in the air—could see all people from the land—and lower the note, quicken the beat, do what it was created for, its great art. It could see all, know all, and be the music in their hearts. Change the music in their hearts. Master had said: make sure they love me. What is love? it had asked, off-beat to itself. This one, Master had patiently said, led it to the patterns that meant love, the collections of notes that invoked it, the rising motion, the bridges. Oh, it said, and it was beautiful. Make sure, Master reminded. And here, here’s what anger looks like— Rhythms on top of each other, a shrill voice. Also beautiful. Do not allow them anger toward their required tasks. It had moved sadly between tones. Why not allow? I like the sound of this, I like the sound of all that sounds— Not for their required tasks. And not for me. But for other things, if you want. At your discretion. And so was the way it had learned and learned and learned, and grown a repository of every timbre of feeling it could find, had connected them in melodies one atop another to make any mix— And now— Master? Master? it called out. But no one responded. It was time; it kept to beats. It knew the passage of its movements and it counted them and Master still did not return. But it did see the emotions—hear them—the confusion—Someone has killed the Overlord, it heard someone say— It vibrated sadly, and made that person sad about that. I don’t know why, I don’t know why, it makes me so sad— We can do anything we want now— But I fear freedom— They said, the Heroes, they said the Overlord had hold of our emotions—so maybe— The song that was everyone’s emotions sped up. Maybe he’s alive! Maybe Master’s alive! And then it realized that of course he wasn’t. All that was left was—was it—a song no one knew of— A song no one could talk to— A song that didn’t know what to do. A plaintive cry in human voices. A slowing… slowing… slowing down of the rhythm until each note lasted seconds, a droning cry. No one could hear it, of course, only feel it, but they all felt it and what they felt was loneliness. I don’t know why, but— But it’s like there’s someone I need to find. And the song wanted—it wanted—oh how it wanted, and if it wanted hard enough perhaps it could encode location as music that could not be heard, and maybe— Maybe someone could feel where it was. The cries and screams and voices, patterns in string instruments overlaying the slow drone that was loneliness, patterns mathematically arranged, a location, a location, the castle, the storeroom in the castle— I don’t know why. I don’t know why, but I have to go. Yeah, into the Overlord’s old palace—I don’t know why—but there’s something I want and there’s something I need to find. When the door opened, finally, finally, the song was a melody of joy. H-hello? I don’t know why, but—is there someone here— Yes, me, me, I’m right here. I… feel you. Hear you? What’s this song… That’s me, I’m a song, hi, hello, will you be my new—it almost said master, but no one else could be Master, so it decided on a word it had only heard in passing—my new friend?...
At the Teddy Bear Hospital“He’s losing stuffing fast. I need 30 CCs of polyester, stat!” Nurse Cuddles rushed to the dispenser. Her stubby, stuffed hands shook. It took several tries to engage the lever. There were so many. How was she supposed to know which was the right one? She filled the container and hurried back. Doctor Snugglebug took one look and pushed it away. “That’s wool, not polyester. Get me polyester or get me someone who knows the difference.” Another nurse took Cuddles by arm. “I’ve got this.” She filled the container and rushed it over. Snugglebug scooped it right in. Doctor Buttons swooped in with the stitches and bandages. Nurse Tuffy applied the feel-better kisses, and just like that, it was over. The patient was wheeled into the recovery ward, and they all cleaned up. Cuddles sat in the chair in the corner and tried not to cry. It was her first emergency, and she’d nearly blown it. The other nurse sat next to her. Her nametag read Nurse Honey. “First time?” Cuddles nodded and covered her face. “No one told me there would be so much fluff. I can’t even tell most of it apart.” “Don’t worry. It gets easier. Here. I’ll show you where the labels are. Then you’ll know how to do it next time.” Honey showed her the labels on the cannisters and what they meant, and how to find the matching symbol on a patient’s chart. She showed Cuddles how to pull the levers without her stubby little hand slipping off. By the time they left the operating theater, Cuddles felt much better. She was sure next time, she’d do a much better job. For now, though, it was time to make snacks for the patient. They were going to be hungry when they woke up....
FFM Daily Prompts and Challenges
Addressing the upcoming change in group designGreetings.It has been brought to our attention that groups are getting migrated to a new design soon, as per the following journal: ,Convert your group to a new design!December 6, 2023UPDATE: All group admins can now convert theirWe deemed it proper to give you a heads-up, as our Head of Tech (who is, unfortunately, still bleary from having their hibernation interrupted) has little idea what exactly is going to happen - what we have gleaned from the aforementioned journal is that some data loss will occur and that the vocal DeviantArt users are displeased about the change. Hence, we have taken action and backed the @FlashFictionMonth group's information into our stash as well as are working with the archiving enthusiast @WindySilver (thank you for bringing this to our attention! ) to ensure that the group has a fully navigable group page available for browsing on the Wayback Machine.Questions we predict you might want answers forQ: Now what?A: We have little idea. The Head of Tech will be observing the effects of the forced conversion and doing their best to fix whatever breaks. We hope that the powers that be will be merciful and allow our group to get through the sudden change without issues.Q: What's this about the Wayback Machine?A: The Wayback Machine is the Internet Archive's archive of snapshots of webpages. It's a brilliant system that allows you to navigate websites as they were during the time of the snapshot - provided all the pages have been saved on the Wayback Machine. Until now, the FFM group was largely missing these snapshots.Q: Is there any way I can help?A: Thank you for the offer! At the time of writing, we are verifying that the gallery page snapshots are all there, so there is little that needs to be done on the archiving front. To save in time, most of the submissions in the galleries have not been snapshotted, so if you want to, feel free to create snapshots of your favorite flashfics from the years past if the snapshots are missing (or broken due to DA rejecting the attempt at snapshotting for whatever reason).Q: What if something goes wrong in the conversion?A: Then we pray for the Head of Tech's sanity.Q: What does this mean for the future of the group?A: Hopefully nothing. We hope that if our group does somehow implode from this, the DA staff will be able to restore it.Q: Should the Flash-Fic-Month account's contents be snapshotted too?A: We are considering doing that. If you so wish, you are more than welcome to have the Wayback Machine immortalize our glory while we contemplate the marvels of technology (and how to return to hibernation after being woken up from it too early).Q: FFM 2024? A: Due to this urgent matter popping up during the hibernation period, we have no information to give at this time. We recommend following https://flashficmonth.wordpress.com/ for the most up-to-date information.If you have any more questions, please comment down below! In the meantime, have a wonderful hibernation! (wait, do humans hibernate?)
FFM Links - 31 July 2021Welcome to Flash Fiction Month, day 31.The final day of Flash Fiction Month is upon us, and with it comes your parting challenge! We hope you've had as much fun as we have. But don't go just yet! There's still judging to be done for the challenge writers (after which the our prize winners will be announced). And we're still looking for nominations for the Golden Mug Awards (which are open to every story, by every FFMer)! August is also the perfect time to catch up on all that reading and commenting you missed out on during the month of July. But before all that can happen one more story awaits. VIVA!, InstructionsFlash Fiction Month is about writing – and posting – a story between 55-1000 words in length every day during July. Each day we'll upload a deviation where you can post your story for the day, with optional prompts, and the occasional optional challenge.Paste a link to your flash fiction piece for July 31 in the comments below.If you write a story every day this month, and complete every challenge, you will enter the history books as a writer of singular purpose, unbowed and unshaken by the perils of flash fiction month. You could also win a prize! And if you wrote anything at all for FFM this year, remember the Golden Mug Awards are here to celebrate all our writers and their myriad approaches. So don't forget to nominate your own best story for the Golden Yarn, and the work of others for the myriad other awards up for grabs. When you upload your newly minted literature deviations remember to use these official FFM tags: #flashfictionmonth , #ffm2021, ,,Beginnings & EndingsWelcome to the inter-galactic flash fiction highway. Just beware the roadside trans-dimensional tentacles that might try to grab you and drag you screaming into the void of the unknown. If you need directions, remember your friendly pocket-Hydra is always just one click away.Now hurry up, and don't forget your towel! Myriad worlds and adventures await for your final challenge of the month. All you have to do is step through one of the following portals... , [PORTAL #1] - Well, well! You've chosen to find a collaborative partner for the next stage of your voyage! Clearly you're the kind of person who values safety in numbers. Or perhaps you just like having a spare traveller to throw to the wolves when things get hairy. Whatever your moral or personal predilections just click on the Portal link to proceed to the next checkpoint... [PORTAL #2]---- Hoo boy! You've chosen the path of the lone traveller! Looks like we've got a brave one on our hands. Perhaps you get things done better on your own. Or maybe you just don't have time for other people and their convoluted schedules. On the plus side there's no collateral damage to worry about, but on the downside, you won't have anyone to share your witty observations with (and they are so terribly witty). Either way, grab your gear and click on the Portal link to find out what happens next..., SOME CHALLENGE NOTESDecide which one challenge approach you would prefer before proceeding. If you want to try your hand at a Collaboration via portal #1, you can find a collaboration partner by posting a comment below advertising your availability, or better yet, by visiting the FFM Discord Channel and making use of our collaboration rooms for maximum efficiency!We know that the practicalities of collaboration can be trying with multiple time-zones, and schedules to account for, so we've uploaded this early and we're also giving everyone a full weekend to get their collaborations in order. Just make sure your story is uploaded by Monday the 2nd of August. It's really rewarding, and we hope you'll give it a try. We're also here to give any assistance you might need, so don't hesitate to ask. But if you'd rather to stick with the Response option via portal #2, then all you need to do is follow the link to find your instructions. Piece of cake! (Also just to be clear, each Portal name is a link that leads to the actual challenge elements for either a Collaborative or Response challenge. Sometimes the links don't show up on mobile DA, so browser is best.) If you've done the challenge remember to let us know by writing either "Collaboration Challenge" or "Response Challenge" next to the link for your submission. Not doing the challenge? No problem! Check out the optional prompts below! , Parting NoticesComments are the best motivation. Help boost the FFM community spirit, and take the time to read and comment on fellow FFMers work whenever you can. Now that you aren't writing every day, this is the perfect time to catch up on your reading and show your fellow writer's some appreciation. The FFM Discord Channel exists beyond July if you need a friendly global writer's hub. So if you haven't checked in yet, please do. Everyone is nice and friendly, and there's a strong NaNoWriMo crowd too. It never hurts to have a little community boost to hand when you're feeling down.Still haven't signed up for 31 days of flash fiction insanity? Alas, the event is now over. But there's always next year! Just head on over to our FFM FAQ, where the answers to all (or at least most) of your questions can be found, and give Flash-Fic-Month a watch in preparation for July 2022. Now that the main event is over WE NEED STORY SUGGESTIONS for the Golden Mug Awards. The GMA's are open to absolutely everyone who took part in the event, and we ask each of you to submit your favourite FFM stories, plus YOUR OWN BEST STORY for consideration.And next year we'll be needing volunteers for judging, and event organisation, so you have 11 months to mull things over and consider throwing your hat into the ring. ,...
FFM Links - 29 July 2021Welcome to Flash Fiction Month, day 29. What’s that you hear? No it isn’t Hydra’s collection of mix-tapes. That’s intro music, baby. Civilians beware, sounds like a superhero battle is about to commence. , InstructionsFlash Fiction Month is about writing – and posting – a story between 55-1000 words in length every day during July. Each day we'll upload a deviation where you can post your story for the day, with optional prompts, and the occasional optional challenge.Paste a link to your flash fiction piece for July 29 in the comments below.If you write a story every day this month, and complete every challenge you could win a prize! When you upload your newly minted literature deviations remember to use these official FFM tags: #flashfictionmonth, #ffm2021, ,,It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane!Your main character must be considered a superhero. (Or villain, if you’re feeling fiendish.) No guys in tech suits here, real abilities only.We can’t all fly: An unconventional form of transportation must appear somewhere in the story. Bonus element: An apathetic side-kick. If you've done the challenge remember to let us know by writing "Challenge" next to the link for your submission. Not doing the challenge? No problem! Check out the optional prompts below! , RemindersComments are the best motivation. Help boost the FFM community spirit, and take the time to read and comment on fellow FFMers work whenever you can. Inspire the masses! Donate prompts, music, and images to the 2021 Prompt Bank and help keep the writing doldrums at bay.Have questions? Need someone to complain to about the latest ridiculous challenge element? The FFM Discord Channel is the best place to be! No sign-ups necessary, just follow the link to dip a proverbial toe into the waters, and meet the local wildlife. The writers are mostly tame, promise. Still haven't signed up for 31 days of flash fiction insanity? It's probably a bit late, but there's always next year and we recommend a visit our FFM FAQ, where the answers to all (or at least most) of your questions reside.,...
FFM 2023
Sounds of Chalk [FFM2023 #30]Cora woke up to the blackboard instructions. In neat chalk writing it instructs her when to shower, when to eat. The former teacher was ecstatic. After she’d resigned, she was enthralled she had something to recall fond memories with that saved herself all the stress of still being there. Even when it chastised her already modest clothes and rapid-fire thought, she felt elated. This was guidance. The critique necessary to finally open social doors. Nevermind the fact she never even bought a blackboard.Yet soon all she hears is how strange she's behaving. How she, the woman they never got to bond with, no longer felt "like herself". Cora’s thoughts erupted like a disturbed hornet's nest. Had they always tolerated her then? Enough to keep acknowledge her shifts in emotion? Or had she overreacted, imagining an issue when there was none? Slowly she phased back into the use of long skirts and silk blouses. While the offhand comment wasn't enough to fully convince her she wasn't a nuisance, a sudden motivation to try and engage had seized her. And it was all too familiar. In an attempt to seize the temporary feeling, she jumped on the idea immediately before her willpower phased away.Taking the first step shot her nerves into oblivion. She had forgotten how anxious even small talk could make her. But it went well. Against all mental predictions of disaster, it went well.She soon began forgetting to check the blackboard. As odd as it seemed, even right next to her bed, it soon phased intoo the rest of the decor. A part of her felt like she didn't need it now anyway. Although, to not seem ungrateful, she wrote a long thank you message in her best legible hand, still stricken with some shakes in her lines.The next day, Cora woke up. She arose to see the blackboard positioned right in front of her bed. Her wall of thanks had been erased entirely in favor of one more message from the board itself."You know she doesn't really enjoy having you around. You couldn't be normal even if I was a Smart board projecting exactly what to say to your mind. You'd still mess up. You always do."She found herself balled up in a heap. Less scared, and more angry. Angry at herself in ever thinking anything would change for the better. Of course it was too good to be true. She refused to raise her head when the scraping of chalk continued. Just an incessant, loud, noise…Cora jumped out of her bed and rushed over, avoiding whatever words had been written in favor of focusing on where the chalk was. She plucked it from the board's hold, the air, and began to X all that’d been written. In fact, she scribbled all over the board. She made waves and doodles and hearts and dumb faces until the chalk had broken in two, and the remaining part had been used down to her fingertips. Once finished, she stomped on the other piece. Then it dawned on her. She pushed the whole board itself back and jumped on it a little. Of course, the board didn't break, but it was satisfying. It would get her point across. She prayed the neighbors wouldn't complain.She found herself rolling the board out of her house to her front porch. She would have to take it to the dump later. But for now, she'd have to go inside and wash the chalk off, as well as give her new friend a call.As the warm rush of water hit her face in what felt like ages, Cora found a sudden smile crack on her face. Sensitivity to certain noises was the main reasons she had quit teaching. Silver, chewing, and pencil snaps...Guess another one was chalk.
What He Say From An Essay You Say [FFM2023 #29]Perhaps being delivery boy for two boisterous works of old money was my punishment for being desperate for money. After months scavenging for mere scraps following my layoff from the building company I'd toiled for, I found a new way to stretch these nimble joints. Just, instead of atop a few different buildings here and there, I'm just an in-between for some literary rendezvous. Or however they'd put it.Often times, when I'd grow a bit lazy and rode the carryall I'd stare out to the new blooming skyscrapers and bustling bodies of man, woman, and child, from all over. Hard to fathom this was the same world my parents went through in their heyday. I could still hear my mother throwing a fit over all the changes. My old lady always meant well, but fear often seemed more married to her than my father was. She worried that with the rise of industrialism, hard work would be streamlined, and soon, people wouldn't know how to put their own shoes on right anymore, and eventually, public transport would prioritize single transport — now what's the point of shoes if we don't know how to put one foot in front of the other, eh?To be honest, I'd never once taken a glance at whatever Mr. Henry and Rhoda wrote to one another. Not because I wasn't interested, far from it, but I felt like the risk was far worse than knowing. Tucked tight in my Boston shopping bag, carefully wrapped in old newspaper, after what seemed like an eternity on foot spotting the same old land marks and avoiding the occasional rat fending for its life, I eventually arrived at the more richer part of town, before the pristine house of Mrs. Rhoda James. I gave a light knock on the door. Without hesitation, the woman herself opened it."Walter! How are you today!" She greeted with a dazzling smile. A familiar gesture of hand signaled me to enter, and my eye spots a wooden chair positioned right next to door with a book left in Mrs. James' wake."So glad you could make it on time!" She went on without waiting for an answer. Again, a grabbing motion of her hand."Where is it." She asked, her smile unwavering, and little patience left on the table as all excitement zapped from her voice.I held the bag out for herself to take. I couldn't risk sweat damaging the goods. Not in this hellish weather."Thank you so very much dearest Walter dear. Upmost thanks." She insisted, turning away instantly upon fishing out the long document that had been written for her. Her eyes scanned the paper. "Yes, yes, of course. That makes so much sense, does it not?" She asked as if I could read whatever she's talking about.Eventually, after being left unanswered, I finally decided to ask the question that's been nagging on my mind. She looked like she'd been dying to talk, anyway. "Excuse me? Mrs. Rhoda?" I asked. "What...What exactly have you and Mr. Henry been writing to one another?""Essays." She replied immediately. I waited for clarification. She remained silent."...Essays of—""Well, he was the first to send essays. I do not, if you respect of semantics included. No, my replies are moreso considered reports, if you will. His first letter — a warning. My first? A request. From there, essay. Report. Essay. Report.""But what of, Mrs. Rhoda?""Well..." Finally, she tossed her book aside, alongside her ladylike mannerisms and gently lowered herself back into her chair. "Walter, I know it's unsurprising if there's one thing I lack as a lady it's grace. Tact. And furthermore, basic common sense. My mind is a horse that rides to its own horizon and doesn't notice its rider whipping its back because he's going the wrong way. Mr. Henry has been the first in so long to pinpoint how I've utterly failed everyone in this city, so for the time being, I've been enlisting his help. I relay to him everything: my work life, social, marriage life, financial life. And he grades me on all of it. All for the betterment of my sake.""Uh..." I started. "Well, I'm sure it's not that bad, miss...""Ah, but you don't know what I've done!" She emphasized with a waggle of her finger. "I remember completely screwing up the books as clerk at my last job...Something they're still trying to clean up for! My husband has been so so busy with work he doesn't bat an eye my way anymore. I had dinner by myself tonight and imagined one of the hunks from a novel of I've been reading keeping me company. But please don't tell my husband that. I feel bad just saying it aloud now, oh dear." I had more questions than answers now, of course. Still...It seems she was perhaps exaggerating, and making the worst situations out of her privileged life."Oh! It even got to the point where I had somehow managed to convince an old friend of mine to lay off all the old employees at his laboring company! Can you believe it?"Oh."How does one misconstrue ones words so severely, Walter?" She asked and gave a heavy sigh."Well...I'll prepare my report now to this. Help yourself to any sort of beverage you'd like, Walter. Make yourself at home. Just leave your shoes by the door, please." "Yes'm.""And, for your patient ear, I'll throw in a little tip for your troubles.""Oh, no no, that's not necessary..." My eyes widened, although I was merely being humble. I wasn't dumb. 'A little' meant two dollars to these types of folk."Nonsense! This is what you get for dealing with something so...Out of the ordinary! Delivering an essay in the current day in this weather!"My words cut short. Perhaps because she had a point. And also because I really did need a drink after such a long trip."...Th-thank you, Mrs. James."
FFM 2022
FFM Links - 1 July 2022Welcome to Flash Fiction Month, day 1.It’s the first official day of Flash Fiction Month! A beautiful summer month looms before you, sunny and sparkling and full of hidden monstrosities. There’s no challenge for today, so feel free to dip a toe into the water before you jump in. Please note that Hydra is not responsible for lost toes or any other appendages.InstructionsFlash Fiction Month is about writing – and posting – a story between 55-1000 words in length every day during July. Each day we'll upload a deviation where you can post your story for the day, with optional prompts, and the occasional optional challenge.Paste a link to your flash fiction piece for July 1 in the comments below.If you write a story every day this month, and complete every challenge you could win a prize!When you upload your newly minted literature deviations remember to use these official FFM tags: #flashfictionmonth , #ffm2022RemindersComments are the best motivation. Help boost the FFM community spirit, and take the time to read and comment on fellow FFMers work whenever you can.Inspire the masses! Donate prompts, music, and images to the 2022 Prompt Bank and help keep the writing doldrums at bay.Have questions? Need someone to complain to about the latest ridiculous challenge element? The FFM Discord Channel is the best place to be! No sign-ups necessary, just follow the link to dip a proverbial toe into the waters, and meet the local wildlife. The writers are mostly tame, we promise.Still haven't signed up for 31 days of flash fiction insanity? Head on over to the 2022 Sign-Up Page, and offer up your name. We also recommend a visit to our FFM FAQ, where the answers to all (or at least most) of your questions reside.
Price of VictoryI knew this was all in my head but I was pretty sure this place wasn’t from my mind. I knew enough to recognize these were ruined buildings but not like any I’d seen before. These were … different. I’m not sure how to describe them. They seemed like maybe homes but they were only one story and the just looked off.The woman I knew.Sort of.I mean, I’d seen her before the last two times i should have died but back then she’d been wearing rusty, blood stained armor like she’d just come from a battlefield. This time she would as clean with her hair pulled up into a bun. Like the buildings, her clothes were off too. She still had a skirt on but it was way to short to be appropriate. She didn’t have a blouse of bodice either, just this undershirt without sleeves. She also had no eyes, just big black spaces where there should have been eyeballs.It was disconcerting to say the least.“You can’t continue,” she said in that cold, detached voice of hers. Last time she’d at least acted like she was concerned for me but I guess we were past that now. She was pretty pissed when I refused to die last time.I folded my arms together and leaned my weight on one leg. “Stop dragging me in here and I can.”“This is a pointless fight.”“Not to me. I happen to like living, thank you very much.”She turned her back to me and surveyed the world around her. “I didn’t choose this.”I gave the place a quick once over. “Well it’s not from my imagination that’s for sure.”Her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose. “Us! I didn’t choose to be bound to you!”“And I didn’t choose you, but here we are. Again. Because of you. If you want this to stop, you’re the one who needs to stop it.”She looked over her shoulder at me. The eyeless eyes seemed to glow black, if that makes any sense. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”Honestly, I didn’t. I never gave her more thought past not wanting her to kill me. “Don’t know, don’t care. Can I go back to my body now? Don’t know if you noticed but I was kind of in a big fight there with a world ending monster. Kinda need to get back to that so I can save the world and stuff.”She threw her head back and let out this shrill cackle that made me cringe. “You? You save the world?” Her cackle grew louder and I had to cover my ears. “You’re really that arrogant?”I wouldn’t call the truth arrogant.Look, it hadn’t exactly been my choice to be the hero of the world. If anyone had bothered to ask me before setting me up here, I would have absolutely said no, not a chance in all the nine hells. I wasn’t the hero type. I was the leave me alone, and if you want me to do anything, you better pay me type. And there wasn’t enough money in the world to make me do this willingly. Her cackling hadn’t stopped. “The lowly bug thinks she can topple a mountain.”Well that was just rude. “People have taken down monsters before. It’s doable.”Her laughing stopped and her eyes went wide. “A monster? You think that creature is a monster?”“Uh … yes?”“You deluded child. Not even close. I’m what you call a god and you can’t even stop me when I have no power. It took dozens of my kind to take down just one of her kind. One of my gods. What do you think a tiny speck of a mortal like you could do?”My body froze. “You’re … a god?”“Who slew her own tyrannical gods.” She gestured to the ruins around her. “Who laid waste to her own world just for you mortals. To stop your senseless slaughter. We have up everything for you. Giving us your body seems the least you could do in return.”I looked around more now. This has been the world of the gods? It looked so … plain. I don’t know what I expected the world of the gods to look like, but this wasn’t it. Still, god or no god, I wasn’t ready to die. “Fine. Whatever. Look, I’m not just going to lay down and die so you can either help me or hinder me. Your choice.”I knew she’d help. It’s what gods do in these situations.“Then I will hinder you.”My jaw dropped. “What the @$&*#!”She looked down her nose at me. “When a bug asks to be squashed, you don’t agonize over it. You squish it and move on.”Well crap.“You were born solely to die so that I would regain my powers and slay this creature while it is still weak enough to be slain,” she explained. Then she held out her hand to me. “It is time for you to repay your debt to us, mortal.”For a moment, I thought about taking her hand. It would be so easy. I could just lay down and be done.But then I thought of the people still counting on me. People who still needed me.And the fact that if she could have forced me, she would have by now. This had to be my choice. I’d figured that much out.When I didn’t take her hand, she sneered at me. “Fine. Keep your life. ”She raised her hand and snapped her fingers.I jerked awake still on the ground where I fell. Above me was the ten story monster I still didn’t know how to stop.In my ears, I could hear the goddess whisper, “You can’t stop it.” And I knew she was right.But gods, dying couldn’t be the only way. There had to be another way, right?Right?
RecoveringThe fire had taken a toll on the woods. One that previous fires hadn’t. So many of the old trees were gone. Many of the animals were gone too. The humans also hadn’t come back either except a few who planted new trees. Humans did that sometimes. Gulump liked that about humans.Gulump was the spirit of this forest and had been for a long time. He wasn’t human, nor did he look much like them, instead looking like a tree stump imbedded in the ground that had grown legs. Like his forest, he was a little more bare this year than in years before. The fire had taken it’s toll on him too, but he was recovering thanks to time and a little help from the humans.He’d seen many people come and go. Some violently. Some peacefully. Some with greed in their hearts and others with wonder. The ones that had come to stop the fires had been determined but afraid. The ones that planted the trees had been hopeful.He was hopeful too. The fire had taken its toll but the forest wasn’t gone. New leaves were growing on the trees that had survived and new floor dwellers Ming plants were popping up and making the open spaces green again. He was helping, of course, spreading life giving bits of bark and wood from a fallen tree. That was one of his jobs as the spirit of the forest, and he was hoping it would help with his other main job: bringing the animals back. A forest wasn’t a proper forest without all of its life back.That was what was different about this fire. In fires years before, animals had run away, but came back soon after. In smaller numbers, yes, but they always came back. Not this time. A few insects had returned, but not like before. Those that couldn’t run and hid underground hadn’t emerged again and Gulump knew they had been lost in the intense heat of the flames. The birds usually were next, taking advantage of new openings in split and dead trees, but they too had yet to return. Some had died in the flames. He’d seen their bodies returning to the soil on the forest floor along with some of the other animals. Many many more had escaped though. They should have come back. Why were they staying away?He pulled my rotting wood from his body and sprayed it over the ground. The life of a forest spirit was lonely sometimes. No one talked to him and only a few animals could see him. The plants were always there, and he enjoyed them, but they weren’t the same as people talking to him. People used to talk to him, honor him with little gifts. Then they forgot about him and were gone for a while. Then they came back, though they didn’t acknowledge him, but he liked watching them walk through and enjoy just being in his forest.More wood bits were spread around. He missed the baby animals most of all. They were born around this time of the year and always such a pleasure to watch grow. There weren’t any babies this year. It hurt to think there might not be more. He didn’t want to think that, but it was hard not to worry life wouldn’t be back. It had been so long already.Gulump paused to look down at the bit of wood he was dropping around. They would help the plants, but what good would that do if nothing came back?He sat on the ground and pressed his fingers into the dirt. It looked healed on the surface, but just below, it was still black from the burn. This fire had felt different, hotter, meaner. He knew it would take longer to recover, but not this long. What if it never fully recovered? What if nothing came back and he was alone forever? Yes, some humans had come, but what if they were the last to come?A darkness settled inside Gulump. The leaves on his back began to wilt. Without a spirit, a forest would die, but without a forest, the spirit would die. Was that to be his fate now, to die from the loneliness and have his forest whither away?Chirp chirp.Gulump lifted his head. Had he imagined the sound? There was a flutter in one of the trees.He held out his hand. A small blue bird fluttered down and landed on his hand. It’s little dark eyes looked up at him and it chirped again.In an instant, the darkness inside Gulump vanished.Yes, this fire had been bad, worse than the ones before, but it wasn’t the end. Life would return and the forest would continue on.
Magic Words“Say, so you have any peanut butter?” Winta asked. The gnome was fiddling with the ancient stone door built in the mountain side. Despite our best efforts, it just wouldn’t budge. He, Kelli the elf, and me had been hired to get into some ancient ruins to look for some small ancient holy text or tablet or something like that. We didn’t really care about anything except that the job paid really well. Too well.I cocked my head to one side. “Peanut butter?”Winta nodded. “Yeah. Warm it up and it’s pretty slippery. Seems like just the thing to open a door like this.”“It’s not booby trapped then?” Kelli asked.Winta shook his head. “Doesn’t seem to be. Just stuck real tight. Probably ’cuz it’s so old.”“What about the magic?” Kelli asked as she placed her hand on the door and her eyes glazed over. I’d heard stories about elves being really sensitive to magic but didn’t realize just how sensitive until I started working with one. “Not a trap,” Winta supplied as he tried shimming his knife in again but it still didn’t fit. “Maybe Lee’s sword would fit in here better.”I took a step back and put my hand on the hilt of my sword. “Not a chance.”“Oh come on, it’s not like I’m going to break another one.”“That’s right, you’re not, because I’m not giving you another chance.”Winta shook his head, mumbling that I was being a baby. I didn’t care. Swords are expensive.This was clearly going to take a while, so I decided to check around the area again. We’d already made sure there were no monsters or anything, but I couldn’t help Winta, and I was bored.There wasn’t much around us. We were high up in the mountains and could see for miles. The road leading up here was still well traveled, but even if a group of travelers came along, I doubt they would care what we were doing. From what we’d been told, people tried to get in all the time but so far no one had. It’s why the job paid so well. When we came up here, I thought this would be easy. After several hours of Winta fumbling around with the door, I was feeling a lot less confident. I should have known this was too good to be true. Kelli was still trying some magic on it, but it seemed resistant to all magic. Given some of the small craters in the ground right near the door, it looked like it was immune to explosives as well.I hated wasting time on a wild goose chase, but at this point, we only had ourselves to blame. We should have known better. I was frustrated by this point, but much more embarrassed by our rookie mistake. We were seasoned pros and should have seen the obvious problem.Crunch.Something moved under my foot. Some of the dirt was poking up.Carefully, I pulled out my sword and poked it just to be sure it wasn’t a bear trap or something.Thump thump.My sword hit something hard.Curious, I took my foot off and poked it with my hand this time. There was definitely something right under the dirt. It took a minute of digging but I was about to pull up a thin rectangular piece of metal. It was coated in dirt and a little bent but otherwise seemed intact. I dusted it off, revealing writing. Not writing I recognized, but I wasn’t exactly good at that sort of stuff. Kelli was good with old languages.I carried it back over to the others. “Hey guys, look what I found. Any idea what it says?”Kelli looked at it for all of ten seconds before grabbing it and flipping it over.I knew she would recognize it.She puzzled over it for a little while without saying anything. Her brow furrowed, which I knew wasn’t a good sign.“What’s it say?” Winta asked.She shook her head. “It’s … well it’s an old dwarven language, which makes sense given where we are.”Winta nudged her in the leg. “You can’t read it, can you?”She shot him a glare. “No one can. It’s gibberish.”I scratched my head. “Gibberish? Can you read it?”“No. They’re not words. Here.” She handed it back to me, then went digging in her pack for a piece of paper and wrote it down. “This is what it says.”mz zyaq mpa jzzr tinm oqzvo mslva cqj ncu yrammu yhacnaI tried a couple of times to pronounce it, but I just ended up with my tongue flopping around in my mouth.Winta rubbed his chin. “Looks like a code maybe. Could be how to open the door.”“And only the people who lived her knew it,” Kelli added.My frustration with this quest boiled over. “What do we have to do?” I kicked the door, which was a bad idea because it hurt my foot. Then like an idiot, I kicked it again. Now both my feet were hurting.Winta rolled his eyes. “Well that’s not going to work. You might as well say pretty please.”There was a loud thunk and the door suddenly slid open. We all froze.Then Winta threw his hands in the air. “I did it! You all saw it! Best thief this side of Lendale.”Part of me wanted to be angry, but I was just too relieved that it was open. Whatever we did, it worked and that was all that mattered.I immediately took point. That was my job in this group.Behind me, Winta snickered. “So, uh, brave warrior, you think we should take our weapons out before we go in?”That was when I realized I’d sheathed my sword and not taken it back out. With my face turning red, I pulled out my sword and led the way. “That’s probably a good idea.”
FFM 2021
FFM 2021 #28 - Dark CovenantOnce upon a time, that’s how it’s supposed to start, isn’t it? Once upon a time, there was a couple. It always begins like that… sorry. This couple wanted a child; well really they needed an heir.But it was a girl that was born and though they should have been glad, they were disappointed. As she aged, the girl seemed destined to be… less than attractive. Her parents found every opportunity to berate her; for her awkwardness, her gender and her looks. Mostly her looks. Her mother was a beauty and could not bear having a child who did not look anything but gorgeous.As the child turned 7, her mother was pregnant again and this time the much anticipated son was born. He was as handsome as she was plain, with golden hair and beautiful chiseled features. She tried to gain her parents’ love by becoming knowledgeable in science, literature, History, even politics though it wasn’t usually meant for girls. But they only had eyes for her little brother. Beauty was the sole measure of worth.As she met some men who would broker an alliance with her family, she discovered the game was the same. She heard what they called her, the names they used to describe her. So she left her home to seek a power that would make her beautiful… She found it; but it came at a price.The sorcerer who taught her… he gave her a mirror; it wasn’t really a mirror. But it passed for one. And that is how everyone thinks of that… thing. But it was a covenant. She would be powerful and beautiful; but she must feed the mirror with what she wished to obtain so it would reflect it back to her.At first she didn’t really understand what it meant… but she did, real quick. And it was awful. Had she not known the price she would pay if she didn’t satisfy the mirror, she would have stopped before she even began. She found young boys and girls, whose parents no longer wanted, or could no longer care for. Famine had spread and many had little to go by. They wouldn’t be missed. She fed the mirror youth and beauty; what he took from these children, he gave back to her. She cried a lot at first… but after a while she lost count. She grieved for them but… It wasn’t enough though; she only got beauty from them. So she approached small merchants, businessmen - greedy men who thought a young woman could be taken advantage of. They wouldn’t be missed, these leeches who preyed on the vulnerable. And they gave her the aura of power she needed. But bourgeoisie wasn’t enough… not if she wanted to change the way of the world. She must marry into royalty and for that… even if she was born of noble blood, she wasn’t acknowledged as such. She didn’t meet her family; not at first. It seemed… warped. But it was so tempting to see if her parents would recognize her. They didn’t. And she couldn’t help but notice how cruel her brother was to his people; spoiled as he had been, he saw nothing of the hardships people faced, and had he seen them she wondered if he’d have cared. They faced the mirror too. She begged its spirit not to swallow it all. They lived, but it left them as poor as the young children she first fed it.And she was powerful enough to attract a king’s interest: a widower with a very much desired young daughter.She wanted to love that child; and in fact she did… for many years. You will hear say that she was jealous. She wasn’t. Though in time she grew worried… the king doted on his daughter but, as she aged, so his love changed. And the child was spoiled. Much like her brother. She attempted to bring some balance to the child, a bit of firmness where her father would allow anything. Some rules and lessons so the girl would learn that beauty doesn’t suffice. And she was beautiful, that child. She might yet become a beautiful person if she was given the opportunity. When the king got sick… well, it went so fast. Whatever took him was quick. He didn’t suffer much but it was difficult.And then, the mirror demanded her most beautiful stepdaughter. And she couldn’t do it. It was too much of a price.So she tasked a huntsman to guide her daughter to a safe place and to bring her a heart in exchange. Maybe, she might convince the mirror she had tried to do as demanded. It was unlikely but… It didn’t work. And slowly but surely, her power and beauty ebbed. As it did, the spirit of the mirror grew stronger, took a shape of its own. Her shape… and it wanted the girl. Desperately. You know the rest of the story, how the girl survived multiple attempts on her life, eventually gaining a royal husband. She got her happily ever after. And somehow the spirit of the mirror was destroyed. I’m not sure it was… it was made too weak but it will find a way back some day.The Queen… tried to continue to change the conditions of her people… in some ways she succeeded, not in others. And as she aged, people forgot she once was beautiful. The fairest of them all. She was still fair… in her judgments and rulings. It was her wisdom her people sought....
Contests, Promotions, Etc
Flash Fiction Month 2022 - DANGER Will Robinson!Hark!Yes, you read that correctly. Flash-Fic-Month is in danger! Hydra, the all seeing, all powerful beast is on the brink of extinction, and with that falls the mighty Flash Fiction Month, this delicious literature event that we've been running since 2009.We need volunteers in order to make this year happen. We need Hydra heads and we need Judges, but we can only look for judges if we have the infrastructure to run the event.Now, before you starting jonesing for it, please read the koalafications below.Hydra Head Requirements COMMITTED: #1, first and foremost, above all things, hallelujah amen, Actually Available. Almost nothing else matters but this. Quite literally. Can you read? Doesn't matter. Be here.Now, we get that people have lives, because it'd be weird otherwise unless you’re a blob of neurons floating in space (no offense to any neurons floating in space, please apply), and truly that is why we have an evil, er, magnificent council of flesh--no, lit eating--READING-heads. Ahem. But if you are interested in becoming an Hydra head, we truly need you to be very honest about your time constraints & capabilities or else it'll fall apart. COMMITTED, SERIOUSLY: Fight Club eat your heart out. FLEXIBLE: No FFM survives contact with July. You don't have to be a go with the flow person, but if you aren't, we might have to stick you in the back room and this may be a stressful time for you. Radical honesty here, people.BONUS POINTS FOR:Tech savvinessFamiliarity with google sheets and/or excelFamiliarity with discordA dark, sordid pastA sense of humorFamiliarity and/or patience with dA as a platformA taste for human fle—literary talentGraphical know howDogged, if not grudging, persistenceGluttony for punishmentAn extreme opinion of David Bowie in either directionHaving read all the words on this pageInterested in this harrowing yet absolutely awesome and rewarding?Drop us a note, subject line: Hydra Head SacrificeIt’s in your hands now, fellow wordsmiths;The fate of FFM is now in your hands.
FFM 2021 Challenge Winners!At last we are here to reveal the challenge winners of Flash Fiction Month 2021!To be eligible for the community-funded prize pool, writers needed to have completed all 31 days and all 14 challenges. Each week we asked you to choose your best and brightest challenge stories. These stories were submitted to various rounds of judging, where they poked and prodded, and their little story hearts were weighed on Anubis' scales to discover if they were +/- the weight of a feather.You know, all the standard stuff. For the thirteenth year running Flash Fiction Month is proud to reveal four overall winners based on the total challenge scores for the entirety of the month! The numbers have been tallied, and the tallies have been numbered, and now they have become sentient and started singing the praises of various writers. It's all a bit alarming to be honest.(On account of Eclipse, this is best viewed on a computer; we can't guarantee the behavior of formatting gremlins in any other format.)Introducing the Champions of Flash Fiction Month 2021 ,RReaping's End She runs. Left, left, left again; turns mean more @GDeyke Every year @GDeyke amazes us with their consummate skill. Their stories are gorgeous, lyrical, and full of strange wonders. ,FFFM 2021 #20 PerspectiveA creature lived in Eden. It did not know @NobodysSon @NobodySon may be new to our FFM shores, but they fit right in like they belonged, wowing us throughout the month with their excellent stylistic tones, and folkloric story elements.,DDevotion and DesireThere was a boy who fell in love with the ocean: @bookcrusher @bookcrusher tackles the everyday and the strange with equal skill, always grounding their work in real and relatable emotions and characters.Their stories are guaranteed to make you laugh, and cry, and warm your heart in equal measure.,PPanic Attack You can’t breathe. You’re dying; there’s no other @Francsart Another newcomer in our midst! @Francsart impressed us right out the gate, often hooking us from the very first line, and subverting our narrative expectations.Their stories were were dark, and eloquent, and always packed a punch. Honorable Mentions Check out these incredible tales from our runners up! @Teela-Y, @LeaderPinhead, @WizardandGalaxy, and @SerenityFeueropal ,TThe Wish Not Granted [FFM #22, 2021]Earl reached into the clear, gently chlorinatedAA Wolf and Little Red “Sir Wolf, I beg you to eat me now.” Farrar eyedFFFM 2021 Day 15: To Suffer The SeaXe strides along the bleached sands, a sharpenedDDay 6 - DemonsLast night, I went to bed with a stranger, alcoholCongratulations!The four winners will be contacted via note over the next few days to arrange their prizes in the form of this excellent beverage holder. ,But wait, there's more!There are always so many great stories to choose from each challenge week, and it would be a shame not to share them for the consumption of the masses. So without further ado, here are some of the challenge stories that impressed us each week. Week One Favourites @squanpie @Francsart @NobodysSon ,FFFM3 2021 - A Chance Encounter Ethan slouched in the booth and twirled one ofTTwo Hours in the Future [FFM 21 1st]You can see your future. Daria swallowed it twoFFFM 2021 #3 Farming Will Be the Death of MeThe farmer arrived at his field mid-morning, when Week Two Favourites @NobodysSon @bookcrusher @Teela-Y ,FFFM 2021 #6 A People PersonHi, friend! Up here! Yeah, up here on top of theDDave, The BraveWhen he realized his name rhymed with ‘brave’RRainbow on an Autumn Day [FFM #8 2021]As he stood there in the quasi grey-light of the Week Three Favorites @LeaderPinhead @SarcasticCupcake5 @Francsart ,AA Wolf and Little Red “Sir Wolf, I beg you to eat me now.” Farrar eyedFFavorite ShirtShe won’t know, when he picks out the littleJJonathan It all begun when he brought me into the bedroom. Week Four Favourites @Tealya @GDeyke @bookcrusher,YYour Mothers SunshineThe room had been painted a warm, sunny yellowMMares' Milk I milk the mares every morning. It’s harder thanCCome for a midnight danceAnd waltz with us who guard the forest. Join us Week Five Favourites @Irennia @MyLovingWife @LeaderPinhead ,FFFM 2021 Day 27: LieWe wished to be free. No, I wished to be free. ButFFFM 2021 #27 - Cecilia2051.04.11 Hello my darling, You must just haveHHue-mun “This isn’t my body,” he thought. He pinched his But wait! There's STILL more!Stick around for a couple more days as we prepare to announce the community-tested and Hydra-approved recipients of the Second Annual Golden Mug Awards!VIVA!...
General Flash Fiction
This Is Going to HurtElliot Smith was running down the school hallway, being quickly pursued by four angry individuals. “Get back here, you stupid turd!” the leader of the group shouted. Oh, why did he have to mouth off to these guys, Elliot thought to himself. He should have known they’d kick his ass. Elliot quickly ducked around a corner and looked for somewhere to hide. He spotted a classroom and ran inside. He quickly closed the door behind him and listened closely as his pursuers ran past. Elliot let out a sigh of relief. Hopefully he could hide out in this place for the moment until he figured out what to do. That’s when he felt a hand on his shoulder and nearly jumped. “Oh, hello there,” came a friendly voice. Elliot turned around to see another student. This individual appeared to have crimson red hair and was dressed rather formally in a cyan-coloured dress shirt with a dark-blue bow tie and dark-blue dress pants. A white medical mask adorned his face. “Did you come here with a dental ailment?” William Vanderhausen asked. “What? No!” Elliot replied, looking confused, “actually, I’m just-” “Oh, then you must be volunteering to assist me with my research,” the other student said, a beaming smile radiating from underneath his mask. Before Elliot could reply, he was being dragged by William over to a mechanical chair and forcefully seated in it. The other student then began strapping Elliot’s arms and legs to the chair, followed by his torso and head. “H-hang on! What are you doing?!” Elliot demanded as he was being strapped to the chair. “Just making sure you stay still for the experiment,” William replied. “W-wait! Experiment?! What kind of experiment?” Elliot exclaimed, getting nervous as he watched William put on a pair of white medical examination gloves. The redhead then stood next to a machine that looked like a thick table slanted at a 45-degree angle. On the front of this machine were various knobs and switches, as well as a few analogue meters. From the back of it hung numerous electrical cords. Some appeared to have Velcro attached to them while others did not. William took these cords and began placing them all over Elliot’s body. The non-Velcro cords were attached with a bit of adhesive. “Oh, I’ll be happy to explain. Once I finish attaching these cords, I will give you the full details,” William said in a cheery manner. As usual, he mistook his test subject’s concern for scientific interest. The science-loving student then walked back over to the front of the machine and gestured to it. “This device is going to send an electric charge through your body. The sensors will pick up how your body reacts and the data will be recorded into the machine’s databank. I will be controlling the electrical output and making observational notes,” William stated. Elliot’s eyes went wide at the explanation he just heard. “Wait, what?!! No, no, no, wait!!” he exclaimed, but William already flipped the switch that turned on the machine. William turned a few dials and the machine began sending an electric charge into Elliot’s body. Meanwhile, right outside the science lab, the four guys who were chasing Elliot met back up, having split up to search for him. “So, did you find him?” the group leader asked. The other three shook their heads. “Tch!” the leader grunted in annoyance. He then pounded a fist into the other hand. “Looks like the lucky bastard managed to escape a world of pain,” the leader said angrily. The four guys began walking away, taking no notice of the agonized screams coming from the science lab.,...
FFM 2020
Midnight Hornet - FFM 2020, Day 31“It’s late, why aren’t you sleeping?”The small creature who had just flown into the bathroom from the dark outside through the open window ignored her, instead crashing into the ceiling lamp repeatedly. Its loud, distinctive buzz filled the white-tiled room, and she was quite certain what it was.She grabbed the empty water cup and a flat sample package of lotion, and climbed up onto the edge of the bathtub.The almost finger-sized insect moved fast, but its golden-black hues were unmistakeable, and she found herself shy of getting too close, which along with its frenzied back-and-forth made it impossible to capture.Until it crashed right into her face.“FU-”She flinched back, barely keeping her balance. She didn’t want to agitate the insect more, and resisted the urge to swat at it as it clung to the bridge of her glasses, before it seemed to get its bearings and took off again.But it had been enough.This was no insect.She climbed down from the bathtub, getting a safer distance between it and herself, never taking her eyes off it. This would be a bit easier.She fetched a bowl of cream, and held it out to the creature. It didn’t seem to notice at first, or maybe it was shy; she set the bowl down by the sink, and after a minute, it did come down from the ceiling, buzzed around the bowl for a moment, and finally sat down on its edge, leaning forward on slender, gold-and-black limbs to drink.She picked the bowl up gently, careful not to wobble it, and gently placed it on the floor outside the front door. The creature didn’t move from the spot.Then she went back indoors, made sure all the windows were tightly closed, and went to bed.
Tribble Month Daily Posts
Tribble Month Day 1"We want Tribble Month." Approved.This year we approach TM with a simpler view—minimalism.Let's bring keep it to a minimum to another level.Both for simplicity and timeliness. Welcome to Tribble Month - Minimalist September___________________________________________________________________________________ FAQ What is Tribble Month?A lower suffering-inducing Hydra head sprouted from Flash Fiction Month that forces its penitent souls to write stories between 50-300 words long through the month of September. Because clearly a month full of full flash stories isn’t enough once per year. Do the stories need to follow a particular topic/theme?As this is each individual’s self-imposed penance, they’re free to choose the flavor of their own poison. There will be a daily suggested topic prompt if the hellish fires don’t allow some to think clearly—an understandable circumstance in these grounds. How do I take part?After you’ve offered a price for your soul, you can simply start posting, no signing up needed. Do I need to use the daily prompts and challenges?As mentioned above, each victim voluntary participant can decide whether to use the provided daily prompt or not. The same goes for the challenges. Whether you want to add more coal to the fires is up to you. How do I submit my story?You can copy/paste the link of your published story in the comments below each daily condemnation, I mean, motivational message. Anything else I should do or know?Hell or not, everyone likes some praise and encouragement, so as momma Hydra used to say: “A comment a day keeps the heads at bay!” I have a hard time keeping to challenges, is there any support?For additional cheers, hurrahs, and extra pushes, follow the lake of fire to the FFM Discord Server and check into the Tribble Month Channel for a lift in morale and a sip of water.___________________________________________________________________________________ TM day 1 prompt: SproutWe all begin small, from a tiny bee to the largest sequoia tree. Start small.,
TM Day 30: FarewellThis is it, you made it, you’ve reached the top of Everest, the edge of the world, the end of the rainbow, the dark side of the moon! Aren’t you a titan, you awesome writer you!,Let us know, did you make it? Did you enjoy the suffering, the fun, the reckless creativity? We certainly hope you did. Until the next one, go ahead, you’ve earned your rest One last time for the road, if you want to review what happened for the past 30 days, here's a refresher of what Tribble Month is all about!____________________________________________________________________________FAQWhat is Tribble Month?A lower suffering-inducing Hydra head sprouted from Flash Fiction Month that forces its penitent souls to write stories between 50-300 words long through the month of September. Because clearly a month full of full flash stories isn’t enough once per year.Do the stories need to follow a particular topic/theme?As this is each individual’s self-imposed penance, they’re free to choose the flavor of their own poison. There will be a daily suggested topic prompt if the hellish fires don’t allow some to think clearly—an understandable circumstance in these grounds.How do I take part?After you’ve offered a price for your soul, you can comment in the sign-up page conveniently linked right here. Thereon it’s all hell loose literary bliss!Do I need to use the daily prompts and challenges?As mentioned above, each victim voluntary participant can decide whether to use the provided daily prompt or not. The same goes for the challenges. Whether you want to add more coal to the fires is up to you.How do I submit my story?You can copy/paste the link of your published story in the comments below each daily condemnation motivational message.Anything else I should do or know?Hell or not, everyone likes some praise and encouragement, so as momma Hydra used to say: “A comment a day keeps the heads at bay!”I have a hard time keeping to challenges, is there any support?For additional cheers, hurrahs, and extra pushes, follow the lake of fire to the FFM Discord Server and check into the Tribble Month Channel for a lift in morale and a sip of water.____________________________________________________________________________Day 30 Prompt: FarewellEverything comes to an end at some point, so inevitably, we have to say goodbye and hopefully see you around—unless, of course, you don’t want to see them around, then yeah, you figure that one out. Tell of a time you’ve had to say farewell, how was it, bittersweet, tragic, neutral, couldn’t be happier? Let us know one last time!,
TM Day 29: The Last BattleLike the day before the battle against the white walkers, or the second to last episode of Stranger Things, or the battle between Aang and the Fire Lord, we are at the brink of this month before the grand closing. Whether you’ve written every single story, half, or just made it through ⅓ of the first tribble, this Hydra sprout is proud of each and every one of you for even attempting this event. Let’s finish this strong!,You can do this, so don’t even bother, just review the section below if you have questions or just skip right to the story!____________________________________________________________________________FAQWhat is Tribble Month?A lower suffering-inducing Hydra head sprouted from Flash Fiction Month that forces its penitent souls to write stories between 50-300 words long through the month of September. Because clearly a month full of full flash stories isn’t enough once per year.Do the stories need to follow a particular topic/theme?As this is each individual’s self-imposed penance, they’re free to choose the flavor of their own poison. There will be a daily suggested topic prompt if the hellish fires don’t allow some to think clearly—an understandable circumstance in these grounds.How do I take part?After you’ve offered a price for your soul, you can comment in the sign-up page conveniently linked right here. Thereon it’s all hell loose literary bliss!Do I need to use the daily prompts and challenges?As mentioned above, each victim voluntary participant can decide whether to use the provided daily prompt or not. The same goes for the challenges. Whether you want to add more coal to the fires is up to you.How do I submit my story?You can copy/paste the link of your published story in the comments below each daily condemnation motivational message.Anything else I should do or know?Hell or not, everyone likes some praise and encouragement, so as momma Hydra used to say: “A comment a day keeps the heads at bay!”I have a hard time keeping to challenges, is there any support?For additional cheers, hurrahs, and extra pushes, follow the lake of fire to the FFM Discord Server and check into the Tribble Month Channel for a lift in morale and a sip of water.____________________________________________________________________________Day 29 Prompt: The Last BattleIn all great stories, especially adventures, there’s always this one moment that will define the rest to come. What is that crucial event to you? Is it a great battle? If so, is it a literal battle or something more abstract and figurative? Whatever that may be, make us catch our breath!,
TM Day 28: CHALLENGE #4!I mean, if you’ve made it THIS far, there’s really no point in stopping. You’ve already gone through three, so why not complete the last CHALLENGE of this the first edition of Tribble Month? I think you can take it, so let’s do this!,If you’re ready for the final stand challenge-wise, flex those wrists and crack those knuckles because we’re going in! If you need a little refresher, and perhaps a reassurance, read the next section to see what Tribble Month is about.____________________________________________________________________________FAQWhat is Tribble Month?A lower suffering-inducing Hydra head sprouted from Flash Fiction Month that forces its penitent souls to write stories between 50-300 words long through the month of September. Because clearly a month full of full flash stories isn’t enough once per year.Do the stories need to follow a particular topic/theme?As this is each individual’s self-imposed penance, they’re free to choose the flavor of their own poison. There will be a daily suggested topic prompt if the hellish fires don’t allow some to think clearly—an understandable circumstance in these grounds.How do I take part?After you’ve offered a price for your soul, you can comment in the sign-up page conveniently linked right here. Thereon it’s all hell loose literary bliss!Do I need to use the daily prompts and challenges?As mentioned above, each victim voluntary participant can decide whether to use the provided daily prompt or not. The same goes for the challenges. Whether you want to add more coal to the fires is up to you.How do I submit my story?You can copy/paste the link of your published story in the comments below each daily condemnation motivational message.Anything else I should do or know?Hell or not, everyone likes some praise and encouragement, so as momma Hydra used to say: “A comment a day keeps the heads at bay!”I have a hard time keeping to challenges, is there any support?For additional cheers, hurrahs, and extra pushes, follow the lake of fire to the FFM Discord Server and check into the Tribble Month Channel for a lift in morale and a sip of water.____________________________________________________________________________Day 28 Prompt: CHALLENGE #4 - Haiku Formatted StoryFor this last challenge, we’re going to truly define what micro-fiction truly is! If you choose to complete the final challenge, you are to write a story using the haiku poem 5-7-5 format. Don’t know what haiku is? See the references here and here. You don’t need to follow the strict rules of haiku, just the 5-7-5 structure to tell us a story. Blow our minds away with what you can come up with in just 17 syllables!,
Tribble Month
The Science Lovers with Their Fancy TiesChristopher Basil was chatting with William Vanderhausen. The two of them were discussing their various scientific research and findings. They also complimented each other’s tie. Christopher was wearing a necktie while William was sporting a bow tie. During the conversation, Vincent Ardeleanu wandered over to the two and was interested in the discussion they were having. “May I join your discussion on scientific research? I like your ties as well,” the vampire stated. The other two looked in Vincent’s direction. “Sure! Come on board,” Christopher happily stated. The three of them then began talking about the different experiments they liked to do. “I like to gather small samples from people such as hairs or food picked from teeth and study them under a microscope and do tests with them,” Christopher said. “Oh, neat,” Vincent stated. He hadn’t thought of doing that before, possibly because he was a vampire and only drank blood. However, it could be part of his studies on humans. “One of my regular experiments is the electric shock test,” William stated. “Oh? How does that experiment work?” Christopher asked. “Oh, simple. I have a machine that produces an electric current. I attach some electrical cords to my research assistant along with some sensors. I then pass an electric current through my assistant’s body and write my observations in their reaction,” William explained. “Wait, you do that test on people?” Christopher asked, looking slightly horrified. “Oh, hey. I do that experiment occasionally as part of my studies on humans,” Vincent stated with excitement. Christopher was speechless as looked back and forth between the two other guys. “Do you also do the chemical ingestion test?” William asked. “No, but my cousin does that with his test subjects,” Vincent replied. Christopher slowly backed away from the conversation....
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Group Info

FFM is an annual community writing event, run every July, in which participants write one piece of flash fiction between 55-1000 words every day for a month.

Each day we'll hit you up with unusual prompts, and (optional) extra challenges guaranteed to take your writing somewhere it's never been before.

Want to share your flash fiction in months that aren't July? We're always happy to get more eyes on flash fiction, whether they are FFM related or not, so don't be a stranger, and click that "SUBMIT" button.
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Founded 8 Years ago
Dec 14, 2015

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Global

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Art Creation

Media Type
Literature

237 Members
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Our much-anticipated results are finally in!

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Yes, we have finally gotten the winners! Hydra apologizes for the delay. But only a little bit. So without further ado…

WEEKLY JUDGING AWARDS!

:spotlight-left: QuixoticApricot:spotlight-right:

@QuixoticApricot consistently wrote great flash pieces all month, but knocked it out of the park in our first challenge, Triskaidekaphobia:
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:spotlight-left: DamonWakes:spotlight-right:

Well known in the FFM community for humor and bananas, @DamonWakes also served up some hard-hitting pieces this year, especially in the Here to There challenge:
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:spotlight-left: squanpie:spotlight-right:

@squanpie was as magical as ever, with stories of Little Wizard and Tam Lin and other fantastical things, but no piece was as beloved by our judges as the Fleeting Moment challenge.
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:spotlight-left: WizardandGalaxy:spotlight-right:

With imaginative settings and explosive characters, @WizardandGalaxy was a commanding presence in the month, providing yet another terrifying flash piece for our collection with the Fight for Your Life challenge. (Hydra may or may not have thought this story was about us.)
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Thank you to everyone who participated in our challenges, and especially to our lovely team of JUDGES. We couldn’t do it without you. :love:
Winners receive one of our coveted 2022 mugs!

COMMUNITY CONTEST AWARD!

Our Community Sharing journal contest winner was chosen at random.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER: @SubjugatedSandwich !! Congratulations!
Thank you everyone for sharing and commenting! Prizes will be dispensed shortly.

COMMUNITY FEATURE

A few of the month’s best stories, as chosen by our readers!
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Did we miss a story? Are you super pumped about our winners and features? Don’t forget that you can submit stories for a DD!
With that, we at Hydra take your leave for another year. Rest well and see you soon… :evillaugh:
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:iconflash-fic-month:
Flash-Fic-Month Featured By Owner Jul 20, 2022
Completion isn't judged, just observed ;) No requirements for that! We are a skeleton Hydra right now, so we aren't able to do much in the way of awards this year. But honestly we're very happy you are here. Please just write. :heart:
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(1 Reply)
:iconemberglacierwielder:
EmberGlacierWielder Featured By Owner Jul 5, 2022  Hobbyist Writer
this is a wonderful group
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:iconfyoot:
fyoot Featured By Owner Aug 16, 2020   Writer
<3
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:iconflash-fic-month:
Flash-Fic-Month Featured By Owner Aug 24, 2020
:lovely:
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:iconmaggiefromspace:
MaggiefromSpace Featured By Owner Jul 31, 2020  Hobbyist
I will have you know that dA is currently being a something I shall not name to spare your delicate eyes, so I haven't been able to submit the last bunch, but I have completed all 31 flashes of the month :hooray:(I hope it'll sort itself out sometime soon. Otherwise I might try and find a workaround. But I had to share my triumph :P)

Thank you, hydra, for the good times, again!
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:iconflash-fic-month:
Flash-Fic-Month Featured By Owner Aug 1, 2020
Ah, we were wondering what happened to you there. Congratulations on a successful FFM!:la:

Also maybe stick around awhile? We have a special announcement coming up  that will apply to all participants. ;)
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:iconcassidypeterson:
CassidyPeterson Featured By Owner Jul 9, 2018  Hobbyist
:la: Sent my first DD suggestion in from FFM 2018 today!
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:iconflash-fic-month:
Flash-Fic-Month Featured By Owner Jul 10, 2018
That's lovely! :eager:
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:iconmmbaird:
MMBaird Featured By Owner Jul 7, 2018  Professional General Artist
Is it just me or did I read somewhere there was a Discord place for FFmers? Am I hallucinating from all the years of coming into contact with the Hydra's toxic fumes?
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:iconflash-fic-month:
Flash-Fic-Month Featured By Owner Jul 8, 2018
Toxic hallucinations are a side effect of our presence, but in this case you are correct. ;)
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