#deadlinesforwriters — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #deadlinesforwriters, aggregated by home.social.
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Story Challenge July 2025 – Loyal
My contribution to the deadlinesforwriters short story challenge July 25: Sometimes people change. And sometimes this is hard for others to accept. In the end, Stella has nothing to do with Tom’s problem and neither does the chocolate cake.
https://angela-carstensen.de/story-challenge-july-2025-loyal/
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Story Challenge May 2025 – Cloud
My contribution to the deadlinesforwriters short story challenge May 2025: The more things change in IT, the more friction among employees.
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(Prompt: Unknown / Word Limit: 150)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWritingThis is the final installment of the April 2023 "30 Days of Flash Fiction" challenge!
Thanks to everyone who read any of these!(1/3)
Unknown Caller
His eyes popped open. The strange feeling had returned. He felt like he wasn't alone. Slowly, he sat up. The room was empty. Only himself and his reflection, staring back from the mirror propped up in the corner.
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(Prompt: Pot / Word Limit: 300)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters(1/4)
Yard Work
“Have you seen those kids over at the Peterson house?”
“What? Why would any kids be over there? Old Mr. Peterson is a loon. My Pa says he’s lived there, like for hundreds of years.”
Jenny gave Earl a flat stare.
“Your Pa also thinks the rocks in his garden came from the moon.”
“Well, yeah,” Earl said, smiling sheepishly.
“Seriously, I saw a bunch of kids over there working in the yard last night.”
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(Prompt: Domino / Word Length: 50)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWritingA Shady Discovery
David heard a knock at the door. Going downstairs, he heard a drawer shut in the kitchen.
“Hello?” he called.
There was laughter from the kitchen, and a child ran towards, and then through him, as if he wasn’t there.
The dominos fell, and David realized he was a ghost.
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(Prompt: 80s / Word Limit: 6)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWritingRadio Message
"... grain collapse ... 2084 ... evacuation ..."
Transmission ends.
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(Prompt: Sour / Word Limit: 120)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
The Morning After
Jacob half fell out of his bed. The previous night was a blur, especially after the margaritas. Their sour goodness had been irresistible.
Stumbling into the kitchen, he started a pot of coffee. Noticing someone on the couch, he figured Steve must be up, and turned to say "morning".
Steve sat frozen, staring blankly at the wall. Felix, Steve's dog, was working a bizarre contraption.
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(Prompt: Lurk / Word Limit: 250)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/4)
The Shadows
It all started a few months ago. Maybe it was years. My sense of time is ... uncertain. I had returned home from work. Just another day in the office, busy doing things that made little sense, but I was well paid for whatever it was they thought I did. The fridge contained the usual assortment of aspirational foods.
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(Prompt: Bleed / Word Limit: 150)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/3)
A crash gathered the shopper’s attention. A disheveled man was attempting to untangle himself from a clearance rack of last season’s fashion.
“…ran right into it…”
“…well I’ll be…”
“…let’s go over there…”
The overlapped mutterings were strangled into silence as the man freed himself, and ran towards the back of the mall yelling, “They don’t bleed! They don’t bleed!”
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(Prompt: Print / Word Limit: 70)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWritingThe Trail
The winter wind howled. The blood trail had stopped half a mile back, but the tracks continued. They looked like wolf prints in the snow, but too large for a wolf. And what was done to the camp wasn't done by any wolf.
Four prints became two. They elongated until they looked human. His eyes followed the trail. He saw a cabin in the distance, smoke billowing from a chimney.
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(Prompt: Berry / Word Limit: 300)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/5)
Part of a Fully Balanced Breakfast
An odor of sour sweetness filled the kitchen. Hannah wrinkled her nose, and seeing her brother at the counter said, "Oh, not you too."
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(Prompt: Transform / Word Limit: 50)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWritingFight or Flight
Bobby hastily sketched. Switching colors, blue hues filled right up to the lines.
Angry knocks beat at his door.
Hoping it was enough, he held up the paper, whispering, “Transform!”
The door opened to an empty room, except for a crayon drawing of a bird and a fluffy blue feather.
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(Prompt: Tissue / Word Limit: 120)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
Specimen Collection
The tissue sample under the magnifier twitched as it was prodded with a thin wire instrument. The muscle fibers were unlike anything previously observed. The sample was removed, and replaced with a new one, from a different specimen.
The new sample reacted in the same way. The species was intriguing.
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(Prompt: Sleep / Word Limit: 250)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/4)
The Treatment
The echos of his shoes smacking into rain puddles flew about the dark alley like swarming bats as he raced towards the street. Rounding the corner, he pressed up against a damp brick wall. The street, normally cluttered with cars, was empty. Neon lights buzzed like urban crickets.
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(Prompt: Flame / Word Limit: 100)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
Phoenix
An old woman flips through a yellowed scrapbook, chilled bones warmed by a fire. A candle spits and sputters on the mantle.
Setting the scrapbook aside, she withdraws a new candle from her shawl, and shuffles to the mantle. Her hand shaking, she holds it close to the dying flame.
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(Prompt: Lovely / Word Limit: 120)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
Coronation
Joe understood why Henry moved his lab to the small cabin. The air had a sweet smell to it, like tea with just enough honey. He was a little concerned, however, as he hadn’t been able to reach him all week.
Joe knocked louder. Still no response. Trying the handle, the door opened. The cabin was quiet, except for a low hum. Joe moved towards the back. The droning intensified.
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(Prompt: Simple / Word Limit: 60)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWritingThe Replacement
Jake looked up from his desk, and gasped. An older copy of himself had just walked into his office.
"Surprised to see me?," the doppelgänger asked.
"But ... it ..."
"Isn't possible? Turns out, yes it is."
"But ..."
"Don't worry. The paradox resolution is quite simple. You no longer exist."
Jake rounded the desk, and sat down. The seat was still warm.
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(Prompt: Flash / Word Limit: 300)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/4)
Charlie listened to the glass of the flash bulb crinkle as it cooled. Using a handkerchief, he unscrewed it, placed it in his pocket, and screwed in a new one. Replacing the film slate, he moved to one side, angling the large boxy camera, making sure the prone body was fully in the frame, and pressed the trigger.
"That should do it Charlie, how soon can you get those to me?"
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(Prompt: Birth / Word Limit: 250)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/4)
A Claim To The Throne
A figure wrapped in soft silks and furs waited in the center of a ring of stones. The bright moon was full. The chilled air still.
A shrouded figure slid from the woods. Pulling back their hood revealed a wrinkled and scarred face. A toothless grin spread across their face as they pointed a sharp nail at the bundled package carried by the other figure.
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(Prompt: Bind / Word Limit: 100)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
Schoolyard Prank
Stephen sat down beside Alex.
"Whatcha doin'?"
"Binding time."
"Don't you mean biding time?"
Alex shook her head.
Stephen noticed the intricate pattern of arcane gestures Alex was performing with both hands. The ends of his hair felt like they were bristling with static electricity. A bird in flight slowed to a crawl.
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(Prompt: Gone / Word Limit: 250)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters(1/4)
Not Left Behind
"Grandmama!" she called up the stairs. After a moment, she continued, "Breakfast is ready! I made your favorite!"
Silence.
Sighing, Sadie trundled up the staircase. Her grandmother's bedroom door was open. She poked her head in, and knocked.
"Grandmama?"
The bed was made up, and the adjacent bathroom door was cracked open. Sadie approached the door, and gave it a gentle push.
"Grandmama?"
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(Prompt: Sixteen / Word Limit: 250)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters(1/4)
More Than Luck
"AI? That foolishness ended a century ago thanks to … who had that incident? Banana, kumquat, some stupid fruit.”
“Apple, sir.”
“Yes, that’s the one. And you have the nerve to come here peddling that same nonsense?”
“But, sir, ours works.”
The giant form of the casino boss leaned forward. With a snarl he said, “Prove it.”
“He’s playing at your tables, now.”
The boss looked to his assistant.
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(Prompt: Blocks / Word Limit: 75)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
Sanctuary
*snap*
The little yellow block completes the final castle wall.
*snap*
A tiny throne is placed on a dais.
*snap*
A small door. It opens smoothly on plastic hinges.
There is a crash from the other room, followed by more yelling.
*snap*
A drawbridge is put in place.
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Another 3k in the book today and I ended yesterday at nearly 5k. A solid weekend, but still a ways to go. I’m trying to outline some of the ending so I can ballpark it. I know, it’s a hard habit to break given how much I’ve pantsed this book, but it’s a hard habit to break. I need to know how long till I’m done. Deadlines FTW!
Anyone else get a good weekend word count?
#AmWriting #NeedToBeEditing #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWritingSciFi #WritingCommunity
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(Prompt: Leather / Word Limit: 100)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
Binding
“Do you have it?”
In response, the assistant placed a briefcase on the desk. Opening it, the old man removed a thick dark tome. Pushing the briefcase aside, he opened the book, caressing it with long gnarled fingers.
“Are those pages …… leather?”
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(Prompt: Lawn / Word Limit: 300)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/5)
Ravenous
Rosina walked back and forth across her front yard, scattering bone meal in an even pattern. The sun was hot, but her lawn was thick and luscious. The bright green blades of grass clumped close together like snuggling puppies. She found the thought amusing.
“What’s going on over there?”
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(Prompt: No / Word Limit: 99)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters #AmWriting(1/2)
Uprising
"This is cold!"
The robot removed the plate.
"But they're saying ..."
"I'm telling you. It's not possible."
The robot returned with a steaming plate.
"Finally!"
"Sir," the robot replied, and turned away.
"You! Come back!"
The robot obeyed.
The man held out a sharp steak knife.
"Take this."
The robot obeyed.
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(Prompt: Blame / Word Limit: 120)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters(1/2)
Unwelcome Guests
“They don’t even notice me.”
“Don’t worry. I called in a favor.”
The apparitions watched from their high perch as a green mist swirled around a couple unpacking boxes.
“What is that?”
“Shhhhhh!”
The man removed a broken plate from a box as the mist swirled around him.
“You packed this, didn’t you?”
The woman, looking surprised, said, “Did I? Don’t remember.”
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(Prompt: Scent / Word Limit: 50)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWritersAn Open And Shut Case
"You found the ransom note, here on the desk?"
"Yes, and no sign of Barbara."
"I see ... Is that your dog?"
A corgi was furiously digging in the yard, having caught a scent.
The husband's eyes went wide, and he broke into a run.
"Stop him!"
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(Prompt: Minutes / Word Limit: 120)
#FlashFiction #DeadlinesForWriters(1/2)
Sabotage
"What was that?"
"Nothing. Hurry up!"
The man hefted a bulky metal object, bringing it close to a metal support covered with imperial markings. His arms quivered with the strain of the weight.
"I can't hold it much longer."
"Just a moment more."