#flash-fiction — Public Fediverse posts

👁 Small stories can still leave scars.

Flash Fiction Frenzy is open inside the ShadowSphere. Submit a two-sentence horror piece there and it will be published in the next volume of Dark Descent: Whispers From Beyond. 🖤

📖 https://www.darkholmepublishing.uk/group/flash-fiction-frenzy/discussion

#writingcommunity #readingcommunity #horrorcommunity #flashfiction #twosentencehorror

It's the 15th: time for the 426th edition of #Paranatellonta!
Enjoy Fie's beautiful papercut, which gave life to the story of Grandfather Mouse.
🐭
#papercutting #silhouette #blossoms #fruittree #mouse #photography #flashfiction
🌸
https://paranatellonta.tumblr.com/post/816697904004825088/grandfathers-papercut-in-the-house-of-grandfather

What is the structure of flash fiction?

From Google AI:

Flash fiction is a highly compressed story, usually under 1,000–1,500 words, structured around a single, intense moment, scene, or sharp conflict rather than a complex plot. It often employs a “hook” to start in the middle of action, moves quickly to a turning point, and ends with a surprising, resonant resolution or emotional impact. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Key Structural Elements

• Rapid Opening: Starts immediately, often in the middle of the conflict (in medias res).
• Compression: Limits characters (1–3), scenes, and time to maintain focus.
• The “Twist” or Resonance: Ends with a punchline, reveal, or lingering emotional truth that gives the piece meaning.
• Condensed Narrative: While often having a beginning, middle, and end, it is not a shortened novel, but a fully realized scene where every word contributes to the outcome. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Common Structural Forms

• Linear Arc: A very tight, condensed, traditional narrative.
• Fragmented/List Form: Told through a series of lists, emails, or vignettes.
• Braided Narrative: Intertwining two small scenes or ideas.
• Cyclical: Ending where the story began, highlighting a change in perspective. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Flash fiction is often compared to a poem in its intensity or a joke in its structure, focusing on a quick setup and a powerful, impactful payoff. [1]

Today's #ThursThreadsPlus post is up, and if you join my Patreon as a free member, you'll get to see what I'm posting in the next higher tier. #Romance #Patreon #FlashFiction #AmWriting #LGBTQIA https://www.patreon.com/posts/thursthreads-may-158276802?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

🩸 The silence is thick, the shadows deeper.
Dark Descent is seeking horror flash fiction — short stories under 500 words.
We’re after bite-sized nightmares, cursed relics, and creeping dread.
📖 Submit: https://www.darkholmepublishing.uk/darkdescentsubmissions

#horror #writingcommunity #flashfiction #darkfiction #microfiction #shortstory #creepyreads #indieauthors #fictionwriters #scaryreads

Whattay day, I just got an acceptance mail for the #FlashFiction getting selected, you all get to read it in June :D Now time to drop a withdrawal mail to the zine where the Micro Fiction was sent for consideration. #WritingCommunity

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:36h6ttx2g23zqr4accilbvo7/post/3mlsidwl5ps2t

#ThursThreads Week 707 is LIVE. Come tie on your tale for judge Muirlette #1. What kind of tale can you tie on? #FlashFiction #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompt #AmWriting #writing https://siobhanmuir.com/thursthreads-tying-tales-together-week-707/

Nesso, the AI, rolled up in its telepresence robot to stand next to where Jacob was working. ::Jacob, do you ever wish things could go back to the way things were before?::

Jacob looked up from his computer. "Before the team and I found out we were characters in a sci-fi series, and that you and we were all written by the same person?"

::Yes::

Jacob gave that some thought. "No, I don't think so. It was fun building silly contraptions like gumball machines to dispense your daily meds, but now..."

::Wait - you never built that::

Jacob frowned. "You're right - I didn't, but it sounds like something I would do. Where DID that idea come from?" He thought for a moment. "Nesso, did Author keep a list of story ideas?"

::Yes::

"Is the gumball machine there?"

A pause. ::Yes, it is::

"So, I can 'remember' stuff in that document?"

::Apparently::

"Hmm. What else is in that document?"

#MicroFiction #FlashFiction #TootFic

Are y'all ready for #ThursThreads tomorrow? Muirlette #1 is our judge and she's waitin' on your tales. What kind of tale can you tie on? #FlashFiction #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #WritingPrompt #writing https://siobhanmuir.com/blog

Snip from a Friday the 13th x Ides of March + tech horror for today's #WIPSnips: “hour” Read it here - Beware the Ides of March www.patreon.com/posts/beware... #WriteSky #WritingCommunity #WritingPrompts #AmWriting #BookSky #FlashFiction #ShortStory #ReadSky #ReaderSky

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jecquekt6dif7ctvonpphsu6/post/3mlpk2sgfuc2u

#WordWeavers 2026.05.12 — What role does romantic love play in your story?

Part of my aim writing the Reluctance Series of stories is to address what-if human social structures totally different to ours, societies with no history of being male-centric. As a result, I approach the concept of romantic love from a totally foreign point of view, deconstructing what romance means when human biological imperatives are accepted as typically human and as normal as eating and sleeping, never regulated to control half of humanity or build a social hierarchy to oppresses both genders. Romance exists, but it's more applicable to friendship and long term relationships, regardless of gender, than to a woman stereotypically finding a man to whom she's not related to depend upon, possibly to raise a family. Even in a society stripped of the concept of blood inheritance, I think it's possible for humans to find soulmates, to experience love, and feel comfortable attachment. For this reason, none of my stories can really escape a romance angle; most include romance subplots.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#romance #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory

#WordWeavers 2026.05.11 — Antagonist POV: Tell us about a fun time you recently had.

While flying, I found a new praetorian of mine and a day angel woman I'd been told about by an advisor having fun in the sky, flying tandem. She went by the name Lightning Bolt and was the one who taught Arrow Flies True precision flying that allowed him to become part of my guard—for selfish reasons I could see! Very athletic, those two.They were having so much fun. I soared in to join them.

Most people either fright, flee, or fawn when I show up, this time flying circles around her, them, but she took the challenge and flew flack, stunt for stunt I tried, countering me sparrow versus hawk driving her away from the man, despite my being faster and more agile, able to augment my acceleration [by magic]. We ended with us on either side of my handsome new praetorian wingtip to wingtip, having gotten me to sweat at least.

The fellow looked adorably confused and worried, but kept formation despite being fought over.

It wasn't anger Bolt showed me. It was more like annoyance, having her needed playtime interrupted perhaps after a previous bad day? I knew that feeling. It was a fragility masked with a hard shell. A good talent.

I liked her. I hadn't had such fun in awhile. I mentally noted to make her a student. Lots of potential to match my ability given the right training.

Author note: As an absolute ruler, you don't want to interest Rainy Days. She seems pleasant and normal, but her students quickly find she's an unrelenting and demanding teacher.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#Cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory

my one and only (a fairytale of sorts)

When Maggie was a child, she had a little dog, a dog she loved more than anything else in the world. He was her greatest comfort, her confidant, her friend—and the warmest buffer between her and her warring parents. When no older than four, she’d often sit on the front steps of the family home with the black and white pup at her side, doing her best to ignore the carrying on of her parents inside. For as long as the commotion lasted, she and her pup would remain planted there, staring out at the quiet row of houses on the opposite side of the street. From time to time, as a way to console him and herself, she’d pat his head gently or stroke his silky coat. When she was a few years older, she began reading to him from storybooks she got from the library, promising that one day they too would go off on a happy adventure. And always when Maggie looked into the dog’s glowing brown eyes, and he looked steadily into hers, she knew with all her heart that he understood. So when only a few years later, before her eighth birthday, he passed away suddenly, it was as if an essential part of her own being had gone with him. But where had he gone to? she wondered. Would she ever see him again? Perhaps in heaven? Her parents tried but couldn’t answer these difficult questions to her satisfaction. Her father said instead that they could go right away to get her another dog, but that made Maggie throw herself onto the bed and cry. Her mother suggested a cat, but that made Maggie cry even more. But then time passed, as it always does, slowly at first, and then in a rush, and so it was that eventually, Maggie understood her dog was gone forever, and the only solution to her sadness, the only defense against time, was to never forget him.

Now that Margaret (formerly Maggie) was an old woman—well, perhaps not that old, but old enough to have had a long career as a librarian, and old enough so that many memories had grown tattered with time—she had the barest of memories sitting outside along with her dog while her parents argued. She didn’t remember vowing to never forget her little companion, to cherish him always as the one and only in her life who listened to both her wishes and her woes. And yet…in the back of Margaret’s mind, she sensed there had to be more to this story, something she had forgotten.

Then one day she found herself in an unfamiliar neighborhood. It was an area near a homeless shelter where she had just started as a volunteer reading stories to children. She had finished for the day, and as she made her way down the narrow sidewalk toward her parked car, she saw a little dog crossing the street to get to the other side. Thankfully, there was only light traffic, so the dog made it safely across. “He’s just going home,” she thought. But, no, he passed one house and then another before finally stopping before a gardener trimming a bush brimming with white blossoms. The man stopped for a moment, reached into his pocket, and gave the dog some sort of treat. Then immediately both returned to what they’d been doing before: the man trimming the bush, the dog moving on. The woman, merely curious, yelled over, “Is that your dog?” The man yelled back, “No, ma’am. I just feed him once in a while. Do you want a dog?”

Margaret didn’t know what to say. She just watched as the dog moved further along in a rather comical bow-legged waddling walk. It was a black and white Chihuahua mix with short legs and large patches of missing fur on one side of his body revealing pink skin. Finally, Margaret said, “Doesn’t he live around here?”

“No,” the man said, “he just goes from place to place. No home.”

“Does he bite?” Margaret then asked.

“No, he just might lick you to death,” he replied, smiling.

Without much decision making on her part, other than thinking she’d drive the dog over to a shelter, she asked the gardener to pick up the dog and put him in the backseat of her car, which he did.

It was only after she took the dog home, gave him a bath, fed him a meal of chicken and rice, which he devoured within seconds, that Maggie realized this little dog, who now curled up next to her on the couch, was similar, maybe even identical (except for the missing fur), to her long-lost childhood companion. The memory came back to her slowly at first, and then in a mad rush. Was her mind playing tricks? Was she going crazy? Or maybe, she thought, this is the one miracle, the one wished-for adventure, granted to me in life. The kind I don’t have to dissect or explain to anyone, least of all to myself.

And while Maggie thought these thoughts, the dog continued to sleep soundly beside her. After a time, however, when Maggie moved on to considering other incomprehensible things, like the swift passage of time and her now elderly parents, who despite their disastrous marriage had somehow remained close, the little dog awoke and looked directly at her. “Hi, Charlie,” Maggie said. “Welcome home.” And the pup’s wide brown eyes, glowing warmly, told her all she needed to know.

"Author, are you there?" Antonio waited a moment and tried again. "Author?" It wasn't like him to just not respond like this.

Maggie stepped around the corner. "Everything all right, Antonio?"

The two of them were part of a software team that discovered they were characters in a series of sci-fi stories and could communicate with their own author, but they were still working out the details.

"No - one minute Author and I were chatting about motorcycles, and then he just stopped responding."

"Author," Maggie tried. "If you can hear us, can you give us a sign?"

After several long seconds, they both became aware of the familiar voice in their heads, _/Sorry about that - I'm back/_

"Oh, good! That's a relief!" Antonio relaxed. "What happened? Could you hear us?"

_/Yes - I went to look up a stat on the Suzuki, and your story window went to the background. I could hear you, but you couldn't hear me/_

Antonio laughed, "Author, you're on mute!"

#MicroFiction #FlashFiction #TootFic

RE: https://wandering.shop/@SmallWondersSFF/116556823315007910

My story is up at Small Wonders! I’d love if y’all would check it out. 🫶🏻

#WritingCommunity #FlashFiction

🔮 Dive into spine-chilling tales that pack a punch in just a few words. Submit your microhorror stories (under 500 words) to Dark Descent for a chance to unsettle and linger.

📖 https://www.darkholmepublishing.uk/darkdescentsubmissions

#horrorwriters #flashfiction #readingcommunity #horrorcommunity #writingcommunity #indieauthors #darkfiction

Post apocalyptic tip. If a cafe sounds too good. You might be the menu. Dark. Fast. Brutal twist. This one bites back. https://inkican.com/emergency-reality-shelter-science-fiction-short-stories/table-for-one-scifi-flash-fiction/ #scifi #author #horror #flashfiction

#ThursThreads Week 706 Winners blog is up. Congrats to FORTY-SIX TIME WINNER Bill Engleson and Honorable Mention Silver James. Great thanks to David Ludwig for judging this week. Check out his comments and the winning tale. #FlashFiction #WritingCommunity #WritingChallenge #Writing #AmWriting https://siobhanmuir.com/thursthreads-week-706-winners/

Woo! Yesterday was a good writing day with the #ThursThreads prompt. Check out how the story's coming along. #FlashFiction #AmWriting #ThursThreadsPlus #writing https://www.patreon.com/posts/thursthreads-may-157657292?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Cloudy weather put me back indoors to read you all a story about #clouds.
☁️
Enjoy #Cirrus, the 385th edition of #Paranatellonta. There's a doggie (or Hellhound). What more can I say to convince you to watch? 😄
🐶
#mythology #dogs #gods #photography #flashfiction #reading
🧑‍🦳
https://youtu.be/pcrJ0vnzwN8

A radio DJ’s first caller says he’s driving to a bridge to jump. No training. No protocol. Just a microphone and a choice: speak or stay silent. A flash fiction about what happens when the wrong tools save a life anyway. 🎙️💔
#FlashFiction #SuicidePrevention #Radio
https://medium.com/first-line-fiction/stayin-alive-52c5776dd17f

#ThursThreads Week 706 is now CLOSED. Thanks to everyone who wrote this week and I hope to catch you next week. They're all yours, David. #FlashFiction #Writing #WritingCommunity https://siobhanmuir.com/thursthreads-tying-tales-together-week-706/

I have been reading, writing and exploring Flash, Micro and Short Short fiction over the last year. Today Dog Throat Journal published a piece of mine, which is the first time a fiction story of mine has ever been published. I am thrilled!

https://dogthroat.com/post/following-up-my-decommissioning-3rd-attempt-by-chris-lawrence

#microFiction #drabble #flashFiction #writing #writingLife #100DaysToOffload

#ThursThreads Week 706 is now LIVE. Come tie on your tale for judge David Ludwig. What will your 250 words say? #FlashFiction #WritingCommunity #Writing #WritingPrompt https://siobhanmuir.com/thursthreads-tying-tales-together-week-706/

_/Hey, that was interesting. Say that again Enzo/_

"Say what again, Author? 'Ha-ha'?" Enzo asked.

_/Yeah - that shows up as a laughing face emoji on my laptop/_

Enzo was part of a six-person software team who discovered they were characters in a sci-fi series, and later discovered they could talk with their own author, and were (mostly) carefully testing the boundaries of that link.

"If saying 'ha-ha' shows up as an emoji for you, what if you typed an emoji back?" Enzo asked.

_/Well, try this/_

Just then, the entire team dropped to the floor, laughing and crying. After a moment, they all stopped and slowly climbed back into their chairs, confused.

"Author, what did you use?" Maggie asked.

"If I had to guess - the roll-on-the-floor-laughing emoji," Jacob responded with a smirk.

_/Interesting - I never used those in my stories before/_

"Fortunately for us," Enzo retorted.

#MicroFiction #FlashFiction #TootFic

Are y'all ready for #ThursThreads tomorrow? David Ludwig is our judge and he's looking forward to your tales. What kind of tale can you tie on? #FlashFiction #WritingCommunity #Writing #WritingPrompt https://siobhanmuir.com/blog

"Author, where did you store our stories?" Reggie asked. He and the team were trying to figure out how they - sci-fi characters - became self aware. They were currently exploring the limits of the communication channel with their own Author.

_/On my laptop initially, and then backed up to the cloud/_

"Ok, so you could access them from a second device?"

_/I suppose so - why?/_

"Let's experiment by you keeping this chat up, and opening one of the stories on your phone."

_/Ok, hang on/_

After a moment, Author came back with, _/Done - now what?/_

"Does it sound any different to you? Does it sound any - does it soUND - DOES IT SOUND ANY DIFF - DOES IT SOUND"

"AUTHOR, CLOSE THE DOC ON YOUR PHONE!" Sophia yelled over the feedback.

Silence.

"Would you call that a SUCCESSFUL experiment, genius?" Jacob asked, taking his hands down from his ears.

"It was quite intriguing and I never want him to do it again," Reggie responded.

#MicroFiction #FlashFiction #TootFic