500 word short story.
Aug 9, 2024 · 500 word short stories.
500 word short story Posted in 500 Word short stories, Behind the Plague Door, Blog Post, Phil Cosker | Tagged 500 Word short stories, Blog, fiction, new blog, Phil Cosker Writer, Writing | 2 Replies The Unicorn Posted on January 15, 2023 by Phil Cosker writer 10 An AI Short Story Generator is a digital tool that helps writers create short stories by using artificial intelligence. A successful twist should be both surprising and inevitable, achieved through careful crafting of the story and building tension. Write for free with our AI-powered short story generator tool on Canva Docs. Take a look at our recap of the short short stories we have published on our site. A Short Story of Great Feb 8, 2019 · Author Christopher Edge shares his top tips on for planning a top-tier tale for the BBC 500 Words short story competition. Its crew—twenty of Earth’s best scientists and engineers—were declared lost when contact was severed thirty years ago. You never know where it could lead, and it keeps you thinking and telling your stories. They're short (and we mean short), intense (imagine a novel crossed with a haiku), and mesmerizing (whether they're illuminating a single moment or a whole life). In a certain village lived a farmer and his only son. Part of the Farnham Literary Festival 2025 Dead Camel — 2000 Words — War — Short-Story. She had been Read more… Oct 3, 2022 · The Story Circle — Does it work as a short story structure? If your work is under 1,500 words, one of the most effective structures you can use is the Story Circle. But that's how all big stories begin. Flash fiction is a short story that is 500 words or less. He continued this wicked lifestyle till the day his cup got filled. It’s all become part of my Taking The Iron Writer elements and incorporating them into a story is a great way to flex one’s writing muscles. Two recent comments on stories. But, dark clouds remained and hovered above the sparsely populated street. Nov 20, 2024 · Traditional short stories generally range from 1,000 to 6,000 words, though many publications prefer stories under 2,000 words. Mar 8, 2015 · As I mentioned earlier, short stories are generally between 500 and 7,500 words long, with the most popular length around 2,500 to 4,000 words. 2024 was my 140 th so far. Mar 15, 2025 · Short stories with ~500 wordsThe Odyssey-12 was never meant to return. Any story that caught your fancy, developed a great plot along with being concise would be welcomed Aug 23, 2023 · Writing short stories? Let's talk where to submit short stories! Here’s where to get them published -- and most of these outlets pay. Hey, I suck at writing and by the end of this week I have to have a (minimum) 500 word short story written. Looking for inspiration to write one myself. Flash fiction: This term covers all of the previous categories. Many people want to write, but struggle with getting out the words. Jun 18, 2025 · Five on the Fifth publishes five short stories on the fifth of each month. We help you get started by giving you lots of words to play with and edit. Feedback and support both we Mar 6, 2018 · They rarely cover stories like Yasutera Yamada. It seeped out through a About the Short Story Prompt Generator Introducing a short story prompt generator designed to inspire writers at any stage of their creative journey. Scroll through our stories and pick the one you like. Thank you for visiting my short story blog. Apr 1, 2025 · Short stories with ~500 wordsThe neon lights flickered overhead as Detective Leo Vargas stepped into the back alley. If you want to submit your short story to a website, magazine or contest, be sure to read their guidelines as to length, genre, language no-no’s, and so on. Feb 24, 2022 · 100 Awesome Flash Fiction Prompts - Plus Bonus Prompts! We’ve put together 100 flash fiction prompts, each one designed for a very short story. A new must-have write-in book for kids to put down their ideas, set the scene, choose their characters and craft the best short story in 500 words. Browse our most recent submissions in many genres to suit all! 500 Words - The Stories 2020 2020 Winning Stories Celebrity guests read the winning stories for the special 2020 virtual final. Discover a curated collection of over 200 flash fiction stories by Eva MacInnes on Medium. It was an experimental deep-space vessel, sent to explore the edge of the known universe. Use our Short Story Generator below to create a 500-word story: Step 1: Choose Genre (s) Jun 24, 2018 · Welcome to Lit Up -The Land of Little Tales. Jan 24, 2025 · Traveling the deserts of the Southwest USA in a half converted bus after my stage4 cancer diagnosis, I write to make sense of it all. Just look at that face. With colourful illustrations throughout, it has prompts and ideas from bestselling children's author Christopher Edge for building plot, action, characters, scenes, beginnings and endings to help kids who are looking for a starting point for story Aug 19, 2023 · There are a variety of fiction markets looking for your short stories and, more commonly, flash fiction. Stories must be the original work of the entrant, and previously unpublished. Look at those eyes. Some people consider stories up to 1,500 words to be flash fiction. Hit home on several levels for me. The SON was a thief who goes about stealing from people’s homes. Furious Fiction | first Friday of every month a new challenge, up to 500 words. She found it while cleaning, remembering how she and her brother used to watch Saturday morning Read more… LATEST SHORT STORIES EXPLORE BY CATEGORY Explore a range of captivating stories across genres, complemented by illustrations that enhance the narrative experience. ‘The Loft’, posted on 08. Apple Valley Review – (also accepts short stories, poetry and essays) looks for literary fiction with a broad appeal. Feb 18, 2019 · So you’ve got your idea, and you’ve planned the plot. Sometimes the hardest thing about writing is getting started. Below is his short story of great Courage in just 500 words. Sep 16, 2024 · Waiting for the bus or simply looking for something short to read? Freeshortstories. Best short story under 500 words that you have read. In this article, we’ll look at a list of six paying markets that include reputable online publications and literary magazines. New stories each week. 09. Today, we'll learn how to write effective flash fiction. But Read more… A growing collection of 500 word stories, ranging in genres from magical realism to tragedy and mystery, with unique characters and prompts. Charlie Higson's tips 500 Words judge and award winning children's story book author, Charlie Higson explains what he looks out for in 500 Word entries. May 14, 2022 · Multiple worlds in the confinement of 500 words may be impractical but go for it if you think you can. I like the feeling of numbness and being unaware in that split second when I open my eyes, as opposed to the hardships of my daily life. Accompanying lesson plans can also be found at TpT with over 182 pages of thought-provoking and engaging material. While there's no official rulebook sitting around somewhere, there are some general guidelines to keep in mind. What’s in our lesson plans? See here. Always free. Conditions were ideal for it to go in search of a meal. Overcast skies and rain-drenched surface created the perfect environment for the underground creature. pdf), Text File (. , Writing | Tagged 500 Word short stories Blog fiction new blog Phil Cosker Writer Writing writing fiction | Leave a reply An Albatross Posted on April 27, 2025 by Phil Cosker writer Reply From Kafka to Joyce Carol Oates, here are 25 of the best flash fiction stories to keep you occupied for a few minutes (or less). Transform your ideas into captivating narratives - no login required. Aug 9, 2024 · 500 word short stories. She had always loved this place—its quiet charm, the rows of bookshelves stacked with forgotten Read more… Create engaging short stories instantly with our free AI-powered Short Story Generator. Illiterate Books | Story Generator You can write a book. They pay $0. We can help. “Very disturbing story. These 16 stories can be found in our free PDF download (click thumbnail to preview). Perhaps by reading more stories describing the real Courage of an average person like Yasuteru Yamada, we will be inspired to exercise Courage ourselves. “Sandy would have been twelve today. Apr 6, 2025 · Short stories with ~500 wordsClara had just moved into the old house on Elm Street. Especially a big one. Some bore scars from past beatings. Sep 3, 2021 · The average short story should run anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 words, but they can be anything above 1,000 words. So here I am, I don't know what a short story of 500 word should and shouldn't contain and whenever I get to writing I put too much details, action and explaining the magic system and there end up being no interesting fights or meaning to the story and the character themselves feels like cardboard. Other sources say that anything down to 100 words is a Award winning funny short stories with an ironic twist. They aim to respond within one month. They were a pitiable group, barely covered by grimy rags, skin black with filth and shoulders bowed. Here you can read and submit short stories, flash fiction, poetry - in brief, your own legend. Now comes the hardest (but most rewarding) part – actually writing your story. Jan 13, 2021 · Flash Fiction is a term used to refer to a very short story, usually between 500 and 1500 words. ” She hadn’t given the number to anyone. A selection of winning stories from NYC Midnight writing challenges ranging from 100 to 2,500 words. So my school is having a short story competition and the all we have to do is write a story where the main character faces an important decision. Choose some keywords and we will automatically create a short story in seconds. Nancy Ludmerer has published over 100 stories in such places as Kenyon Review, Litro (print and online), North American Review, Best Spiritual Literature, and Fish Anthology. They accept flash fiction and stories of up to 5000 words, including genre fiction. Automatically generate a story plot for film or paperback using keywords of your choice. TWO STORIES EACH AT 500 WORDS FOR EASY READING, by Rob Wilcher The Slave Five bedraggled slaves made their sorry way up the gangplank past the Quartermaster’s bleary stare. Jul 9, 2013 · A little piece about the short short story, and a long long list of many short shorts. doc), PDF File (. What an expression” “Enough!, enough already! I'm so damn tired of hearing about that dog I could puke. Welcome to 500 Word Stories! Hey everyone! This is 500 word stories, where you're prompted to write a short story every day. Can anybody give me some ideas? For example, terms like short shorts and sudden fiction are used to describe longer forms of flash fiction that are more than 500 words, while microfiction refers to the shortest forms of flash fiction, at 300 to 400 words or less. It was cheaper than most places she had looked at, and she figured the history of the house didn’t matter as long as it suited her needs. May 9, 2019 · 500 Word Short Story FICTION 500 Words: The Mysterious Boy by Lucas May 9, 2019 storgykids "The Farnham Flash Fiction International Competition invites aspiring writers from around the world to submit their stories. Rainwater trickled into the storm drain below and lured the brown, slimy creature to the surface. In the story, a young wife, Louise Mallard, is informed that her husband is Jan 14, 2025 · Learn about the word count, submission site, and contest prizes for short story contests throughout 2025. Four writers are officially part of the challenge each week, but there’s nothing to stop you (or me Apr 15, 2017 · In my time of decompression, I like to stay in touch with the craft by writing short fiction. Jan 16, 2022 · These contests often have strict word count limitations, often requiring stories to be under 1,000 words or even as short as 100 words. The farmer involved the police immediately he found out that his money was missing Nov 10, 2025 · Winning stories are published in the monthly issue of Story Unlikely, and the top story may be featured on the website and considered for the annual print magazine. It wasn’t the first time he’d been here—this part of the city had Read more… Apr 1, 2025 · Short stories with ~500 wordsThe phone rang for the third time that night. Word count: Up to 4,000 words (5,000 for paying members) Prizes: $1,500, $1,000, $500 Entry: Free Closing date: 31 January 2025 Dandelion Cottage Short Story Contest 500 Word Short Story “They say a picture is worth a thousand words. txt) or read online for free. Aug 30, 2025 · I’d entered a local short story competition and to my amazement had been short-listed in the flash category with a 300 word story. NYC Midnight hosts inspiring challenges for storytellers around the world. Click to read now! 500 Words 2025 – Live Lesson Join 500 Words judge Sir Lenny Henry and Naomi Wilkinson on a mission to collect the key ingredients of a brilliant story in this year's special 500 Words Live Lesson. ” Biggs continued to admire the photo of his German Shepherd. If your story falls within this length, you have plenty of options, but it’s important to note that shorter pieces—especially those around the 2,000-word mark—tend to have an easier time getting accepted. Apr 1, 2025 · Short stories with ~500 wordsThe rain hammered the pavement, turning the streets of the city into slick rivers of silver. From brief and impactful to rich and immersive, there’s something for every reader. Free Essay: Thesis: In a year full of new lessons and different visions of the world; a quite influential day came when I entered to the realization I was no Below, we introduce ten classic short stories – very short stories – from some of the finest authors in the literary canon. These very short stories are perfect for high school or middle school students or anyone who loves reading. All, except the Sep 29, 2025 · The Definition of Flash Fiction Short stories are generally defined by their word count. It was Read more… 500-word Fiction Challenge, Top Stories An ambitious half-knight is tasked with delivering an important letter but, after accidentally breaking the royal seal, must decide whether or not to read the contents. When it all comes trickling back into my mind. Posted in 2025, 500 Word short stories, Phil Cosker, UK. These prompts will probably be best suited to a story of between 300-1,000 words. ” Johnny Jul 8, 2023 · Flash fiction challenges writers to tell a complete story with a twist in 500 words or less. If you want to write a longer story using these prompts, you can easily expand these ideas to fit a story of any length. Mar 11, 2022 · Our list of magazines and journals that publish ultra-short stories of under 500 words, including many that also accept creative nonfiction Best Short Stories for Middle School: Free PDF Below we’ve selected our favorite 16 short stories for middle school. Aug 26, 2024 · Currently, they are open for short story submissions of up to 10,000 words, and the deadline for that is 2 September 2024. “Room 9,” the clerk said, his voice low and Read more… December Drizzle My favorite part of the day is when I wake up. Out of the Circle 2. If you are looking for very short scary stories you can read in just few minutes, these horror stories will not disappoint you. If you pick two or more settings, you need to describe them at least, but remember that you only have 500 words to write your story in, so keep it short! Give a short description of your characters and their surroundings. I sit up, simply allowing myself to feel the emptiness that surrounds me. Check out our easy-to-use list of 500 writing prompts, sorted by genre. This forces writers to be concise and creative, condensing their ideas into a tight and compelling narrative. She goes through a process to create a short story. Flash fiction is widely considered to be between 500 and 1,000 words. Micro Fiction Quick, impactful reads—stories under 500 words, offering a brief yet powerful narrative 500 Words Stories Texts - Free download as Word Doc (. See full list on jessicadazzo. Never run out of short stories ideas with this writing prompt generator. Aug 15, 2025 · The Magnolia Hotel had been empty for years, its brass letters dulled and windows coated in dust. 6 days ago · The 500-word Fiction Challenge is an international creative writing competition that challenges participants to create short stories based on genre, action, and object assignments in 48 hours. We're starting little. You're meant to follow along and write a story around 250 words while you watch, but the concepts she talks about can be stretched into a story of any length! This exercise helped me out a lot in creating short form stories, and I recommend it to anyone looking to do the same. Those of you familiar with the Iron Writer Challenge remember there are four elements to be incorporated into a 500 word story and there are only four days in which to do so. Oct 30, 2025 · Emerald City Ghosts | flash fiction to 500 words, short stories to 2,000, poetry & reviews. me Okefenokee Freedom — 2000 Words — Prison Break — As You Were: Military Experience and the Arts A Wartime Breakfast with Ramirez — 1500 Words — Literary/War — Proud to Be: Writing by American Warriors Volume 10 — Southeast Missouri State University Press Narrative Non-Fiction: Oct 22, 2023 · A nice house that's actually in their budget? How did Nancy and Jim get so lucky? A 500-word horror short story by William Cennamo. When Stefan arrived, he wasn’t looking for luxury—just a cheap room for the night. Best 500 Word Stories to Read Right Now. The worst part is the seconds following. Need a story but don't have much time? Looking for writing inspiration? We are reinventing the short story 200 words at a time May 31, 2018 · Sudden fiction: Also called immediate fiction or short shorts, sudden fiction includes stories that fall between 500 and 750 words. Sep 26, 2023 · UK wide children’s creative writing competition 500 Words launches Primary school aged children from across the UK can submit their own original short story from today, Tuesday 26 September Oct 10, 2020 · Pocket horror, flash scare, 500 word of fright, I hope you like them. Mar 23, 2025 · Short stories with ~500 wordsThe Bookshop Between Us The scent of aged paper and freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air as Sophie tucked herself into the corner of the little bookshop café. Nov 4, 2024 · Short stories with ~200 wordsIn the quaint town of Willow Creek, where secrets whispered through the grapevine, there lived an unlikely pair: Emily, the vivacious cheerleader, and Ethan, the unassuming bookworm. I published the first story on May 3 rd 2020. It was the old landline her landlord insisted had to stay plugged in “for emergencies. Most are now accepting submissions Generate inspiring prompts and make stories with ease. Here are Christopher Edge's top tips on how to get started. Sep 1, 2025 · Submit short stories & poems, or read short stories & poems for free and leave constructive criticism and comments for our authors. The benefits of writing 500 words a day are: it helps to avoid writer's block, you will develop new writing styles, and you can get more recognition as a writer! Apr 25, 2024 · Writing prompts are a great way to beat writer's block. . III, is FREE on Amazon Kindle. While there is no set-in-stone rule, the longest flashes are often 1000 – 1500 words, and the shortest are 6 words long. Jessica stared at it from across the living room. Examples of Microfiction to entertain you. Detective Sarah Bellamy stood under the awning of an old diner, her coat soaked through, her eyes locked on the door. The entered story must be 500 words or fewer and adhering to the defined challenge criteria. Our word Cap is 500 and I'm currently writing 2 stories and then I will debate which is better but I've already gone over limit on one. He stole heavy some of money from the richest man in their village, that day he didn’t escape successfully as he used to. Flash fiction is perfect for when you have five minutes to fill. 10/word for fiction, $40/poem, and $100 for nonfiction. Simply head over to your local Amazon, download and ENJOY! Apr 6, 2025 · Short stories with ~500 wordsEliza hadn’t used the old TV in years. Today’s story is about saying your sorry…to the person you need to say it to when an apology is owed. It sat in the attic, dusty and boxy, with two bent antennae like brittle insect legs. com Flash Fiction Examples: Stories Under 1,000 Words & 500 Words This page compiles many examples of flash fiction, sudden fiction, micro stories, very short stories, or postcard fiction as they are sometimes called. net is a collection of short stories with different length and in different genres. “Heard you aced Read more… Oct 15, 2024 · For the next 48 hours, Flash Friction, To Cut a Short Story Short, vol. Any tips on how to make a good story with only 500 words? Nov 10, 2025 · 3 (1) The early summer rainstorm ceased. Read text or listen to narrated audio. Here are some free short stories to read online. “Hey, Nerd!” Emily teased as she strolled towards Ethan’s locker. Nov 6, 2023 · Fast 500 (Easy English Stories) Short stories approximately 500 words in length. Participants are challenged to create a compelling narrative in 500 words or less, with the opportunity to win cash prizes and publication in an annual anthology. The Very Grateful Mole tells the story of a blind mole who is friends with a badger. Read more… Automatic short story generator tool. Writers receive prompts and have a limited amount of time to create flash fiction, microfiction, screenplays, and short stories. So I joined one of the on-line writers’ groups and started to read things that people posted: flash fiction, dribbles, drabbles, six word stories… Sep 10, 2020 · Read Our Collection of Best MicroFiction Examples. Jul 8, 2023 · Fall in love with these heartwarming flash fiction stories, all told in 500 words or less. Jun 18, 2020 · A handy-dandy list of flash fiction stories online for you to read next time you (literally) only have a minute or two to spare. The air was thick with smoke and the faint scent of stale alcohol. This tool offers an eclectic mix of imaginative scenarios, intriguing characters, and thought-provoking themes that spark the flame of creativity. Posted in 2025, 500 Word short stories, Democracy, Palestine, Phil Cosker, Vladimir Putin | Tagged 500 Word short stories, Blog, Designs & Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. Mar 6, 2025 · The winning stories have also been illustrated by children’s illustrators, framed, and put into a BBC 500 Words winners' book. What we read affects how we speak and the choices we make. I tell you what, that dog could talk without saying a word. Tagged child, child writer, Children's Fiction, Children's Literature, children's writer, Equality, Fiction, Fiction for Children, Short Fiction, Short Stories, Short Stories by Children, Short Story, writer, writing, Young Writers, Zaara Leave a comment 500 Word Short Story FICTION 500 Words: The Thing In The Swing by James M May 7, 2019 20 Super-Short Stories Your High School Students Will Love “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin This story is popular with teachers not only because it weighs in at just over 1,000 words, but also because it’s replete with literary elements to demonstrate craft. All of the stories can be read online: follow the links provided to read them. The front door bell rang when Silvia was in the bathroom. This piece, at almost 500 words doesn’t classify as a 300 word ‘flash’ fiction but I don’t want to cut 40% so I’m calling it a short, short story. klpdzbvgxnwkaiipmftqzvjmmjmdfwercsotlbavlozwekopcsdprwqromshlpzeoodkpvgukzdzyhc