Yes, the competition has closed for December and has opened for January. The theme is ‘I used to be jealous of…’.
The forthcoming (up to December 2027!) themes are available on the https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/50-word-comp page.
Would you like to challenge me to write a flash fiction story? I’d love you to.
If you email me the following components, I’ll do my best to write a story to that specification.
I’ll then publish them as part of my Word Count Wednesday posts along with your name. If you have a website you’re welcome to include that link.
So email me ([email protected] – NB I’m Morgen with an ‘E’) with the following:
I can also write stories like this for you or as a gift. I won’t publish them but the copyright remains with me so you can’t sell or publish the story – see Your Unique Story.
The stories published so far:
I look forward to writing more!
Yes, a big thank you to all of you who have offered to be a beta reader for me and/or signed up to my newsletter (which will be back up and running in the next few weeks; one per month for crime, women’s fiction and/or writing advice). It’s very much appreciated. If I’ve not been in touch since you signed up, I will in before the newsletter goes live. If you’ve changed your mind, do let me know.
In the meantime, I’m planning new online (Zoom and Teachable) free and inexpensive courses and mentoring, so watch this space for the details!
If you have a book you’d like to promote (yours or if you’re arranging a blog tour for an author), for free, take a look at Saturday Spotlights. Please note that the spotlight is more about you as an author rather than the book itself, i.e. the readers of this site learning about you and being inspired to buy your book rather than a ‘hard’ sell. There are links to previous spotlights on the Saturday Spotlights page so please read at least one of those so you know the format. Thank you!
Hello and welcome to this feature (inspired by Story A Day May) where I post a prompt, and accompanying – though not necessarily connected – picture*, so actually two prompts, formerly every day but now on a Sunday due to other commitments (sorry!).
*This week’s intricate illustration shows a viaduct/aquaduct-style ruin on a gloomy day with some of the detail difficult to see. The whole picture has a sepia feel about it.
Unless there’s a name, only the first word will be capitalised so you can use it anyway you like: as a title, idea or the exact phrase used within your piece.
Being the author of (to-date) five Writer’s Block Workbooks and Ideas Diaries, I know how even a single word can help as inspiration to write something new whether it’s a short story, poem, piece of non-fiction, a script or even a novel! It could be a distraction if you’re writing something you’re struggling with or would just like to do something different.
This week’s prompt is…
Skip the second one
Do leave a comment below if you write something inspired by today’s prompt. NB. If you post your writing anywhere online it’s deemed as published (in the public domain) so may not be accepted elsewhere, so bear this in mind if you wanted to publish here and/or on your own site then submit to a competition or paying market. They would need to know.
If you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to post (ideally at least two in case one’s too similar to one already posted or something someone else has already suggested), please complete the form on the A Prompt A Day page. I will include your website link if you have one, posting them once a fortnight.
If you’re an author, editor, illustrator, agent, publisher (anything in the publishing industry) and would like to take part in a spotlight, see Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.
Thanks go to Pixabay for the common-use photographs.
Hello and welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?
I’ve done no writing but with the first quarter (online) of my new self-publishing book festival in eleven days (25th Jan!) – and client editing – it’s not surprising. The in-person will then be the 26th April so back to writing after this one.
I’m still looking for self-published authors for all panels except the 11am crime – see https://self-pub-fest.co.uk/participate for details.
Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.
Hello and welcome to this feature (inspired by Story A Day May) where I post a prompt, and accompanying – though not necessarily connected – picture*, so actually two prompts, formerly every day but now on a Sunday due to other commitments (sorry!).
*This week’s photograph shows a bookshop with three wooden stairs up to a higher level. Other than the wooden flooring there are books everywhere.
Unless there’s a name, only the first word will be capitalised so you can use it anyway you like: as a title, idea or the exact phrase used within your piece.
Being the author of (to-date) five Writer’s Block Workbooks and Ideas Diaries, I know how even a single word can help as inspiration to write something new whether it’s a short story, poem, piece of non-fiction, a script or even a novel! It could be a distraction if you’re writing something you’re struggling with or would just like to do something different.
This week’s prompt is…
Will you write them up?
Do leave a comment below if you write something inspired by today’s prompt. NB. If you post your writing anywhere online it’s deemed as published (in the public domain) so may not be accepted elsewhere, so bear this in mind if you wanted to publish here and/or on your own site then submit to a competition or paying market. They would need to know.
If you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to post (ideally at least two in case one’s too similar to one already posted or something someone else has already suggested), please complete the form on the A Prompt A Day page. I will include your website link if you have one, posting them once a fortnight.
If you’re an author, editor, illustrator, agent, publisher (anything in the publishing industry) and would like to take part in a spotlight, see Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.
Thanks go to Pixabay for the common-use photographs.
Hello and welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?
Rather late today but I’ve been busy with the upcoming festivals (see picture below) – the January one just over a fortnight away! The latest news is that the website (https://self-pub-fest.co.uk) is up and running with the authors booked so far each having their own page.
If you’re a self-published author, do let me know if you’d like to take part – see the ‘Participate‘ page on the website.
Regarding my writing, I completed the longer story and submitted it, so I need to write something else now. Writing Magazine’s latest edition has their yearly competition booklet so plenty of inspiration.
Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.
Hello and welcome to this feature (inspired by Story A Day May) where I post a prompt, and accompanying – though not necessarily connected – picture*, so actually two prompts, formerly every day but now on a Sunday due to other commitments (sorry!).
*This week’s black and white photograph shows a dark-haired collie-type dog lying down either looking out of a window (not visible on left) or light shining from above. Only the dog’s torso is visible. Its ears are up and its muzzle looks grey.
Unless there’s a name, only the first word will be capitalised so you can use it anyway you like: as a title, idea or the exact phrase used within your piece.
Being the author of (to-date) five Writer’s Block Workbooks and Ideas Diaries, I know how even a single word can help as inspiration to write something new whether it’s a short story, poem, piece of non-fiction, a script or even a novel! It could be a distraction if you’re writing something you’re struggling with or would just like to do something different.
This week’s prompt is…
Dozing in the chair
Do leave a comment below if you write something inspired by today’s prompt. NB. If you post your writing anywhere online it’s deemed as published (in the public domain) so may not be accepted elsewhere, so bear this in mind if you wanted to publish here and/or on your own site then submit to a competition or paying market. They would need to know.
If you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to post (ideally at least two in case one’s too similar to one already posted or something someone else has already suggested), please complete the form on the A Prompt A Day page. I will include your website link if you have one, posting them once a fortnight.
If you’re an author, editor, illustrator, agent, publisher (anything in the publishing industry) and would like to take part in a spotlight, see Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.
Thanks go to Pixabay for the common-use photographs.
Hello everyone. I’m delighted to announce the results of the twentieth 50-word competition on the theme of ‘Taking the biscuit’. It’s an English saying where someone’s offered something but they take more (they take advantage).
There were 15 entries from 9 writers this month, including 1 new to the competition, which is always lovely. Sadly that entry was disqualified for including the title length in the 50 words. Hopefully it hadn’t put them off! It’s always worth submitting the maximum of three to give the other two a chance, but do get the story itself 50 words exactly. No more, no less. Thank you! This does mean that the remaining eight entrants were all placed so won a prize. 🙂
With such a low word count it’s tricky to fit a whole story (start, middle and end) so they’re going to be snapshots. You may be planning on writing as a career, if you’re not there already, so each month I will be sharing the top three stories in full as well as a list of ‘honourable mentions’ so if you’re on the list, you can add this to your CV. If you’re not mentioned, don’t lose heart. In another batch you could have been.
WINNER (receives a 1500-word editing credit or 30 minutes mentoring as well as free access to one of my creative writing academy’s paid courses)
Julian Cadman with ‘When Tough Cookies Crumble’
Filling the washing machine, she pauses.
Collar.
Red lipstick.
Worst suspicions confirmed.
Later that evening, Sarah opens the Christmas biscuits tin and selects from the untouched bottom layer.
Unnoticed, her daughter stands behind her.
“Daddy says that’s cheating.”
Sarah scoffs. “Well, Daddy knows best.”
And puts the lid on it.
*
SECOND (receives a 1000-word editing credit or 20 minutes mentoring as well as free access to one of my creative writing academy’s paid courses)
Tierney Dela Torre with ‘End of an Era’
Shiny presents sit nestled beneath decorated boughs whose needles have made their way to my home’s furthest reaches. Everything in its place, save for me in bed. With sunrise threatening, I remember my final task.
As I bite the cookie, my son’s small gasp steals the moment’s sweetness.
“Mama… Santa?”
*
THIRD (receives a 500-word editing credit or 10 minutes mentoring as well as free access to one of my creative writing academy’s paid courses)
Bob Turvey with ‘A Piece of Cake’
“M’lud, we have won our case by showing that Jaffa Cakes are indeed cakes, since they harden when left. Biscuits, on the other hand, go soft. As cakes, they are exempt from VAT. I hope you will not think we are taking the biscuit when we ask for our costs.”
*
HONOURABLE MENTIONS – in alphabetical order (winning free access to one of my creative writing academy’s paid courses)
Congratulations everyone.
Hello and welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?
Happy New Year’s Eve. Have you made any resolutions? Mine are to have one early night a week (I did last night!) and keep on top of my emails (I’ve been shockingly bad)… oh and to write at least one short story a week and send it off… and I have!
I spent a couple of days after Christmas (the day itself spent horizontal as I’d done my back in!) compiling competition information – still working on it – to update my https://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/information/competitions-calendar page and to submit. Writing is my favourite thing yet I don’t… haven’t been, so that has to change. I’ve been focused on returning to a novel but need to reread it to know where I’m at, and that’s put me off so shorts it is – my favourite format so no hardship.
One of the competition listings was for Writing Magazine, which I subscribe to, so I’ve written the first draft of a story (1,641 words of 1,500-1,700) for that. The deadline’s 15th Jan so plenty of time.
I then wrote a story (625 words out of a max 1,000 words) for a local writing group, let it marinate, tweaked then submitted it. The deadline for that was 26th Feb so nice and early… the judges usually appreciate that. 🙂
Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you over the past seven days.
Hello and welcome to this feature (inspired by Story A Day May) where I post a prompt, and accompanying – though not necessarily connected – picture*, so actually two prompts, formerly every day but now on a Sunday due to other commitments (sorry!).
*This week’s landscape picture shows two white intertwined hearts with an italicised ‘for you…’ on the bottom right-hand corner.
Unless there’s a name, only the first word will be capitalised so you can use it anyway you like: as a title, idea or the exact phrase used within your piece.
Being the author of (to-date) five Writer’s Block Workbooks and Ideas Diaries, I know how even a single word can help as inspiration to write something new whether it’s a short story, poem, piece of non-fiction, a script or even a novel! It could be a distraction if you’re writing something you’re struggling with or would just like to do something different.
This week’s prompt is…
Two for the price of three
Do leave a comment below if you write something inspired by today’s prompt. NB. If you post your writing anywhere online it’s deemed as published (in the public domain) so may not be accepted elsewhere, so bear this in mind if you wanted to publish here and/or on your own site then submit to a competition or paying market. They would need to know.
If you’d like to suggest a prompt for me to post (ideally at least two in case one’s too similar to one already posted or something someone else has already suggested), please complete the form on the A Prompt A Day page. I will include your website link if you have one, posting them once a fortnight.
If you’re an author, editor, illustrator, agent, publisher (anything in the publishing industry) and would like to take part in a spotlight, see Saturday Spotlights or email me for details.
Thanks go to Pixabay for the common-use photographs.
Hello and welcome to Word Count Wednesday. How have you been getting on?
Firstly, Merry Christmas Eve (if you celebrate Christmas). We’re almost ready here. I do the present buying (the fun part), Tim does the wrapping. As soon as a birthday’s been and I spot something it’s put away for Christmas. We often end up with too many but only one surplus gift this year. And that’s suitable for anyone so always useful to have in case we receive an unexpected gift from someone unexpected. It doesn’t happen but good to be prepared. 🙂
I did some writing this week. In preparation for sending a piece out each week I’d opened the most recent email from Duotrope (an invaluable weekly submissions newsletter) to see whether there was something obvious to write for but in my emails was a ‘Unique Story’ request from a local lady – I’m assuming local as she mentioned she had one of my flyers from Christmas fairs I’d been doing (too time-consuming but you never know who you’ll meet and worth doing if I sell one book or a pre-printed story – I have three stories printed for nearly 4,000 names of girls, boys and non-binary; I sold my first NB story this Monday! – for £2 each).
I wrote a charming 960-word Christmas story for her daughters so I hope they’ll enjoy it when she reads it to them today..
Do leave a comment below to share your progress, successes and otherwise, and of course anything else that’s happened to you, writing related, over the past seven days.
Morgen 'with an E' Bailey 