We’ve got a tweak to our flash fiction rules this week due to NaNoWriMo!
Several of us have started our own, self-hosted, flash fiction challenge over at a website we’re calling Obsidian Flash.
It’s on a forum behind a password, so that anything you write and
submit is considered unpublished. Registration is quick, free, and
pretty painless.
Seriously, this thing is the perfect thing for you to do if you think writing is hard (or finding time for writing is hard), and especially if
you haven’t been writing for a while. It’s also great if you have
problems with getting past ideas that "you suck" (every first draft
sucks, face it) or self-doubt. And if you’re writing for NaNoWriMo, we’ve put in a tweak to the rules so you can still participate without having to stop writing on your story.
The prompt IS UP RIGHT NOW…and here it is!
Go sign up now at https://obsidianflash.com/forum and we’ll see you writing this weekend!
Here are the rules:
Welcome to the Flash Challenge! Our Flash Master is… me!
Here are the rules, slightly changed for NaNoWriMo:
- All stories should be complete, written and posted within 24 hours of the prompt being posted, and can be anywhere from one sentence to 1,000 words in length. Typically the prompt is posted by 8pm EST on Friday, and stories are posted by 8pm EST on Saturday. (It’ll be a little early this week because of my schedule.)
1a. Because it’s NaNoWriMo, you may wish to post a scene, chapter, or character study from your NaNo work that isn’t standalone that you write during this time. (For example, how would your main character react to the prompt? How can you work it into your existing story? Great way to keep the creative juices flowing!) It won’t be eligible for voting, but we value participation, and will give you feedback on it! Please label it NANOWRIMO WORK at the beginning so we know!
- You may choose to write your story in any genre.
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Your story must be built around the restrictions—words, themes, photo prompts, word limits, etc.—provided by the Flashmaster at the beginning of the challenge.
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Once the participants’ work is posted, the voting and comment session begins and continues until all votes are in. Time limit for voting will be determined on the spot, depending on how many people finish the challenge. Typically this is within 24 hours of the end of the writing portion, or 8pm EST on Sunday.
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The winner becomes Flashmaster and chooses the prompt(s) for the next contest. Also, you get all the Internet Bragging Points you think you can get away with.
Don’t wait – get going and register at https://obsidianflash.com/forum right now and join us!