Was used to be a bouncer. Before it stood stupid in sentences, neither adding to nor taking away meaning, it slouched outside nightclubs, blending in with bricks. If Was kicked you out, though, you were blacklisted. Because Was never forgets mistakes. Instead, it lords the past over us. Even now.
Francisco Delgado lives with his wife in Queens, where he has taught at various colleges. In the fall, he will begin his doctorate studies at Stony Brook University. He appreciates you reading.
It’s contest time again, which means you’ve got a chance to win some great prizes by sending in your stories!
This time around, I’m looking for stories based on a Back-to-School theme. Interpret that however you want, as long as there’s some connection with school or the autumn season.
Prizes!
What kind of contest would this be without prizes?
There are five prizes available for the Back-to-School contest.
Contest Rules and Submission Details
Send your stories by email to tim@fiftywordstories.com. Please send each story in a separate email. Include the title of the story in the subject line of the email and copy the story itself into the body of the email. Please limit your entries to three stories per author.
The submission period starts now and is open until Saturday, September 1. Winners will be revealed during the week of September 3 to 7.
Stories will be judged by Tim Sevenhuysen.
Stories not chosen to receive prizes may still be featured on the site at a later date.
John loved Marie, but she loved Jon. To Marie’s sorrow, Jon loved Maria, who did not love anyone. John wooed Marie while she wooed Jon. Meanwhile, Jon secretly wooed Maria. One day, Maria saw John for the first time. She fell madly in love with him and began wooing him.
Vincent Mars posts a 50-word story on his blog on every workday.
“He woulda loved this.”
“Ralphie?”
“Yeah. Y’know, sneakin’ around at night… Diggin’ a hole in the dark… Then back into town before the bars close.”
“Heh.”
“Ralphie loved this kinda stuff.”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, it’s deep enough now. You grab his ankles; I’ll take his shoulders. Careful.”
“Rest in peace, Ralphie.”
Daniel Mkiwa is a writer. He lives in the Los Angeles area. Check out his writing blog at http://www.mkiwa.com.
As I hugged her goodbye, I thought back on the great memories we’d shared together as siblings. It was just college, but I felt like she was going to be leaving my family forever. I ruefully let her go and watched the plane fly.
The news said it never landed.
Sam Dennis is a high school student who is involved with many writing courses, along with other extracurricular activities like sports, at his school. He enjoys listening to indie music like Bon Iver and Death Cab for Cutie, and playing guitar with his band. Let your personality prosper.
“Mayday, mayday! Engines have failed!”
Business trip turned into death bed. Panic consumed the cabin, a mix of tears and screams.
My heart dropped as I clutched my phone. The plane descended quickly as I dialed.
It went to voicemail and I said, “I love you,” one last time.
Maddie is an 11th Grade student in New Jersey who loves to write and play volleyball.
My date was muttering to herself again.
“Something on your mind?” I asked.
She looked up bashfully. “It’s just… They’re overcharging pretty severely for these meals. Based on the ingredient prices, anyways.”
“Think you could take off your Grocery Cashier apron for tonight?”
She sighed. “Sorry. This is my curse…”
This story was based on a title suggested by @Lost_inthe_Void.
He’d been falling for longer than he could remember.
Boredom was the real problem. The hunger was annoying, but he always got hungry when he was bored. What he needed, then, was some entertainment.
He tried nibbling the flesh of his forearm. Amusingly tasty…
Masochannibalism? Two birds with one stone.
This story was based on a title suggested by @Strange_Fellow.
“Tim, are you almost done writing your silly stories? It’s dinner time.”
“Yep; nearly finished.”
Some time passed.
“Tim? Come on.”
“Just a minute.”
More time went by. I realized I hadn’t been nagged recently. I stepped into the kitchen. “Whoa, how long was I in there?”
“Three years.”
This is the final story of the third year of 50-word stories! I plan to finish off the week, and then take a break for some bonus guest stories while I plan out the site’s future.
“Eat your ice cream, Bart,” said Mom.
“But I want more broc’li!”
“You are what you eat,” Mom reminded him, “and all these vegetables are making you grow up far too fast. I want my little sweetie back!”
Bart grimaced grumpily.
“I’ll put carrot shavings on it,” Mom offered.
“Fine.”
This story was based on a title suggested by my sister Catherine.