Welcome to the Fifty-Word Short Story challenge — a weekly opportunity to test your writing skills by crafting an entire story in just 50 words. We have a small community of writers who regularly share their micro-fiction short stories. Be sure to check them out. And if you're so inclined, give it a try.

What's in this post?

In this post you will find:

A short micro-fiction writing workshop.
Links to all 50-word stories from the previous week's challenge.
A few story highlights of the week.
A new challenge prompt, along with the rules and some very important rules for proper use of images. Please be sure to read and follow these rules.

Source: Original Pixabay image by Free-Photos

Mini writing workshop

This week's workshop is about editing.

One of the things I love so much about writing fifty word short stories, and hosting this weekly challenge, is that it is an opportunity to craft and fine-tune words in the microcosm of a very short story.

As an example, I thought I'd share my editing process.

Here's the first draft of my 50-word short story for this week, The Secret Book:

Perhaps Frieda had always known. She stood in the attic, holding a book with her name printed in small type on its dusty cover. With her mother and sister gone — buried that day after the crash that took their lives — she was ready for truth. She was her sister’s daughter.

I was somewhat happy with it, but it just didn't have the zing I was looking for. I want my stories to have an impact. I want the reader to feel impacted or perhaps transformed by it. If the words don't transport the reader to the time and place, and provide insight into the character, I don't think it's successful.

So I played with the words. It occurred to me that the book should be a notebook. This one change is small and perhaps unnoticeable but I think it's important. After all, a notebook could be rich with memories, legal information or other things that the character could explore. A notebook seemed more impactful as the container of information about her past than a book.

I made a number of other changes and spread out the sentences to slow the pace, so that there is a dawning awareness of the importance of this notebook. Here is the final version:

Perhaps Frieda had always known.
She stood in the attic, holding a notebook with her name printed in small type on its dusty cover.

With her mother and sister gone — recently buried after a crash took their lives — she opened the notebook, prepared for truth.

She was her sister’s daughter.

What do you think? Did the story improve with the edits? Feel free to share your own process!

Also, I'm experimenting with offering some limited editorial support to writers who would like an editor's eyes on their 50-word stories before posting. Please mention in a reply to this post if that is of interest to you.

Okay, let's survey the 50-word stories from last week!

Last week's story collection

I’d like to welcome our newest contributors, @lahvista and @swizzyl. Thanks for joining the Fifty Worders!

Here is the complete list of stories inspired by last week's “book” prompt. I hope you will read them all:

Old book, by @anixio
Book Play, by @tristancarax
Books of old, by @theironfelix
Justice, by @deirdyweirdy
A New Name, by @jonknight
Booked, by @calluna
Prejudice & Pride, by @alheath
Speaking Gibberish, by @botefarm
Generation Gap, by @poetrybyjeremy
Good book, by @felixgarciap
Between the Lines, by @bex-dk
Her Shelves and No... Just Listen by @ahmadmanga
A Piece of Home, by @gaby-crb
Ghostly Books, by @hlezama
What are books? by @ablaze
Stuck, by @frizzy
Old Book, by @vdux
The Porch, by @lahvista
Olympia Tate, by @pyemoney
The book, by @swizzyl
The Book, by @andersonrivas
The Secret Book, by @jayna

If I missed yours, please let me know and I will add it! I always try my best to list them all, but I do occasionally miss one.

Highlights of the week

Each week I choose a few well-told stories from the previous week's entries to share as inspiration. And each week it is nearly impossible to choose just a few!

Last week authors explored the ideas and different meanings of the word "book." Enjoy.

Ghostly Books, by @hlezama

I invite you to visit the original post for this story. @hlezama, a Venezuelan, shares some of the real life drama and devastation occurring in his country. There's a real story behind this one.

20 years ago she begged him to let her use his library. She promised to keep everything neat. She just wanted to read; he had everything a free spirit can desire.
He refused.

“I’ll return soon. Or else, they’ll be sent over.”

Neither happened.

The rats and time undid them.

Prejudice & Pride, by @alheath

I love this story, as it reminds us to challenge our assumptions.

“How about romance?” The assistant held up a book. “This is selling very well.”
George grunted. “Don’t give me that crap.”

But then he noticed the author’s name. Jules Valentine.

His granddaughter was finally published.

“Give it here.”

Hiding the book under one arm, he plodded over to the check-out.

Between the Lines, by @bex-dk

This lovely little entrance into a fantasy world is really intriguing. Be sure to go to the author's post to read the back story.

Emma's eyes kept returning to the heavy leather volume on the shelf. She handled the cracked binding carefully. The Guide to Færie.
The charity shop got its 50 pence.

Days later, Emma's mother fainted beside the empty bed. A creepy old book lay open to one side. Emma was missing.

Old book, by @anixio

This story takes an interesting perspective. "You" are the character, and are invited to reminisce about a book of old. (Note: I made one small edit, from "it's" to "its."

This one is now collecting dust. But from miles away you can tell that it was once really loved. Scars on its covers so deep, pages folded more times than there are letters in it. This Book can tell us more than the words and chapters written inside of it.

Her Shelves, by @ahmadmanga

This author imagines the world of someone whose past is a mystery.

Again, he sneaked into her old library. He took a random book, and sat on the chair he believed was hers.He read all the books before, but he'll read them again and again. Because he might get a clearer image of the woman who died giving birth to him.

The Porch, by @lahvista

I am not quite sure what to make of this story, but it's a lovely little mystery! Welcome to our new contributor, @lahvista.

“I love this porch,” he said.
“I do, too. You’re early for the hunt,” I said looking up from my book.

“What hunt?” he asked.

“The one tonight at eight,” I said.

“I just came for the porch and the rocking chair,” he said.

I turned and he was gone.

Booked, by @calluna

In this story the author delivers a clever use of the word "book" in a story that takes us into a world hopefully most of us never need to know.

The same worn, faded face looked back at her from the mirror. Drawn eyes, smudged lipstick, ruffled hair.
She retrieved another baby wipe, on her second packet of the evening already, wiping off the offending smear, ready to reapply.

It was important she looked fresh, she was fully booked tonight.

Wonderful work, everyone!

This week's 50-word story prompt

The prompt for this week is “soul." Deadline for this week: Saturday, November 10th, with a grace period until the new prompt is published.

I look forward to reading your stories, Fifty Worders!

Guidelines

Please review and follow the guidelines for proper use of images.

Write a story in 50 words. (Try to hit 50 words exactly.)
Use the #fiftywords tag, and post the link in the comments of this post.
Be sure to read and upvote the work of the other participants. It's all about community!
Use only artwork that you have the right to use, and attribute it properly. See the following guidelines.

Image Rules

Please follow these important rules for use of images:

The image is public domain, or under creative commons licensing rules.
It is your own image.
If it is not one of the above, you must have actual permission.

Be sure to properly attribute the image’s source or mention that the image is yours. And if it's not public domain, under creative commons license, or your own image, be sure to state that you have permission.

Here are some creative commons and public domain image resources:

The 50-word story clan

I'm mentioning you here if have participated in the #fiftywords short story challenge in the past. Please let me know if you would like your tag removed in this or future posts. (Note that I do trim the list. Those who have not participated for a long time or are not active on Steemit will eventually drop from the mentions.)

@ablaze, @agmoore, @ahmadmanga, @akdx, @aksounder, @aleli, @alheath, @amelin, @andersonrivas, @anikekirsten, @anixio, @anutu, @aresbon