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Abstract

s of Terror</b></p> <figure id="a641"> <div> <div> <img class="ratio" src="http://placehold.it/16x9"> <iframe class="" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fme.dm%2F%40jfdanskin%2F110357501399845177%2Fembed&amp;display_name=mastodon&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fme.dm%2F%40jfdanskin%2F110357501399845177&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.me.dm%2Fmedia_attachments%2Ffiles%2F110%2F357%2F498%2F326%2F227%2F130%2Foriginal%2Fab8a5f86f1d5c48e.jpg&amp;key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=mastodon" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" width="400"> </div> </div> </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><p id="3895"><b>4. Keep Dreaming</b></p><p id="421b">Vortak raised the slender sword. It felt cold in his hand… light, too. He swished it repeatedly. The gem inset in its blade glistened in the morning sun as if infused by electrical magic.</p><p id="8046">“You can dream, kid,” said the blacksmith, “but you’ll never do with that what your grandfather did.”</p><p id="5f22">“I can train.”</p><p id="9e5b">She snorted, then shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”</p><p id="4e9d">Vortak carefully sheathed the sword, and lay it down. “You’re right,” he replied. Sighing, he stepped back.</p><p id="3465">The blacksmith watched as the young man bowed to the sword, then walked away towards the keep.</p><p id="1219">“Keep dreaming, kid,” she muttered.</p><p id="4a11"><b>5. Pet Shop Longing</b></p> <figure id="6f28"> <div> <div> <img class="ratio" src="http://placehold.it/16x9"> <iframe class="" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fme.dm%2F%40jfdanskin%2F110357533997355956%2Fembed&amp;display_name=mastodon&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fme.dm%2F%40jfdanskin%2F110357533997355956&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.me.dm%2Fmedia_attachments%2Ffiles%2F110%2F357%2F528%2F105%2F506%2F930%2Foriginal%2Fd0edabc99924a47e.jpeg&amp;key=a19fcc184b9711e1b4764040d3dc5c07&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=mastodon" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="266" width="400"> </div> </div> </figure></iframe></div></div></figure><p id="696a">How was that? I’d love to hear which (if any) you’d like me to extend to the next stage in the seedling process: 300–word flash fiction.</p><p id="8ec7">You can find all the original stories below, if you want to leave a comment or see what others have said about them:</p><div id="67b7" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/quicksilver-bb914c12d179"> <div> <div> <h2>Quicksilver</h2> <div><h3>A 50-word fiction story</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*evdWW33TRn73LEVC.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><div id="4f96" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/sunset-seawater-db9ed2819ba"> <div> <div>

Options

<h2>Sunset Seawater</h2>
            <div><h3>A speculative fiction drabble</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*Dt2NyXAaawmK9244xan97w.jpeg)"></div>
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        </div>
      </a>
    </div><div id="1650" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/fire-breathing-foes-in-the-tombs-of-terror-501298eb9089">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Fire-Breathing Foes in the Tombs of Terror</h2>
            <div><h3>A ‘dragon heist’ fantasy fiction dribble</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*6IAmG5inHJSldbwxCRuo8w.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><div id="eb57" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/keep-dreaming-1c86cfc70228">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Keep Dreaming</h2>
            <div><h3>A fantasy fiction drabble</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*wCPPpzcLUY62d4h7.png)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><div id="64c8" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/pet-shop-longing-66cec21e1c2c">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Pet Shop Longing</h2>
            <div><h3>A ‘slice of life’ dribble</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*PHnGmU65OAW4wroR)"></div>
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        </div>
      </a>
    </div><blockquote id="83dd"><p>Thanks for reading! You can find more of my fiction <a href="https://medium.com/@jfdanskin/list/jf-danskins-poetry-and-fiction-9fecb0f7ea81">here</a>, as well as all of my advice and guidance on creative writing <a href="https://medium.com/@jfdanskin/list/author-skills-jf-danskin-21e9b9065794">right here</a>. Want stories like this in advance, along with thoughts on the creative process? <a href="https://ko-fi.com/jfdanskin"><b>Check out my Ko-Fi!</b></a> <i>🧠</i></p></blockquote><blockquote id="f35c"><p>And here is the Seedling Challenge again:</p></blockquote><div id="5c6d" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/whats-the-seedling-challenge-8c88b5e9c10f">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>What’s the Seedling Challenge?</h2>
            <div><h3>A writing exercise to develop your fiction writing.</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*KYps_MnycZN9e6zx)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
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Community | Flash fiction | Fiction writing

Help Me Choose My Project

Which of these 5 pieces of ‘microfiction’ should I develop?

Photo by Javier Allegue Barros on Unsplash

As part of Bradan Writes Stories’s brilliant Seedling Challenge, I’ve been writing short pieces of fiction.

Five done so far — two drabbles and three ‘dribbles’!

The idea of the challenge is to take one (or more) piece, and grow it little by little (like a seedling). Nurture, love, song, fertilizer… all that jazz.

Eventually, if things work out, participants will each end up with an accomplished 2000-word short story.

But which of my pieces should I focus on?

I’ll let you decide!

All the links are below, but for convenience, you can read all of my mini-stories right here (for some, I’m taking advantage of embedding Mastodon posts in Medium, as explained here by Chris Stiteler). Enjoy! 📚

  1. Quicksilver (50 words)

2. Sunset Seawater (100 words)

The evening had been going so well.

But as orange sunset framed foaming waves, spray hit Jakub’s face, triggering a realization.

He recoiled in shock.

High tide, sunset… I’ll transform… ruin everything!

“What’s up?” Iqra looked round, brow furrowed.

Jakub unfolded a torn parchment, scribed in the blood of a slaughtered mare. “Urgh! Useless brain!” he growled, before thumping himself on the temple. “Need those final words…”

As Jakub’s arm thrashed again, Iqra grabbed his wrist. “What the heck…? You’re hurting yourself! Talk to me, Jakub…”

“Iqra, you need to run…” he tried to say.

But only roaring came out.

3. Fire-Breathing Foes in the Tombs of Terror

4. Keep Dreaming

Vortak raised the slender sword. It felt cold in his hand… light, too. He swished it repeatedly. The gem inset in its blade glistened in the morning sun as if infused by electrical magic.

“You can dream, kid,” said the blacksmith, “but you’ll never do with that what your grandfather did.”

“I can train.”

She snorted, then shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”

Vortak carefully sheathed the sword, and lay it down. “You’re right,” he replied. Sighing, he stepped back.

The blacksmith watched as the young man bowed to the sword, then walked away towards the keep.

“Keep dreaming, kid,” she muttered.

5. Pet Shop Longing

How was that? I’d love to hear which (if any) you’d like me to extend to the next stage in the seedling process: 300–word flash fiction.

You can find all the original stories below, if you want to leave a comment or see what others have said about them:

Thanks for reading! You can find more of my fiction here, as well as all of my advice and guidance on creative writing right here. Want stories like this in advance, along with thoughts on the creative process? Check out my Ko-Fi! 🧠

And here is the Seedling Challenge again:

Fiction
Seedling Challenge
Community
Challenges
Writing
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