Random Word Drabble Guidelines Update

I’m the rebel who usually breaks the rules, but here we are. LOL

For the most current rules, check today’s random word post. I update those weekly.

For the most current rules, check today’s random word post. I update those weekly.

New 1/29/24

Drabbles are a lot of fun, and your editors would love to read every story, but we are publishing well over 30 stories a day, and averaging 15 new writers each week.

We read every story as we edit, and before publishing, but don’t always have time to go back and read, clap, and highlight after they’re published.

We try, but we’re only human and need time to write our own stories. And, we want it to continue to be fun for us as well.

So, please clap, highlight, and comment on your fellow writers’ work. We’ve got a lot of new people who could use some love.

If your story is for any word other than the current day, it will be published around 10 PM. Our goal is for people to be able to visit the publication and read all of the day’s stories together. That way we see the many different ways people approach the same word.

Reading six stories about electricity, then tossing in one with guess, throws off the rhythm. This is a test.

If you don’t know how to format something, Google it. That’s how I found most of the answers. (Well, except for the kicker, but that’s because I didn’t know what it was called.)

We’re getting to the point where we will begin rejecting stories that don’t have the right word count or don’t have titles in title case.

Please, please, please install Grammarly and pay attention to grammar. We want people to enjoy our stories instead of finding mistakes. (And, your editors want time to write!)

As time goes on, and more and more writers join, it’s clear we need to create formatting rules. So, here you go:

Publication Formatting Rules

1. Check out the sample formatting.
2. No paragraph-long subtitles. Keep it simple.
3. Above the picture, put the daily word.
4. Formatting order: Title, (In title case.) subtitle, (Format using small T) Today’s random word is ______. photograph with credit, a clap and read statement (if you use one), the … divider thingy, your story another … divider thingy at the end of your story.
5. Whatever extra info you want to add goes last. (Do not explain anything before the story.)
6. Images: Use of copyrighted images without permission — writers and publications should use original images or images they have the right to use, and should cite their sources.
7. Serial Stories: Turning a drabble into a serial is your choice, however, don’t link to each story or, on day 365 you will have a 100-word story with 364 links. A bit cumbersome. (Create a list, bookmark them to it, and link to that.) Any reference to your continuing story must be at the end of the current story. The point of a Drabble is to write a self-contained story. No back story, no what’s next. A self-contained story that anyone can pick up without having to read anything else about it.

Mary Chang over at the Six Word Photo Stories publication, recommends creating a draft story to keep as a template. It’s easy, just copy a story you’ve formatted correctly to use as a guide.

In other news …

This is a fiction challenge.

The word for the day is in the image.

NEW! If we will often leave a private message and reject the submission. Just fix the issue and resubmit. Having a bunch of stories with unanswered private messages clogs up the queue.

Supporting each other in our writing is important to building community, but …

Reading how others handle a challenge grows us in ways we can’t expect. This is by far the easiest, cheapest education we’ll ever get.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

How to get an accurate word count.

Word counts vary, so to make it fair we use Medium Story Editor’s word count.

Please make sure your story, excluding title, subtitle, and image caption, is EXACTLY 100 WORDS. To do this, highlight the story copy only and in the upper left corner, you’ll see Medium’s word count. That’s how we determine the word count.

We are getting a lot of stories that are over or under the word count. Your editors like to write stories much more than private messages about word count. So, please, please, please check it before you submit.

Medium’s count varies from Word, Pages, and Google Docs. Check it on Medium before submitting.

If you’re on a phone or tablet, you can do this by going to your browser and requesting the desktop site.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

If you submit your story early, it will be scheduled to be published at 7:30 AM (CST) on the appropriate day. (I got tired of sending private messages to that effect.)

Random Word Drabble Rules

This challenge is for you if you’re trying to boost your creativity, build a consistent writing habit, or just have fun!

Each day, I post a word for the following day. Your challenge is to write a drabble (a story of exactly 100 words) in which the day’s random word features.

Tag your responses with ‘random’ and ‘drabble’ so they go to the right place in the publication and add the link to the day’s challenge.

This is a great way to build your editing muscle, but if your mind takes you on a journey of a thousand words, don’t use the ‘drabble’ or ‘random’ tags so it stays in the main section of the publication.

If you are unfamiliar with a Drabble, it is a self-contained fiction story of exactly 100 words. Most flash fiction is identified as stories under 1000 words. Many short-form publications require you to stay under 150 words. I decided to go with a drabble because I need to learn how to say things more succinctly. (Grammarly agrees. LOL)

Do you know any other writers who might want to join the challenge? Share this with them, and if they want to join all they have to do is comment here to be added. It can take up to a week to be added, so don’t send multiple requests

I’m looking forward to reading your stories!

This is going to be a daily post, so if you’d rather not be tagged, please let me know. Conversely, if you aren’t tagged and want to be, let me know.

Adrienne Beaumont / CJ McRae / Delaney Patterson / Harry Hogg / Jenny Gargarello / Julia Medium / Luke Warburton / Nathan Chen / OBA.T.K / Rachella Angel Page / Randy Pulley / Kelly Corinne Elliott / Denise Kendig / Expedition Nomadic Adventures / Julia A. Keirns / John Hansen / Karen Schwartz / Nevena Pascaleva / Preethi R / Michael Rhodes / Susie Winfield / Jerry Dwyer / Aaron Paulson / La Verite / Henry India Holden💖 / Michael John Scott / Peggy Browning / Michele Bardsley / Shanti C K / Scarlet Ibis James 🦩/ Lita / Eva MacInnes / Leslie Flemons / Pamela Oglesby / A.J. Cralle (she, her) / Belle du Journey / Adrian CDTPPW / Debasmita Chatterjee / Lilly Bell / & her ocean / Sarah S / Ms. KJ / Patricia Timmermans / Michelle Jimerson Morris / Vera-Marie Landi / Me : Poet Philosopher Spiritual Assistant AI Enthu / Light and Paper / Elzawrites / Gabriela Trofin-Tatár / Lynn L. Alexander / Roy H. Mars II / Paula Shablo / Hermione Wilds Writes / Allyson West-Smith / Mark Tulin / Brian Dickens Barrabee / Daphne Nguyen / A man leading a simple life / formermullet / CJ Coop / HAPPINESS + WEALTH / Holly Emery / Carrie Wexford / Amir Bibi / Jason Edmunds / Melissa Gray / Ainy Abraham / Deborah Joyce Goodwin / Denise Estey Lindquist / Chelsia / Darin Westly / Typical Angel / Krista Bennett / Jessica Morgan — The Mindful Muse / Cris / Nora Eyibe / Maria Rattray / Lesley Dewar / Grim Flandango / Brandon Ellrich / Coyote Susan / s h a y / Paul Gardner / Mary Morton / Shubha Apte / Jeannie.Chambers / Rick Allen / Joanie Adams — Sightseer; Conjurer Of Words / Trisha Faye / Laura Ann / Sameera Zaidi / DR Rawson — The Possibilist / Marilyn Flower / John Welford / Nancy S Rust / Bernadette E Wallace / Keith M Leonard /