Writer Advice

MICRO FICTION CONTEST OPENS OCTOBER 2024 and CLOSES ON DECEMBER 2, 2024. 

Micro fiction tells a story in 50 to 500 words. You can submit prose or prose poetry. Sometimes the ending makes readers say “Wow,” for one reason or another. It leaves an impact and makes readers think.

How do you write something so short?

• Focus on the moment that changed the protagonist.
• Start far into the story.
• Cut everything that isn’t essential.
• Let your verbs and nouns describe.
• Let tone, attitude, and behavior as well as dialogue get your ideas across.

Write about what interests you or stokes your imagination. Or dig out old pieces that haven’t placed elsewhere, decide whether or not to revise, and submit those.

You can send us 1, 2, or 3 stories as long as the total length doesn’t exceed 500 words. You can find some samples of microfiction in Prior Winners or Google MicroFiction + 500 words or less. 

How do you enter?  There are two ways. You can use the Submittable link at the bottom of the page, or you can send your work to me directly using the Contact Box on the home page. 

Submittable will ask for a $5 submission fee which goes towards prizes and an additional $10 if you'd like feedback on what's working and what might trip readers up. 

If you prefer to send it directly to me, I'll ask you to pay the fee through PayPal or by check and as soon as I receive the payment, I'll read your work and respond to it.

Questions? Please ask, but read the suggestions first. 

SUGGESTIONS:

1. 
   
   1. 
      
      1. Stick to 2-3 characters unless you can make your point using only one character.
      2. Start late in the story.
      3. Make every detail--every word--count.
      4. Let the protagonist change.
      5. Give readers a reason to care.
      6. Make descriptions sparkle with verbs and/or nouns.
      7. Know how you want readers to react.
      8. Test your writing by having a trusted friend read it to you. Listen for places she or he trips up and fix them.
      9. Please use a readable font. If we can’t read it, we’ll have to change it. Try Arial or Verdana 14 or 16 if you want the first reader not to struggle.
      10. Done it all? Please stop judging yourself and submit.

      
      

   
   

Finalists will be notified in mid-December. 

This contest will open at the beginning of October. If it opens earlier, I’ll post the new date here. It will close on Monday, December 2. If we publish your work, you can call yourself a winner – as opposed to the winner—and you will be financially compensated. The amount varies depending on the number of winners.

FOR BEST RESULTS:

1. Include your name, contact information, and title on the Submittable form, but include only your title in the actual submission so it remains anonymous. Please leave the header and footer blank.
2. Since we judge these anonymously, you don’t need a cover letter that includes more than your contact information. If you are a finalist, we’ll ask for a bio.
3. Pleasedouble-space your submission. We recommend that you use a 14-point font that is easy to read. Cambria, Ariel, and Verdana are all good. If you forget, we may fix it for you.
4. You own the copyright. If we publish your work, the rights still belong to you, though we ask you not to resubmit to anyone other a publisher or agent until 90 days after it appears on Writer Advice. Please give us credit if it is published elsewhere.
5. Simultaneous submissions accepted. 
6. If your work is accepted elsewhere, please notify us immediately.
7. We prefer unpublished work, though we do accept stand-alone excerpts from work seeking a publisher or agent.
8. Please hit the contact button and ask questions if anything is unclear or missing. Thank you! 

Names of all winners will be announced on WriterAdvice, www.writeradvice.com in early January or—worst case--later. 

E-mail questions to editor B. Lynn Goodwin through the contact button on the home page. We value your work and look forward to reading it. 

COMMENTS FROM PREVIOUS CONTESTANTS:

"Thank you for your great advice. I appreciate it and will use it to improve my writing."  --Shelley Malicote

“Your suggestions for improvement rock.”  --Shelley Stutchman

"WriterAdvice.com is one of my all-time most reliable and accessible sites for writers. I use it—and recommend it to my clients.” ~Carolyn Howard-Johnson, multi award-winning author of the HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers (http://howtodoitfrugally.com), poetry and fiction

"I can’t tell you how many people I’ve told about the great feedback you give to folks no matter how many entries you get."   --Bill Buschel

“It’s such a refreshing experience to have some exchange — as most submissions disappear into the either like rogue satellites.” --Charles Watts 

“Your insights are excellent” --Dan Dubelman

“You are the first professional to offer feedback and your encouraging words have given me additional motivation!  It is reassuring to know that I was on the right track; you have a remarkable ability to give constructive feedback in a positive way (and you are absolutely correct). I look forward to submitting more stories and continuing to improve.” --Jamie Fouty

“I learned about this contest from the Submittable page. I then checked out your website and felt comfortable submitting my story as you seem like someone who genuinely wants to help and advise others." –Roger Yetzer

“I'm always striving to improve my writing, and feedback from editors like you make it much easier to do so.”  --Margarite R. Stever

“Many thanks for your response, from it, I can tell you're very good at what you do.” --Kisa, Visually Versed

“I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to read and analyze my work . . . It's not every day a contest gives you comprehensive feedback instead of a simple yes/no!” --Lena Crown

“Thanks for the wonderful feedback, never, never, got that before in thirty years.” --Jenny Hickinbotham

We want to share your stories about your publishing journey and your writing life here. Write to entertain, to enlighten, and to advise (but not preach). Write to share your gratitude, amazement, and disbelief.

Share the good, the bad, and the silly, but don’t share them all in one submission. Think of a blog post or a short-short story. No epics.

No fiction here. These are real-life stories ranging from 250 to 750 words. Less is more. Make your point clearly and move on. 

Who knows what your experience might inspire?

New submissions will be added quarterly. Send through Submittable,  <!-- Link to the Writer Advice submission manager. --->

<a target = _blank href="https://writeradvice.submittable.com/submit"><img src="//manager.submittable.com/Public/Images/submittable-submit-button.png" alt="submit" border="0" /></a>

$6 submission fee covers our time, possible editing, and the decision-making process.

You get a credit for your resume plus a brief bio and the satisfaction of sharing your experience Sorry that we do not have the income to pay you at this time.