Flash Fiction Party, Summer 2025

Summer is here! And if you’re in eastern or central North America, we’ve got the heat wave to go with it. So pull up a pool chair, pour yourself a piña colada, and grab your favorite pen, because you are invited to my party. All you’ve got to do is relax and share a story!
Let’s flood Substack with some excellent fiction, giving readers a break from all the essays written by those kids who got A’s in persuasive writing.
What’s a party without a party game? Or party favors? Keep reading…
The Game: A Dozen Days of Magical Realism
Rules:

1. For twelve days, every day I will post a new entry with a piece of flash fiction for that day’s theme.
2. You come on over here to my place and post your own piece of flash fiction underneath in the comments! Like a potluck, but with stories.
   
3. Pieces should be approximately 300-400 words. I mean, if you go a little under or over now and then, it’s fine, but flash fiction is the point. Tight prose, dense story.
4. You can join in any thread at any time.
5. The game has magical realism in the title, but write what you like! The topics were selected for magical realism themes, and it’s my favorite genre to write in, but you do you.
6. Restack or Note whatever you like!
7. All threads will close one week after final posting, at which time…
8. PARTY FAVORS!!! Our friends at The Wood Between the Worlds will pick favorite stories to feature on their own Substack.
9. Let’s keep everything rated PG-13, or maybe R-from-the-90’s. Remember, it’s a party, folks. Don’t show up drunk or naked or covered in gore, or we’ll have to call the cops and that will totally harsh the mellow. I will be moderating, just in case, so consider me your literary DD.
10. This is an open invitation party, so bring your friends! And your friends’ friends! And your weird uncle! Okay, maybe not him, but your cousin maybe?

And now, for the moment you’ve been waiting for, the prompts!!

In order:

1. Solitude
2. Forest
3. Malice
4. History
5. Portal
6. Shipwreck
7. Fortune
8. Sirenhead
9. Bird
10. Magician
11. Child
12. Vespers

Chug those piña coladas, or whatever you do to get those creative juices flowing.
See you soon!Posts will go up in the evening, and “Solitude” is a go for tomorrow! Can’t wait to see you!
—Laura
PS: If you like the promotional images, they were generated using Manus and edited using Inkscape.