It’s time to launch a 50-word challenge, where each week writers create 50-word stories and poems, and attempt to capture a complete idea, a moment in time, an event, revelation or experience. These stories span every genre from science fiction and fantasy to crime, horror, romance, historic fiction and literary works. Some stories are heart-wrenching, others uplifting. Some create a sense of wonder, others send shivers up our spines.

In short, these people amaze me!

In this post, I will provide links to the full collection from last week, share some highlights of the week, and launch a new prompt.

A brief promo for a charity contest

I’d like to share with you a new contest I’ve started. If it goes well, I will continue it going forward. The contest is a fund-raiser to support @tarc, an animal rescue organization in Appalachia run by @rhondak. Please check out the first contest post.

I think this is super fun! I’ve created a digitally-altered image with Deep Dream Generator, which turned leaves, branches and twigs into birds, fish and animals. To enter the contest, all you need to do is to come up with a great description of the animals you see in the picture. The winner earns 1 SBD and the rest goes to TARC. (Future contests will likely involve writing captions for animal pictures and other games.)

Okay, let's survey the week in #fiftywords!

(Image credit: Original image by pixel2013, Pixabay)

Last week's 50-word stories

I’d like to welcome our newest contributors, @alexandered, @whitelite, @happyhairdays, @riottales and @liverussian! Thanks for joining the Fifty Worders!

Last week's prompt was “sea.”

Here is the complete list of stories inspired by the “sea” prompt:

• Twisted words upon the tide, by @girlbeforemirror
• Dragon egg: Part 3, by @therosepatch
• The world at war, by @ablaze
• The plank, by @anixio
• Atlantis Lost, by @anikekirsten
• Salt water, by @happyhairdays
• The Cursed Jewel, by @cizzo
• Cloudgazing, by @isa93
• ...and found, by @negativer
• Sea Shore, by @vdux
• Her Secrets, by @whitelite
• Set Sail, by @theironfelix
• A Rival, by @liverussian
• Relax, by @riottales
• Cloudgazing, by @isa93
• Last Act, by @alexandered
• Calming Aura by @esttyb
• Theme: Sea, by @pyrowngs
• Endless, by @luiskrupas
• Sea by @foxyspirit
• The Return, by @calluna
• Hero, by @deirdyweirdy
• Cloudgazing, by @isa93
• By The Night, by @bagpuss
• Inferno, by @carn
• The confrontation, by @jayna
• Storm at sea, 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

This part of the weekly post is really tough, as there are always many gems to choose from. Each week I have the challenging task of selecting just a few to showcase. Here are my picks:

The Cursed Jewel, by @cizzo

The author tells a heart-breaking, decades-long story in just 50 words:

Young George sailed the seas to find the jewel—a sure way to win Gertrude’s heart.
Years passed by.
At last, the island. A cave. A beast slayed. The jewel his prize.
In the gems reflection he now saw an old man and cast the cursed stone into the sea.

Her Secrets, by @whitelite

A story of the wily, capricious sea from a 50-words newcomer:

Her countless untold mysteries, beneath the mercurial blanket of blue...
Her seductive allure has tempted many to uncover them, under all manner of guises. They come from far and wide brave and ignorant alike.
She reveals little to nothing of her secrets; as she racks up her tally even further...

Set Sail!, by @theironfelix

A salty tale, from our swashbuckling mate, @theironfelix:

Hoist the skull ‘n’ bones!
Brandish yer swords right now
for th’ Seven Seas’ desires!
Today we set sail ‘ere!
Hast no fear me matey,
Davy Jones always be close!
Raise yer pint o’ rum,
Swashbucklas o’ these fine seas
‘N’ dæmons o’ th’ Crowns!
Set sail, ‘n’ plunder Royalty!

The Return, by @calluna

This author supplied a poem and a 50-word story this week, and both were notable! I chose to share the poem because of its lovely imagery.

The salty caress of flecked foam
Whipped up by engulfing wind
The softened edges of well-worn stone
Bubbling swells of churning tides
A whisper in the crash of waves
Of comfort waiting in the cold
In her destructive might she saves
Her current will carry you home

(p.s. I added one teensy grammatical edit to this one, in italics.)

Cloudgazing, by @isa93

The author shares a view of the sea from an angel’s perspective.

"That one looks like a bear! That's like a train! Those ones, frogs!"
Charlie stood up from his cloud-made bed and stretched from feet to wings. He glanced downward one last time before going for breakfast.
They were pretty, the foam shapes that formed at the surface of the sea.

Wonderful work, everyone!

This week's 50-word story prompt

The prompt for this week is “run.” I know you’ll enjoy the many possible angles of this one, Fifty Worders!

Guidelines

Please review carefully. Images must follow the Proper use of images guidelines below.

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

Proper use of images

Proper use of images means one of the following:

1. The image is public domain, or under creative commons licensing rules.
2. It is your own image.
3. 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.

I have two resources for you, from my friends at @thewritersblock:

• Image licensing, by @rhondak
• Creative Commons Resource Library, by @therosepatch

And speaking of @thewritersblock, if you would like editing help for your stories before posting them, follow #thewritersblock tag to find them on Discord.

Deadline for this week: Saturday, June 23rd.

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, @adigitalife, @aggroed, @agmoore, @ahmadmanga, @akdx, @aksounder, @alexandered, @alheath, @anikekirsten, @anixio
@bagpuss, @beginningtoend, @botefarm @brandonsadventur, @bryarose23
@caleblailmusik, @carn, @cheekah, @cizzo, @clacrax, @creatr
@damianjayclay, @deirdyweirdy, @desmoniac, @diebitch, @dirge, @divineinyang, @donnest
@eaglespirit, @elementm, @emwalker, @enjar, @eroticabian, @esttyb, @evgsk
@feebie, @felt.buzz, @ficciones, @foxfiction, @foxyspirit
@galactichunter, @girlbeforemirror, @godwine
@hope-k
@iamthegray, @intheory, @isa93
@jadams2k18, @janine-ariane, @jakeybrown, @jayna, @jonknight, @josecarrasquero
@kaelci, @kally, @kimberlylane, @kingernie, @ktfabler
@ldacey-laforge, @lightoj, @lucylin, @luiskrupaz
@Mammasitta, @marie-jay, @mark-dahl, @mgaft1, @mineopoly, @miniature-tiger, @mizdais, @momzillanc, @mydivathings
@naquoya, @navaneeth, @negativer, @niallon11
@paintingangels, @phillyc, @pixiehunter, @poeticnest, @preparedwombat, @prydefoltz, @puppetmaster1111, @purpledaisy57, @pyrowngs
@ravencorinn, @rodrigocabrera
@sharoonyasir, @spalatino, @sue-stevenson, @sukhasanasister
@tanglebranch, @thatlovechild, @theblackcrow, @theironfelix, @therosepatch, @tiatu, @tuwore, @tygertyger
@vaitelavicius, @vivek-g
@wa2qr, @wales, @whitelite, @wordsalmighty, @wylde
@zen-art

About the 50-word challenge

This weekly 50-word challenge starts off each Sunday with a one-word prompt. Participants use the prompt to create a micro-fiction story in just 50 words. For more info and inspiration: check out the recent post about this project, Fifty-word challenge: FAQs, ideas, motivation and showcase.

Tips for a successful 50-word story:

1. Spend some time thinking about what comes to mind from the story prompt.
2. Choose the central idea you want to convey, and write the story draft.
3. Edit your story. Tighten the wording. Fix grammar and punctuation. (I personally find that I can almost always choose stronger, more impactful words than the first ones I put down on the page.)

Note: If you draft your story in Word or Google docs, they have built-in word count tools.

Thanks so much for reading! If you haven’t yet written a story in 50 words, try it. It's a really amazing challenge to see what can unfold in a mere 50 words!