2023 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 1
Write a piece of flash fiction each day of February with the February Flash Fiction Challenge, led by Managing Editor Moriah Richard. Each day, receive a prompt, example story, and write your own. Today’s prompt is to write a story inspired by a favorite song.
Welcome to the first day of our month-long challenge! If you're returning from a previous year, welcome back! And if this is your first time with us, I hope you find as much fun in this challenge as I do.
If you’re on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram (or anywhere else), be sure use the #FlashFictionFeb hashtag. Now, let’s get started!
For today’s prompt, write a story inspired by a favorite song. This could be an old song you still love, a new one you can't get out of your head, or maybe a song your characters can't get away from. The choice is yours!
Remember: These prompts are just starting points; you have the freedom to go wherever your flash of inspiration takes you.
(Note: If you happen to run into any issues posting, please just send me an e-mail at mrichard@aimmedia.com with the subject line: Flash Fiction Challenge Commenting Issue. Fingers crossed there are no tech hiccups!)
Here’s my attempt at a story inspired by a song:
Tom’s Diner
I button up my coat and slide off the stool. The man behind the counter glances at me as I shuffle some bills out of my wallet and pin them under my coffee cup. A shadow of the woman’s lipstick is clinging to his bottom lip. For a moment, I’m struck by the thought that if I leave the glow of the diner’s lights, I’ll never been seen again. Like the ghost of your mouth on my shoulder, I’ll be a memory that rises up at inopportune times.
The bell above the door rings out as an elderly man stomps in, his hacking cough barely muffled by his fist. I blink myself awake and let my feet carry me out into the rain.
Since obtaining her MFA in fiction, Moriah Richard has worked with over 100 authors to help them achieve their publication dreams. As the managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine, she spearheads the world-building column Building Better Worlds, a 2023 Eddie & Ozzie Award winner. She also runs the Flash Fiction February Challenge on the WD blog, encouraging writers to pen one microstory a day over the course of the month and share their work with other participants. As a reader, Moriah is most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook.
Learn more about Moriah on her personal website.
