2023 February Flash Fiction Challenge: Day 26
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 about a dream monitor.
For today’s prompt, your protagonist is someone whose job is to monitor dreams. But on this particular night, they spot something ... interesting.
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.)
Here’s my attempt at writing about a dream monitor:
Dream Entry 11,461: Billy Matheson, Age 8
Out of all the dreams I watched, the kids’ were my favorites. Heavy metal bands playing for audiences of Sour Patch Kids and gummy worms. Unicorns taking them for rides across the stars. Deep sea exploration that leads to major (if ridiculous) scientific breakthroughs.
But as I was looking over my screens, something else caught my attention—me.
It was me at my station, rendered exactly; no dream distortion whatsoever. I reached up to touch my face and the me on the screen did the same.
After another moment, I thumbed the intercom. “Boss? You’re gonna want to see this.”
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.
