I have a new writing addiction. Drabbles. EXACTLY 100 words to depict a complete story, a challenge I thoroughly enjoy. I love exploring the complexity of human nature through horror and speculative fiction, and writing drabbles is a quick way to keep my creativity fresh, and my word count tight.
To kick off my new addiction, I answered a submission call from Black Hare Press. They run a monthly drabble challenge DARK MOMENTS for online publication. The June submission theme was “PURGE” with the following criteria: What happens when there are no consequences, no law enforcement, no judgments, with a particular call for stories about or including revenge, no consequences, blood, rage, no judgement, no laws. DARK.
Perfect.
As always, I like to look past the obvious and tackle the topic in a different way. The result was a story about a town that loved football. And about a character who doesn’t. Only twelve drabbles are accepted for each submission call and I’m pleased to say that my drabble, ‘CLEAN SHEET’ made the cut.
If you like short dark stories, you can read my drabble online by clicking the link below. I hope you enjoy.
Pauline Yates 