You, an alchemist, undid my bones into atoms, trained them through the fractals of you your rivulets and creeks so I could fill you with my humours so you could claim my essence as your own so you could weight yourself with my gravity so you could feel solid earth under your arched feet so you could feel something alive so you could move and breathe and hope and wish and so you did wish and hope and move and hunt and gather and stuff stolen stones into your interstitium so you sunk into the earth where you met grubs and scurrying chittering things and it rained and became muck and mud and you looked to me to unstick you and the only way I could was to springmelt through you and reconstitute myself atoms molecules mitochondria cells bones ligaments fascia muscle skin so I could see who I was outside you something new something alive something separate and this mud is your mud and I live in the sun, the sea, the sky, the everywhere with my bones and flesh and skin.
Monday, 15 June 2026
Saturday, 13 June 2026
NFFD 2026 Prompt #24: Last Crossing
Prompt #24: Last Crossing
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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We've reached midnight here in the UK, and the last of this year's Write-In prompts.
Write a microfiction of no more than 50 words about an ending that is also a beginning.
The title does not count toward the word count.
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 24: Last Crossing.
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Photograph by Oziel Gómez via pexels.
NFFD 2026 Prompt #23: Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Prompt #23: Bridge Over Troubled Waters
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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Anyone who has ever read for a journal, contest or write-in knows that often the queue contains a lot of darkness. As we're moving toward the end of the day, we'd love to see some light in our inbox.
For this prompt, write a joyful flash with a genuinely happy ending. What counts as happy is entirely up to you, but it should feel earned.
If you're struggling, we encourage you to persevere; this is a challenging ask. It can be much harder to write joy than misery, but we know you can do it!
We'll be back at midnight with the final prompt for 2026....
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 23: Bridge Over Troubled Waters
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Photograph by Olivier Piquer via Unsplash.
NFFD 2026 Prompt #22: Lost and Found
Prompt #22: Lost and Found
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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Write a flash in the form of a 'Lost and Found' poster or public advertisement for something intangible (like a lost afternoon, a missed opportunity, or a sudden realization) dropped near a river.
To make this extra challenging, avoid themes involving dementia or general memory loss. A loss of memory about something very specific and usual (words involving the letter 'r', the colour blue or the existence of insects, say) is fair game!
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 22: Lost and Found.
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Photograph by Hawai'i Digital Newspaper Program UH Mānoa via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).
NFFD 2026 Prompt #21: Future Mudlarking
Prompt #21: Future Mudlarking
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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Write a flash from the point of view of someone in the future who has found an object from our present day. Let them misunderstand it beautifully.
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 21: Future Mudlarking.
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Photograph by Michael Dziedzic via Unsplash.
NFFD 2026 Prompt #20: The Span
Prompt #20: The Span
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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A bridge spans the distance between two points crossing a gap.
For this prompt, write the shortest possible flash that you can manage that spans all 26 letters of the alphabet: you must use each letter of the alphabet at least once.
Make sure to give your flash a title, and yes, letters used in the title count.
You can double check your letters here: https://legacy.cryptool.org/en/cto/frequency-analysis (and don't forget to click the 'Sort alphabetically' option at the top right for convenience).
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 20: The Span
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Image by Mike van Schoonderwalt via pexels.
NFFD 2026 Prompt #19: Burning Bridges
Prompt #19: Burning Bridges
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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Write a story about a character intentionally severing a tie with someone or something, but frame it as a positive, freeing, or necessary act rather than a tragedy.
To make this extra challenging, avoid the themes of leaving a romantic relationship, an abusive relationship, or parents/relatives/partners who don't understand or approve of the narrator. Also, avoid using the words 'goodbye', 'leave', 'fire', or 'finally'.
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 19: Burning Bridges
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Photograph by Jayden Lynch via Unsplash.
NFFD 2026 Prompt #18: Busy
Prompt #18: Busy
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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Look at Joanna Campbell's painting, 'Busy'. This piece is filled with warm, chaotic energy, stark angles, and scattered silhouettes all moving in different directions.
Write a flash fiction piece where at least three different characters cross paths in a bustling environment, but their internal goals are completely different.
To make this extra challenging, we ask you to avoid crime, accidents, or tragedy.
Bonus points if you can write a story where the intersecting chaos results in something serendipitous, humorous, or surprisingly joyful.
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 18: Busy
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Artwork by Joanna Campbell.
NFFD 2026 Prompt #17: Flooding
Prompt #17: Flooding
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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Today, NFFD's sister project FlashFlood is publishing one story every five to ten minutes. Find a story you admire and choose five interesting words from it: strong nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. (Articles, conjunctions, and common verbs don't count, so avoid things like 'an', 'the', 'with', 'and', 'is', 'said' and lean into things that are super specific or evocative.)
Write a flash of no more than 150 words using all five words on a subject that is different from the source story.
The title does not count toward the word count. Please note in your submission which FlashFlood story you drew from (and a link would be greatly appreciated), as well as your list of words. You may use a story from this year's Flood or previous years.
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 17: Flooding.
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Photograph by Owen.outdoors via pexels.
NFFD 2026 Prompt #16: Bridge Closed
Prompt #16: Bridge Closed
Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week.
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Write a story in the form of signs, warnings, notices, announcements, or instructions. The reader should be able to work out what happened from what is being forbidden, redirected, repaired, or apologised for.
Aim to make the 'what happened' something unusual and specific.
Bonus points if you can insert some levity and/or humour.
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If you’re submitting
this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 16: Bridge Closed.
You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday,
14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In.
You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page.
Photograph of Chambers Bridge (Woolwich Township, Ontario) by C Hensley via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0).