Feb
Something Strange Is Afoot
by thegooddoctor in News
UPDATE: I’ve received a lot of great feedback. Thanks to everyone who’s filled out the form. I’m definitely going to be building a new site in the near future, but for now everything will continue here, and stories will continue to go up.
If you haven’t, please fill out the survey and let me know what features you’d most like to see in the new site, and make any other recommendations you might have. Speak now or forever hold your peace!
You may have noticed some recent changes on the website. These updates are part of an ongoing evolution of A Story in 100 Words which I hope will lead to more stories, more submissions, and more community. When I started the website more than sixteen years ago (wow!), it was just meant as a personal outlet for my own writing. I never expected to have any submissions, let alone more than 1,800 and counting.
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the site, and let me assure you that whatever changes do occur, the goal will be the same: to provide a 100% free option for submitting microfiction and getting published online.
The first change to the website involves adding a donation button. Some of you have asked about how to contribute to the site, and suggested a donation option. I’ve always said the best way to contribute to the site is purchasing one of my books on Amazon (which I still recommend as the first choice) but I have decided to give you the ability to make one time or recurring donations via Ko-Fi.
All proceeds will go to maintaining and updating the website. The hosting costs a few hundred dollars a year, not to mention the time that goes into posting stories and responding to submissions/queries. Any support will be very much appreciated.
Also on the wishlist: after 16 years, the WordPress site is running a bit ragged, and I would like to migrate to a new platform. I believe the site could be improved in a number of ways that will help promote community and make the overall experience more engaging and meaningful.
With all this in mind, I’ve created a quick survey to ask what sorts of changes you’d most like to see, and to take recommendations for new community features. Please take five minutes to provide your feedback.
Mar
Best Friends Forever
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Michael sits on the dock with his feet dangling in the water. Frank lounges next to him, his nose alert for danger or snacks.
Perhaps they will go for a walk along the lake, or follow the dried creek bed up to the moss tree. Or Michael might grab a fishing pole from the shed and spend the afternoon at the shady shore. Frank would probably rather chase squirrels and rabbits in the grassy meadow.
It’s the kind of day that you want to freeze in time and make it last forever.
The kind of day made for best friends.
Jun
Old Friend
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
I remember a much younger you, so energetic, so easily scared, so cheaply won over by a treat.
I remember you running in open fields until you realize how far away you are, then running just as fast back to me.
I remember the vet telling me you had cancer, and the impending darkness I endured for two years. When he admitted his mistake I wanted to be mad but couldn’t be. Those years were a gift.
I cherish all the hours that remain to us. I will carry you as far as you are willing and eager to go.
Mar
Not One Of Us
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
They watched Mark with great interest. Everything about him screamed that he was different, from the way he was dressed (tattered blue jeans and a Winter is Coming t-shirt) to the way he shunned their company.
As he walked briskly past, heads turned seemingly as one. Before long, Mark had a large retinue, each individual dressed in a dark blue suit, following after him. He hurried on without directly acknowledging their attention.
“He’s not one of us.”
Mark stopped. “Why won’t you leave me alone?”
“We just want what’s best for you, Mark. Join us and never be alone again.”
Mar
King Of The Court
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Every afternoon, Marcus ruled the court. Sneakers squeaked as he crossed defenders, launched impossible threes, and hammered dunks that rattled the rim. His friends groaned while commentators crowned him a legend. He knew every hesitation, every perfect release, every seam in the opponent’s defense. He was lightning—untouchable, unstoppable, airborne.
When the final buzzer sounded, the crowd’s roar thinned to a mechanical hum. “Marcus, dinner’s ready,” his mom called from the kitchen.
“Coming,” he answered, while unlocking the brakes on his wheelchair, gripping the rims of the wheels and pushing himself back from his desk. Beyond the doorway, reality waits.
From Guest Contributor E. Barnes
E. has work published at A Story In 100 Words, Spillwords, The Purple Pen, The Haven, and Medium.
Mar
So Complicated
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Harry wiped his brow as he stood before the giant flaming gates. Looking over his shoulder, the entrance to heaven beckoned, with thousands of newly dead souls waiting to be sorted in between.
“Next.”
Harry was jostled to the front of the line.
“Will you be contesting your designation to hell?”
“Yes!”
“Very well. Fill out the following in triplicate.” He held an aggressively thick stack of forms. “Every claim will need written evidence. One mistake, and you start over. Or you can skip the whole ordeal and enter hell immediately.”
As in life, dead Harry chose the easier option.
Mar
War
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
I watched as my buddy exploded into fragments from a grenade. I saw the fear on his face knowing at that moment, he would die. It was chaotic and when I ran for cover, I thought he was behind me, but he stayed to help an injured soldier to safety. Now, both are gone.
I’m in the trench shaken, wishing I were anywhere else but here.
I heard the tanks roaring, and men yelled, guns ready in hand.
My ears rang; head pounded with all sound, until everything became muffled, and my right hand shook uncontrollably.
Then came the explosion.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher
Mar
Jealousy As An Occupation
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
Lisa has a hard time explaining her job. To be fair, she might have a harder time believing it herself.
“People hire me to be jealous of them. Sometimes I write a bunch of comments on their socials saying how I wish I could be more like them. Or I might burst in on a client while he’s on a date begging for him to take me back because he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s a great boost to their self-esteem.”
“And they pay you for this?”
“I’m really good at wishing I were someone else.”
Mar
#Blemished
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
The comments hit hard. @keybrdwar58 wrote “Pepperoni face.” Certified rage baiter @uplinegeek’s “Wear a mask” got fifteen likes, zero from me. Ouch! Why did @soyzgalz comment “Get a life” just because I asked for advice? @vawaxayaz replied “Boomer talk.” Merci @vawaxayaz. She’s a skinfluencer. Now if she could please give me a follow back. Maybe she’ll ghost me. If she’s not a pretty deepfake bot, bet she uses AI-smooth filters. Like who doesn’t? Anyway, this is the last time I’ll ask for derma advice on Insta. Gotta have thick skin. Girls with thick skin don’t get pimples. There’s my problem.
From Guest Contributor Elizabeth Murphy
Mar
I Believe In Dragons
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
It might seem controversial, but I have a strong belief that dragons actually exist. You might think me insane or desperately naive, a sufferer of what is colloquially known as wishful thinking. Or perhaps you believe I’m of a more metaphorical bent, and my optimistic nature and love of the imagination means I hold a place in my heart for the fantastical. I surely couldn’t be speaking literally.
If that’s the case, I promise you I am most serious when I say I believe in dragons. In fact, one is staring at me this very moment, ready to breathe fire.
Mar
Dairy Reinvented
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“Our regional cows have been highly productive,” beamed Norm, supervising an employee unload dairy products for customers.
But where were they?
The regulars showed up. Tourists trickled in as they did elsewhere in the vacationland—unlike booming pre-pandemic times. Did the current political climate have a bearing?
After days of dismal turnout, Norm called his staff for a meeting.
“Put up a new display poster,” he instructed. “Half price: ALL dairy!
A sampling counter was set up, manned by an employee.
Sales accelerated. Many shopping carts left the grocery store with dairy. Late comers found the refrigerated section emptied out.
From Guest Contributor Krystyna Fedosejevs
Mar
Machine Music
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
“Why do I have to learn piano if in five years all music’s going to be made by AI anyway?”
Gale generally enjoyed his life as a piano instructor, but his sessions with Kimberly were an exception. She was the kind of student who constantly wasted his time and purposefully avoided practice, so even her warm up scales grated on his nerves.
“AI doesn’t know the first thing about writing actual music. It’s just a bunch of sounds that vaguely resembles a real song. Art can’t be created by a machine.”
“But my biology teacher says humans are machines too.”
Mar
Snow Storm
by thegooddoctor in 100 Words
It’s freezing and I’m stranded on a back road with no cell service and a raging snow storm. In my defense, the snow was light when I started driving and this is not what the weather forecast predicted. I’m pinned in the car and can’t move. My chest aches, most likely from the impact, and my left leg is throbbing. It must be fractured. I’m too weak and cold to move and I’m afraid if I try to, I’ll hurt myself more. All I can do is wait and pray.
Is that lights ahead?
“Miss, are you okay?”
I’m rescued.
From Guest Contributor Lisa M. Scuderi-Burkimsher