The Really Tiny Story Competition

Thursday 7th March 2013 was World Book Day.

It was also, amongst other things,the 136th anniversary of the invention of the telephone and the fourth birthday of Prince Umberto of Savoy. What a little cutie.

Finally, Thursday 7th March 2013 was the day my second book was published.

Its name is Lilliput.

Now, second things often have a hard time in this world. No one remembers the second person to invent the lightbulb, or the second sentence of Moby Dick, or the second person to go out in the second round of the second series of X-Factor.

No one remembers the second Bloc Party album – some might say, for good reason.

Second things aren’t quite as shiny as First things. First things are new and shiny and, well… first.

So I wanted to do something to celebrate my second book – and I thought:

I know! I’ll have a competition!

So we are. I’m having a competition. And you should enter.

Now, because it’s a competition to celebrate a story, you have to write a story to win.

And because Lilliput is about really tiny things, you have to write a really tiny story.

And I mean really tiny.

This is the only rule: send me a story SIX words long.

Not seven.

Not five.

SIX WORDS.

Now, a story this short has a name: Nanofiction. I’ve posted some of my favourites below. And if you’re inspired, send me your story using this (be sure to include your name).

Oh, one more thing I haven’t mentioned: the PRIZE.

If you win the competition, then…

I’ll make you a character in my next book.

I can’t guarantee you’ll be the hero. You might be the villain. You might be a goldfish with strange and miraculous powers. Who knows?

“ACTIVATE 7 SECOND MEMORY POWER IN 5, 4, 3, 2, 1……….. Um, what was I doing again?”

Whatever you might be, you won’t be anything at all unless you write six words, before the end of March, and send them in.

Here are some to inspire you:

No taxidermist loved his daughter more.
–Ami Hendrickson

From torched skyscrapers, men grew wings.
–Gregory Maguire

“Pig!”. Gets pulled over. “Greetings, Officer.”
—Jacqueline

Lonely man. Artificial intelligence. Lonely machine.
—McDiver