Writing short fiction is nothing less than an art. Every word matters and every word counts. Anything superfluous gets deleted, and only the most important information stays.

This month, we’ll be investigating this art form with Double Nickels, which are 55-word short stories (the title isn’t included in the word count). While many Flash Fiction pieces are at minimum 100 words, Double Nickels are like the mini flash fictions, testing the limits of story even further. The haiku of the literary world, if you will. Some of us will also be writing about the art of writing short, giving tips and advice on how to do so. And at the end of the month, I’ll interview another Fictorian for your reading pleasure.

We hope you enjoy our short tales this month! Feel free to comment and play along if any of the stories inspire you!

Here’s some inspiration from Stephen King about writing short stories: