50 word stories - A resurrection!
My very first post, seven months ago, was a fifty word story. You can read it below if you didn't catch it the first time around!
($0.02 payout, in case you were wondering, off and running!)
It's a format I've always liked. The requirement for precision and structure, the deliberation over choice of words, the complexity of building a character and the arc of a story under the constraint of a reduced word count - these elements all appeal to me, and I think they fit my style of writing.
I plan to post more of them this year. The fiftywords tag seems to be empty and unused, the "newest" post in there being four months old. It's in need of a resurrection!
If you would like to join me, just post in that same tag "fiftywords". I'll happily resteem the one I like best each day and no doubt I will offer some of my small upvotes as encouragement.
If we get enough stories I may do something more organised - perhaps some themed events and small contests (an annual conference, a bestselling book of our collection, the launch of the 50word SMT to make us all rich!). I'm sure you get the gist.
I'll also be running an experiment where I post my fifty word stories on other crypto social networks (although steem first obviously!) There will be a few of these sites popping up this year, in addition to those that are already out there, and I'll be interested to see where the genre fits best. I'll let you know how that goes, let me know what you think!
So here it is, back where my steem journey began!
50 word story: End of the line?
At the end of the line was the village of her childhood photographs. Empty beach and open sky. The space to breathe, to run, to cast the endless arguments like tangled nets into the sea. To remember who she was. To decide who she will be.
Return trip? Or single?

Your steem journey is just amazing ....
My steem train is starting to pick up speed!
I’m so happy you’re doing this! 50 words is such a fine discipline and good practice for someone like me who tends to overword lol. When you start identifying non Steemit places for posting I hope you’ll share your experiences in the off-steemit-ocean channel at Isle of Write 🤓
Thanks Jess, I will do!
Okay, I'm in and I'm following @authorofthings's lead and carrying your story forward ;)
Hope you don't mind, but it's such fun this way!
That's a great idea Jess! I don't mind at all - anything goes (well, anything as long as it's 50 words!)
Donezo!
That would be nice. I use to love doing my weekly 50 words. Back then it was great always knowing if I had an idea or not there would be a 50 words that I could do.
I even did them a couple of times after it stop. The guy who ran it even came by a couple of times. For a while I was even testing with posting 3 or so short stories in a single post. Some days when I had writers block I just did a 50 word story as a warm up.
Hey @enjar! Nice to have you on board!
Yes, I remember that time fondly, particularly when I was just starting out and I was a little unsure of what I was going to post to get started. It's a nice way in for minnows.
It's also great writing discipline. It's hard to get a story, scene, or emotion across in such few words - it helps in tightening prose and thinking about word choices, which is helpful in all writing.
this is great! Which other crypto social networks are there?
Hey Marianne! So far I'm looking at sola and scrypto, although there will be others popping up this year.
It won't be comparable, since on steem I'm very, very important(!) and I'm new or relatively new on the others. But it will be interesting to see if anyone on the other sites picks up the discipline, or if it just falls flat - interesting experiment either way!
I like the idea, so you can count on me!
Thanks @andrejatosevski!
I look forward to reading your stories!
I like the idea. May even join in at some point :)
Like your story too, btw. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks! Please do, the more the merrier! And it would be great to have one of your stories!
wow!, I remember this
it gradually died around the
time i wanted to get into it.
Thanks @ miniature-tiger for bringing this back!
No problem @kyrian! And thanks bringing your story also.
We shall see!
...
We saw! https://steemit.com/fiftywords/@improv/nick-a-50-word-story
Nice work as always @improv!
Great short story, sent shivers down my spine! So simple yet so deep.
Awesome initiative, I've just written my own 50 word story and hope you read and enjoy it. Hope there are more opportunities like this one.
Thank you! And thanks for joining in with your story!
Great Idea
I'm in ;)
We can make it happen !
We can! I look forward to reading some of your stories @hazem91.
he it comes :)
https://steemit.com/fiftywords/@hazem91/ahmed-game-a-50-word-story