Three Days Left! The Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest Closes Soon

What Are You Writing?

The 2024 Bumblebee Flash Fiction Contest closes Thursday, February 15th!

But with a word-count upper limit of 750 (yes, a story of just 25 words might get you the grand prize!), surely three days are enough?

Oh, and did we mention, you could win a sweet $300?

To get you inspired, here are three tips for the next three days:

1. Tune your title: With flash fiction’s low word count, your title is part of the story. Make it clever, make it memorable, make it a set-up, or make it ironic. Whatever you do, make it count.

2. Prune the plot: You have so few words — use them wisely. And while you’re at it, excise excess characters, ditch unnecessary dialogue, axe extra exposition, and pare the pov.

3. End with enrapture: But you don’t have to wrap it all up with a tidy little bow. It’s okay to leave your reader lingering on the meaning of it all. Avoid a punchline, but land with a punch.

We can’t wait to see the stories you have for us this year!

For all the details and to enter, visit the contest page.

Contest judge Bob Thurber is the author of the novel Paperboy, a grand master of flash, and the winner of numerous awards. His fifty-word (!) story ‘Before She Was My Mother’ is included in the Best Microfiction 2022 anthology and you can read it here.

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Curious about your craft?

For an additional $25, receive an editorial critique from one of our keen-eyed editors! That’s right: for just $45, you can enter a contest and get feedback on your entry. Talk about a honey of a deal!