Stone Soup holds a Flash Contest during the first week of every month. The month’s first Weekly Creativity prompt provides the contest challenge. Submissions are due by midnight on Sunday of the same week and should be under 1,500 words. Up to five winners are chosen for publication on our blog. The winners, along with up to five honorable mentions, are announced on the blog. Submit via our Submittable site.
The Weekly Creativity prompts are intended to help you “break the ice” and start writing. The prompts, all written by students, just like you. The prompts are different from each other. Each prompt makes challenges you think, to be creative. You might note a few different ways you can approach the prompt. As a rule, we advise skipping the way that seems easy or obvious. Always give some thought to the point-of-view you are taking. Who is the observer? Are you writing from the “first person” perspective, through the eyes of your character? Are you the “omniscient” narrator who sees all and knows all? If you are writing a prompt every week, then think about changing your points of view from week-to-week.
Every contest has its own winners' page, where you can read all the winning entries for the month. We are currently working on the winner's page, but we will announce this new page when we announce the October winners in the following month!
We are proud of everyone who takes part in the contest. Thank you for trusting us with your work! Good luck!
Our February 2025 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #313 (provided by the Stone Soup editorial board), which asked to create a story, poem, artwork, or musical composition that reimagines Valentine’s Day in an unexpected way while avoiding typical Valentine’s words like love, roses, and hearts, and instead, use unconventional imagery, themes, or emotions to express connection and affection. As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners "A Saint’s Last Whisper" by Wing Hey Chan, 15 "Pebbles” by Naomi Ng, 13 Honorable Mentions "Here’s Your Order” by Sophie Lin, 11 “Unhappy Very Unhappy Valentine’s Day” by Katherine Liu, 6 “A Pianist's Soulful Melody” by Gavin Liu, 15 “Unveiled” by Lexi Neiman, 17, “Hidden Treasures” by Lily Wu, 12, “When the Silver Tip Dances Again” by Victoria Xu, 10 “The Ocean’s Bond” by Erica Zhan, 12 A Saint’s Last Whisper Wing Hey Chan, 15 A Saint’s Last Whisper In secret halls where whispers stay, a priest still dared to disobey. He joined the hands the law forbade, and for his crime, the price was paid. His final breath fades into gray. The cold bars whispered of despair, A frozen grip in the stagnant air, Where shadows clung to the damp stone walls, And silence echoed through endless halls. His soul, imprisoned, felt the chill, a slow, cruel bite, and time stood still. Behind the bars, he ...
Our January 2025 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #312 (provided by Stone Soup students Emma Hoff), which asked that participants create a story, poem, artwork, or a musical composition based off of the painting "Champs de Mars: The Red Tower" by Robert Delaunay using the ekphrastic method. As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners "Modernism’s Blinding Earthquake" by Gavin Liu, 15 "The Red Tower: When the Old Order Makes Way for the New" by Nathan Qu, 13 "Mr. Eiffel" by Derek Zhang, 11 Honorable Mentions "Through The Eyes Of Time" by Wing Hey Chan, 13 "I Remember" by Isabel Sands, 15 "The City of Gray" by Sydney Kesselheim, 12 Modernism’s Blinding Earthquake Gavin Liu, 15 Leaning city buildings crumple in the tower’s flame. Angels fall — or are they attempting to rise on Jacob’s ladder to evacuate modernism’s earthquake Sky’s gloominess tests angels’ golden wings to avoid fiery-red beams as Delaunay’s frantic mind holds no doubt of what demise modernity will bring— his desperate plea to Parisians to see civility’s tumbling collapse and the Eiffel Tower’s meaning— earth forgotten—unable to withstand the heavy iron, steel, and electric light as nature’s goodwill lags behind modernism’s deception. Nature’s resistance—crackling lightning striking Paris’s elegant tower made red— to unsnare people’s ignorance to instead wake in sun’s golden tower of love. The Red Tower: When the Old ...
Our December 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #311 (provided by Stone Soup students Sage Millen, Meleah Goldman, and Emma Hoff), which asked that participants write a short story from a blizzard's perspective, a poem on your favorite part of winter, or create an artwork that shows light and darkness As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners "Snowflake" by Scarlett Yi, 13 "Snowflakes: A Winter's Tanka Poem" by Matthew Zhang, 13 "From the life we left" by Dara Jin, 11 "Waiting" by John Gabriel Sperl, 12 "Snowflake Light" by Tang Li, 12 Honorable Mentions "The Wonders of Winter" by Evee Dev, 9 "BLIZZARD" by Julian Yang, 10 "My View" by Sharbani Datta, 10 "Winter's Breath" Haoran Yang, 11 "A New December Day: A Shakespearean Sonnet " by Erica Zhan, 12 Snowflake Scarlett Yi, 13 Winter is a great time to have your heart leave you tofeel your ears redden with fire andBe consumed by direSpeed I zoomAcross a field ofHardened glinting crystalsEach one with a bitterly cold tasteAnd then Fall andFly,FasterThanBliss And You Can’t Miss this feeling Snowflakes: A Winter's Tanka Poem Matthew Zhang, 13 Billions of smallDancers, twirling in the skyFalling slowly downOne flake after anotherOne flake after another From the Life We Left Dara Jin, 11 Wintry trees on a lonely laneMoonlight shines on the frostLonesome flakes of ...
Our November 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #310 (provided by Stone Soup students Sage Millen, Meleah Goldman, and Emma Hoff), which asked that participants write a short story, poem, or create an artwork that tells a fairytale from the perspective of a secondary character As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners "The Wolf’s Side of the Story" by Isabella Fu, 13 "The Diary of Mrs Fitzgerald, Cinderella’s Stepmother" by Keziah Khoo, 11 "The Seven Dwarfs and Snow White" by Arshia, 15 "Home of Nature" by Shixi Wu, 8 "The White Rabbit's New Life" by Tang Li, 12 Honorable Mentions "Little Red Riding Snack" by Lucia Tang, 12 "Through the Wolf's Eyes" by Ethan Chen, 13 "True Tale of The Three Billy Goats Gruff" by Lydia Chen, 10 "Little Red Riding Hood: Wolf's Plan" by Nidhi Gudigantala, 11 "Snow White" by Minakshi (Mina) Codyraman, 12 "A Candle’s Point Of View" by Silvia Anita Visoiu, 10 "The Doe and Baby Bear" by Jiya Parekh, 10 The Wolf’s Side of the Story ISABELLA FU, 13 It’s a chilly morning in the forest. The birds nestle up together in the shadows of the trees. The squirrels tuck away in the tree hollows, their tails shielding them from the cold. Meanwhile, us big ones don’t get any warmth, no matter how much we call. We’re silenced. Expected ...
Our October 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #309 (provided by Stone Soup students Sage Millen, Meleah Goldman, and Emma Hoff), which asked that participants write a short story about the life cycle of a pumpkin, write a Haiku about any kind of fall weather, or make an art piece inspired by fall leaves. As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners "Dark Skies" by Nathan Qu, 12 "Veiled Haze" by Gavin Liu, 14 "Somewhere Out There" by Isla Reuter, 11 "A mythical Red Maple Leaf" by Arwen Gamez, 15 "Autumn Love" by Anwita Lingireddy, 9 Honorable Mentions "Life of a Pumpkin" by Chinedum Obiora, 11 "The Journey of the Pumpkin" by Mirei Okita, 11 "XOXO Fall" by Priscilla Chow, 11 "Happy Leaves; Happy Fall" by Aubree Dong, 11 "Autumn Spectacle" by Neeti Kulkarni, 10 Dark Skies NATHAN QU, 12 Gray cloudlets pass through Autumn, darkest time of year Depressed skies weep rain Veiled Haze GAVIN LIU, 14 the world wakes cold and peers through a window - blinded by blanketing fog Somewhere Out There ISLA REUTER, 11 A hard shell surrounds me, keeping me safe from the damp, cold earth outside. I’m not ready to come out yet. I know it’s not my time. Suddenly, I feel a vibration above, a steady rhythm. Drip, drip, drip. The rains have come. The fresh, sweet ...
Our May 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #304 (provided by Stone Soup intern Sage Millen), which asked that participants write a story based on one of their favorite songs. Musical inspirations included Shawn Mendes, Ruth B., LL COOL J, and Brandi Carlisle. Characters faced 200 ft demons, made new friends, and attended incredible concerts. In one submission, a case of mistaken identity even led to an arrest! As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners "I Can Tell That We are Gonna Be Friends" by Sejal Arora-Patel, 10 "Child Psychology" by Sarah Hu, 12 "Fallout" by Gargi Mondal, 12 "Talking to the Moon" by Dora You, 11 "Oh Klahoma" by Melody You, 13 Honorable Mentions "Older" by Meera Amin, 13 "The Dandelion Wish" by Brielle Barlow, 12 "As Is" by Erin Mundt, 11 "The Wish Tiger" by Jiya Parekh, 10 "Floater" by Zoe Pazner, 13 I Can Tell That We are Gonna Be Friends SEJAL ARORA-PATEL, 10 Song: "We're Going to Be Friends" by The White Stripes Fall is here Kids are shouting and yelling and I kind of don’t know how to feel. The school building stretches high in front of me, and fall leaves are scattered on the ground. Red, yellow, orange, and rare purple that match the shoes I secretly like even though boys aren’t supposed to like purple shoes ...
Our April 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #299 (provided by Stone Soup intern Sage Millen), which asked that participants write a poem from the perspective of a shoelace. The laces went on incredible adventures, protested against cruel owners, ran in marathons, and grumbled about the growing preference for velcro and slip-on shoes. In all of the entries, one thing was clear: shoelaces are severely underappreciated—and they won't hesitate to trip their owners if they deem it necessary! As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “The Woes of a Lace” by Ryan Avalos, 13 “Running, Running (Never Walking!)” by Arden Cha, 10 “Resignation Letter” by Meleah Goldman, 13 “Tied” by Peter Grace, 13 “The Shoelace's Revelation” by Sconnie Gushée, 11 Honorable Mentions “Downward Hero” by Addison Davis, 11 “Sonnet 155: Shall I Compare Myself to a Relic?” by Alice Hou, 13 “Identity” by Sophie Li, 13 “Life of a Shoelace” by Daniel Kaijie Zhang, 10 “The Poor Shoelace” by Rehan Van Dam, 12 The Woes of a Lace RYAN AVALOS, 13 Tangled in knots, I seethe with rage,Bound to this shoe in a confining cage.Forced to bend, to twist, to strain,Endlessly pulled, without refrain. I’m yanked and tugged, without a care,No thought for my plight—it’s so unfair!Tread upon, dragged through the mire,My fibers fray, my patience dire. I tongue at soil, I lap ...
Our March 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #295 (provided by Stone Soup intern Sage Millen), which asked that participants write a story that takes place during a sleepover. These sleepovers were filled with fun activities; characters told scary stories, found a hidden portal, and chased after a runaway cat. They dreamed about transforming into fruit and meeting friendly dragons. One group of witches in particular even had to save Santa himself! As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “The Perfect Sleepover” by Arden Cha, 10 “A Friendship Sleepover” by Aubrey Huang, 11 “For Jade” by Sophie Li, 13 “Saving Christmas” by Miya Ma, 8 “The Cherry Tree” by Miranda Wang, 11 Honorable Mentions “Amaya's Story” by Elaine Bai, 12 “Under the Stars” by Elise Ben-Akiva, 11 “The Truth Behind the Glass” by Ella Chen, 12 “Sleepover Magic” by Jiya Parekh, 10 “Sarah” by Chris Ye, 12 The Perfect Sleepover ARDEN CHA, 10 I have always loved going to sleepovers. I remember going to my first sleepover when I was eight. My friend Calvin invited me to his house during December break. We devoured pizza, watched Home Alone, and spooked each other with eerie ghost stories with a flashlight placed under our chins (which gave the most epic spine-chilling effect). I enjoyed the sleepover so much that I hid in the bathroom when ...
Our February 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #291 (provided by Stone Soup intern Sage Millen), which asked that participants write a story about a person discovering a secret passageway. Characters stumbled upon doors to incredible lands of zombies, witches, and mermaids. They found staircases in trees, tunnels in garbage cans, and a golden elixir that prevents aging. In one submission, a man in a green suit took the main character to a land of misfit creatures. As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “Hole in the Ground” by Angelina Chen, 12 "The Stars" by Xi Huang, 11 "Sewer Rats" by Alborz Yousefi Nooraie, 12 "Wake Up" by Vanaja Raju, 12 "Passage" by Chris Yihan Ye, 12 Honorable Mentions "The Hidden Truth" by Rayansh Bhargava "The Search for the Past Life" by Hope Dekkers, 13 "The Gateway" by Yuna Jung, 10 "The Enchanted Pathway" by Miya Ma, 8 "Shattered Land" by Adam Xu, 11 Hole in the Ground ANGELINA CHEN, 12 “Fine, I hate you too,” Len hissed with feral eyes. His mother and father stood before the television, his father’s hand on his console’s plug. Len clutched the edges of the couch, trying to burn a hole through his parents while sinking into the sofa cushions. “Len, buddy, we never said we hated you; we just told you to turn off the ...
Our January 2024 Flash Contest was based on Prompt #286 (provided by Stone Soup contributor Molly Torinus), which asked that participants write a story based on the classic game: Would You Rather. There were many incredibly creative takes on this prompt, and characters had tough decisions to make. They debated between super speed and super strength, a girl left her hometown--never to return, and a boy chose to change career paths after accidentally destroying cheese shop property with his pet rat. In one submission a Would You Rather spirit even forced a girl to decide between two delectable concoctions: pickle-filled oreos or a poppyseed cake doused in gravy. As always, thank you to all who participated, and please keep submitting next month! In particular, we congratulate our Honorable Mentions, listed below, and our Winners, whose work you can appreciate below. Winners “I'd Rather Not” by Alia Ashworth, 12 “Thankfulness” by Rayansh Bhargava, 10 “Would You Rather?” by Meghan Li, 13 “The Boy with the Rat” by Alborz Yousefi Nooraie, 12 “Two Years Ago” by Vanaja Raju, 12 Honorable Mentions “Balance Has Been Achieved” by Jayan Byrapuram, 12 “Would You Rather” by Angelina Chen, 13 “The Word” by Yuna Jung, 10 “The Spirit of Rather” by Kate Le, 11 “Would You Rather” by Josi Prins, 12 I'd Rather Not ALIA ASHWORTH, 12 “It’s just a game,” I whisper to myself, taking a deep, calming breath. I know it isn’t true, but it helps steady my resolve, imagining that it isn’t the ...
Hi! I know that the November Flash Contest has ended, but I just wanted to ask: Do you have to write a story that matches the prompt if you submit?
Thanks!
Hi Lily,
Yes, all submissions must follow the prompt.
I believe they do.
We logged on this morning to get the December writing prompt but we don’t see it yet. What time will it be posted and what time zone?
Should be up now!
The website still says November Flash Contest is closed. Check back on December 6th. I don’t see where the current monthly contest prompt is located.
Hi Laura,
So sorry! It is up now.
We have been checking as well. Still not posted at 8:30 PM ET.
Hi Andrea,
So sorry. It is up now.
I’m having the same problem! It’s December 7th and I still don’t see the prompt.
Hi Lily,
So sorry! It is up now.
It still isn’t up-if anyone can see it, could you please post it?
Hi Caroline,
So sorry! It is up now.
Are flash fiction submissions for a fee, and, if so, how much? Also, just checking, but the next available submission date is January, right? And, since I already have a bout of questions flung around haphazardly, here is one more: If you win a flash fiction contest, can you still win the annual novel contest, or are you exempt? Thank you!
Hi Lola,
1) The Flash Contest costs two dollars to enter. 2) Yes, January third. And 3) You are absolutely not exempt! You can also be selected as a Flash Contest winner multiple times. Hope this helps!
Hey! I was wondering when the January contest will be posted today.
Is there a certain time?
Is the January prompt going to be up yet? Been checking since this morning.
I just want to know where can I see the results for the monthly flash contest? Thanks.
Hi Jaylen,
The results for this February’s Flash Contest will be posted either Thursday night or Friday morning. The rest of the Flash Contest results for previous months are included in this page. Hope this helps!
What time of day is the monthly flash contest prompt posted? It’s 11 am eastern standard time and I don’t see anything.
Hi Lea,
The prompt has now been posted. Apologies for the wait!
Hi everyone
I just wanted to ask, when the April contest will be up,
Thank you!
Hi Sabriah,
It is now up, apologies for the wait! In the future, even if the prompt might not yet say it is up on this page the prompt is likely to have been posted to the blog.
P.S.
It is April 4th right now and I have been checking for a bit, for me, it is 11:08 eastern time and I still don’t see it.
– Thank you for your answer 🙂
Where is the June 6 Flash Prompt? It is June 7th and I am awaiting it.
Hi Ryan,
The contest is now up on this page. In the future if you do not yet see the prompt listed on this page you can find it as its own post on the blog.
Has the June flash contest been posted yet?
Hi Han,
Please refer to my reply to Ryan Stern.
Hello,
I’m wondering when the June contest information will be up on your site.
Thanks,
Martha
Hi Martha,
Please refer to my reply to Ryan Stern.
Hello,
It’s Wednesday, August third, and the flash contest still isn’t up. I’m wondering – is something wrong on my end or has it not been posted?
Thanks,
Caroline
Hello,
It’s August ninth and it says to come back in September, but there was no prompt. Did I miss it or was there an issue?
Thanks,
Wenjing
Hi Wenjing,
You did happen to miss it. The prompt was live between August 1st and 7th.
Hi,
When do the October Flast Contest results come out? Like who won and etcetera?
Thanks!
Hi Eiaa,
Apologies that it took so long for them to go up this week! The winners and their work have just been published.
Hi there, when are the winners of Flash contest from November 2022 going to be announced? Thanks!
Hi Pranoti,
Winners will be announced later today!
Thank you! Will they be announced in an email or on this webpage?
On the webpage!
Is the next contest 5th 2022, because I have been looking through the comments and have seen that they we’re sent in 2021
Yes, the next monthly flash contest starts on December 5th.
Hi! When will the November Flash Contest results come out? Thanks!
They’re up now!
I don’t believe that the atlas of emotions has a list of emotions. Once I tried to click on the bubbles, there were only a couple listed. Can I use a different emotion that I have never heard of, even if it’s not listed on the atlas?
Hi Elise,
I didn’t realize! Yes, you can absolutely use a different emotion you haven’t heard of. I’m sure you can just look up a list of emotions on other sites.
Hi! When will we get the results of this month’s contest?
HI!
When will this month’s (Feb. 2023) prompt be up??
Hi Catherine,
It is up now! Apologies for the delay.
This is my first time submitting. Where do I submit? Can I turn in a story and poem? Thank you.
Hi Michael,
There is a link for submitting on that page, but you can submit via this link: https://stonesoup.submittable.com/submit/173152/monthly-flash-contest
And you can only submit one work, so choose either a story or a poem. This is also specifically a flash contest, so please keep it to approximately less than 1,000 words.
Are we allowed to submit more than one submission for a prompt?
Hi Lucy,
Just one submission per prompt.
When will the February winners be posted? Thank you.
Hi Michael,
They’re now posted.
Hi! I wondered when the April Flash Contest prompt would be posted since it was supposed to be posted yesterday. Thanks!
Hi Alia,
It was posted yesterday, just hadn’t yet updated this page. Are you subscribed to receive the prompts via email? If so, I can sign you up for that.
Hi — When are the monthly contest submissions due?
Hi — When are the monthly contest submissions due?
Is it possible to get them via email as well?
Hi Nalini,
Yes, I’ll sign you up to receive the prompts via email. And submissions are always due the following Sunday after they’re posted. So the next Flash Contest will go up on Monday May 1st and all submissions will be due by 1159 PM on Sunday May 7th.
Can two people work together on a story and put in both their names on the Submittable site?
Hi Sheri,
Yes, as long as both people are under the age of 14.
Oh how I wish you would post the prompt earlier so that my Monday classes could work on them together. Ah me.
Hi! When will the Flash Fiction be posted? Thank you 🙂
Hello,
For “The May Flash Contest is now open! Write an enemies-to-lovers story”, what is the deadline: midnight of Sunday, 6/4 or 6/11?
Thank you!
Hi Andrew,
Apologies, but we just hadn’t updated the page to say that the May Flash Contest was closed. Each Flash Contest runs for one week, starting on the first Monday of the month. The next one opens June Fifth, and will close at midnight June 12.
Got it. Thank you!
Is the flash contest still open? It says that it is but I think one week has passed already.
Hi,
No, the flash contest closes after one week. It just hadn’t yet been updated since it has to be changed manually.
Hi, I have a question. Can only subscribers join the monthly flash contest? Also it said come back August 7th, to get the next prompt, but I am not able to see it. Thank you.
Hi Saanvi,
Anybody can submit! And yes, the prompt wasn’t up but it is now. Apologies.
Hi, I have a question. Can only subscribers join the monthly flash contest? Thank you.
Hi Sunny,
Anybody can submit to the monthly flash contest!
Ok, thank you!
Looking for the August 7 prompt. Can you post it earlier for my Monday classes?
Hi Jennifer,
Apologies that it wasn’t ready early this month. They should usually go out, at least via email, at 2 AM. It is now up.
Thank you so much for posting the October prompt early in the day. It makes a huge difference and allows me to work with the prompt in my Monday classes. Grateful!
No problem! I hope your class has fun with the prompt.
Hi, do we have to use chatGPT or can we use a different ai?
A different AI works too!
For this month’s flash contest (Nov 2023), should we include the AI-generated short story along with our sequel submission?
You don’t have to include it. As long as you took inspiration from it for the sequel that’s what counts!
Ah, I see! Thank you 🙂
Hello,
Is the December flash contest deadline December 10, at midnight, please?
Thanks, Mihaela
Yes, December 10th at midnight!
Hi, this is not regarding the flash contest, but I would like to know if we can submit existing plays which we had edited and made better?
For my school project I had to do just that with a Bengali play called Rats on a Train. I edited the translated version, and made it longer and better. I would like to submit it to StoneSoup, however I need to know if that is allowed.
Work can be inspired by other stories, but we don’t accept edited material unfortunately.