52|250 anthology
Call for submissions — deadline extended to July 15, 2021
52|250 A Year of Flash (2010-2011) started as a weekly flash fiction challenge and ended as an important moment in the writing life of many of the hundreds of writers who took part. Each week, writers responded to a writing prompt or theme, and each week we published a new issue showcasing original flash fiction from new and established writers. It was international, it was about creativity, and it was limited to 52 weeks. It was beautiful.
Ten years later, we are publishing a print anthology! And we call on all of you who made that year so inspiring. Here’s what to do: choose any one of your pieces from The Year of Flash and respond to it now with a new story. A sequel, a prequel, a riff, a twist. A flashback or flash-forward (see what we did there?). Connect the dots however your writing leads. The only rule is – you guessed it – the 250-word limit. The creativity part we’ll leave to you.
The anthology will include both stories – your 2010/11 story and your new story side by side.
If you didn’t participate in 52|250 A Year of Flash, you can submit! For anyone new to this game: we also request an old and a new story, but the original story must be at least a decade old.
We’re interested in the progression of the stories we tell, and how we’ve developed as writers. Where have we gone since this little creativity challenge took on a life of its own? What occupies our creative space these days, compared to a decade ago?
The anthology will be released around June 1, 2021.
Length: 250 words maximum / hard limit for each story
Due: We want to get the year off to a good start reading your wonderful submissions. Submit before the first light of dawn, July 15, 2021. (Yes, that changes, depending on where you are — we’re flexible.)
Process: Send an email to 52250challenge@gmail.com with the 250-word-max NEW story in the body of the email. No attachments, please. Include a link to the OLD story. If there’s no viable link, copy and paste the story into the same email. Please make sure it’s clear which is which.
Queries: 52250challenge@gmail.com
Like the project that inspired it, the 52|250 anthology will be made of blood, sweat, tears — with no cash. We’re living and sharing in the world of ideas.
Looking forward to your submissions – and looking backwards with a grin,
Michelle and John (with a gentle nod to Walt)
52|250 A Year of Flash 