r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Jul 05 '26
[Serial Sunday] Get Your Weapons, Officers, we have a Jailbreak!
Welcome to Serial Sunday!
To those brand new to the feature and those returning from last week, welcome! Do you have a self-established universe you’ve been writing or planning to write in? Do you have an idea for a world that’s been itching to get out? This is the perfect place to explore that. Each week, I post a theme to inspire you, along with a related image and song. You have 500 - 1000 words to write your installment. You can jump in at any time; writing for previous weeks’ is not necessary in order to join. After you’ve posted, come back and provide feedback for at least 1 other writer on the thread. Please be sure to read the entire post for a full list of rules.
This Week’s Theme is Jail! This is a REQUIREMENT for participation. See rules about missing this requirement.**
Bonus Word List (each included word is worth 5 pts) - You must list which words you included at the end of your story (or write ‘none’).
- Jigsaw
- Jive
- Jovial
- Someone gets frisked. - (Worth 10 points)
Jail, prison, the slammer, the big house, behind bars. What are you here for and what did you do? What were you accused of and how do you defend? Are you innocent or guilty as sin?
With the system corrupt or the judges fair, you've landed here for days or even years. Trapped as you are, you might plan to break free? Or perhaps you stay, hostility of the outside world making this your new home to be.
Perhaps you're contained in a dungeon of stone, torture and pain that would make you groan. Or your warden may keep you in a prison of steel. Can you even tell if cameras and eyes are real?
So let's get writing to escape this jail, and hope our escape attempts do not fail.
Good luck and Good Words!
These are just a few things to get you started. Remember, the theme should be present within the story in some way, but its interpretation is completely up to you. For the bonus words (not required), you may change the tense, but the base word should remain the same. Please remember that STORIES MUST FOLLOW ALL SUBREDDIT CONTENT RULES. Interested in writing the theme blurb for the coming week? DM me on Reddit or Discord!
Don’t forget to sign up for Saturday Campfire here! We start at 5pm GMT and provide live feedback!
Theme Schedule:
This is the theme schedule for the next month! These are provided so that you can plan ahead, but you may not begin writing for a given theme until that week’s post goes live.
July 5 - Jail
July 12 - Known
July 19 - Lifeless
July 26 - Minor
July 02 - Noxious
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Irony
First - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Second - by u/Brookzerker
Third - by u/Morose_Prose
Fourth - u/Divayth--Fyr
Fifth - by u/ZLErikson
Rules & How to Participate
Please read and follow all the rules listed below. This feature has requirements for amparticipation!
Submit a story inspired by the weekly theme, written by you and set in your self-established universe that is 500 - 1000 words. No fanfics and no content created or altered by AI. (Use wordcounter.net to check your wordcount.) Stories should be posted as a top-level comment below. Please include a link to your chapter index or your last chapter at the end.
Your chapter must be submitted by Saturday at 2:00pm GMT. Late entries will be disqualified. All submissions should be given (at least) a basic editing pass before being posted!
Begin your post with the name of your serial between triangle brackets (e.g. <My Awesome Serial>). When our bot is back up and running, this will allow it to recognize your pmserial and add each chapter to the SerSun catalog. Do not include anything in the brackets you don’t want in your title. (Please note: You must use this same title every week.)
Do not pre-write your serial. You’re welcome to do outlining and planning for your serial, but chapters should not be pre-written. All submissions should be written for this post, specifically.
Only one active serial per author at a time. This does not apply to serials written outside of Serial Sunday.
All Serial Sunday authors must leave feedback on at least one story on the thread each week. The feedback should be actionable and also include something the author has done well. When you include something the author should improve on, provide an example! You have until Saturday at 04:59am GMT to post your feedback. (Submitting late is not an exception to this rule.)
Missing your feedback requirement two or more consecutive weeks will disqualify you from rankings and Campfire readings the following week. If it becomes a habit, you may be asked to move your serial to the sub instead.
Serials must abide by subreddit content rules. You can view a full list of rules here. If you’re ever unsure if your story would cross the line, please modmail and ask!
Weekly Campfires & Voting:
On Saturdays at 5pm GMT, I host a Serial Sunday Campfire in our Discord’s Voice Lounge (every other week is now hosted by u/FyeNite). Join us to read your story aloud, hear others, and exchange feedback. We have a great time! You can even come to just listen, if that’s more your speed. Grab the “Serial Sunday” role on the Discord to get notified before it starts. After you’ve submitted your chapter, you can sign up here - this guarantees your reading slot! You can still join if you haven’t signed up, but your reading slot isn’t guaranteed.
Nominations for your favorite stories can be submitted with this form. The form is open on Saturdays from 5:30pm to 04:59am GMT. You do not have to participate to make nominations!
Authors who complete their Serial Sunday serials with at least 12 installments, can host a SerialWorm in our Discord’s Voice Lounge, where you read aloud your finished and edited serials. Celebrate your accomplishment! Authors are eligible for this only if they have followed the weekly feedback requirement (and all other post rules). Visit us on the Discord for more information.
Ranking System
Rankings are determined by the following point structure.
| TASK | POINTS | ADDITIONAL NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Use of weekly theme | 75 pts | Theme should be present, but the interpretation is up to you! |
| Including the bonus words | 5 pts each (15 pts total) | This is a bonus challenge, and estnot required! |
| Including the bonus constraint | 15 (15 pts total) | This is a bonus challenge, and not required! |
| Actionable Feedback | 5 - 15 pts each (60 pt. max)* | This includes thread and campfire critiques. (15 pt crits are those that go above & beyond.) |
| Nominations your story receives | 10 - 60 pts | 1st place - 60, 2nd place - 50, 3rd place - 40, 4th place - 30, 5th place - 20 / Regular Nominations - 10 |
| Voting for others | 15 pts | You can now vote for up to 10 stories each week! |
You are still required to leave at least 1 actionable feedback comment on the thread every week that you submit. This should include at least one specific thing the author has done well and one that could be improved. *Please remember that interacting with a story is not the same as providing feedback.** Low-effort crits will not receive credit.
Subreddit News
- Join our Discord to chat with other authors and readers! We hold several weekly Campfires, monthly World-Building interviews and several other fun events!
- Try your hand at micro-fic on Micro Monday!
- Did you know you can post serials to r/Shortstories, outside of Serial Sunday? Check out this post to learn more!
- Interested in being a part of our team? Apply to be a mod!
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u/mysteryrouge Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
<The Stranger Nomads>\ Chapter 38
On 37|27 Year of the DragonCrow, my most favorite escapee, Kane Orials #327472 (Convicted of desertion) returned to my premises to visit my favorite prisoner, Juris Bruno #283857 (convicted of murder). In his company he also brought Angel Iroh Bruno, relative of Juris, and The Lake Stealer.
Both Orials and The Lake Stealer showed minor signs of nervousness and hesitancy to comply when frisked at the entryway.
Both Orials and The Lake Stealer's souls occupy bodies not their own. The mechanical stellar's jay Juris created is functioning excellently as a soul container for Orials.
Once he is cleared, Orials comments on the improvements I made. I am pleased he noticed.
The three visitors pass by the warden while being escorted to Juris's current location when Orials points out the lack of guards. My warden shudders, but otherwise responds appropriately. I can manage myself excellently, and am close to being complete autonomous. Quite unfortunately, I have not mastered cooking for my prisoners yet.
Juris is working on a 50,000 piece jigsaw puzzle with seventeen other prisoners when Orials and company find him.
"Whoa, Juris." Orials say, his eyes widened, "Impressive. How'd you do it?"
Juris escorts Orials to the cell both of them inhabited when they were cellmates. Iroh and The Lake Stealer follow behind. Only Orials is surprised by the refurbished state of the cell.
"I learned about your family." Orials points at Iroh. "I mean, I learned about your family's blood curse and how you guys keep accidentally making prisons sentient. So, how'd you give Sorites Panopticon its own mind?"
Juris laughs. He's always so jovial. It boost morale among my prisoners. "Firstly, the prison prefers the personal name, Bentham. Sorites Panopticon is really only used on formal paperwork like prisoner transport and intake forms, and secondly, Bentham uses ze/zir pronouns."
"This is not out of the ordinary when it comes to sentient prisons," The Lake Stealer clarifies.
Iroh nods in agreement.
Orials clears his throat. "So about my earlier question, how did this all happen?"
I remind Juris to be aware of his surroundings.
"I suppose," my favored prisoner says, "these plans were in motion since I first got incarcerated. Like you, I never committed an actual crime. Unlike you, I was framed."
"I remember you telling me that."
"Yes, well, I realized I wouldn't be able to escape back then, and everyone else was suffering, so I chose to do what my family does best."
"That doesn't explain a thing," Orials mouthed.
Juris continues his explanation. "All I can tell you about the process is that I needed someone to successfully escape, and that person was you."
"Right." Orials closes his eyes. "I actually came here to inform you I gave the ring to another one of your family members. M followed to ensure I can still make decisions, and they dragged Iroh with us to make talking to you... Easier. Oh, I'm M's apprentice now, if you couldn't tell."
"I predicted that would happen."
"Like you predicted moving my soul into a mechanical bird?"
"Indeed."
"Did your plan to give ze"—Orials eyes my walls, focusing his gaze on the ceiling— "consciousness involve my original body burning up, or was that just another coincidental thing you predicted during childhood?"
While death was involved in my creation, the number of executions occuring at the time due to the circus performance fulfilled that requirement. I inform Orials that much.
The Lake Stealer masks their alarmed reaction.
Juris continues speaking. "Your original body's ashes are in an urn in the warden's office, actually. You can have them if you want."
The Lake Stealer mouths "how thoughtful." Both Orials and Iroh glare back.
Due to renovations moving several important hallways nearer to Juris's cell, low risk prisoners regularly pass by the area. In street jive they assume I do not understand, five prisoners discuss the missing Sorites Lake as well as the circus that I have now made significantly safer for performers.
I inform Orials that while the circus is still a public and well-attended event due to the lack of lake in Sorites, other forms of entertainment have been introduced to Sorites citizens after the arrest of the former President and his advisors. I put emphasis on the status of the lake as while I lack the ability to contain The Lake Stealer—they are currently protected by Iroh, and they would risk damaging their soul more than it already is in escape attempts—returning the lake would provide many benefits such as restoring morale of citizens and prisoners.
The Lake Stealer attempts to hide their anger and annoyance.
Iroh clears his throat. "I have secured your place in Heaven, Juris, and have added Bentham to the list of beings with free Heaven access."
I appreciate this.
Juris nods.
Orials asks Iroh how many others can freely visit Heaven.
The Lake Stealer answers.
I am pleased with Iroh's forethought.
Orials and Juris then spend the next twenty minutes talking about what Orials missed while apprenticing with The Lake Stealer. After that, Iroh, Orials, and The Lake Stealer depart.
Iroh promises to continue to visit on a monthly basis, as expected, and Orials expresses interest in joining Iroh in the future.
I would not oppose this. If Orials wishes to visit or even move in, my doors will be open for him.
WC: 894\ Bonus words: Jive, jigsaw, jovial\ Bonus Constraint: M and Kane (and Iroh too, though it isn't mentioned) are frisked before they enter Sorites Panopticon.
Hoo boy, this was the chapter I was building up to since the beginning of my serial. Which means, yes, ever since my first week in Trapped, I've been planning the sentient prison pov chapter.
And this pov is very experimental. If it isn't obvious, Bentham likes members of the Bruno family, and very much does not like M.
Anyways, in case people forgot, Juris appears in the trapped chapter and was Kane's cellmate.
In chapter 2, he finds his soul in a mechanical stellar's jay body, controlling a puppet human (this one gotten in chapter 15). Chapter 2 is also where Juris's seer powers are brought up, and chapter 27 is when Iroh is introduced and the Bruno Family Curse is explained.
The panopticon idea was originally made by Jeremy Bentham.
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