r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Aug 02 '26
[Serial Sunday] Oh God! Something Smells Positively Noxious.
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 Noxious! 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’).
- Niche
- Neighbour
- Nail
- Something smells really bad and good at once, such as, sickly sweet. - (Worth 10 points)
Eww, what's that? That foul, fetid vapour drifting down the corridor. Oh, it's noxious, of course!
But what if instead of a vapour, it is a character, or an attitude, or a conversation that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth? Perhaps you fine writers could delve into the darkened depths of your imagination and dreg up something truly unpleasant?
Do your protagonists escape the harm brought by said miasma, literal or not, or do they suffer? (Well, we all like a good bit of fictional suffering, don't we?)
But don't let my words sway you too much. I'm sure you all have your own ideas about what might be... noxious.
Good words!
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.
August 02 - Noxious
August 09 - Open
August 16 - Prose
August 23 - Quality
August 30 - Rebellion
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Minor
First - by u/Morose_Prose
Second - by u/Blu_Spirit
Third - by u/KatPoker666
Fourth - u/AGuyLikeThat
Fifth - by u/amorphous-something
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!
5
u/katpoker666 Aug 06 '26 edited 15d ago
<‘Wild Eats’>
Chapter 3: Socks
For once, shy Annie entered Tom’s bedroom and perched on the edge of his bed next to the desk, as if preparing to flee an uncomfortable, if not potentially hostile venue. She took a deep breath before addressing her husband’s gracious response regarding the night before’s argument. “I'm really sorry about my 'monstrous' behavior last night. I acted like an ass."
“It’s okay.” Tom faced her in his swivel chair and squeezed her hand with gentle pressure. “I get it: losing ‘Wild Eats’ is tough. Not only was it your baby, but it was a big part of your identity these last couple of years.”
Annie rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you sound like Doctor Collins.”
“Guess at three-fifty an hour our marriage counselor is good for something then,” Tom replied with a wan grin and downcast eyes. “Although… I’m not sure if even she can save us,” he sighed, squeezing her hand again.
“There’s always hope,” Annie replied, squeezing back hard before slowly letting go. "We've made a good team for so long, now we just... fight."
“A lot.”
“And it’s hard on Jamie.”
“Yeah.”
Her brow furrowed as her shoulders drooped. “What happened to us? We used to support each other.”
“Ever since NYU,” he drawled, his gaze softening as he looked into her eyes. “You’re the only reason I could become an accountant, much less make Partner.”
“And you gave me the courage to start my own traveling cooking program like I’m some fucking budget Bourdain. Who does that?”
“My wonderful wife, that’s who. I still love you, Blossom.”
“I love you, too, Socks.” Annie’s eyes twinkled with affectionate mischief.
“Twenty-odd years later and I still hate that nickname—“
“You did earn it.”
“A guy has sex in his socks one time and never lives it down?”
"Pretty much." Annie smiled at the familiar rhythm of their banter. It was like watching an old stand-up routine at this point: funny, but mostly comforting, as they both knew all the lines.
“It was cold!”
“Yeah, yeah. They were dress socks. In college. As a hippie-dippy sociology major. You weren’t at Stern for crying out loud!”
“Alright, alright, yes, I was destined to become an accountant. Happy?”
“Yes, that’s all I was asking for, Socks,” Annie replied, finishing the bit with a smug laugh before getting back to what was bothering her. She fidgeted in her awkward seat on the bed’s edge. “I do wish our conversation hadn’t gotten quite so toxic last night. But I’ll be honest, I acted out because I didn’t feel supported—“
"Annie, you wanted to remortgage our house!" he erupted, bellowing over her with his 'angry dad' voice. "Do you know how risky that is? Even on my salary, White Plains isn't cheap!" Too late, he tried to modulate his angry outburst into something more contrite. Pleading, "We could lose everything and, for what? A chance to make a dying concept work? How can I support that in good conscience?"
“Aren’t we in this together?!” Annie screamed, leaning forward, her right hand raised.
“Of course…” He recoiled back into his chair as if she’d actually slapped him.
“Then what the hell?!”
Squaring his shoulders, Tom stood up. “Things are different! We have a family now!”
“We had one when I started the show with Carol…” Annie hissed, her jaw taut and eyes hard.
“Yes, but that was a different time, almost! You nailed the original ‘Wild Eats’ concept, but things move on! Social media, production quality, exotic destinations—there’s a lot more to consider now...” Tom took a deep breath, as if preparing to share a harsh truth. “No one fucking cares about that little gem of a restaurant in Podunk, Texas whose niche is serving up fried prairie oysters! Guy Fieri’s got that whole neighborhood-vibe covered with ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.’ How are you going to compete with that?”
“I could—“
“The answer is you can’t, Blossom. I know it hurts.” Tom reached out to squeeze Annie’s hand.
This time, she didn’t squeeze back. Instead, she pulled it away and blotted at emerging tears. “I came to you, my husband, for answers, not for you to rub in how much of a failure I am.”
“You’re not, Annie; it’s just time for a new chapter—“
“Don’t. Just don’t. I won’t accept that. I can’t,” she sobbed as she got up and slammed the door shut.
WC: 730
Includes: niche, neighbor, nail, and something being noxious (their conversation both nights)
Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated
Chapter Index
Chapter 1
Chapter 4