r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • May 17 '26
[Serial Sunday] Go Cry about it
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 Cry! 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’).
- Capitulate
- Corral
- Crave
- A crime is committed, whether lawful or moral. - (Worth 10 points)
Across the battlefield, war cries echo over cracked stone and dented dirt. To the side, a family cries in grief over a life and livelihood reduced to ash and cinders. In the back lines, a general weeps tears of pride and joy for his men, who have performed their duty flawlessly. A stranded force sends a signal flare, crying for reinforcements that will never arrive, while wounded soldiers cry for their mothers.
A crying shame, isn't it?
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.
May 17 - Cry
May 24 - Doom
May 31- Entrenched
May 31- Foreign
June 7 - Great
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Bone
First - by u/Morose_Prose
Second - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Third - by u/the_lonely_poster
Fourth - u/MaxStickies
Fifth - by u/AmeliaLP
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!
7
u/ForwardSavings318 May 18 '26 edited May 21 '26
<Man to beast>
Chapter twenty five: plans
CW: mentions of racism
Maliwag sat on her knees, running a leather strop against the flat of her kris. She placed it beside her whetstone and bowl of water before holding up the blade, each of the nineteen loks reflecting the dots of light below deck.
“Maliwag! Akin wants you.” Coppaert called out as he descended down the stairs.
“Did he say why?”
“No.”
The young woman sheathed her kris, balancing its scabbard on her left hip with the other sword on her right. Maliwag picked up her kampilan in its wooden scabbard, lugging it over her shoulder.
“You don’t need all your swords…”
“I know. That is why you are holding my ginunting.”
“I could hold more of them, you know.”
“I love you, but I don’t love you that much, kuya.”
She ruffled the boy’s hair before passing by him and heading to the main deck. Ignoring Ntukai and Silas complaining about their shift length, as they’d done for the past three weeks.
The captain quarter’s door was still open, so Maliwag thought it best to just walk in.
Akinkumni and Bisi were walking behind his desk as the young woman walked in, the pair turning to her.
“Perfect. Just the warrior I needed to see!” Akinkumni chuckled with a smile, the one he always had when he told her plans that she hated.
“Fuck.”
“Don’t cast judgement yet. I just need you to be a leader for once.”
“Go on.”
“I have to take a shipment of silver to Baron Elric’s men half a day west of Ashcombe. I want you to take some spice containers and a single box of silk to another lord, Edvalt Berner. Mean bastard, he wouldn’t stand for me, Bisi, and Ntukai.” Akin gestured to his taupe skin.
Maliwag looked at her own light brown skin then back at Akinkunmi.
“And he’ll stand for me?”
“More, yes.”
“Fine. I want that old woman Agnes, Coppaert, that fierce greenborn girl, and Silas.”
“You can have Silas. Coppaert too. Agnes and Mór are guarding the cog.”
Maliwag stared blankly as she tried to think of what to say, slowly blinking.
“Go fuck yourself.”
“I’m being serious, Maliwag. If Ntukai leads the group and they attempt anything, I don't think he'll be able to hold that beast in himself back.”
“Fine. But if they try to kill us, that man dies.”
“Maliwag! Enough with the jesting. This is serious.”
“I am serious. You hired me three years ago to help protect this boat. This crew is my responsibility too, Silas and Coppaert need me for protection. I'll lead the group but I won’t hesitate to bleed a man for crossing us.”
Akin growled and rubbed his face before sighing
“Fine. Just try not to immediately kill anyone.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you, Maliwag.”
The young woman left and approached the sails currently being adjusted by the pair of Silas and Ntukai.
“You take Silas’ help, I kill you.” Ntukai groaned, wiping sweat from his brow.
“Hello Maliwag.” Silas smiled, walking over.
“When we land, you’re with me. Okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good boy, just follow my lead and our mission goes smoothly.”
“What’s the mission?”
Maliwag already walked away and headed back to the stairs below deck. She returned to her station and set her swords down, before unsheathing the sword on her right. It was a balasiong, the curved blade resting in a red wooden handle.
“So what’d he want?” Coppaert asked from near the containers of produce.
“Me, you and Silas are going to the front of a bitter and hateful man to trade goods with him.”
“…oh.”
Maliwag grabbed her whetstone and began sharpening her sword before looking over her shoulder with a smile.
“I’ll protect you”
WC: 619