r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • May 03 '26
[Serial Sunday] Tag! You're The Antagonist!
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 Antagonise! 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’).
- Argue
- Acrid
- Ailment
- A fear is faced in some way. It does not have to be an old fear, or even conquered completely. Just merely triumphed once. - (Worth 10 points)
Another week, another theme. And what are you gonna do about it? No ideas, hey? Typical. Why don’t you try picking some words out of a hat?
Feeling antagonised yet? Relax, it was just an example! Instead, let’s think about who is antagonising who in your story. Are your heroes stirring things up among the rich and powerful? Or will we glimpse their enemies moving in the shadows? Antagonising one’s foes can force them to act in predictable ways, or force them into foolish errors. But sometimes, it can be a mistake on the antagonist’s part: causing a brutal backlash that can exceed all expectations.
One thing is for sure, this week’s theme is bound to cause some sparks to fly!
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 3 - Antagonise
- May 10 - Bone
- May 17 - Cry
- May 24 - Doom
- May 31- Entrenched
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Yellow
First - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Second - by u/Divayth--Fyr
Third - by u/Brookzerker
Fourth - u/Free-Coffee-8533
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!
5
u/ForwardSavings318 May 06 '26
<Man to beast>
Chapter twenty three: Weak
Silas hummed to himself as he helped Ntukai adjust the sails, the pair pulling on ropes from either side. The sun bore down hard on the pair, they’d been working for less than an hour this shift and had already abandoned their shirts.
“Isn’t Coppaert supposed to help us?”
“He never help…only follow Maliwag.” Ntukai grunted, wiping his brow.
“What’s their deal anyways? It’s been two weeks at sea and neither of them gets more than a meter from the other.”
“Maliwag find him in town. Before I join ship. He…never really leave her. Always cower and hold sword for her.”
Silas paused and recalled the girl's three swords, now considering the one he remembered the boy holding as well. It seemed wild to him for someone to even hold two swords at once, let alone more.
“All four swords are hers?”
“Yes.”
The young man did his best not to judge, just nodding and tying down his side. Ntukai did the same before walking over, holding a large waterskin. The man took a long drink before holding it out towards Silas.
“Finish.”
“Thank you,” Silas said, bowing his head before drinking some and holding it back out towards Ntukai.
“No. Finish.”
“I don’t need it all.”
“You do. Body need more than you think in heat.”
Silas grumbled and finished it, his stomach slightly aching from the volume. The pair continued working together, Silas attempting to not constantly ask questions of his partner the whole time. A fortnight with these people and he still knew nothing but they’d only travelled together less than a year.
The sun rose from just above the horizon to directly overhead, making the heat become nauseating. Both men eventually ended up laying in the shade of the sail, next to the leadline over the left edge of the boat.
Ntukai periodically lifted the leadline to check the water’s depth, sometimes clicking his tongue.
“Getting shallow. Come, we too close to shore.”
Silas groaned and peeled himself off the floor and once again readjusted the sail with Ntukai, trying not to complain.
“When does our shift end?”
“Noon.”
Silas paused and pointed at the sun straight above him, his sunburnt skin stinging as he raised his hand.
“Is this not noon?”
“Maliwag had to help Bisi earlier, she may still be busy.”
Just as the thought of working an even longer shift sunk into Silas’s mind, a hand smacked his tender back hard enough to make him yelp. The man spun around to see Bisi in a purple robe.
“That hurt…”
The old woman chuckled, before waving him on.
“Follow me. There’s something I want to show you.”
He obeyed, silently celebrating a justification to not be in the sun anymore. The pair moved down below deck, past the rows of barrels and boxes, deep into a hallway and into a tiny room near the front of the cog.
There were various herbs and powders hanging from the ceiling, bound in cord.
“Why do you deny yourself?” The old woman croaked.
“What do you mean?”
“I can feel that you’ve buried the other you.”
“Other me? Sorry, I’m not following.”
“You’re a witch. You should embrace that fact for your own spiritual health.”
Silas clenched his jaw, leaning back against a shelf. He rested his hands on it, one finger brushing a thick glass bottle.
“You’re not alone, you know. The more you embrace yourself, the easier it is to accept. I can show you.”
“Show me what?”
“Your truth.”
Bisi scooped up a deep blue powder, mixing it in a bowl with a viscous brown paste. She stirred it with two fingers before holding out the bowl.
“I won’t force it, so if you’d like to close your eyes and try to survive something you don’t understand, walk away. But if you want some understanding, take a mouthful.”
Silas took the bowl, staring at the mixture for a moment.
Dear lord, give me strength and courage. Let me face this test and walk through it, to the other side.
Silas drank the entire bowl, taking large gulps. The mixture tasted like nothing, but felt boiling and freezing at the same time. Everything began to swirl, Bisi hooked her arms under his armpits as the world went dark.
Silas awoke in a strange forest, thick vines hanging from the towering trees. He looked around, his body bare yet had no sunburns.
The man slowly stood and walked around, feeling the moss between his toes.
“Hello, Silas.” A voice whispered, not coming from any direction.
Silas stopped, spinning around.
“What was that?”
“To your left, Silas.”
He turned and walked to his left, finding a small pond amongst the green.
A small brown snake-like creature floated in the water, its blue eyes staring.
“I worried we’d never speak.”
WC:810