The event in a nutshell

Over the past few months we’ve hosted a writing prompt for the community. The prompt focused on flipping a trope commonly associated with a particular genre. A writer could post the story on their own Substack, allowing us to cross-post it to our readers as well, or, as an XPress member, they could submit it via the submission form for potential paid publication. You can find out more about XPress membership here.

If you missed this event, don’t worry! There will be another one announced in our upcoming March newsletter, along with a follow up post explaining the prompt and the process in greater detail.

Huge thanks to all of the participants. Also, I’m thoroughly impressed with the caliber of writers here on Substack. So happy to have met you all. Your work continues to inform and improve my own writing. Thank you for being awesome!

The prize for participating in this round is 3 months of XPress membership!

The participating stories

Elly’s Mystified Fluff wrote a classic high fantasy entry titled, "Chosen One". Elly had woven a ton of tropes into this magical short story featuring dragons, princesses, and the fates of destined heroes. It’s quite epic.

Elly’s Mystified Fluff

Chosen One

The Storyletter is hosting a community writing event with the prompt “Flip a common trope” so I decided to give it a whirl. It’s mostly done in flashback so there’s —x— to help readers recognize the time jumps as well as a shift in tense. I’ve included the entire 6,051 word story so you’re getting a longer than usual post this week. Enjoy…

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2 months ago · 4 likes · 2 comments · Elly

The Problematic Pen wrote a short story called “Isenhart”, reminiscent of an old fairy tale in which an elderly couple find that their good deed may not be for the greater good after all. You won’t want to miss this dark and twisty take.

The Problematic Pen

Isenhart

This short story was written in response to The Storyletter’s Flip a Common Trope writing prompt. Because I write historical fiction heavily influenced by ancient history and mythology, I chose a common trope from this realm. I wrote it this weekend while recovering from Covid, so it’s still a little rough around the edges. I don’t usually write short f…

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17 days ago · 17 likes · 17 comments · J.M. Elliott

Adrian’s Fiction completed an entry titled “Books Like White Elephants”, which was a new take on the classic tale by Ernest Hemingway called “Hills Like White Elephants”. Consider upgrading to a paid subscription to Adrian’s Fiction in order to check it out! I highly recommend it.

Adrian's Fiction

Books Like White Elephants

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12 days ago · 8 likes · 12 comments · Adrian P Conway

Kindling submitted a horror entry titled “Mountain Talk”. I’ve picked it up for paid publication and it will be featured as a Storyletter Original. Consider checking out Shaina’s work over on Kindling! I can’t wait to share this gripping tale with you.

Kindling A newsletter for people with boring lives and active imaginations. Exploring banned books, dark fiction, and original short stories. By Shaina Read

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