One of my writing goals is to write 16 new flash fiction pieces. I think I may have made the same declaration last year as well, but I bought a planner this year to keep better track and make more manageable the goals I have for 2025. I usually make a big list, but breaking it down, month-to-month, seeing it in smaller, more digestible increments, has been vastly more beneficial…so far. Yay!

So I offer up the two flash fictions I wrote for January. I try to just free write, keep it short, around 200 words, and do little editing. This is just a way to get out of my stringent screenwriting mindset.

Spotlight

She stood in the wings, bathed in bright light from across the stage. She always felt a little nervous, right up until the moment her toes hit the floor. She hadn’t had time to finish prepping her shoes, they still felt a bit stiff, but they’d be broken in before the end of the first dance, and rendered practically useless by the end of the show. She continued to point her toes while bouncing lightly to keep warm and limber.

The music ebbed and flowed and she listened intently for her cue, while doing her best to ignore the jealous whispers of those who would never stand where she was. Not everyone could be a prima.

She was a rare breed. Years spent in lessons, ignoring nearly everything else, had earned her the opportunity of a lifetime, one that would end sooner than was reasonable, but while she was here, she would enjoy every moment.

Stained

The Emerald Graves was the kind of place where you could easily imagine magical things happened on a regular basis. The trees were a shade of green not seen anywhere else, the water was clearer than she’d ever seen, and as if to add to its mysterious nature, a light mist draped everything in a soft white blanket. When they arrived to the remote forest, the fabled land of the elves, a certain amount of reverence felt owed. It wasn’t called the Graves because someone was trying to be clever. If the histories were true, the land was one large graveyard.

Was that supposed to bring anyone any meaure of comfort? There was a strange silence present, and they felt like they were being watched. So, they limited their conversations, kept to the main road, and did their best to not disturb the flora and fauna. They made a small camp in a clearing of what remained of an ancient ruin and slept uneasily in the eerie quiet the forest offered in the waning hours of the night.

She was an elf. She found solace in being in a place her ancestors once called home. So little of their great empire remained, but every so often, there was a glimpse, a wisp, and the Emerald Graves was one such place. She gave her friends a sympathetic smile as they tried to ignore the shivers up their spines. They were unnerved, for a number of reasons, but this place, while romantic and beautiful, was also drenched in blood, and that was a stain that no matter how well hidden, left a mark.

~ * ~

I’d love if you’d join in the writing prompt challenge! I’ve posted 158 images and phrases for inspiration so far, so feel free to poke around and see if anything catches your eye.

Happy Writing!