The 2025 750 Word Story Challenge Support Thread

[Trionyx]

On another thread today mention was made that over 400 stories were posted today. Ensued were a lot of comments about why and what could be done about this.

TBH, I blame part of the backlog on the ever increasing amount of author challenges that get pushed up to the top of the file, pushing standard offerings further down, the worst of which is the 750-word challenges where people are writing multiples of these things the readers seem to have proven they have little interest in, but get top billing and clog the file. But I;m sure there is more to it than that, but it is a factor.

LC68 raises the issue of numerous 750 word entries contributing to this problem. (I must confess to adding three myself.) One wonders if there should be a limit on the number of 750 word submissions per writer and/or if the whole month of open submissions should be shortened significantly. Thoughts?

 

[jaF0]

No, sorry, if it was a song reference it's one that I missed

Massive, classic, epic, huge, huge song. One of THE very best to come out of the 60s.

https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/13890660/The Doors


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_the_Music's_Over


.

 

[PennyThompson]

On another thread today mention was made that over 400 stories were posted today. Ensued were a lot of comments about why and what could be done about this.



LC68 raises the issue of numerous 750 word entries contributing to this problem. (I must confess to adding three myself.) One wonders if there should be a limit on the number of 750 word submissions per writer and/or if the whole month of open submissions should be shortened significantly. Thoughts?

I dunno, I wrote four 750s early on in the month, and they were all processed and published extremely fast, at least one of them went from submitted to published in less than 12 hours. They're so fast to read and approve, I'm just skeptical that they're the cause of any sort of major backlog.

I just did a search for stories with the tag "750 word project 2025," which I realize is not comprehensive because not everybody uses that tag for their 750s, but I'd bet that it's a large proportion of them... and it only comes to 170 stories total.

That's 127,500 words, give or take, which is the same as like five or six particularly long-form stories.

Massive, classic, epic, huge, huge song. One of THE very best to come out of the 60s.

https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/13890660/The Doors

Ooh I have heard that song before! I'm afraid my knowledge of 60s music is mostly limited to the Beatles and not much else

 

[YmaOHyd]

But it does take some time. My first submitted story was 11,000ish words of not-very-sexy romance. It took four or five days (I think) to get out of Pending and be published. That's fine. Not complaining. My 750-word not-erotic erotic coupling story was published in a day, I think; it was submitted after and published before. I have two more submitted as of tonight. Combined, with the additional explanatory text included, they probably come to 3,000 words. That's about the same length as the conversation Dafydd and Emily have in that not-sexy romance where they introduce themselves to each other. Tough to say with the page breaks and the frequent staccato dialogue, but it's probably one page in Lit. So while 750-worders may be a contributing factor to the backlog, I'm not convinced they're *a major* factor. It's just the whole total of submission volume.

I do think in this challenge specifically -- which I like! -- there's an issue of who the work is for. Word-count challenges are inherently writer-centric, not reader-centric, and the appeal of the format is primarily technical. If you don't care about the challenge, they're not great stories to read; I think it's obviously true that every 750 word story published would be better if it was a little longer or a little shorter. I can't blame a reader for not being into it or people for not wanting to see them.

I don't have a solution other than adding more eyeballs to the review process. I also wonder: how many stories get submitted and rejected?

 

[PennyThompson]

I do think in this challenge specifically -- which I like! -- there's an issue of who the work is for. Word-count challenges are inherently writer-centric, not reader-centric, and the appeal of the format is primarily technical. If you don't care about the challenge, they're not great stories to read; I think it's obviously true that every 750 word story published would be better if it was a little longer or a little shorter. I can't blame a reader for not being into it or people for not wanting to see them.

Hmm, I don't think I fully agree. I do agree that many of the 750s I've read feel a bit forced into the size constraints, they struggle to tell a satisfying story or the pacing is just off.

I also think that a lot of them get dinged for not putting "750 words" in their titles and a brief explanation note at the top, I'm sure that makes some readers feel like they were tricked, and they might be punishing those stories in the ratings and comments.

One of my four 750s was definitely too short for the subject, but I acknowledged that in the comments and I ended up treating it as a pilot episode for a longer version, which has now turned into a series

But! Flash Fiction is absolutely a literary genre, and some of the great writers of history have written sub-1000-word stories. It's hard to do well, but it's rewarding when it clicks and I really enjoy reading the good ones. That's why it's a challenge!

 

[YmaOHyd]

Hmm, I don't think I fully agree. I do agree that many of the 750s I've read feel a bit forced into the size constraints, they struggle to tell a satisfying story or the pacing is just off.
...
...
But! Flash Fiction is absolutely a literary genre, and some of the great writers of history have written sub-1000-word stories. It's hard to do well, but it's rewarding when it clicks and I really enjoy reading the good ones. That's why it's a challenge!

Hey, I'm not arguing about flash fiction or the existence of micro-stories etc and so on. It's specifically the nature of the challenge -- 750 words. No more, no less -- that causes some of the problem. Meeting the technical challenge compromises the work as a mechanism for storytelling, because every word has to be filtered through the lens of wordcount as much as narrative necessity or potential.

I'm not saying they all need to be longer, for sure. Some should be shorter! I have one upcoming that, to me, felt complete at 725 words, then again at 747. I don't think the 22-then-3 words I added improved the story (I don't think anything could improve the story; I don't think it's very good). They just made it qualify. Some should be longer, and that's fine. It's really just the sense that the challenge is at odds with the storytelling in a way that's not true for contests like Valentines Day or challenges like Pink Orchid.

 

[alohadave]

On another thread today mention was made that over 400 stories were posted today. Ensued were a lot of comments about why and what could be done about this.

There's nothing to be done about it. Laurel approves the stories on her own schedule. No one complains when only 100 stories are approved in one day.

LC68 raises the issue of numerous 750 word entries contributing to this problem. (I must confess to adding three myself.) One wonders if there should be a limit on the number of 750 word submissions per writer and/or if the whole month of open submissions should be shortened significantly. Thoughts?

People complain about them every year. Let them complain. No one is forced to participate. It's a month then they go away for a year.

I really don't think that it's anyone's place to be telling someone else to stop writing because they are annoyed.

 

[M_K_Babalon]

I'm still very surprised at how my story is being received. Very happy about it, but still surprised....

View attachment 2500423

Same. But the plan is working so far.

 

[yowser]

I just did a search for stories with the tag "750 word project 2025," which I realize is not comprehensive because not everybody uses that tag for their 750s, but I'd bet that it's a large proportion of them... and it only comes to 170 stories total.

There's 249 of them so far in February, as you're right about tagging inconsistency. I am guessing (and will find out soon) that authors posting just one are a small minority.

 

[Comshaw]

I just submitted the last one I will do, a sugar baby, sugar daddy story. I put it in Mature. Now comes the wait for the first few votes and any comments. I guess I could have made her a married woman and put it In LW for shits and giggles. Maybe next time.


Comshaw

 

[SomaSlave]

I'm putting the finishing touches on my elevator story. Once it again, it went in a different direction. It will now be my first NonCon story, with a main character who's a nasty piece of work indeed. I have a feeling the scores on this one will be going to the sub-basement. If so, I'll consider it a success.

It posted last night: Going Up? Going Down!. Frankly, I’m shocked at the number of views and, even more surprised that it’s at 4.16. Was my MC not nasty enough? Or is he the quintessential Trumpian boss for our time?

 

[SomaSlave]

I tell you what, let me read yours and I'll see if I can come up with the inspiration to write one that compliments yours, kay? my 'seration is running kinda' thin lately. I know what I need to get it back, but it just hasn't been available.



Comshaw

My story got posted and seems to be headed down: it's dropped below 4.0 and has received a surprising (for me) number of ratings and views. I've also picked up a couple of followers from it, though I'm not sure I should be happy about that, given the nature of the story.

 

[Comshaw]

My story got posted and seems to be headed down: it's dropped below 4.0 and has received a surprising (for me) number of ratings and views. I've also picked up a couple of followers from it, though I'm not sure I should be happy about that, given the nature of the story.

I'll go take a read of it. It's amazing to me how many followers I picked up from the two I first posted, 31 at last count. I wish I could determine which of the two stories accounted for most of them. I suspect it was the one in LW, if for no other reason than the volume of people reading it. I hope your story bounces back on the scores.


Comshaw

 

[SomaSlave]

I'll go take a read of it. It's amazing to me how many followers I picked up from the two I first posted, 31 at last count. I wish I could determine which of the two stories accounted for most of them. I suspect it was the one in LW, if for no other reason than the volume of people reading it. I hope your story bounces back on the scores.


Comshaw

I almost hope it doesn't. One of the comments asked for a second chapter to continue the character's humiliation. I'll chalk it up to catharsis instead of sadism.

 

[Comshaw]

I almost hope it doesn't. One of the comments asked for a second chapter to continue the character's humiliation. I'll chalk it up to catharsis instead of sadism.

You must be an optimist. I read that comment and to me it felt like the commenter was reveling in the humiliation of the character. BUT, that could be just my own jaded view of some humans.

Comshaw

 

[SomaSlave]

You must be an optimist. I read that comment and to me it felt like the commenter was reveling in the humiliation of the character. BUT, that could be just my own jaded view of some humans.

Comshaw

It did sound like schadenfreude...or perhaps we've just discovered Musk's Literotica user name.

 

[Comshaw]

It did sound like schadenfreude...or perhaps we've just discovered Musk's Literotica user name.

BAWAHAHA! Yeah, it might be! And thank you for the word schadenfreude. I have a large file of words in foreign languages with no equivalent English meaning. I added that one. An old scarred blue-collar guy I might be, but I do love me some language and that added one more to my trove. I owe you.


Comshaw

 

[Duleigh]

Have been waiting since 10 Feb in pending folder… anyone else with this problem?

Fifteen days in Pending? You need to reach out to Laurel and ask what is going on. Most people here were getting their stories posted in 2 days or so

 

[ICantLeafYou]

100 ratings!


Highest number of ratings on any of my stories is 104, looks like this should beat that.

 

[Omenainen]

None of my untapped categories inspire me in any way, and the month is coming to an end, so I think I won’t make it this year after all. Maybe next year.

 

[XerXesXu]

None of my untapped categories inspire me in any way, and the month is coming to an end, so I think I won’t make it this year after all. Maybe next year.

You can write a 750 word story at any time; tag it 750 and it'll come up in searches. It's a challenge to yourself alone. How do you know you'll be here next year? If you want to do, just do it. You can wear the shoes; you can walk the walk?

 

[Bazzle]

My best score in two years for a 750

"A Small White Cylindrical Lie"

https://www.literotica.com/s/small-white-cylindrical-lie


It was based on a artwork by SF Pinup. I posted the picture in the Smoking Fetish forum

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/smoking-fetish.1380672/post-100411591

 

[Omenainen]

You can write a 750 word story at any time; tag it 750 and it'll come up in searches. It's a challenge to yourself alone. How do you know you'll be here next year? If you want to do, just do it. You can wear the shoes; you can walk the walk?

Well, if I die before that, then I won’t do it next year either

I’ve done a few in previous years, I’m sure readers can survive without my this year’s contribution. Plus we still have two whole days left of this month, who knows what might happen.

 

[StillStunned]

I've decided to turn one of my snippets from the Fairy Tales Writing Exercises into a 750-word story. "The Hardwood Son: A Fairy Tale". Let's see how the I/T crowd reacts.

(The hardest part is working out how to organically mention the mother's pubic hair.)

 

[TheLobster]

(The hardest part is working out how to organically mention the mother's pubic hair.)

It’s a 750 word story. Readers will understand if you put the pubes in the negative space.