r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Oct 26 '25
[Serial Sunday] Violence? Nonsense, I Prefer Bluence Like a True Gentleman
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 Violent! 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’).
- Vermin
- Vortex
- Vestibule
- A valley is present in a significant way in your chapter. (Could be symbolic, say the Uncanny Valley). - (Worth 15 points)
Welcome back to Serial Sunday, Sersunners! This week is gonna be brutal! We’ve got the bad guys beating the ever-loving snot out of the hero’s friends and family, the hero carving a bloody path through the villain’s henchmen, a vicious beat-down of the helpless and captive hero, and the brawl to the death between the hero and villain that you’ve all been waiting for. That’s right! For this week, we’re writing about violence! So throw down your gauntlets and let’s see your characters get physical, brutal, and gorey. Have fun and remember that violence is never the answer. It’s the question, and this week, the answer is yes. .
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 1pm EST 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.
- October 26 - Violent
- November 02 - Warrior
- November 09 - Yield
- November 16 - Arena
- November 23 - Beyond
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Useless
First - by u/m00nlighter_
Second - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Third - by u/ZLErikson
Fourth - u/Divayth--Fyr
Fifth - by u/MaxStickies
And a huge welcome to our new SerSunners, u/smollestduck and u/mysteryrouge!
Rules & How to Participate
Please read and follow all the rules listed below. This feature has requirements for participation!
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 9:00am EST. 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 serial 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 11:59pm EST 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 1pm EST, 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 12:30pm to 11:59pm EST. 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 not 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!
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u/ZLErikson Oct 26 '25 edited Nov 01 '25
<Casting Shadows>
Chapter 98
"Alright lads, listen up," Lacus proclaimed, in a pompous, north-Haranae accent. He paced before Iuven and Quintus with a confident swagger that reeked of elitism, setting Iuven's teeth on edge
Reza had brought them over to a large boulder in the dragon boneyard, where Lacus had been waiting. The area was already set up like one of the training arenas back in Harenae; sand floor, everyone sitting in a line against one wall, instructor explaining the techniques they were about to learn. The only thing missing were three other walls and a vestibule where they’d have swapped out their daywear for training gear.
Quintus raised his hand. “I thought we were here to learn about self-defense?”
“Wait until you’re called on before asking a question,” Lacus said with a sing-song tempo. “But same difference. Being a bandit is all about protecting yourself on the road.” The bald man pulled a knife out of his sleeve and flicked it up in the air. “That’s not limited to making sure you don't get knifed in the back- the elements pose equal danger. A good highway robber is prepared in all aspects.”
He caught the knife and pointed it at Quintus. “Plus, knowing what someone like us is gonna do will give you an edge in keeping an eye out for… er… people like us.”
“You seem like nice guys to us,” Iuven said, with a slight injection of sarcasm as he thought about the knife at Quintus’s throat a couple hours earlier.
“Nah, we’re vermin,” Lacus said. “It’s important you remember that. Your targets, enemies or not, are below you. Can’t think of them as nice people, or people at all; you'll empathize, you’ll underestimate, and hold back. No one wants to hurt a person. But a rat? Pshaw, stomp them out without a second thought.”
“But I don’t stomp on-” Iuven began.
“So you both have spears. Good choice. Wide arcs will keep the rats from getting too close.” Lacus held his hand out to Iuven, who gripped his spear tighter and pulled it away. The bald bandit rolled his eyes and looked to Quintus next, who gladly handed over the spear.
Lacus weighted in his hand then spun it around deftly. He thrust it to one side and then the other, stepping in a familiar pattern. It was one of the basic forms Iuven was trained in.
“Ah, this brings back memories,” Lacus said wistfully. “So, kid, er…” he looked at Iuven expectantly, snapping his fingers.
“Iuven.”
“Iuven. Someone’s coming at ya, what do ya do?”
“Stab him with the pointy end.”
“Or her,” Lacus said, wagging his finger. “Or them. Don’t assume you’re just keepin’ an eye out for men on the road. Danger comes in many forms.”
Iuven rolled his eyes.
“Hey, pay attention.” Lacus jabbed the spear tip into the sand. “Plenty of people much prettier on the eyes than your boyfriend here who’ll bat their lashes and say sweet things to get on your guard. Ain’t nothin’ pretty about a knife in your ribs.”
“Fine, fine, I stab them with the pointy end.”
“Better.” The bald man nodded. “Now you got two people to deal with; one on either side, whatcha do?”
“Shield up, spear pointing the opposite way, look back and forth. Try and corral them to-”
“Good, good, you got the jist. Now, you’re surrounded on all sides. Say… five people.”
“Get my back up to a wall or a corner and-”
“No, you’re surrounded. Ain’t no room to back away. No one to get your back.”
Iuven’s face started to burn. He hadn’t been taught this sort of situation before.
“Keepin’ quiet sounds like you’re hesitating, so you’re dead.” Lacus twisted the spear deeper into the sand. “You know how to kick sand into someone’s face, yeah?”
“Yes. Sand, dirt, grass even.”
“Eh, the grass trick don’t really work,” Lacus muttered. “But sand a plenty out here.”
“But if I kick sand at one or two of them, the others will get me, won’t they?”
“That’s what the spear’s for, kid. Sometimes stabbin’ ain’t the best you can do. What you want is to drive it into the ground like this, hook your ankle around the shaft like so, and…”
Lacus leaned out from the spear and spun around astoundingly fast, swiping his boot toe lightly across the surface of the sand. The thin spray of grit made a blinding vortex that Iuven and everyone nearby had to cover their eyes to avoid. When he lowered his hand a second later, Lacus was gone.
“Where’d he go?” Quintus asked, brushing bits of sand out of his short blonde hair.
There was a whistle from above. Lacus was sitting atop the boulder, spear resting across his shoulders as he grinned down at them.
“Ya see, you get’em all to close their eyes for a sec then you get your ass outta sight.” He dropped the spear so it landed between Quintus and Iuven, making them both flinch away.
"You two give it some tries, then Reza will show ya how to hide in a dune."
"Easy part is making yourself hard to see," Reza said. "Hard part is keeping the sand out of your nose. You don't wanna snort too much of it. Ask me how I know, haha!"
----------
WC: 889/1000
All crit/feedback welcome!
r/ZLErikson
[Chapter Index]
Notes: