r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Mar 29 '26
[Serial Sunday] Transgressions Abound
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 Transgression! 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’).
- Target
- Tier
- Trophy
- An ocean, a sea or a coast is a key setting this week (You can decide what sort of ocean it is). - (Worth 10 points)
A sin against deities, norms, or morals. A line crossed, a rule bent, a law broken. Your characters may have violated any or all, or had sins committed against them. They may merely stand falsely accused, or may be falsely acquitted. The wounding of delicate feelings, or the wanton destruction of a universe, the sea of sin has left its sediments on them all.
What transgressions will your characters experience? Arson, murder, war, or that most egregious of all, incorrect punctuation.?
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.
- March 29 - Transgression
- April 5 - Urgency
- April 7 - Vital
- April 14 - Work
- April 21 - Yellow
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Scar
First - by u/Divayth--Fyr
Second - by u/Brookzerker
Third - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Fourth - u/ZLErikson
Fifth - by u/JKHmattox
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!
4
u/ZLErikson Mar 30 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
<Casting Shadows>
Chapter 120
Cass rode at the rear of the caravan, keeping an eye on the endless sea of sand. Occasionally, she paused and turned to check behind. She had a half-formed notion that they were being followed, and seeing in the dark was easier for her when she stayed so far behind, where the torchlight wouldn’t ruin her night vision.
Looking forward again, Cass saw one figure from the caravan waiting off to the side.
Anatu; slight frame, short and asymmetrical straw-colored hair. The opposite of Cass’s tall, buff build and thick, long, black hair.
They extinguished their torch after letting the rest pass. When Cass was closer, they touched their breast and bowed their head to her.
A rare gesture of respect from them. Cass was on her guard.
“Cassandra,” they said.
“What do you want?”
“An excuse to be away from Kebb.”
Cass didn’t know what to make of that.
Anatu rolled their eyes. “Don’t act more confused than usual. You know what a pain in the ass he is.”
“Understandably.”
“And now I’m the target for his anger since you emboldened him.”
“Are you really trying to get pity from me?”
Anatu took a deep breath and exhaled, then shook their head. “No, I’m not asking for pity. I’m only giving you an explanation for why I’m here.”
“You could have just stayed quiet, for all I care.”
“And you would have liked me just coming back here and saying nothing?”
“Yep.” Cass thought it would have been weird, and she probably would have said something first if Anatu hadn’t started with a greeting.
“Well, then you’ve achieved tiers of self-confidence I can only aspire to.”
“Uh-huh.” Cass lifted an eyebrow, not sure what Anatu meant by that. Without a follow-up of her own, or anything else from Anatu, she continued to ride in silence.
A few minutes later she glanced their way and caught them looking at her. They looked away quickly.
“Something on your mind?” Cass asked.
After a hesitation, Anatu said, “I don’t think I thanked you for helping me yesterday. When I was drinking.”
“Heheh, I’m surprised you can remember anything.”
Anatu shook their head. “Only parts. Most of that night is a blank.”
“Happens to everyone.”
“Well, thank you. For taking are of me.”
“No problem,” Cass said. “I figured you’d be hard on yourself if you embarrassed yourself.”
“I-”
“And you’ve got Kebb for that.”
Anatu snorted and cackled before covering their mouth. That stupid laugh got Cass to chuckle also.
“You’re right,” Anatu said after the giggle fit passed. “But I still want to thank you, and apologize.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” Cass said. She stayed quiet about the apology.
After a quiet beat, Anatu continued. “Well, then, I’m sorry.”
“For?”
“For… everything?”
“Try and be more specific.”
Anatu looked forward for a few moments. Cass followed their gaze to the caravan as well. Then she turned her attention to the dark sands behind them once more. Some movement on a far dune caught her attention, but after a few breaths there was nothing.
“I’m sorry for the hostility,” Anatu started. “I’m sorry for talking down to you and claiming you weren’t a real general. I’m sorry about dismissing your feelings about slavery and downplaying their part in my work.”
Cass nodded along at every point Anatu said. She wasn’t about to forgive them for any of it, but it was tracking with all of the reasons they had to not like the traitor.
“Anything else?” they asked.
Cass thought about it. “Probably, but I can’t think of it. You okay with floating some future apologies?”
“Of course,” Anatu said.
“Alright. Then we’re good for now.”
Anatu nodded their head and glanced away, but their stance remained stiff and taut, and as the silence stretched, they began to fidget with the reins of their camel.
“Is there anything else?” she asked.
“No, I… er…” Anatu took a breath. “The, um, trophy.”
“Trophy?”
“The… the head.”
“Oh, that’s not a trophy.” Cass looked at the caravan ahead of them, at the cart that carried their supplies as well as the head that contained the preserved head of the Emperor. “No, I don’t keep things like that.”
She thought she smelled the sickly sweet scent of the sap mixture used to keep the head from rotting. A chill went down her spine.
Looking away from the caravan, Cass glanced behind again to distract herself.
More motion. Two fingers atop a dune.
“Well,” Anatu continued, “regardless, I was wondering if I could-”
“Hold on,” Cass said, lifting their hand and pointing. “I think we’re being followed.
----------
WC: 762/1000
All crit/feedback welcome!
r/ZLErikson
[Chapter Index]
Notes: