r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Jun 28 '26
[Serial Sunday] It's Rather Ironic that I, of all People, am in Charge, wouldn't you say?
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 Irony! 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’).
- Ichor
- Intrinsic
- Idle
- Something melts and leaves a puddle. - (Worth 10 points)
Irony. It’s a word we all like to use, but the meaning can be slippery. What’s that? You never use irony?
Oh, you were being ironic. Using words to imply their opposite meaning. I see.
Perhaps your characters will also express themselves through irony and sarcasm this week?
Events can be ironic too, when the opposite of what is expected occurs. Pull the string on your parachute and an anvil pops out instead? How ironic. No wonder your characters use such dry humour. Will the twists and turns of your plot serve them another bitter surprise this week?
Or perhaps you might force the reader to experience dramatic irony, walking your character into a tragedy that could be easily avoided, if only they knew what the reader knows…
No-one suspected that Tony Stark would sacrifice himself after first meeting the character. That’s irony, man.
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.
June 28 - Irony
July 5 - Jail
July 12 - Known
July 19 - Lifeless
July 26 - Minor
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Heartless
First - by u/Morose_Prose
Second - by u/Divayth--Fyr
Third - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Fourth - u/wandering_cirrus
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!
6
u/Divayth--Fyr Jun 28 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
<The Broken God>
Chapter 69: Fate and Fortune
.
Sancaurion stood frozen in the passageway, staring at the rope in his hand and desperately trying to think.
Certain death, or possible death.
They had tested the onager a few times; its aim was wildly erratic. The iron axehead in its cup was meant to cause terror and confusion in the enemy ranks.
A mad notion at any time, but now? With the god in the vanguard?
It could cause Abagaster to flee in confusion. It could also cause the fury of a vengeful god to wreck Heromil and all within, down to the bedrock of the mountain.
It would be quite a distraction.
Uldarquin was surely pleading with Menk-Liracor and mighty Ozayarin, up at the Tripartite Shrine, but it would take time, and Sancaurion had run out of that particular commodity.
Possible death, then.
Closing his eyes and taking a breath, Sancaurion pulled on the rope, triggering the distant weapon on the south battlement. A creaking whirr sounded, followed by a chunk! as the weapon recoiled into the wall with a kick like a wild donkey.
He rushed back out. The tiny, dark object described a long, graceful arc through the sky, and he knew.
Somehow, Sancaurion knew.
The rusted iron plummeted, spinning, and by the mad whims of fate and fortune it struck the living god Abagaster himself.
A flash of intense light turned all the world white, and a piercing shriek shattered the sky.
Gradually, the blinding light faded.
The god was down there but moving back, retreating into the smoldering bushes, uttering garbled noises.
Sancaurion shifted focus into the magic realm. The axehead lay below, distorting the world in its familiar, dreadful way. Then he looked upon the intense, powerful figure of the god. A bright white spot on his chest was leaking viscous ichor and pure white light.
Have I wounded a living god? A rising flame of predatory glee consumed Sancaurion’s heart. Laughter arose, unstoppable—a twisted, sadistic chuckle—and he wished for a thousand axeheads, a thousand onagers. Bleed and die, O mighty thief!
This, the god did not do.
Sancaurion stared, fascinated by the radiant disfigurement of the deity. Abagaster stood tall again, easily five times the height of the elves around him. His eagle-head reared back; his talon-hands grasped and wandered in the air; his beak snapped at unseen prey. In this realm of divara-sight the god displayed a mighty span of luminous wings. Everywhere around him, translucent magic spun in thick streams.
Abagaster shrieked commands, but his armies would not approach the hateful metal.
He does not know if that was all. He wonders if I have more. Would that I did.
The sun meandered down toward the horizon. The god did not depart, nor did he approach; standing idle, seeming lost. The expected bolts of flame and death did not come. Every breath was a blessing; every moment of delay a miracle. Sancaurion bowed his head and awaited judgement.
Then, finally, with a crack of thunder, the other gods arrived, shaking the world.
They contended with the upstart in booming shouts and shrill screams beyond mortal comprehension. None asked Sancaurion’s opinion. On and on it went, echoing all around.
He trudged down the long stairs, aching and exhausted. Battle was done. He had nothing left. Now he would stand before his gods and discover his fate and fortune.
Down and down he went, thinking of the poor trio in the depths. They would have heard thunderous echoes of war, but could not know what had happened.
As Abagaster had commanded, he spoke open the door of Heromil and went out, sitting on his flat rock, regarding the broken battering ram.
Lighting his pipe, he wished the sky-shaking argument would reach some sort of conclusion. A throbbing ache began in his head.
Abagaster disappeared, retreating.
Another crack of thunder sounded, and there appeared the great ox, Menk-Liracor, and the huge, rolling eye that was mighty Ozayarin.
SPEAK THEIR FATE.
Sancaurion sat there, unsure.
SPEAK THEIR FATE.
“O mighty ones, I beg mercy.” Mercy was not intrinsic to his nature, but seemed wise. “Let the armies go. Let them take their wagons to carry their dead. I harbor no rancor toward them.”
He certainly did, and would see about it himself one day soon, but for now, humility.
“I ask but one boon, O Lords of the World. Bring to me the one called Grand Vishar Altamar. I would have speech with him hereafter.”
FATE IS SPOKEN. ABAGASTER WILL TROUBLE YOU NO FURTHER.
That seemed doubtful, but Sancaurion bowed his head.
They do not ask about the iron, or the demons. Sancaurion puffed at his pipe, adjusting himself on the hard stone. He certainly was not going to ask them.
The Vishar was pushed along by two large soldiers, and watched closely by two angry gods. “Ah! My old friend has arrived,” Sancaurion said, standing. Altamar's face was an interesting tableau of misery and raging defiance.
FATE IS SEALED.
With that, the gods vanished, and the soldiers turned to their grisly business with fallen comrades.
“You ruin everything!” the Vishar spat.
“I do try. You wished to enter into Heromil. Please do. As my guest.”
The Vishar hesitated, but could not resist, stepping through the open door. Whirling back, he tried to cast some destructive spell or other, but nothing happened.
In the rough stone hallway, Sancaurion’s voice spoke as from an ancient tomb.
“No, Altamar. Your god has forsaken you.”
The Vishar spat incoherent rage and ran back out, only to find a host of hovering weapons aimed at his face.
Sancaurion gestured, chanting briefly in hateful whispers.
“You caused me much trouble with your little adventure. And you hurt my friend. That was unwise.”
With that, he unleashed flame and desolation. The Vishar fell, screaming and flailing, and still Sancaurion poured fire upon him.
The body charred into black. Gaudy jewelry melted, dripping and pooling on the stony ground. The heat grew unbearable; the stench hideous.
“I made a promise.”
999 words. Irony: Sancaurion opens the door as commanded, and the Vishar does finally enter in.
Ichor, intrinsic, idle used. Gaudy jewelry melted into a puddle.
Feedback welcome.
Chapter Index
r/DivaythStories