Microcosm: Write With Us
Share Your Tiny Stories. Updated Guidelines: Jul 2024: Click Here
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Microcosm Is Now Accepting Submissions — Updated Guidelines: Jul 2024
Microcosm is on Micro-Sabbatical for now
What is a Microcosm?
It’s something small that speaks to a larger whole. A tiny world that epitomises a universal. We aim to inspire stories that may be small in word count but speak loudly to larger themes. Thought-provoking fiction that nudges toward action.
Stories that are a tiny window into a much larger world.
Microcosm is a publication that challenges new and seasoned writers to practice in public — write and share their work every day.
Like the 💯 Story Challenge:
What we believe
We believe that any writer who puts in the time and effort can improve in leaps and bounds. Far faster than they think they can. If they write regularly and share their work in a supportive community.
Just ask our editor , he went from new writer to 1000 followers in less than seven months of regular writing. That’s the power of consistent writing, sharing, and learning in action.
What do we aim to do?
We’re building a community of flash fiction writers who collaborate, support and empower each other to grow every day.
Practicing in public is scary, but it’s where we get the data, and the insights into what works. So together we’ll comment, highlight, clap, and share each other’s work. Because that’s how we’ll all grow, and how we’ll all learn.
We write flash fiction; we write craft articles, and we challenge each other to take on new things and experiment with every story. Because we’ll get better with each and every story.
It’s not about talent, it’s about consistency.
How it works at Microcosm:
- Read the guidelines to help your stories get accepted
- Next comment on this post to join (details at end)
- Once added, you can submit stories for the weekly prompt, please allow 24–48 hours for to add you.
- The minimum story length is 50 and the Maximum is 300 words, using the Medium Word Count Tool.
- You’re still welcome to write to round numbers if that’s a challenge you enjoy like I do.
- Start small if you’re a new writer, you’ll get more helpful feedback than if your first story is a big long mess. 🙂
Once your story is accepted you can start sending in unprompted stories.
We Have Monthly Themes and Weekly Prompts
- We have a monthly theme with related weekly prompts.
- You can find the current theme on the Home Page near the bottom.
- You can find a link to all our prompts in the menu. They’re evergreen, you can pick anyone that catches your eye and write a story for it.
Word Counts (Updated)
- Exact word counts have been suspended, your stories now only need to be a minimum of 50 words and max 300 words.
- Writers who have completed the 100 Story Challenge or have been invited to can submit longer stories of up to 1000 words.
- We may bring word counts back for specific prompts or challenges.
- Titles, Subtitles and Bios, are not included in the word count (100–1000).
- We use the Medium word counter to check; if you haven’t seen it yet, this comes up top left when selecting a piece of text. You can also Ctrl + A or CMD + A to see (will include your title, though, so add that once you’re done.)
- Seeing as we like a bit of competitive spirit — the first story for the week gets added to the prompt as an example. But remember, quality always matters.
How To Get Your Story Accepted Into Microcosm
Submit only original, unpublished work, but stories passed on by other publications are welcome for a second chance at Microcosm.
Prompted Stories
- Each week we send out a prompt based on our monthly theme.
- Write to the prompt and include the tag, and keep in mind the min and max word count limits (50–300).
- If you’re a newer writer, start with smaller stories and build up to the max.
Unprompted Stories:
- Unprompted stories are more than welcome, especially if they reply to a community-written Empty World or Hero for Hire.
- The same min and max apply, remember to use the correct tags if answering a Microcosm Writing Challenge.
Genre and Theme
We aim for a publication that a wide range of people can enjoy.
All genres and adult themes are welcome, sensual erotica is ok and graphic violence within reason is fine. The odd bit of swearing is a part of life, but aim for verisimilitude rather than shock value through F-bombs.
We also prefer stories over rants; if you believe something, then show it to us in a story. We want to share diverse opinions, but extreme and polarising views may not be accepted.
It’s a subjective thing, so we’ll give feedback when we think the stories walk the edge of the line.
If it’s too racy for us, we may nudge you toward Micro Erotica.
Editing Guidelines
We’ll respond to every story submission (with feedback if possible) within a couple of days. For more information on how we edit, see below.
Don’t forget your writer’s bio!
See this post for details and a little how-to for newer writers.
We’re a friendly, supportive community
Writing can be a lonely business and Microcosm aims to be a space where people can share and learn. Trying on new challenges, new genres, and getting feedback from readers and other writers.
- We encourage reading each other's stories, highlighting what you like, and commenting. This is how we all learn what’s good and what we should do more of.
- You like what you like, be honest, but don’t be afraid to show it. An honest, heartfelt comment can make a world of difference to an isolated writer. It did for me when I was first starting out.
- Future editors of this pub will be selected from consistent and committed writers who and its community.
- At the moment, our editors are and .
- Follow us on , where we share writing tips, prompts and your stories.
How To Become a Writer for Microcosm
- Follow the (and the publication too) so you don’t miss our Themes, Prompts, Contests and Craft Articles.
- To be added as a writer, respond to this story: “Challenge Accepted!”
How to support Microcosm?
If you’re not yet a Medium Member, sign up here to support us, and your fellow writers and get access to all of our stories.
Or you can support this publication’s ever-present need for caffeine,. ☕️ ❤️
How can I support you for free?
- Clap for this article to help it spread so we can help more writers.
- Follow so we can switch to that account for prompts and membership referrals. Because Medium is now more relational, having a Pub Human may make more sense.
- Follow us on , where we share writing tips, prompts and your stories.
What’s in it for you?
We write weekly prompts and bigger challenges too. We provide a supportive environment to share your fiction and to learn from others.
These are our latest prompts
Or if you’re feeling brave, try out our larger challenges.
