Read & write
Guides to 100-word fiction
Two guides live here. That’s deliberate — a form built on subtraction doesn’t need a syllabus to go with it.
The first answers the question everyone asks before they try: what is a drabble, exactly? Not “short fiction,” but one hundred words counted to the number, title excluded, since 1980s British fandom made the number the whole point. The second is for after you’ve tried it and hit the wall somewhere around word eighty-five — cutting scaffolding, choosing verbs that pull weight, endings that land instead of explaining themselves.
Read the one you need. If you already know what a drabble is, skip straight to the craft guide.
When you’ve got a hundred words you’d defend in an argument, we want to see them. Submissions are free, open year-round, and a person reads every one — not a filter.
What Is a Drabble?
A drabble is a complete story in exactly 100 words, title excluded. Where the term comes from, why the limit works, and three real examples.
Read →How to Write a 100-Word Story
Practical tips for writing a 100-word story: one scene and one turn, cutting scaffolding, strong verbs, and how to edit down from a longer draft.
Read →