Flash Fiction Friday
- brightwritenow
- Jun 19
- 1 min read
The sea holds stories—of love and loss, mystery and myth. It can be calm or cruel, a place of escape or return. This week’s challenge: write a flash fiction piece (maximum 500 words) where the sea plays a central role.
Your story could take place on a stormy coast, aboard a drifting ship, in a seaside town, or in the mind of someone who’s never seen the ocean.
But the sea doesn’t have to be literal. It might represent:
A buried memory rising to the surface
An emotional tide that pulls a character under
A longing for something just out of reach
A force of transformation or rebirth
A boundary between worlds, people, or versions of self
A secret kept in the dark, waiting to be revealed
Or maybe you want to explore the environmental damage to the oceans.
It is the worst of times but it is the best of times, because we still have a chance – Sylvia Earle, world renowned and one of first female oceanographers on plastic pollution.
Interpret the sea however you like—physical, symbolic, mythical, psychological—and let it shape the heart of your story.
The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever." - Jacques-Yves Cousteau
🌊 Post your story in the comments below.
💬 And don’t forget to read and comment on each other’s pieces—thoughtful feedback makes our writing stronger.
A Sea God
"Don't let it get away!" my sister shouts, as Dad's hot air—trapped in rubber—flares and flaps in a sudden gust over the ocean. The dinghy tugs free.
We both scramble in, trying to steady it, laughing nervously. But the wind pulls harder.
"We're going out too far!" she yells. "I can't see Mum and Dad!"
She clambers back out into the waves. "I'm going back!" she shouts, grabbing the rope. But the gust is too strong. She lets go and swims away, shrinking quickly toward the beach.
I’m alone. I try to paddle, but the wind pins me in place. I leap into the water, grab the rope, try to haul myself back. The current yanks me…
“Did you know some jellyfish never die?” you ask, your bulk blocking the light from the hallway.
I think carefully before answering. If I say yes, I’ll be an insufferable know it all or a liar. If I say no, I’ll be as thick as pig shit. I mentally trawl through the Rolodex of sea related facts you’ve told me in the past.
“Hmmmm, I think you might have told me that one before.”
The pan boils and I try to remember when this obsession with the sea started. Not long after the wedding, thirty years ago? That was the reason we moved out here.
“Imagine that, eh? They can wind back the clock. Maybe you should take a dip…
🖋️✨ Flash fiction writers! This week’s prompt is all about the sea—as a place, a feeling, a symbol, a mystery. 🌊 Write a story in 500 words or less and drop it in the comments! Don’t forget to read and support each other’s work 💬💙
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