2022 Youth Flash Fiction Contest Rules

Write a story of 500 words or less. You must incorporate the following elements:

• Select one of these as your opening line:

  • Three days without sleep was the least of my worries.

  • What do you pack when you have four minutes to leave the place you once called home?

  • [She/he/they] hates this song. Why is it always playing on the radio?

• Plant an idea:

  • lavender

  • shamrock

  • bougainvillea

  • calla lily

  • pothos

  • monstera

  • eucalyptus

  • basil

  • lily of the valley

  • Venus fly trap

• Incorporate the spirit of “new beginnings” into your story (e.g. metaphor, setting, a scene, imagery, new stage, new identity, fresh start, clean slate, etc.)