r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Sep 13 '26
[Serial Sunday] You shall be Tortured, with Turkeys!
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 Torture! 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’).
- Tenant
- Testimony
- Turbulent
- A trap is sprung. - (Worth 10 points)
Ahhh, torture. To be cruel and unusual. There are many methods of torture out there in the world from waterboarding to stabbing someone repeatedly to [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]. If you want to make those accurate, say hello to the FBI watchlist (or whatever your government equivalent is).
Of course your torture doesn't have to end there. From singing for hours on end to infesting people with magical parasites and stuffing them into sensory deprivation voids. There are millions of ways to torture your characters and the realm of fiction provides even more unrealistic options. Magic to turn people to conscious stone? Healers that can continuously heal you from near death after someone tortured you there? Or you could torture your audiences. Kill off those star-crossed lovers. Let those horrible institutions win as the heroes lose everything.
With enough effort and creativity, anything can be torture.
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 BSTand 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.
September 13 - Torture
September 20 - Unleash
September 27 - Venom
October 4 - Waver
October 11 - Zeal
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Stratagem
First - by u/AGuyLikeThat
Second - by u/Morose_Prose
Third - by u/KatPoker666
Fourth - u/Divayth--Fyr
Fifth - by u/wandering_cirrus
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 BST. 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 BST 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 BST, 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 BST. 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!
7
u/katpoker666 29d ago edited 29d ago
<‘Wild Eats’>
Chapter 9: Home Manic Home
Annie boarded the grimy commuter train back to White Plains brimming with enthusiasm. She jotted notes on her phone like a madwoman, her core list blossoming into a set of to-dos. New destinations, social media campaigns, testimonials, and even where to seek financial guidance made the cut. Riding an inspiration high, or maybe the Monster chugged at Carol’s, Annie felt ready to face the world.
Arriving home, she shouted, “Anyone here? I’m back!”
Tom emerged from his office in a well-tailored, navy suit and burgundy tie. “I’m glad you’re home, sweetheart, but I’m on a big call with the London Office. Could you keep it down?”
“But Tah-ahm, we have so much to discuss! I want to know all about how business works!” Annie enthused. “When’s your meeting over?”
“In about four hours.”
“So long?”
“Yeah, some of us have to work to keep this roof over our heads,” he chuckled, an edge to his voice.
Annie’s face fell. “I was just trying to share—“
Tom squeezed her arm, his expression softening. “Have you taken your meds, Muffin?”
“Umm, no, I was at Carol’s. Remember?”
“You think maybe that has something to do with your excitement levels?”
“I’m going upstairs.” Annie rolled her eyes and turned on her heel. “I’ll talk to you when you’re done.”
Upstairs, Annie headed to her private bathroom and poured a glass of water. Next, she flipped over her pill container into her hand. Vraylar, Wellbutrin, Lamictal, and Lexapro tumbled out in a colorful array. Tossing them back in a single gulp, she wiped her mouth with her hand, grimacing and cursing her turbulent mind.
Putting her clothes in the hamper, she changed into a pair of inky, chain-textured leggings and a freshly pressed charcoal hoodie. Glancing in the mirror, she swiped on some under-eye concealer, blush, and neutral lipstick. She nodded at her reflection before heading down to her sanctum sanctorum, the kitchen.
There, she looked around and sighed. A host of soiled pots, pans, plates, and utensils formed an awkward archipelago around the sink. A crimson smear of hardened marinara sauce streaked the granite kitchen island. Dirty fingerprints smudged the entirety of the stainless steel refrigerator door like a particularly irritating impressionist painting. The stove was a mottled crime scene worthy of its own chalk outline.
Annie unclenched her tightly balled fists, feeling the slight sting of where her nails had bitten into the tender flesh. Since the show had ended, so too had most of her shared domestic responsibilities with Tom. Apparently, this included him doing the fucking dishes when left to his own devices; Annie seethed. Some sort of a passive-aggressive trap to remind her of all he did around the house and that their fights got to him, too…
She punched the white, handle-free modernist cabinet next to the fridge, and its door sprang open. Slamming it shut, she wiped away an errant tear. Her shoulders slumped. A slight whistle arose from between pursed lips as Annie exhaled slowly.
Reaching under the sink, she grabbed a roll of paper towels and multi-surface cleaner and set to work on the counter and stove first. Several scrubbing passes later, the stains were gone. The fridge door followed.
She turned back to the main event and shook her head. Grabbing a wooden spatula, Annie scraped the dishes clean. Swearing at the state of things, she put them in the sink to soak.
She surveyed the room and opened the refrigerator door for a snack. Witnessing the carnage there, her eyes bulged, and the vein in her neck throbbed. Tomato sauce bled down from its overfilled container on the top shelf to the one below. It coated the uncovered wedge of Gran Padrano parmesan that Tom appeared to have grated onto his repast based on the uneven slashes on its surface.
Frustrated tears streamed down her reddened face as Annie wiped the shelf down and tossed the remnants of the expensive cheese in the garbage.
“For fuck’s sake, Tom,” she muttered as she washed the dishes and stacked them to the side. “I can’t live like this!”
WC: 683
Includes: testimony, turbulent, and a trap is sprung (Tom’s emotional gotcha kitchen mess left waiting for a hapless Annie)
Thanks for reading! Feedback is always appreciated
Chapter 8
Chapter Index
Chapter 1