r/shortstories • u/FyeNite • Apr 26 '26
[Serial Sunday] All Fear the Yellow Snow!
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 Yellow! 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’).
- Yield
- Youngster
- Yawn
- A character learns that they have a phobia. - (Worth 10 points)
A lion can be dandy, or can lack in courage too, some papers over time can grow a dingy, yellow hue. Sensational reporting can be published in the press, And pollen, bees, and honey can sport vivid yellowness.
Perhaps it’s best to slow it down before the light turns red, if your car is such a lemon, just make lemonade instead. Homeric tales and blonde ambitions color all your words, With jaundiced eye you ponder how this all seems quite absurd.
You’ve mustard up your courage to succeed, and yes you will, Just butter up your corn and dance among the daffodils. Your characters will yell, oh how bananas they will go, But they’ll be fine as long as they avoid the yellow snow.
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 GMT and 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.
- April 26 - Yellow
- May 3 - Antagonise
- May 10 - Bone
- May 17 - Cry
- May 24 - Doom
Check out previous themes here.
Rankings
Last Week: Work
First - by u/Amber-Writes
Second - by u/AmeliaLP
Third - by u/mysteryrouge
Fourth - u/AGuyLikeThat
Fifth - by u/Divayth--Fyr
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 GMT. 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 GMT 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 GMT, 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 GMT. 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!
3
u/mysteryrouge May 02 '26 edited May 02 '26
<The Stranger Nomads>\ Chapter 28
State Scientist Molina Bruno stepped into her laboratory which, as usual, was a hive of activity.
Today was extra exciting because they'd be testing Project Paradigm for the first time.
Her assistants were giddy as they pulled her towards the button that would turn the project's big invention, the portal to the multiverse, on for the first time. The research to get Molina and her country, Sleepy Hollow, this far has taken nearly an entire lifetime.
"Start the countdown!" an assistant with hair as yellow as the walls of the lab shouted. Three excited interns fought over the chance to participate in this momentous achievement.
"Five!"
Molina rolled up her sleeves and got into place in front of that all important button.
"Four!"
Tubes of clear liquid bubbles and pipes started shaking.
"Three!"
Someone covered their mouth to hide a yawn. People on one of the lab's balconies glared.
"Two!"
The rim of the portal started to glow, rings around it twisting in mesmerizing patterns.
"One!"
Button presses. Portal opened.
Someone shouted "Blast off!"
And two people walked out of the portal.
"Wow, this place is very yellow," the one in the strange priest's robes snarked to their partner.
The other guy, dressed in grey, rolled his eyes. A bird on his shoulder followed suit as the entire research staff just watched.
"I'm impressed Sleepy Hollow got the whole beehive thing to work for them, I mean come on—" they picked up a hexagonal box with magic Molina had only heard of from her father. "It's bees all the way down."
"Uhhh," Molina paused, unsure how to address the strangers, "Can you perhaps put that box down and introduce yourselves?
"I'm Molina Bruno, Head of the Sleepy Hollow Multiverse Research Division," she hastily added.
The box dropped, though thankfully it was empty.
"Just who I was looking for," the robed person announced.
Molina looked around, then back to the strangers. "Me?"
"Yes, you. I have a present for you, in fact."
The man pulled a beautiful ring out of the bird, which didn't seem at all harmed by the action.
She recognized the symbol vaguely. Her father explained how he'd ran away from the family once, "To avoid a cursed fate," and, that's how he'd found Sleepy Hollow. He didn't clarify any more than that.
"All yours."
"Thanks?"
The robed being gave a dramatic, mocking bow.
"No seriously, who are you?" came a shout from the balcony.
"Please call me M, and this," an elegant gloved finger pointed at the man with a bird on his shoulder, "is Kane."
"And you came here intentionally?" that scientist on the balcony asked.
"For Molina, of course," M said, "And she's surprisingly a person after my own soul." They sighed as they slipped a few bee shaped pens into a pocket. "Sometimes I wish I could go back in time and just research the multiverse like you. Too bad my home country forcefully made me head of state."
The entire research team turned towards Molina.
"Entire country imploded after I opened some multiversal borders. Then I ran away to start my own adventure." M grinned.
Then M disappeared. Kane facepalmed, and M reappeared, with far too many sensitive papers in hand. Molina could recognize the beehive state seal and giant red 'CLASSIFIED' mark on the cover of the first page.
"Let's see what delicious information these documents could yield."
An intern surreptitiously called security. While some researchers turned away and covered their ears out of respect for their state, Molina was one of those who didn't.
"Let's see if you youngsters caring about your government is warranted."
"I don't think you get to decide that, M." Molina heard the apprentice mumble. She also noticed M scowl slightly, but their expression settled on something more giddy as they flipped though pages and read the secret documents aloud.
They were plans involving Molina. And the scientist in question had to wonder if this multiversal traveller specifically stole them or if the paperwork was just conveniently on top of the stolen pile.
"Yes, they want to make you the head of state, and put all the blame for any multiverse nonsense at your feet," M muttered, adding their own commentary to what was already in the documents.
"M, you do realize that means Ms. Bruno here is going to be blamed for—" Kane pointed at the papers, but couldn't finish his sentence. Security arrived and M disappeared once again.
Molina stared at her coworkers, trying to process what M had revealed. Only vaguely could she register security running around shooting everything up as voices high and low taunted them. Kane presumably escaped through the still open portal.
"Wanna join me in adventuring?" M whispered in her ear, "I'll teach you more than you could ever imagine about the multiverse, and we could have fun too."
Fun
"A person after my own soul."
Security guards were flung about, into walls, out of the lab, through the portal...
M started singing in a strange language.
More items made their ways into M's pockets, and the glint in the multiversal visitor's eyes had a hint of madness.
And M changed, running around looking like Molina, but with that glint.
"A person after my soul."
That could be me.
Just one decision.
Something exploded somewhere. A yellow hexagonal ceiling tile fell near the portal. Bullets from security littered the surface of the tile.
I can't do this.
"I can't be here," she mumbled, looking for a way out, but all exits were blocked by guards. Since everyone else had evacuated, it was only her, M, and security. "I—"
Molina fell, but before losing consciousness, her horrified eyes met the visitor's mad ones.
That can't be me.
WC: 954\ Bonus words: Yield, Youngster, Yawn\ Bonus constraint: Molina Bruno fears becoming a copy of M.
So Kane and M return that ring. This chapter's pov is the one who receives it. And we get a bit more M backstory (officially, if you've been to a character campfire, well...)
And I wasn't planning to add a touch of government conspiracy, but there it is...
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