The silent struggle

She lies crumpled on the couch, silent and still.

Messy hair, eyes closed, curled into herself as if for protection. Her phone on Do Not Disturb, the door locked, and the lights down low.

Except this attack comes from the inside, without warning.

Every month, on repeat: the burden of being a woman.

Note: I've been looking to branch into other contests and submissions rather than just talk about doing it, so when I stumbled upon the Press 53 contest, it seemed like a no-brainer.

It's free to enter, renews monthly, and has a unique pitch; you can only use 53 words- no more, no less. Each month has a different theme, and this one's was "a cycle". You can get as literal or as abstract as you want, so hopefully my one makes sense. It was the first thing that popped into my head after “seasons”, so it’s possible that others have had the same idea, but I wanted to see where it took me.

I decided to attempt, similar to a previous story of mine about a running race that seems to be a gladiatorial contest, a bait-and-switch with the setting. I didn’t quite have enough words to really pull it off, but I wanted the reader to think of an attack first, before it’s spelled out.

What I like about this contest is while there's no money, it's a quick and easy chance to sharpen your skills of brevity and conciseness. In other words, don't waffle. How ironic- me trying desperately to get to 600 here.

They only accept short stories (no poetry), and I think my entry skews a little towards a mix of both, which I've just realised now. Thoughts? Probably needed to give a name- feels slightly too abstract as it is, but it’s too late now!

I have no idea how many people enter in this, and I could be making a huge mistake if Press 53 ends up with a flood of new contestants next month, but hey, it's not like $20,000 is on the line. Plus, it's a small way to get better at writing, and isn't that the purpose of all this in the first place?

I always tell my students that using less words is a skill, and they should choose them carefully. Less is more, right? The 53-word limit is ridiculously tight, but it does force you to really, really make each one count.

It reminds me of that famous six-word short story: For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Right there you have everything you need to know, but it’s also not explicitly stated either. You put it together on your own, and your mind fills in the gaps. Heartbreaking, and cleverly done.

I think not being able to go over or under is also interesting- both a pain but also fun. You’re forced to twist your sentences to make sure you’ve said what you wanted to say, but don’t fall short or push over. It’s enough words to say something, but not much more. No filler in there when you’ve literally got a handful of sentences to make your case.

So in September, keep an eye out for the next prompt, and I might see your name up in lights! Submitting anything to the outside world, no matter how small and insignificant, feels like a big deal, and I think it probably is. Gotta start somewhere though, right? If we want our words to go further, we’ve got to throw them out there ourselves. So here’s to more of that.