Writers! Rev up your aethereal engines of imagination, and use the image above as a prompt to create a microfiction of one hundred words or less!
Anything that fits under the umbrella of speculative fiction — science fiction, fantasy, horror, supernatural fiction and more — is welcome to be shared as a comment to this post. I will select my favorite very short story from those submitted… and turn your words into a fully polished and credited presentation (in the style of my Aethereal Musings) to be featured on an upcoming Thursday on the blog!
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
If your piece is selected to be featured, you will be in the running to win the 2019 AETHEREAL ENGINEER WRITER SUPPORT PRIZE PACKAGE!
This mysterious box will be packed with all sorts of wonderful goodies catering to your authorly needs, all hand selected by yours truly! At a total estimated value of at least $100, you could brag about receiving one of the highest per-word payouts for any submission, anywhere!
How might you win such a fantabulous treasure?
The featured Thursday posts for Aether Prompt winners (not the initial Wednesday prompts) will receive a score. Each “Like” on a post will grant one point to the author’s score, and each unique WordPress reblog will grant three points. The author of the piece with the most points by December 1st, 2019… WINS!
I reserve the full and unquestioned right to break any ties, disqualify entries if shenanigans are suspected, and declare a winner with absolute and final authority. If you win, I will require your physical address to ship your prize to you (with standard shipping included free of charge).
So what are you waiting for? Write to get your creative engines going today! Write for the glory! Write for a chance to win a fantabulous prize!
But whatever you do, just keep writing. :-)
Take care everyone, I look forward to your creations!
~Jason H. Abbott
Aethereal Engineer 
Spring was his favorite season. It brought color back to his dreary den. Long ago, after a magical sleep, he’d grown too large to leave. His only visitors were the flowers that flourished in the gift of his breath.
Brimstone and sulfur. It chased away every beast and crawling thing, before he could ask for help.
Thank gods for flowers. They danced to be with him. All through the season. Friends that could never leave.
The gravel ground underneath his twisting head.
“Or am I keeping them trapped. They aren’t trying to run, when they lean away… are they?”
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Congratulations, Scribe of the Vault, it’s a three-peat. ;-) You’re the winner of the February 27th Aether Prompt!
This one won-out with me because rather than a hooky opening leaving a door open for more, you focused on a standalone that works in 99 words. It’s mysterious, perhaps ominous, and ends humorously neurotic. Well done. :-)
Your winning entry will get a featured post on Thursday, March 28th!
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Thank you so much! This one was a favorite cause I got to think in the context of my fantasy world for the first time. And I got to imagine a dragon. And that there is my favorite thing to do, lol. And who doesn’t love a neurotic dragon?
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You’re welcome!
Neurotic dragons are comedy gold. :-) Oddly, I have a short with a dragon coming up in early April that is vaguely similar on that theme.
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I can’t wait to read it! Who would thing anything but gold would be gold from dragons? lol
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Daniel gasped awake. His first thought was one of surprise that the Ascension Potion had actually worked, instead of turning him into a pile of sludge. Groaning, he got up, clutching the wound on his arm, which bled intensely.
Walking forward, he saw a brightness ahead of him, between two rocks.
If what he knew was correct, then he would have incredible power and would be able to stop the evil plaguing the world.
But he would also be segregated from his friends.
Making his decision, he walked forward and leaped into the void. He had to take this responsibility.
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This was interesting, with good imagery and undertones. I liked it. :-)
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