• Micro Fiction Challenge: Sinecure

    Posted Posted by David Duhr in Micro Fiction Challenge     Comments 16 comments
    Jan
    29

    A sinecure at workOh to be a sinecure. To work “a paid office or post involving minimal duties” is the American dream, innit?

    (The word can also mean “an ecclesiastical benefice without cure of souls.” Do with that what you will.)

    Your challenge, should you choose to accept it, is to write a piece of flash fiction using the word sinecure. As always, keep your story to 25 words or less, write it out in the comments section below, click “Notify” to keep abreast of your competition, and feel free to use a pseudonym if you’re shy. We’ll announce the winner in this space next week, and we’ll give a shout-out to our favorites on Facebook and Twitter.

    Our previous Challenge, “piquant,” brought some fun infighting and colorful prose. Let’s keep up the good work, gang.

    This week’s winner earns a prize package of books from Mulholland’s list of thrillers, including several from the popular Aussie crime writer Michael Robotham.

    And make sure to catch up on past Micro Fiction Challenges to find out what makes a good winner.

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    J. Sommers

    This isn’t a story, but I’d posit that Bartleby (you know, the scrivener?) might be the most important sinecure in the history of the U.S. (Bartleby, or some Senator.)

    Laura Roberts

    After 4 years of information studies, Martha attained the ultimate sinecure: Staff Librarian. Dream fulfilled, she hadn’t anticipated her ultimate nemesis: the Ebook.

    J. Horn

    Unbeknownst to his employer, Martin’s position was a sinecure. This wasn’t a sin; it was a way of getting paid to be a poet.

    Carrie Winters

    No time for this: gotta get to the Texas Statehouse and watch the sinecures at play! You know, cutting funding, shitting on women, et fucking cetera.

    Stephanie

    She’d been tricked into sinecure. Her boss turned his two-faced head but kept one eye on her and the other on her HR file.

    Ava Love

    A sinecurist wanting an easy career, Rob entered the low-stakes world of mustache grooming and lived his dream—
    until the mustachioed hipsters moved to town…

    Martin Barkley

    Agoraphobia offered him a sinecure; like Flannery O’Connor, he’d live in the boonies, observe life from a distance, and write like a god.

    Angela

    I vote for Martin Barkley’s! I can’t top that!

    Mike Merrigan

    Gideon scribbled SINECURE on the office wall in blood as the world went dark.  His partner had to look it up before calling the cops.

    Seth Greenwald

    Barney’s toes gripped the granite. “Sinecurism is overrated,” he said. He left his penthouse, whistling as he headed down to greet the doorman.

    Micah Webster

    The WriteByNight sinecures malingered like rantipoles, but eventually their fey duende led them to post the results of this challenge, before we all self-defenstrated.

    Seth Greenwald

    I thought of a way to make my story stronger, and two words shorter! Is it legal to change it after-the-fact? If so, here it is. If not, use the first one!

    Barney’s toes gripped the granite. “Sinecurism,” he said. He left his penthouse, whistling as he headed down to greet the doorman.

    […] at WBN have been lagging a little. We got plenty of good entries for the latest challenge (“sinecure“), an even mix of genuine attempts at fun storytelling and sloppy silly sarcasm. Two things […]

    David Duhr

    We (finally) posted the results of this puppy. Take a peek, gang: https://www.writebynight.net/news-events/sinecure-results/

    […] previous challenge, sinecure, was pretty fun, so let’s keep it rollin’. And make sure to catch up on past Micro […]

    […] was rootless and, in large part, Internetless. But earlier in the year we saw some entertaining and spirited contests, as well as one or two that devolved into weird comment-sections squabbles. Here’s to […]





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