Tiny Tales: A Year of Daily Prompted Stories

By Beth C. Greenberg

A tiny story a day keeps the brain fog away!

Tiny Tales is a collection of 365 bite-sized stories and poems, written each day of 2023 to a one-word prompt created by one of the official #vss365 (very short story, 365 days a year) ambassadors on Twitter (now "X"). The tweet-sized (280 characters or fewer) form of storytelling known as "Twitterature" inspires experimentation and variety, and that is exactly what you'll find in this collection of compositions ranging from true stories to playful limericks, romantic fiction to war-inspired tales, wistful observations from a long-ago childhood to fantastical imaginings of a distant future. The handy Table of Contents will help you quickly find whatever kind of story suits your mood.

Whether you want to read a story a day, or use the prompts (included in their original order at the end of the book) as a springboard to jumpstart your own writing, Tiny Tales will keep you entertained and inspired throughout the year. It is a perfect gift for yourself or for any aspiring or avid writer in your life.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your copy today and start your creative writing journey!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beth C. Greenberg
• Release date: Feb 15, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224862467

Beth C. Greenberg

BETH C. GREENBERG is a former CPA who took a sharp turn into creative writing after a midlife awakening. Getting her start in fanfiction, Beth discovered a love for bending canon, which she has gleefully applied to the already-quirky cast of characters from ancient mythology. First Quiver is her debut novel and book one of the Cupid's Fall series. Beth lives in Boston, but her imagination takes her somewhere new every day.

Book preview

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Contents

Copyright

Preface

Romance

Cupid

True Story

Writing

Limerick

Creation

Story

Observation

Jewish

Poetry

War

365 prompts

Acknowledgements

Also By Beth C. Greenberg

About the Author

Copyright © 2024 by Beth C. Greenberg

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests: [e-mail]

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First Edition

Preface

Welcome to my year of tiny stories! I’m not one to discipline myself to daily anything, so when the idea of the Twitter (now X) writing challenge called #vss365 crossed my desk last December, it took a minute for me to commit to writing to someone else’s prompt every day. But commit I did! Regardless of whatever else happened to be going on in my life or the world around me, I posted a story or poem every single day of 2023. Some days were definitely harder than others, and many prompts rolled around in my head for hours before I found my idea.

Summarizing the stories for this collection, I identified categories ranging from true stories and war-inspired posts to romantic fiction and playful limericks. The table of contents will help you easily find which stories might interest you.

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Care to try your hand(s) at writing to the same set of prompts? Go for it! Flip to the end to find all 365 prompts in order. Or simply join today’s prompt challenge by searching on #vss365 and post your creations to your Twitter account.

Message me on Twitter so I can follow your creative writing journey! And don’t blame me if you become addicted.

Romance

First and foremost, I am a romance writer. Even when I’m only allotted a few brief sentences, I hear whole love stories. Alas, not every love story has a happy ending.

Warning: some of these are a little spicy!

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Kip Clark walks on water. More accurately but no less holy, he swims for Central. Flirting is #futile for a brainiac like me. While the popular girls rotate through Kip’s bed, I alone know his mind. And it’s me he runs to, beaming with pride, with the B I helped him earn.

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Tomorrow morning, he’ll make me banana pancakes. If he adds walnuts, I’ll know he’s feeling especially guilty. I’ll thank him sweetly while he cleans up.

This is our dance: his hollow acts of #atonement and me pretending he won’t cheat again the first chance he gets.

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Jade’s thigh grazes mine under the table. I #shift away. She shoots me a sly smile. So brazen.

Corn, anyone? Mom asks.

Chuckling, my kid brother raises his and Jade’s clasped hands.

Don’t see it working out for us.

You can say that again.

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So how was your week? asks Dr. Sax.

Emma looks down, a ruby red blush staining her cheeks.

We took your advice to #change it up, I reply.

And?

I picked grapefruit pulp from my short hairs for two full hours afterward.

Giggling, Emma meets my eye. "It was perfect.

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Quit clowning around!

Jim frowns, miming falling tears with fingertip taps down one cheek. You used to love when I made you #laugh.

Sigh. I still do. You love my act too, but we agreed – work stays at work. You don’t see me bringing my elephant into the bedroom!

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She flashes that cruel smile I love and hate. Don’t you dare, she commands, palming me hard.

My whimper should embarrass me but I’m too far gone to care. Don’t leave me on the #brink!

Beg.

Please, Mistress! May I?

You may. She closes her fist around me and –

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Cut!

I froze, waiting for any #crack in his facade as he pulled away from our on-screen kiss.

Cat-green eyes drowsed open. His lips slid into a soft smile not forced for any movie. Hi.

My breath caught. Hi.

He leaned in. May I?

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Oh, to look upon your luscious hams, my sweet Maple. Sir Francis Bacon trotted to keep up.

Hush your snout back there! snorted Maple. I ate too much at lunch. I feel like a total porker.

You’ll always be my #belle of the barn.

Honestly, Fran. You’re such a ham!

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When were you last intimate? Dr. Kay asks.

Hmm, are we counting the time Alma turned around and barked, ‘Aren’t you done yet?’

I shoot Alma a #deadly glare, but my attack comes too late. She’s already dealt the mortal blow.

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Cathedral train swishing behind her, Darcy savors each detail: Marry You spinning its spell, freesia #galore, rows of their nearest and dearest, her dashing groom openly weeping, and the best man, whose kiss lingers on her lips.

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Sir, how much Viagra did you take?

Sheepish, he says, I may have taken an extra #dose.

Nykky gasps. Morty!

Sir, that’s most unwise.

I know, Doc. But I couldn’t disappoint the birthday girl on her big 3-0.

Oh, Mort. You romantic fool.

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Captain Ron peels off his headset. It’s now or never.

I think you’re hot, I blurt.

Ron’s eyes narrow. "You