53-Word Story Contest
Each month we offer a prompt to subscribers of Press 53 and Prime Number Magazine to write a 53-word story—no more, no less—and send it to us by the fifteenth day of the month. Our editors select one winning story, and the author receives a book from Press 53 as well as publication in Prime Number Magazine. Want to play along? Subscribe to Prime Number Magazine for free and we’ll send you the prompt on the first day of each month.
Scroll down to read our winning stories for May, June, July, and August
We begin with the prompt, followed by our winning story
May 2026
Prompt for May: Never mind calendars. It’s Learn to Ride a Bike Day and your story is due Chocolate Chip Day. You might have a good idea by Different Colored Shoes Day and start fine-tuning it around Hooray for Buttons Day. If you’re just reading this on Dance Like a Chicken Day, you’d better get busy.
Write a 53-word story about a date
“Unforgettable and Magical” by Ken McRae
“I’ll never forget that day, March eleventh. Your grandmother looked like an angel. I fell head over heels that first time I saw her. The stars aligned. I remember every second. It was unforgettable and magical.”
The grandchildren listened and giggled.
From the other room grandma hollered, “Good grief, it was the sixteenth.”
~ ~ ~
53-Word Bio
Ken McRae lives in Overland Park, Kansas, with his wife, Susan. They have two adult children, Rachel and Jake, and a bulldog, Hank. Ken is an attorney for a state agency; fiction writing is his hobby. He aims to write a couple hundred words every day. He usually doesn't, but he aims to.
June 2026
Prompt for June: We learned that there is a National Flash Fiction Month for the first time and it is June 2026. This June, beginning right now, today, June 1. And what better way to kick off National Flash Fiction Month than to introduce a brand new 53-Word Story Contest prompt. Let’s get to the point.
Write a 53-word story about something brief, or a brief, your choice, just make sure whatever you write is 53 words long, no more, no less, you know, not too wordy. Something brief about brief, or a brief! Oh, and we have to receive your brief story by June 15. That’s the deadline.
“Mysteries” by Cate Rogers
“You’re sure that’s all you want? People usually include a tribute of sorts, and dates. Sure you don’t want to add anything like that?”
“Nope, that’s all.”
“What did he do in life?”
“Wrote mysteries.”
The engraver nods and smirks at the headstone template which reads:
Here lies Johnathan Blake…
Or does he?
~ ~ ~
53-Word Bio
Cate Rogers lives in Berkshire in the UK. She writes mostly in the wee hours, and mostly flash fiction. When not writing, she enjoys solving the many daily mysteries set by her two small children alongside good coffee, good chocolate and a good story—be it flash, a novel or a picture book.
July 2026
Prompt for July: The English language has a habit of using the same word in a number of ways. This word used as a verb could mean “to look through something”; as a noun it could be part of a table, book, or tree; it could be the outer coating of an artwork, building, or statue.
Write a 53-word story about a leaf
“A North Carolina Picker” by Lisa H. Owens
Pressed between pages of Granny's King James Bible, a young tobacco leaf left an oily stain. Why keep a memento of hardship? She lived a hardscrabble life. But her rough hands, tobacco-gum sticky no matter how much she scrubbed, were gentle when she painted daffodils or picked briars from my summer rat's-nest hair.
~ ~ ~
53-Word Bio
Lisa H. Owens, a former humorist columnist, resides in north Texas with a senior rescue dog named Fred, who rules the roost. Her work’s been featured in anthologies and magazines and a collection of her short stories will be released in 2026. Lisa favors dark comedy and isn't afraid of spiders and snakes.
Editors’ Note: Lisa is our first three-time winner of the 53-Word Story Contest. Congratulations, Lisa!
August 2026
Prompt for August: There is a little restaurant in Washington that only serves burgers topped with peanut butter and bacon. How does that make you feel? I found this combination abominable, but the persistence of the Washingtonian in my life eventually led to me cradling the oozing mess in my hands. Truly, it was a dream.
Write a 53-word story about reconsidering
“The Break Up” by Jennifer McCubbin
Her dainty seven-year-old fingertips plucked leisurely at the yellow petals. “He loves me.” Pluck. “He loves me not.” Pluck. The final petal arrived, leaving her seven-year-old nose scrunched in disgust.
“I knew it!” called her best friend from somewhere behind.
She nodded in agreement: tomorrow at recess she’d be a free woman again.
~ ~ ~
53-Word Bio
Jennifer McCubbin is a teacher of twenty-two years and a mother of three. She is from Los Angeles, although she currently resides in Texas. Having graduated from CSULB, she is published in anthologies, literary magazines, and Web2/3 spaces. She is grateful for this opportunity, her dad Darnold McCord, and her dog Bumblebee (RIP).