Back when I was part of a writing group, we set ourselves exercises each month. One of my favourites was having to write a story in 50 words or less.
That is not a lot at all, is it? In fact, I have reached the fifty word limit right now.

YIKES.

The thing is, though, we turned out some interesting and quirky writing from this exercise. Here's one of mine:

Once upon a time in the not-so-wild-west

In the saloon, he shook dust off his hat and walked to the bar. "A bottle of your best liquor, ma'am."
"Sure thing. You're new - stoppin' on?"
"Nope. Jus' passin' through."

And he was. All he left were some coins on the counter.

Sometimes, the West just ain't that wild.

There you go - smack on 50 words.

Now it's your turn.
I would like there to be three categories:

Best PMOG-related story
Best Christmas/winter story
Best of the rest

The idea is to have a grand prize of 5,000 for each, although I'm hoping to have donations to up the top prizes and have runner-up prizes too.

The closing date for this competition is December 31st 2008. This means you have plenty of time to hash out 50 words in between shopping and becoming rascally drunk at the office party.

So - you up for it?
If you are, post your entries in this 'ere forum thread for all to see.
If you're not, you can still help. I would like a couple of uninvolved volunteers to help judge this with me. Pmail me on that one, ok?

**LATEST UPDATE**

It now looks as though I will have (just) enough DeePs for a fourth category, so if anybody wants to try a 50-words story with a humourous theme, then away you go!

Fifty words? I thought to myself. This contest won’t be hard at all.

So, I sat down and started thinkin’ about what to write. Ideas flew through my mind like leaves caught in the autumn wind.

Shit. I was already out of words. Note to self--next time, no similes.

---
Actually, just last term one of my professors gave us five pop quizzes. For the first we could write 50 words, then 40 for the next until we got to the last quiz which was only 10 words. It really makes you think about how to get to your point succinctly.

Can we enter more than once?

Only once per category.
And you must mark which story belongs to which category.
For example, if you write an entry that is a PMOG Xmas story, it can only be entered in PMOG OR Xmas.

PMOG Story:
Once upon a time there was a story contest. In this contest, entries could only contain fifty words or less. There were three themes: PMOG, Christmas and other. I chose to enter into the PMOG Story contest.I hope i win, but i am already almost at fifty words.

Well, we have the first entry - thanks itheman
And I have my first donation 1000 DeePs from Dawnzzle

Thanks to you both for setting things off!

What am I, chopped liver? I suppose that's an other, although I can refine it to be more pmog-y if I think of something else.

Reindeer hooves on the rooftop. The chimney groaned. It was Christmas Eve, and my PMOG family and I waited for his appearance. Soon enough, he barreled into the living room, an eruption of soot. But where were the crates of gifts? No armor? No portals? Only himself, one St. Nick.

Edit: This is... um... the PMOG category. I guess. Taking away all my category-blending fun by making me choose one, hmph. ;-)

@uselessness: I approve of that story (but then, I'm a Vigilante)

I like it uselessness!

Here's the problem though--for stories like that that combine different subjects, can we still submit another one?

@Chetyre - You can enter each category once and once only. Each story can be used once and once only - oh, and I don't say you're chopped liver, but itheman had actually posted his story!

@Uselessness - Thanks for joining in! However, can you please edit your story post to say which category it's entering into?

Also, thanks to Earldopler for a donation of 550DeePs and to Bunni3burn who has volunteered to help judge (one more judge at least needed).

Yay.. Impress me pmoggers! :P

My first entry, this one in best of rest catagory

She stood in the centre of the bleak room, her thoughts back in the past. She smiles at the long forgotten memory, of Thomas carrying her across the threshold. Of building their first home on this mountain. Mountains she viewed daily - once hers, yet no longer - now shrouded in mist.

An Entry in PMOG Catagory

Clad in light armour only for protection against Nicks, she quietly steps into the light. Crouching at its base, she hastely attaches her mine to the target then steps back into darkness. Silently she advances to the next object, her Mission, to destroy all Lightposts on PMOG Hill before Midnight.

In the PMOG category:

The mission would take them here point by orderly point; unless...

There was nothing to it really. Open the watch, dial the place, touch the button and stand back. Next to the lightpost the wall seemed to shiver then twist inward. I drop my card saying only, "onward", and leap.

In the "other" category:

Her life was in danger, she said. I examined her face from across the desk. She was pretty, and her words seemed honest enough, but something still didn't sit right with me. She dropped her Camel into the ashtray with a frown. "So, Laramie, you taking the job or not?"

In the PMOG category:

The face of PMOG was changing, one group wasn't. New tools were changing the now armorless Bedouins, sly upgrades were morphing the Benefactors. One association will stand tall. They will only have one task, and one task only. To make the world of PMOG shake. They are the Destroyers.

In the Christmas category:

Petra's hair still contained paper snakes from the trick "gifts" she received from her "friends". She was staring gloomily at the final present under the miniature tree at the office. Another gag gift.Christmas passed without a gift. But a life altering gift awaited at home.

So I'd like to just mention that I think the stories should be judged as entire stories. Kind of redundant but what I'm saying is that spikeyboy's story has a setting a climax and a resolution and maybe even a bit of a conflict and in that way I think his is one of the best so far. So now to actually try to do this...

I have to say I'm very impressed. It's only been a couple of days, and there have already been some decent entries.

Just to help things a little, I will say that it may help to think that you would probably be writing a vignette - or even a scene, if you will. So put Tolkein out of your minds.... lol

In other news, I want to say a HUGE thanks to thebeej for a mind-boggling donation of 3,000 DeePs - another 2k and I'd have been dedicating the (still-unconfirmed) comedy category to him!

I know I'm barred from entering, but here's a funny little piece of mine:

THE JAB

Only two in front of me? Why couldn't I go last? Why do I have to go at all?
No! Only one before me! I think I'm going to be sick - I think...
...what? My turn?
That's not a needle - it's a drainpipe! It's three feet...

...oh...
...is that it?

I'm not a writer, but I like reading, and this challenge interests me..I'm looking forward to seeing what people can come up with on such a short word count.

as a little fun:

Hemingway once wrote what he called the shortest story ever written:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

@thebeej wow, those are the most depressing six words ever.

I always liked the one gag I saw in a Peanuts strip: Lucy promised to read Linus a bedtime story, but she now want to get out of it so she flips through the books and says, "Once upon a time, they lived happily ever after. The end."

Just as she's about to leave, Linus picks up the books and says, "hey - what's in the rest of the book - filler?"

-Christmas Story-

Christmas depressed Aidan. It seemed fake. His parents knew, but failed to please him with expensive presents.

This year though, they had promised something different.

Mom woke Aidan up early, the car already packed. Hours later, in their cousin's trailer, dinner was prepackaged, no tree for presents. Now he understood.

- Christmas Story -

"Mummy, Mummy wake up, Santa's been"
A rush down stairs, lots of torn paper with shreiks of delight. Bright shiny Toys scattered about, laughter entangled with tiny hugs of love.

A door opens, nurse enters and checks her patient.

"Evening nurse, how is mum"

"Still no sign of her waking up"