About Short Stories and Flash Fiction
Flash fiction is not pulpy or dirty by any means. A flash fiction story is simply something very short—like 50 to 300 words short. Short stories are a bit longer at 500 to 5,000 words but contain a single story with an intro, plot, characterization, climatic events, intrigue, and a conclusion.
Can you write short stories and use them for a novel? Sure. That is currently what I am doing. I have a handful of professionally published short stories I wrote more than 5 years ago now that had nothing really to do with each other. But now they do. I am revising these stories very minimally in order for them to work as sections and chapters for a novel about witches and social chaos.
Manageable pacing: complete a new story every day or every week rather than taking months to finish a draft
Play with genre: try sci-fi, horror, or romantasy, as short stories let you test out tropes without committing to a 90,000-word novella
Skill building: writing concisely as with short stories forces you to focus on pacing, character development, and engaging openings
For me, May is the perfect month for practicing your craft and to work your way up to a larger worded work per a novel. I get started with my full-time writing work from May through October, six months is enough.
The other six months in autumn and winter I hibernate like a black bear, eating too much, sleeping too much, and trying to stay out of reach of ghosts and ghouls. And wait for those rejections and occasional acceptances to roll in, when I have submitted short stories to journals and magazines.
Writing in winter and spring is torture and I save these cooler months for making arts and crafts. I am currently in a fine arts seminar that is going on four years and has allowed me to build up an art studio with supplies and artworks. I would avoid writing in these months at all cost, unless you find yourself in academia, which is too dark for me.
Where to Find May Short Story Inspiration and Challenges
Several organizations and communities host month-long writing challenges to help you build a daily habit:
The Daily Prompt: the StoryADayMay Challenge provides daily inspiration and connect with other writers
Tiny Fiction: submit your work to the Gotham Writers Stories Everywhere Contest which features fun, monthly prompts for writers of all stages
Ultra-Short Format: submit to the Press 53 53-Word Story Contest, offering writers of all levels a strict, quick-fire writing exercise including students
Best-Selling Novel Genres in May 2026
If you are working on a larger manuscript of over 90,000 words and want to write what dominates the current book market, the most profitable and highly-demanded genres include:
Romantasy: a massive surge of books blending fantasy with romantic subplots remains a top-selling category in May 2026
Contemporary romance: this month, readers consume romance novels at a rapid rate, making it highly rewarding for independent authors
Thrillers and mystery: always a fan-favorite, the evergreen genres of thrillers and mysteries rewards writers who can build suspense and nail-biting twists
Apply this knowledge by planning to market your romantasy, psychological thriller, or mafia mystery in May. You can market your book by advertising the copy on social media at any time during the creation of your project. In fact, the more you can spread the word and build up your audience while you are writing a book, the better in the long run.
Sources
StoryADayMay Challenge 2026
Gotham Writers Stories Everywhere Contest
Press 53 53-Word Story Contest