Apologies for my neglecting this group -- sickness and work responsibilities got in the way of one of my favorite pastimes -- writing! Sad times... Happily, I now have more time to devote to this group, so you can expect more writing contests, articles, and other goodies in the days and weeks to come. :)

For this month's contest, I want you to experiment with sensory detail. Writers like Gabriel Garcia Marquez used sensory detail to make the page come alive to the reader, even when the events occurring on that page were fantastical.

Here are the contest rules:

Compose a flash fiction piece of 300 - 1,000 words in length. The piece must adhere to the characteristics of flash fiction -- you must have a protagonist, a conflict, and a resolution. Here are some more guidelines:

- Choose at least one of the five senses and use this as the focus of your piece. Yes, you can combine all five senses in your piece, although I challenge you to experiment with a more limited sensory palette.
- Your story may be written from any point of view -- 1st, 2nd, or 3rd, or even a combination.
- The genre is also flexible -- write in whatever style you feel comfortable, but remember to keep it PG.
- The setting/time is also flexible -- feel free to play with time and location.

You have until February 27, 11:59 PM (EST) to enter. Write your entry as you would any other story on Protagonize, and then come back here and provide the link in a comment so that we can read it.

I will be announcing the winner on February 28th. The winning piece will feature the best use of sensory detail.

Should you have any questions, post them in the comments below. Good luck! :D

P.S.) I will be posting an example in a couple of days, to give you a better idea of what I'm looking for. I'm still fine-tuning my piece, but you can expect it soon. :)

@LuneXian No, the title doesn't need to include anything in particular, unless you want it to. Just don't forget to come back here and provide the link for us to read.

Here is my example. It's not a typical ff piece in that it doesn't exactly follow the traditional narrative style, but I did try to include some sensory details.

If my childhood were to have a scent, it would be that of gardenias.

I still remember my first house -- I remember it was raised on stilts and that the neighborhood cats often made their home beneath it, the frequent mewling of newborn kittens the soundtrack of my early childhood. I remember it was infested with small white mice, like small escapees from a lab, and how one night my mother woke up screaming when one such enterprising mouse decided to join her in bed. I remember, too, the never-ending backyard, how it stretched into our neighbors' yards. An endless expanse of green. But what I remember most about my childhood is the scent of gardenias, those diffident white blooms that only bloomed by cover of night. Their pillow-heavy, sonorous fragrance lulling me to sleep.

After my brother's birth, we moved into a bigger house. What I missed from my first house was not the mewling cats or the lab rats. Not even the huge yard. What I missed was the scent of gardenias from the bush that grew beneath my window. To this day, whenever I smell gardenias I remember what it was like to be secure, to be loved. To be a child.

@moonwalker Yes, that piece is mine. Thanks, moon! :)

@LuneXian Flash Fiction technically should follow the standards of fiction, including conflict, etc., but I'm more concerned with including sensory details in your piece, to be honest. So I won't mind if it's a little loose as far as structure so long as it's well written. :)

@zxvasdf Was that just a response, or your official entry? Either way, it was so evocative, I was on that cobblestone street, feeling the heat on my skin and breathing in "that holy, galvanizing smell." Nicely done.

Friendly reminder, the due date for this contest is tomorrow, Sunday. I look forward to reading your entries!