Joanna Campbell (@joannacampbell.bsky.social)

NFFD 2026 Prompt #12: Heron Prompt #12: Heron Welcome to The Write-In! This year, we're celebrating the 2026 National Flash Fiction Day Anthology theme of Bridges. Throughout National Flash Fiction Day, we'll be posting one prompt every hours from 00:00 until midnight (BST), for a total of 25 prompts in all. You have until 23:59 BST on Sunday to submit your responses for possible publication here at the Write-In over the course of the next week. * Take a close look at Joanna Campbell's painting, 'Heron'. The painting features cool, watery teals and a lone bird standing amidst textured, shifting tides. Write a story centred on a moment of profound stillness, patience, or solitary observation. To make this extra challenging, we ask you to avoid the following topics entirely: grief, mourning, illness, or dementia. Instead, lean into themes of discovery, anticipation, or quiet contentment. * If you’re submitting this to us, make sure to note that this is a response to Prompt 12: Heron You can submit responses until 23:59 BST on Sunday, 14 June 2026 for a chance to be published here at The Write-In. You can claim the badge for this prompt by visiting our badges page. --- Artwork by Joanna Campbell. http://dlvr.it/TT1fDL