In the early 2000s, I saw a local newspaper ad soliciting 101 word stories. For some reason, I was drawn to the idea and submitted a few stories. I don’t remember if they got published.
The limitation concept stuck with me, and I started 101 Words in December 2005. In those early days, I only posted my own stories and a few from friends. I didn’t open it up to the public until 2007.
In November 2014, I decided to go all in and turn 101 Words into something special.
My vision for 101 Words is a comprehensive ecosystem and community that can support writers, editors, and readers. This vision is a work in progress and I hope you stick around to watch it grow.
— Shannon
Meet Our Editors
Emily Clayton
Emily Clayton is a freelance writer / copywriter who grew up in Ontario, Canada, and now resides with her husband in Northern California. Her fiction has been published in Kudzu House Quarterly, the FlashDogs Time Anthology, and online in various formats. Visit her site for more about her work and published fiction.
Phillip T. Stephens
Phillip’s writing and art appear in anthologies, online and print magazines, and peer-reviewed academic journals. Phillip and Carol live in Oak Hill, Texas. They built a habitat in the shade of their oaks to house foster cats for austinsiameserescue.org. They found new homes for more than three hundred abandoned pets. Phillip’s work reflects the threads that weave metaphor into the fabric of thought.
Aldas Kruminis
Aldas is a writer from Dublin, Ireland. He has spent the last few years dreaming of a successful and prolific career as a writer, so he earned a Masters in Creative Writing from Loughborough University. His work has been published in Terrene, Idle Ink, and more. Find out more at aldaskruminis.com.
John Lane
John Lane has been working for the aerospace industry for approximately twenty years. In addition, he served a total of ten years between stints in the Army and National Guard. John currently resides with his wife and beagle in Frackville, Pennsylvania. He earned his BA in accounting from Alvernia University and completed the Fast Flash Workshop with Kathy Fish. His fiction and poetry appears in several online publications, including 50-word Stories, The Drabble, and Trembling With Fear. John contributed to the forthcoming anthology, Tritely Challenged Volume 2.
J. William Ross
J. William Ross writes poetry and prose from Lakewood, Ohio. Along with winning the 53-Word Story Contest at Press-53, he has been published in The Lakewood Observer and Prime Number Magazine. A recent shift toward cultivating his literary endeavors has resulted in a deepening sense of solace and purpose. He enjoys spending time with his creative, kindhearted son and their exceptionally vocal cat. You can find his stories at jwilliamross.com.
Jody Gerbig
Jody Gerbig has a Masters in Literature and taught high-school and college English for several decades before retiring to raise triplets in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Her work appears in dozens of publications, including VIDA: Women in the Literary Arts, Columbus Monthly, Queen Mob’s Tea House, and Litro Magazine.
Neesha Hosein
Neesha Hosein is a writer and editor, born in Trinidad & Tobago and raised in Houston, Texas, where she still resides. Her writing has appeared in NASA’s Johnson Space Center publications, Chicken Soup for the Soul, a Freedom With Writing anthology, and SMITH Magazine’s Six Word Memoirs anthologies. As an editor for almost 20 years, she enjoys helping authors beautify their work and destroy typos. Neesha is also an avid reader, gamer, Trekkie, and paper artist. Visit her at www.NeeshaHosein.com.
Tiffani Wiscovitch
Tiffani is a freelance speculative fiction editor and writer. She was born in Oklahoma but grew up in the Pacific Northwest, which influences much of her writing. After earning her BA in English she dedicated the next few years to developing her writing craft and building a freelance business. As she helps other writers with their stories she works towards her dream of publishing one of her novels in progress.
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If you have the skills and about five hours per week, apply to be a volunteer.