drabbats

Drabbats is a term used in online writing communities to describe events or formats centered on producing drabbles—short stories limited to 100 words. A drabble is a standalone microfiction piece, and a drabbat refers to an occasion for writing, sharing, or compiling such pieces. The term is informal and its usage varies across communities, but it generally denotes a collective activity rather than a single published work.

In most drabbat formats, participants are given prompts or themes and are expected to deliver 100-word stories that adhere to the word limit. Submissions are typically posted to a central thread, forum, or wiki page where others can read and respond. Some drabbats are time-bound (for example, completed within 24 hours), while others run as ongoing prompt cycles with no fixed end. Constraints may also include required elements (a character, object, or setting) to be included within each piece.

Variants and outputs: Drabbat activities may produce threads of linked pieces, standalone entries, or an anthology-like collection. Communities may organize critiques, rate stories, or host challenges that reward creativity within the constraint.

Impact and reception: Drabbats promote concise storytelling, experimentation with language, and rapid feedback in a supportive environment. Critics note that strict word limits can lead to formulaic solutions, though many writers see the constraint as a creative sparring ground.

See also: Drabble; microfiction; writing sprint; fan fiction.

References: Drabbats are informal, community-driven practices with no formal academic or publishing standard; descriptions appear in writing forums and wikis.