About / FAQ
Burrst is a site for sharing writing bursts of 1,250 words or less.
Short fiction written frequently and fearlessly
As a community Burrst brings readers and writers together so that new authors can be discovered, great ideas explored, and more stories enjoyed.
Burrst started life as a personal project but was finally launched and is maintained by a small group of friends who all jointly run Getme, a small web company in Worcester UK.
Frequently asked questions
What's a burst?
A burst is a short piece of writing, 1,250 words or less (written and optionally spoken), typically written in 15-30 minutes (but it's really up to you). You can start with a random sentence from a book or from scratch, the only rule is that it's written without stopping to go back and correct yourself.
Once you're done, if you feel like sharing it, then you can post it to Burrst.
How many bursts can I post?
Writers can post one burst every 24 hours.
What's a library?
Libraries are a way to organise bursts into named groups, for example 'Sci-Fi', 'Fantasy', 'Comedy' and so on. You can use them to organise your own bursts as well as those by others.
Libraries where introduced to help organise not rate, and the number of libraries a burst belongs to has no effect on its popularity. For this reason please don't name libraries 'Favourites' or similar as this doesn't help organise them.
Why do I need an invite to write?
It sucks, I know, but there are two reasons why, for the moment at least, you have to be invited to write on Burrst.
The first is simply one of resources, right now it's just me and a few friends running things with a little funding from our company for hosting. Invites are one way we can control growth to ensure we can cope.
Secondly, we want to ensure that what's contributed, bursts or comments, is within the spirit and guidelines of the site. Invites can only be handed out by staff and members who have contributed, by making members take responsibility for who they invite, we're improving the odds that those invitees will be valuable contributors.
If you want an invite to write, you can request an invite and/or register as a reader and let other members know in your bio that you want to be invited. Adding a link to your smashwords.com profile or a website of your work can't hurt your chances either.
What can I do as a reader?
Signing up for a reader account allows you to add your bio, follow other members, and like bursts. By following writers you can make sure you don't miss out on bursts posted from writers you like.
If you want an invite to write on Burrst, having a reader account allows you to promote yourself through your bio to other members, who may have invites to hand out.
Can I post the burst I sent with my invite request?
Yes, it's fine to post the burst you sent when you requested your invite.
What happens if a burst is reported?
If you believe a burst or comment breaches one or more of the guidelines we publish for members then flag it and leave it with us to resolve. Please don't comment to say you've reported an infringement.
If a burst or comment you post is reported and we find the report to be valid, we'll contact you and in most cases ask you to change the item inline with the member guidelines. In more severe cases we will remove content, and if deemed necessary, suspend your account.