That picture is your challenge.
Take it. Absorb picture into your brain-meats. Let it pickle.
Then post the resulting flash fiction.
As always, 1000 words.
Due in one week (6/10/11) at 12 noon EST.
Post fic at your blog.
Link back to here.
Drop a comment linking to your blog below.
Any genre will do.
Get creative.
Get insane.
Go apeshit.
Write.
(The 10 favorite challengers of last week’s “Unexpected Guest” challenge will go up sometime this afternoon. Those folks will get some free e-books, should they choose to accept ’em.)
Lindsay Mawson says:
Do you know HOW many nightmares I had about dolls when I was a kid???????????? This is awesome.
June 3, 2011 — 6:34 AM
Bob Bois says:
I use many images from flickr to prompt my flash pieces. In fact, I think I’ve used this one before…seems eerily familiar. I need to look around for it. It’ll be interesting to compare the stories I wrote off of the same image at different points in time. Does an image ‘always’ produce the same response in a writer, or is it something more subtle (or random)?
Either way, I’m in again.
June 3, 2011 — 8:58 AM
Darlene Underdahl says:
I don’t know if I can do this one. I received a baby doll when I was young and proceeded to paint it up like a hooker, or Joan Crawford, with my little paint set. I horrified my relatives and never received another doll.
I’ve known adult (old?) ladies who collect dolls and always thought the dolls were proxies… somehow.
A niece attends estate sales. If antique dolls are mentioned in the ads, all sorts of weirdos show up. They will even break a doll if they can’t get it for themselves.
Dolls are strange beings. They may even have powers.
June 3, 2011 — 9:31 AM
Bob Bois says:
Darlene: I had a similar experience.
I grew up Cahtolic. At “First Communion” (sounds creepy as an adult), we received, as a token of our communed status, a miniature plastic reproduction of Michelangelo’s “Pieta”.
I was moved to take a red marker and put blood all over Jesus and Mary.
My parents gave me the hairy eyeball for many years after that….
I’m sure a Jungian analyst would have a field day with that one.
June 3, 2011 — 10:12 AM
Darlene Underdahl says:
@Bob: Good one! A budding writer.
June 3, 2011 — 10:17 AM
Joanna says:
AUGH doll heads. They’re creepy as
*ahem*
One of the creepiest pictures I ever saw was of a doll’s head, like the ones above, half buried in the ocean floor in the debris field from the Titanic. I’m off to go let that picture pickle with the one above and see what happens. Mmmm pickles.
June 3, 2011 — 12:01 PM
Marlan says:
I try so hard not to be a word whore and cheat on my novel, then here you go tempting me.
You are a cruel cruel mistress, Mr. Wendig.
June 3, 2011 — 1:34 PM
KDJames says:
Whoa, seriously? I’m the first? That never happens. What is wrong with you people, thinking you have lives on the weekend? Slackers.
I gave in the to evil lure of doll heads and tried my hand at something creepy. I don’t do creepy. Or scary. Well, not on purpose.
I hope a few of you will check it out and let me know whether it works. As, you know, something creepy.
http://kdjames.com/2011/06/05/flash-fiction-a-mothers-love/
June 5, 2011 — 8:30 PM
Lindsay Mawson says:
Here’s my story,
The Haunted Ones
http://lindsaymawson.blogspot.com/2011/06/flash-fiction-challenge-12-doll-heads.html
Enjoy 🙂
June 6, 2011 — 10:22 AM
Mary Jo Beug says:
My first foray into the murky world of Flash Fiction challenges…
http://themoondance-moviesmusicartandwriting.blogspot.com/2011/06/pen-monkey-called-and-i-listened.html
June 7, 2011 — 12:48 AM
Dan Wright says:
This one really kind of wrote itself. Thanks for the creepy, soul shattering inspiration.
The Dolls
http://8thage.blogspot.com/2011/06/dolls.html
June 7, 2011 — 1:43 AM
Cheryl Anne Gardner says:
Oh, I just love me a good horror image. I wrote this one, and it wound up getting picked up by The Carnage Conservatory, so here it is. Warning: Reader Discretion is Advise for Language and Offensive Imagery and subject matter:
http://carnageconservatory.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/doll-heads/
June 7, 2011 — 8:19 AM
Angela Perry says:
I couldn’t resist this one. Doll heads and clowns are for kids…really twisted, messed up kids.
http://blog.byangelaperry.com/2011/06/time-ghosts.html
June 7, 2011 — 2:43 PM
Louise Sorensen says:
I can’t seem to get my comments to post.
One last try.
Doll Maker http://wp.me/p1BAlV-7
June 7, 2011 — 3:48 PM
Karen Tavares says:
It’s Flash Fiction people “Doll Heads” http://wp.me/p1jd2S-6k
1st timer here, be gentle.
June 8, 2011 — 9:44 AM
Lesann says:
My offering: http://lesannberry.blogspot.com/p/carpenters-case.html
June 8, 2011 — 7:16 PM
Adam Hughes says:
Fun, creepy picture. Inspirational, even …
http://adamhughes.in/tiny-trophies/
June 8, 2011 — 9:31 PM
Leo Godin says:
I had fun writing this story.
http://leogodin.net/uncategorized/i-am-first-in-line/
June 9, 2011 — 10:05 AM
Leo Godin says:
I just finished reading all the entries. There are some fantastic stories. In particular, Little Trophies and Time Ghosts stuck out as complete stories. Great job, everyone.
June 9, 2011 — 2:45 PM
Joanna says:
http://rfaa.blogspot.com/2011/06/storytime-curiosities.html
Hee!
June 9, 2011 — 3:14 PM
Abhishek Boinapalli says:
http://becomingprince.blogspot.com/2011/06/doll-heads-beauty-in-broken-things.html
Let me know how my article is!!!
June 9, 2011 — 8:08 PM
Neliza Drew says:
It might suck, but I did it.
http://nelizadrew.wordpress.com/?p=819
Now, I must go back to bleeding all over that Draft O’Suck on my desk.
June 9, 2011 — 9:48 PM
Amber Keller says:
Here’s a little Twilight Zone inspired yarn coming in at under 600 words. Enjoy “Doll Daze”!
http://adiaryofawriter.blogspot.com/2011/06/doll-daze.html
June 9, 2011 — 10:11 PM
amber says:
This one ended up going in a completely different direction than I originally planned, but I like it.
http://gipsysmusings.com/?p=30
June 9, 2011 — 10:25 PM
Brandy says:
Finally! I finished one *BEFORE* the deadline (HUZZAH!). It’s short, and I went in a non-creepy direction here. But I think it might be missing…something?
http://brandwich.blogspot.com/2011/06/garbage-in-garage-out.html
June 9, 2011 — 11:22 PM
Robyn says:
Think I like this one.
http://robynettely.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-flows-downstream.html
June 10, 2011 — 12:21 AM
Cortney says:
http://cantwedothislater.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/doll-heads-chuck-wendig-flash-fiction-challenge/
June 10, 2011 — 2:46 AM
BA Boucher says:
Ach…
Here we go again…
http://defconwhiskey.tumblr.com/post/6383540393/the-collector
Thanks Chuck!
June 10, 2011 — 9:32 AM
Tribid says:
http://tribid.livejournal.com/16376.html
June 10, 2011 — 10:03 AM
Charlie Etheridge-Nunn says:
Here’s
“Tiny Broken Doll Face Man”
http://fakedtales.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/tiny-broken-doll-face-man/
June 10, 2011 — 10:08 AM
CMStewart says:
Sliding it under the door crack . . http://cmstewartwrite.wordpress.com/2011/06/10/doll-head-house-a-flash-fiction-tale/
June 10, 2011 — 11:50 AM
Leo Godin says:
Hey Chuck, did you forget to list your favorites? Or are all the stories your favorites. (You know, like when a father tells each kid in private–“You’re my favorite.”)
July 1, 2011 — 3:22 PM
terribleminds says:
@Leo, all:
I’ll be picking my favorite soon as I’ve read ’em all. Will post an update to this blog page when I’ve got ’em all read. Some really strong contenders, all told!
— c.
July 1, 2011 — 3:24 PM