Flash Fiction Challenge: An Uncharted Apocalypse
Last week’s challenge — “The Lady And The Swordsman” — demands your eyeballs.
The Apocalypse.
The end of the world. The end of days. The end times.
Armageddeon Ragnarok 2012, blah blah blah.
We know how the Apocalypse comes, how it all ends. Meteors, tsunamis, earthquakes, plague. It’s been done a thousand times before. Nobody’s really bringing anything new to the apocalyptic table.
Oh, except you.
Here’s your task: I want to see flash fiction set in a very unconventional, never-before-seen apocalypse. A Create Your Own End Times kinda story. Get as creative as you want. I want the world to end — or be in the middle of ending — in a way we’ve never seen before.
In this story, we want the characters to say, “Whoa, we didn’t see that coming.”
Humor, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, tragedy, literary, whatever. Go nuts.
Once again: 1000 words and one week to fill them. Get your tales done by Friday, July 22nd at noon EST. Post them at your blog, then share the link here in the comments.
Tell us how the world ends, will you?
Oh — and this week, we’ve got prizes again. This time, I’m going to pick my five favorite and toss them a PDF copy of my as-yet-unreleased e-book, 250 Things You Should Know About Writing, which is a collection of ten (well, technically eleven, shut up) of my 25 Things lists from this site.
Now: unveil the end of days as only you can write it.
EDIT:
Okay. Jinkies. I finally got through all the stories.
And I’ve picked my five.
It was difficult. I had about ten I really liked, but had to really carve ’em up.
Here, then, are the five —
Samantha J. Mathis
http://samanthajmathis.tumblr.com/post/7670809842/candy-coated-chaos
Brian Buckley
http://briandbuckley.com/2011/07/21/flash-fiction-scissors-with-running/
C.M. Stewart
http://cmstewartwrite.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/grey-goo-flash-fiction-plus-science-fact/
Albert Berg
http://unsanityfiles.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/salt-of-the-earth/
And Sean Riley!
http://jackslack.tumblr.com/post/7838270330/flash-fiction-challenge-shard-of-heaven
You guys, bounce me a message at terribleminds [at] gmail [dot] com or use the contact form here at the site and I’ll get you “250 Things You Should Know About Writing.”
July 20, 2011 @ 12:12 PM
My entry will be going live on Geekcentricity at about 4pm today (Wednesday, July 20th). Here is the link:
http://geekcentricity.com/2011/07/world-of-earth.html
July 20, 2011 @ 12:58 PM
And here I go again:
http://defconwhiskey.wordpress.com/2011/07/20/desolation-with-strange-camels/
Geekcentricity: Life from a Geekcentric perspective
July 20, 2011 @ 4:01 PM
[…] Fiction: World of Earth The following is a piece of flash fiction I wrote for this week’s Flash Fiction Challenge over at Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds. The challenge is to create a new take on the apocalypse in 1,000 words or less. […]
July 20, 2011 @ 9:14 PM
Oh hell, just because…
http://sittingindarkness.wordpress.com/2011/04/12/dummies-nuclear-test-site-nevada-1953/
July 20, 2011 @ 9:32 PM
If Wishes Were Butterflies
http://amytupper.net/2011/07/20/if-wishes-were-butterflies
July 21, 2011 @ 12:05 AM
There are quite a few great stories here. Here is mine.
Please enjoy. I thank you for the opportunity.
http://yoursuppository.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/becoming-the-void/
Veronica The Pajama Thief
July 21, 2011 @ 12:12 AM
[…] on July 21, 2011 by VeronicaThePajamaThief Апокалипсис Chuck Wendig, over at http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2011/07/15/flash-fiction-challenge-an-uncharted-apocalypse/ has another flash challenge up and running. Prompt: Flash fiction set in a very unconventional, […]
July 21, 2011 @ 12:32 AM
Be gentle… I’m a virgin….
(At writing sci-fi, that is… *wink*)
Here is my attempt at ending the world… don’t know how well this will play in Peoria, but all my friends liked it! ;=)
http://veronicathepajamathief.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/339/
July 21, 2011 @ 6:35 AM
IT IS DONE.
http://briandbuckley.com/2011/07/21/flash-fiction-scissors-with-running/
July 21, 2011 @ 12:09 PM
I’ve had this one sitting around a couple of years I think it fits your criteria. it was actually the first piece of fiction I tried. Hope it suits:
http://www.katabatikos.com/2009/07/scene-opens.html
Salt of the Earth | Albert Berg's Unsanity Files
July 21, 2011 @ 12:34 PM
[…] this week's flash fiction challenge from Chuck Wendig was to come up with a new spin on the apocalypse, something that's never been […]
July 21, 2011 @ 12:35 PM
Salt of the Earth
http://unsanityfiles.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/salt-of-the-earth/
July 21, 2011 @ 4:46 PM
Let’s try this again
http://www.katabatikos.com/2011/07/post-apocalypse.html
July 21, 2011 @ 7:58 PM
Here’s mine for your reading pleasure.
http://janjepriestess.blogspot.com/2011/07/end-of-world-for-terriblemindscom.html
July 21, 2011 @ 10:51 PM
Here’s a story about looking on the bright side.
http://www.unflinching.org/silver_linings.htm
July 21, 2011 @ 11:53 PM
I used to write almost exclusively apocalypse stories, but after a while people kind of knew what to expect.
http://robynettely.blogspot.com/2011/07/flash-fiction-challenge-art-of-swimming.html
Flash Fiction Challenge: That’s Right, I Said “Unicorn”
July 22, 2011 @ 12:02 AM
[…] week’s challenge — “An Uncharted Apocalypse” — had some amazing stories, so you should go check ‘em out. I’m going to […]
Grey Goo- Flash Fiction plus Science Fact « CMStewartWrite
July 22, 2011 @ 9:35 AM
[…] to Chuck Wendig for this flash fiction challenge! What the heck is a nanobot?! Do you think trying to reach outer space aliens […]
July 22, 2011 @ 9:45 AM
Adamstrumpets be damned! I bow to no trumptation!
http://cmstewartwrite.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/grey-goo-flash-fiction-plus-science-fact/
Story is PG.
And yes, it’s Grey Goo, but no, it’s not your typical Grey Goo.
July 22, 2011 @ 11:12 AM
Please enjoy:
http://www.anypocalypse.com/2011/07/flash-fiction-twinkle-twinkle.html
July 22, 2011 @ 11:54 AM
http://hellfirewriters.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/grand-slam/
Here you go — enjoy!
July 22, 2011 @ 2:53 PM
Just a head’s up, peeps — I’ll be reading all the stragglers over the weekend and will make a pick by Monday. 🙂
You are all some talented mofos.
— c.
July 25, 2011 @ 3:31 PM
FYI: still working my way through this. 60+ entries is like reading a small novel in a couple days. Great stuff, will post here when I’ve got my surefire five. 🙂
— c.
July 27, 2011 @ 5:33 PM
how’s the reading?
July 28, 2011 @ 7:01 AM
EDIT:
Okay. Jinkies. I finally got through all the stories.
And I’ve picked my five.
It was difficult. I had about ten I really liked, but had to really carve ’em up.
Here, then, are the five —
Samantha J. Mathis
http://samanthajmathis.tumblr.com/post/7670809842/candy-coated-chaos
Brian Buckley
http://briandbuckley.com/2011/07/21/flash-fiction-scissors-with-running/
C.M. Stewart
http://cmstewartwrite.wordpress.com/2011/07/22/grey-goo-flash-fiction-plus-science-fact/
Albert Berg
http://unsanityfiles.wordpress.com/2011/07/21/salt-of-the-earth/
And Sean Riley!
http://jackslack.tumblr.com/post/7838270330/flash-fiction-challenge-shard-of-heaven
You guys, bounce me a message at terribleminds [at] gmail [dot] com or use the contact form here at the site and I’ll get you “250 Things You Should Know About Writing.”
July 28, 2011 @ 9:35 AM
Congrats to all the winners! There were a LOT of good stories in the running.
July 28, 2011 @ 9:39 AM
What Mister Loomis says is true. Including his own, which was certainly a contender.
— c.
July 28, 2011 @ 12:43 PM
Congratulations everyone! There were some great stories in this week’s challenge. I’m still reading through them.
July 29, 2011 @ 3:49 AM
Congrats, great choices, I liked Samantha’s best.
July 29, 2011 @ 12:45 PM
I liked Samantha’s as well.
Brian’s was also highly amusing. More people should reference the Ottaman Empire
January 6, 2012 @ 12:33 AM
Late (only 6 months or so!), but finally finished. I’m going through all my old unfinished stuff, and completing it. Imagozen http://snellopy.blogspot.com/2012/01/imagozen.html