Flash Fiction Challenge: That Poor, Poor Protagonist

Okay, last week’s challenge — “The Flea Market” — requires you crazy kids to get over there and vote for your favorite starting today, and ending tomorrow (Saturday, we’ll say noon EST). Easy enough to pick your favorite: in the comments, just write the author’s name and the story name. Participation in the challenge is not required for voting — voting is open to anybody.

As you may have seen this week, I offered up 25 Ways To Fuck With Your Characters.

And now, I want you to do exactly that.

Your task is to write a flash fiction piece wherein the protagonist of that piece is subject to some manner or method of torment, trial, and torture. It’s your job to put that character through the wringer, whether that be physical, emotional, spiritual, moral, or some combination of the bunch. I want you to fuck with and fuck up that protagonist. I want to care deeply about that character and feel every sting and barb.

Limit: 1000 words.

So, get in there, and do your worst.

You’ve got one week. Challenge ends Friday, August 12th, at noon EST.

This time, I’ll pick one random winner from the entrants. That entrant will get all three of my e-books in PDF format. Maybe that excites you. Maybe it elicits throw-up noises. Either way: them’s the deals.

You know the drill. Post the fiction at your blog. Link back here. Point us to your story in the comments.

Have fun by making sure your protagonist does not.

Go forth and torment.