Chuck Wendig: Terribleminds

Flash Fiction Challenge: “Brand New Monster”

If you missed it, last week’s brand new worldbuilding challenge — “Blackbloom” — is still going strong at 100+ entries. Come, define a new world. I’ll pick the best of the bunch on the last Friday of this month (and all worldbuilding challenges will fall to the last Friday of every month).

It’s October.

Time of pumpkins, devils, and the flesh of the innocent stitched into a double-breasted tuxedo.

It’s a month of horror.

And so I feel like the first flash challenge (and maybe all of ’em, who knows) should focus on horror. Right? Right. Or, at least, monsters. Here, then, is your task: I want to see a brand new monster. Something you’ve never seen before. Not a vampire. Fuck the zombies. No werewolves or ghouls or ghosts or demons or witches or Snookis. I want you to the best of your ability write a story featuring a Brand New Monster of your own creation.

Doesn’t actually have to be a horror story. Monsters can feature in all manner of story, after all.

Maybe the story is from the perspective of the victims. Maybe it’s from the POV of the monster.

I trust you to handle it with aplomb and awesomeness.

You have 1000 words or less.

You should complete your fiction by next Friday, October 14th, at noon EST.

Post at your blog or online somewhere. Link back here so we can see it.

I’ll pick a random participant to receive —

Well, I don’t really know what you’ll receive.

It’ll be a surprise to you. And to me, apparently.

Go forth, Doctor Penmonkeystein.

Conjure a new creature for us all to gaze upon.

In wonderment.

And in horror.

terribleminds

74 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: “Brand New Monster””

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  21. Old as f*ck blog post but I want an outside opinion for this monster I made:

    Name: Shred Serpent

    Type: Serpent

    Description:

    A Shred Serpent is a snake-like abomination with four, small, pure black slits for eyes. It has an original horizontal mouth, but if it desires, it will open up it’s vertical mouth with the sound of a fleshy zipper, revealing talon-like fangs and teeth. It’s throat is only two feet across, but the first three feet of it’s esophagus is lined with serrated teeth that resembles a Great White’s. Even worse, the serrated teeth spin rapidly while forcing food down it’s gullet. It has a literal spike of a tongue, and it can launch outwards, impale it’s prey, and drag it into it’s mouth, where it chomps down a few times before swallowing it, letting it’s throat-teeth finish the job.

    It’s scale coloration varies between age, gender, and habitat. The older the Serpent, the darker the colors. Some of the oldest have been known to be so dark that it makes a moonless night in the deepest reaches of the Everfree Forest seem like a clear midday. The males tend to have a lighter hue of color when compared to the females. The habitat plays the biggest role when it comes to the scale coloration. A forest habitat will grow to contain Shred Serpents with a dark green top fading to a sickly yellow underbelly. Likewise, a rocky habitat will grow to contain Shred Serpents with a more natural grayish-brown coloration.

    The females have been known to grow up to 75+ feet in length, 20~ feet in width, and 15~ feet in height. The males are slight smaller, with a length of 50-60 feet, width of 10-15, and height of 12-15. The largest male and female Shred Serpent have been rumored to be upwards of 100-200 feet in length, 35 feet in width, and a staggering 25-35 feet in height.

    Reply
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