What? Speak up ya young punk. And how to I put the turntable on shuffle? You kids and your damn gadgets . . .

I was going to try this, but frankly I don’t know what Rondo Alla Turca even MEANS/

@Albert –

SO MUCH THERE to go on!

And that, of course, is the challenge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No._11_(Mozart)

Unless… of course, you’re chicken.

BAKAWK

*feathers everywhere*

– c.

Well now that the gauntlet has been thrown I guess I’ve got no choice.

NONE.

ZERO.

ZILCH.

CAPS LOCK.

RAAAAAAAR.

– c.

I love this challenge!
Like Dan, I don’t have one of those gadgets you mix and match on, and I rarely listen to any music but whatever’s playing in my head.
But I’ll figure out a way.
I’m glad the weekly challenges are back.

I love this idea. I plan to submit…and invite my online friends.

My song is ‘Kashmir’. \m/

My song was Linkin Park’s “What I’ve Done”. I think that the title itself it pretty thought provoking, so I think that my assignment was pretty easy. I hope you like it.

Oh, also, people without an iPod or something. How about try the radio? You do have one of those, right?

Here’s a link to my story:
http://geekonablog.blogspot.com/2012/01/story-week-41-what-ive-done.html

I decided to give this a shot today. The song I got was “I Gotchoo” by Bowling for Soup. The story got really dark from the jump. Hope it doesn’t displease.

http://rolling20s.tumblr.com/post/15401919785/i-gotchoo

This ought to be interesting.

Here’s what came up for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DcIed4DCpo

Off to write!

Oh yeah, baby!

[...] http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/01/06/flash-fiction-challenge-song-shuffle-stories/ [...]

Taking the Long Way:

http://darlene.underdahl.net/?p=119

Here is mine (it will eventally make it to my blog, but I wanted to get it up by the deadline so I put it on Google+ for now): https://plus.google.com/u/0/118215810775601146994/posts/iZBGxv8TKF8

My song was “Fly Me Courageous” by Drivin’ N’ Cryin’.

Off to write.

Here you go, Mr. W:

http://mercy-me8108.livejournal.com/16264.html

Done.

http://angstytimelord.livejournal.com/698133.html

Thanks for the inspiration. My Ten muse loves you. <3

(Sorry if this posts twice.)

Here you go, Mr. W:

http://mercy-me8108.livejournal.com/16264.html

Chuck,

Was just going to lurk, but tried the random shuffle. Afraid I’d get “Fireworks” by Katie P. But up came Beck’s “Farewell Ride”. Damn it, now I gotta play. Time for virtual inksplatter.

Done.

http://angstytimelord.livejournal.com/698133.html

Word Count: 485.

My Tenth Doctor fanfiction muse thanks you muchly for the inspiration.

[...] Chuck Wendig issues a flash fiction challenge on his blog Terribleminds. This weeks challenge is Song Shuffle Stories. I posted my entry on my LJ blog, but I thought you might want to see it [...]

“Broken Man” – I ought to be able to build off that title even though I hate starting with the title first. We’ll see.

[...] Note: Inspired by Gatecrusher by Los Straitjackets and written for Chuck Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenge: Song Shuffle Story [...]

Tried it again, came up with Matchbox 20′s “Bent” this time. Already have another fanfiction idea in progress (for a different character this time).

The song chance selected for this challenge was Verano de Alegria by Otmar Liebert. My offering: http://lesannberry.com/2012/01/verano-de-alegria.html

I got Theory of a Deadman’s “The Truth Is… (I Lied About Everything)”

http://lindsaymawson.blogspot.com/2012/01/flash-fiction-challenge-31-song-shuffle.html

[...] 6, 2012 in Free-Range Fiction Sir Wendig has challenged us once again on this fabulous Friday.  Music Shuffle Challenge, it is. I was thrilled when this song appeared. Here’s my story based upon the first song [...]

My song, as posted earlier: Jackie by Sinead O’Connor.

I give you: A Dead Man’s Name.

http://www.casondrabrewster.com/?p=342

BTFO!
~C

Oh, hell. I stalk this place enough, I suppose I should join in.

My humble contribute: http://thoughtsofthemad.blogspot.com/

Hey guys, long time no see…here’s my little offering for this week, Forest Families…really enjoyed this challenge thanks Chuck!

http://chriswhitewrites.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/forest-families/

I got Bif Naked’s “Spaceman”. So I wrote this:

https://plus.google.com/110920828375652307478/posts/PfxqyauMMM3

Tried the shuffle.
First thing to pop up was “Pimsleur Russian: Lesson 16″

Since I haven’t quite made it to lesson 16 I don’t think I’m up to the task.

*taps player again*
Why does this feel like Russian Roulette?

[...] Fri­day writ­ing exer­cise, and a Song Shuf­fle Sto­ries one this time out. The idea? Set your tune-player to ran­dom and the first song that comes up, [...]

‘If It Hadn’t Been For Love’ – Will Young

http://www.ryangsanders.com/2012/01/hadnt-been-for-love/

…and here’s me expecting to get the 4yr old’s ‘Tangled’ OST.

http://innocentsaccidentshints.blogspot.com/2012/01/terrible-minds-challenge-message-in.html

The Police, “Message In A Bottle”

The URL should take you directly to the flash fiction piece, titled “Long Live.”

Just in case, my Writers Cafe profile can be found at:

http://www.writerscafe.com/cchester

This is my first time participating, but I am glad I found Terrible Minds! Good luck to all!

Chuck gave me 500 words; Pandora gave me “Jessica Kill” by Sum 41… my brain gave me this story:

http://piratezombienarwhals.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/flash-fiction-jessica-kill/

[...] one to keep the blog from dying from neglect. Off to Hammamatsu tomorrow for a much needed escape. Chuck Wendig is helping his loyal followers keep the writing muscles fresh with this week’s flash fiction [...]

Love Lockdown
http://yojimbojapan.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/flash-fiction-challenge-song-shuffle/

And yes, I know the alliteration contest was a few weeks ago. This is just how it happened.

[...] words 07 January 2012 Posted by Steve Short stories, Writing Here’s my contribution to Chuck Wendig’s ‘flash fiction challenge’. The brief got my writerly juices flowing, it was as follows: Go to Your Favorite Music Player. Dig [...]

Just thought I would give it a spin and came up with ‘Do you want to know the truth, or something beautiful?‘ by Paloma Faith. With a title like that I just had to give it a go. 498 words.

http://stevelean.com/writing/do-you-want-the-truth-a-short-story-in-500-words/

[...] Flash Fiction Challenge from your friend and mine, Chuck Wendig. The challenge this week is called ‘Song Shuffle Stories’. The fickle gods of fate and fortune have their hands in the challenge this week. The challenge was [...]

Well I’m not sure what those ol’ random gods were trying to tell me, but the song chosen for me was ‘Needledick’ a Placebo B-side.

Enjoy!

http://www.thezombiechimp.com/2012/01/07/flash-fiction-needledick/

What a great challenge. I just span the Spotify bottle, and a tad embarrassingly, Neil Diamond’s Red, Red Wine came out. OK, I’ll give it a go. Entry on its way!

Fearful as I was of encountering some rather questionable music, downloaded for my children I do assure you, I was nonetheless gifted with ‘Prowler’ by Iron Maiden, and here’s what i wrote to it.

http://renwaromsumwelt.wordpress.com/2012/01/07/the-wendigos-flash-fiction-challenge-and-my-response/

Holding my breath, jumping in. Sure feels like the deep end. Haven’t touched bottom yet…

Wicked Game by Chris Isaak.

http://romymalloy.blogspot.com/2012/01/flash-fiction-challenge.html

Thanks Chuck.

[...] Chuck’s Challenge this week was to spin the random wheel on whatever music we listen to, and the first song that comes up, use that as the title. Five hundred words. No other restrictions. I was glad that a song by Paul Westerberg came up. I would have taken any song of his, any at all, just so I could tell you people that if you haven’t heard of him or haven’t heard him, give it a listen. He was quirky before Zooey Deschanel, and influential to a host of artists, including Kurt Cobain. (The album “Nevermind” is named after a song Westerberg wrote. No lie.) I had never heard of him before 2006, but based on a poorly recorded version of one his songs (“Attitude”) I drove 100 miles with a friend to see him. I was completely unfamiliar with all of his music, and it was one of the best concerts I had ever been to. There’s more to Milwaukee than just Prince. To see more musical mayhem and fiction, two-step on over here: Chuck Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenge: Song Shuffle Stories [...]

Paul Westerberg is just awesome, and I was so happy it was one of his songs that popped up first. Look him up and become a fan.

Waitress in the Sky

And the quality ain’t the bestest, but here’s a video:

You Tube video: Waitress in the Sky

This is the first time I check the terrible minds website and saw a contest where I had time left. I may date myself, but Blondie’s Dreaming came up.

http://toomanydiversions.com/2012/01/08/dreaming-by-blondie/

Usually way to chicken to do stuff like this but iTunes came up with TNT for the Brain (Enigma), so… if I can get my three other projects to shut up long enough for me to work a flash fiction…

[...] note: This Flash Fiction challenge from Chuck Wendig just made me want to [...]

I got: What’s This? by Flyleaf from the collection Nightmare Revisited from which I wrote this: http://nmniskanen.wordpress.com/2012/01/08/flash-fiction-all-i-want-is-you-whats-this/

Okay, I did it. Song was TNT for the Brain (Enigma)

http://swsondheimer.wordpress.com/

Okay, done.

http://swsondheimer.wordpress.com/
(TNT for the Brain — Enigma)

Okay. First time doing one of these.

So what do I get? Ondar, “Where Has My Country Gone? (Kongurei)”

Ondar is a Tuvan throat singer who’s absorbed some Western pop and country influences. This track is a Tuvan traditional, but with a very modern arrangement, and an assist in English from Willie Nelson. Hmmmm.

Not sure. But I’ll come up with something.

Done. Here ’tis. Not the best thing I’ve ever written, but what the hey. Thanks, Chuck.

http://brianeisley.com/?p=761

Boom.

Literally.

http://polishsnausage.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/blow-up-the-outside-world/

[...] preceding story was written as a response to Chuck Wendig's Song Shuffle Stories Flash Fiction Challenge. The connection between the song and story might not be immediately apparent to those of you not [...]

Rondo Alla Turca
http://wp.me/p1e5Wo-x3

[...] Terribleminds and my iPhone told me this story should be titled after this VNV Nation song. [...]

Control.

http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/2012/01/09/flash-fiction-control/

Here we go.

Matt T. Dillon started to follow me on Twitter and your name and blog was in his thread – here is a pared down version of a dream sequence based on Jerry Garcia’s song, Sitting Here in Limbo:

http://www.bookrix.com/_title-en-paula-shene-sitting-here-in-limbo

@Simon –

Don’t see a link?

Thx!

– c.

Oops, sorry Chuck, here it is: http://kernowwriter.blogspot.com/2012/01/terrible-minds.html

Here is my offering for this challenge:

http://thepantslesswonder.blogspot.com/2012/01/everyday-im-shufflin.html

I’m a good little goth girl, so my song title came from a Depeche Mode song.

http://sarahhans.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/never-let-me-down-again/

Looking forward to reading the other entries.

This was fun!

‘Citizen Erased’ by Muse, story here: http://michelle-ann-king.blogspot.com/2012/01/flash-fiction-challenge-song-shuffle.html

[...] that I did for Chuck Wendig’s terribleminds.com Flash Fiction Challenge. You can find it here along with some other great [...]

The song my iTunes so kindly picked for me was “When My Train Pulls In” by Gary Clark Jr. It’s not quite 500 words (not even close) but I enjoyed it. I hope everyone else does too!

http://literarybandit.wordpress.com/2012/01/09/when-my-train-pulls-in/

It’s Not Your Fault, New Found Glory. Enjoy then. Man it feels good to finish one of these on time again.
http://sparky29252.blogspot.com/2012/01/its-not-your-fault.html

I am super lame and listen to oldies.

Brown-Eyed Girl

Teehee. I got “The Armies Assemble” (soundtrack to epic movie). But I was tired of being serious, so this was created…499 words (not counting title).

http://lauraplusthevoices.blogspot.com/2012/01/terribleminds-song-shuffle-flash.html

First time submitter…
http://sarahbera.deviantart.com/#/d4lvr83 uh… yeah. dA. hehe…

With this story still tumbling around in my frontal lobe, I go to bed.

Mine came up “Sunset Strip” from Roger Waters’ slightly interminable 1987 concept album Radio Kaos. No idea what the song is about, but here’s the story:

http://www.otherleg.com/lexifab2/?p=981

what a fantastic idea! I’m definitely going to use this again as a prompt when uninspired. Somehow my Itunes bypassed all my hair-metal and opted for ‘Sonic Wave of Bees’ by Old Man Gloom. Enjoy!

http://nicolabelte.blogspot.com/2012/01/sonic-wave-of-bees.html

As I have no music shuffling devices, I asked people on twitter to give me random song titles. The winning song was ‘Armchair Detective’ by Reverand and the Makers.

498 words Armchair Detective http://wp.me/p1BAlV-1Q

I’ll be checking out everyone’s stories and leaving comments where allowed.

Under Pressure – Queen/David Bowie

This place is dark. “Where am I? How did I get here?” The ground quakes with every question, the vibrations run up my legs and make my body quiver. My feet are slowly moving me towards the epicenter. The vibration is getting stronger, building momentum, while the faintest sound penetrates my ears.

“Who’s there? What do you want from me?” The vibrations grow stronger, drawing my feet forward, each step a sign of submission to an unseen lure. I realize I haven’t opened my mouth once, the questions being in my mind, never being vocalized. The sound grows causing the vibrations to reverberate in my head. My vision is clear but the sound is muffled, as if listening to it at the bottom of a pool. I’m approaching a parking lot. “I know this place. I come here every morning for my coffee.” There are a few cars in the lot and I see movement within them, but still too far to see clearly.

I try to resist, but the tremors grow violent with each attempt, pulsing through my head like too much blood to the brain. My temples ache with the pressure and my feet shuffle ever forward. The sound grows louder and louder as I approach. I hear a voice now. It’s trying to tell me something. I want this to stop. My willpower is slowly draining, making me give in as I begin to tire.

“Please, just stop this!” Dark clouds roll across the sky like ocean waves crashing against one another. The voice is screaming in my head, tearing apart my mind with every pulse. My jaw locks with the tension and I force myself to keep my eyes open. I glance at the parked cars, filled with people. They are holding their hands over their bleeding ears screaming until their throats burn. Their agonized faces stare back in horror then blur with supernaturally fast and erratic motion. Terror fills my mind, feeling like a vice rapidly closing. Blood vessels rupture in my eyes and my vision begins to fade. The vibrations are so strong that I fall to my knees with steady streams of tears rolling down my face laced with crimson. Like a crescendo the voice becomes clear as I drown in the darkness.

“WE EXIST!”

It repeats through my mind in an infinite loop. I feel myself being consumed by the void, like a vast sea of nothingness. I wake screaming to find myself in a bed full of sweat. I run to the light switch on the wall. My nerves are shot and it takes me 20 minutes to calm down.

I lay back down irritated with myself. “What am I fucking twelve?” My body aches and a migraine dance on the edges of my skull. I need caffeine. I take a look outside and the sky is dark and gloomy. “The shitty burnt coffee at the office will have to suffice.”

Good Lord! My song was “Kielbasa” by Tenacious D. Here’s what I came up with:

http://www.scripturient.com

I hope you like military scifi and discordant rhyming.

http://strangetorpedo.blogspot.com/2012/01/song-shuffle-story-comin-for-your-tank.html

[...] (Without You): A Short Story Add Chuck over at Terrible Minds threw down a challenge. Write a sub-500 word short story inspired by a randomly selected song title. Here’s my 481 [...]

This challenge caught my eye so I thought I’d give it a try. I’ve never written fiction before, so be merciful!

The Song is “Nothing (Without You)” by Derek Webb.

http://stephenbarkley.com/2012/01/11/nothing-without-you-a-short-story/

[...] I decided to have my first go at it. The current challenge is to hit shuffle on your music collection; the title of the first track is the title of the story. [...]

Tossing mine in!

http://samanthajmathis.tumblr.com/post/15677040387/angel-pumping-gas

I was lucky to get “Last Night at the Jetty” by Panda Bear.

Here it is: http://booksandbooksandwordsandwords.blogspot.com/2012/01/fiction-last-night-at-jetty.html

[...] A response to Chuck Wendig’s challenge at: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2012/01/06/flash-fiction-challenge-song-shuffle-stories/ [...]

“Wicked Game” came up. Haven’t heard it in years.

http://ayehli.com/blog/archives/323

[...] A Terrible Minds Flash Fiction challenge: a shuffle story. My song ended up being Michelle Branch’s “I’d Rather Be In Love”. [...]

“The goddess of love has no heart. I should know; I was her sister.”

http://www.spontaneousderivation.com/2012/01/11/fiction-id-rather-be-in-love/

Title by Michelle Branch’s “I’d Rather Be In Love.” The narrator of the story would plunge her claws into your soul if you thought any of the lyrics applied to her.

[...] week’s terribleminds challenge was to do the [...]

I was kinda hoping for something dramatic. Something different. Something that would prompt me to write a story unlike anything I’d ever written before.

Instead, I ended up with “I Want to be a Vampire”.

Enjoy: http://wp.me/p1teED-kL

My first challenge. What a ton of fun.

http://sir-zing.livejournal.com/90620.html

[...] Now on this blog, on Fridays, there’s a flash fiction challenge and not only does the prompt change but sometimes the rules as well, so it’s always a surprise. This post is the answer to that challenge, found here: Terrible Minds [...]

[...] demonstrated here on a Flash Fiction challenge by Chuck Wendig, another way for generating a creative writing prompt is to use the random function [...]

Well, I was going to post my entry, but it seems my new blog decided to do it for me (few posts above) *glares at blog*

Recognizer – 490 words.
http://kaimicheals.com/wp/?p=7

Dave Carson attempts to prevent one crime in a near-future panopticon London.

[...] Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenge for January 6th is to use the title of whatever comes up on your music player when you hit shuffle as the title to [...]

This was my third flash fiction and my first challenge like this. Great inspiration. Thanks…oh, the song was “No Use Crying” by Buddy Guy and Junior Wells

http://donnamcnicol.blogspot.com/2012/01/no-use-crying-flash-fiction.html

I appreciate comments made on the blog, this is all new to me. Thanks again!

[...] is my short short story inspired by the Flash Fiction Challenge created by Chuck Wendig, author of the blog “Terribleminds” and much more. The [...]

“Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix

Here’s my story:

http://ryanwrites.com/2012/01/flash-fiction-challenge-little-wing/

My first effort here – 500 words on the nose

Broken Man  – Rage Against the Machine 

Or in case that link does not work

http://lostinthebozone.blogspot.com/2012/01/broken-man-terrible-minds-challenge.html

And here we are: http://paultevis.com/blog/2012/1/12/the-obvious-child.html

[...] Written for Chuck Wendig’s Friday Flash Fiction Challenge “Song Shuffle Stories”. [...]

This was fun! Here’s my entry:

http://candicerobinson.ca/2012/01/12/unbeatable/

Back on the wagon, haven’t done one of these in a while. It’s here: http://robynettely.blogspot.com/2012/01/flash-fiction-challenge-dust-bowl-dance.html

My son was “Knocking on Heaven’s Door,” the Guns n Roses version. I’ve posted the story on the NoHo Noir site. Hope you enjoy it…
http://nohonoir.blogspot.com/2012/01/knocking-on-heavens-door-for-chuck.html

I got “Caged” by Within Temptation (a Dutch symphonic metal band). I think my story was influenced more by the lyrics than the title, but here you go… http://lynnalandstreet.com/stories/caged

iTunes shuffle gave me: Send in The Clowns by The Tiger Lilies

“Jesus, Sam! Would you shut up already? I can’t type with your jabbering!”

Sam retorts, sulkily. The usual rot: how it’s hardly his fault I lack talent and can’t string a decent sentence. Which leads, invariably to the usual name calling, threats and flying mug – frustrated coup de grace, rah-rah resorting to violence. Not that it helps – he just laughs.

24/7, 365 and the full quarter, Sam talks non-bloody-stop. I had quit my job after the first week – my colleagues freaked out over my seemingly erratic explosions. A few unfortunate fiascos with strangers forced me indoors and my girl split after he conned me into talking dirty (he’s wrong: not all women think it’s hot). That was about 15 years ago. He’s been helpful, however, when it comes to writing. Got ideas coming out of his wazoo, does he. Not that it wasn’t a fight in the beginning – I wanted to be a writer myself and though Sam could help, like an assistant or something but he shot that down fast. Whenever I scratched out a storyline, he tore huge holes in it, critiqued every fucking word (harshly, I might add) until after 5 days on relentless sarcasm, I threw in the pen and I gave up. Sam tells me the story and I type it down. Sometimes he lets me add a detail or two but mostly I’m his scribe. Once I got over the humiliation, I saw the sweet side: he’s got a wild imagination leftover from his carny days and weaves together impossible tales with the help of a posse of unlikely protagonists (like his last: a tin opener). Which guarantees me an interesting time pushing pens and pumping keys. And people seem to go for that sh*t. Had I been the one writing, the readerly public would be wading through be romantic swill about vampires, werewolves and a prepubescent teenager. Up against a psycho “opener” who rips the lids off gangster cans of Campbell’s… well, there no comparison is there? His stories sold and the books bounced across the globe. I became a celebrity. Which was kinda cool, don’t read me wrong, but stuck in this house I hardly enjoyed my fame.

Now, I’m tired. Only so much dictation a man can take in his life before it gives him cranial cramp or carpal tunnel or something depressing. I’ve done my time, put in a good decade plus as penmonkey for this joker.

*

“Feeling lucky, Sam?”

I suck the slick barrel, hammer coldly cocked.

“Jesus, Chuck. Calm down!”

The trigger tingles – I’m tired of talking, typing and taking orders. From a clown. Yeah, it’s probably a bit extreme but I then I always hated the circus.

Squeaking in under the wire with a story I’m not super proud of, but dammit, if I don’t write more, I’ll never get any better!

My Amazon library spit out Hours by Tycho. So here’s what I spit back.

http://www.falsetravels.com/hours.html

[...] the midst of all this tumult, I found myself caught up in a writing prompt from Chuck Wendig’s TerribleMinds blog. The guidelines were simple: put your iPod on ‘shuffle’ and play. Your short-story [...]

[...] been at a bit of a loss so I eagerly fired up the old imagination engine yesterday when I saw a prompt exercise ripe for the [...]