Flash Fiction Challenge: Song Shuffle Stories
Some administrative stuff — first, don’t hesitate to run your eyeballs over last week’s challenge, “Revenge Of The The Sub-Genre Mash-Up.” Some very cool and bizarre-o stories there that deserve your unswerving gaze. Second, regarding Blackbloom: Blackbloom is not dead, but I am putting it on hold in order to take a look at some new ways of handling it. Not only were the last two challenges a bit wan in terms of content but my time as of late is busy enough where it’s difficult for me to properly give the challenge the time it deserves. Oh, and I worry that it took the focus off the flash fiction challenges too much by alternating week to week? I don’t know. More on that soon-ish, I hope.
This week’s challenge is based off of music.
Your music, actually.
Go to Your Favorite Music Player. Dig out your digital music collection.
Maybe this is iTunes or Spotify, or use Pandora if you’d rather go that way.
Hit SHUFFLE, then “Play.”
Meaning, let a random song come bubbling up out of nothing.
The title to this song is the title to your story.
Use the song for inspiration, too, if you feel so inclined.
Let’s tighten up the word count a little, too –
You only have 500 words this time.
Once again, the deadline is a week: noon EST on Friday (DUN DUN DUN) the 13th. Any genre will do. Post at your blog or whatever Internet space you’ve carved out, and link here so we can all come gaze at your fictional offerings on the terribleminds altar. Some folks ask what they do if they don’t have a blog? You can post direct to comments here, but that often looks shitty in terms of formatting. You can try Google+ or Tumblr. Or, get an easy Blogspot or WordPress blog on a lark.
Crank some tunes. Splatter some ink.
See you on the other side.



Simon Petherick
January 9, 2012 at 9:21 AM //
Oops, sorry Chuck, here it is: http://kernowwriter.blogspot.com/2012/01/terrible-minds.html
Ashley
January 9, 2012 at 9:42 AM //
Here is my offering for this challenge:
http://thepantslesswonder.blogspot.com/2012/01/everyday-im-shufflin.html
Sarah Hans
January 9, 2012 at 1:27 PM //
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.
Michelle Ann King
January 9, 2012 at 2:58 PM //
This was fun!
‘Citizen Erased’ by Muse, story here: http://michelle-ann-king.blogspot.com/2012/01/flash-fiction-challenge-song-shuffle.html
Logan Riley
January 9, 2012 at 9:25 PM //
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/
Sparky
January 9, 2012 at 9:27 PM //
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
Foxed
January 9, 2012 at 9:37 PM //
I am super lame and listen to oldies.
Brown-Eyed Girl
Laura W.
January 9, 2012 at 9:42 PM //
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
Sarah
January 9, 2012 at 11:23 PM //
First time submitter…
http://sarahbera.deviantart.com/#/d4lvr83 uh… yeah. dA. hehe…
Jemma
January 10, 2012 at 12:55 AM //
With this story still tumbling around in my frontal lobe, I go to bed.
Dave Versace
January 10, 2012 at 6:13 AM //
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
Nicola
January 10, 2012 at 7:01 AM //
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
Louise Sorensen
January 10, 2012 at 12:59 PM //
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.
Theodore J. Rice
January 10, 2012 at 3:27 PM //
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.”
Craig I.
January 10, 2012 at 3:57 PM //
Good Lord! My song was “Kielbasa” by Tenacious D. Here’s what I came up with:
http://www.scripturient.com
Jared Domenico
January 10, 2012 at 11:19 PM //
I hope you like military scifi and discordant rhyming.
http://strangetorpedo.blogspot.com/2012/01/song-shuffle-story-comin-for-your-tank.html
Stephen Barkley
January 11, 2012 at 12:31 AM //
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/
Samantha J. Mathis
January 11, 2012 at 1:04 PM //
Tossing mine in!
http://samanthajmathis.tumblr.com/post/15677040387/angel-pumping-gas
Aaron McQuiston
January 11, 2012 at 3:55 PM //
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
C.B.
January 11, 2012 at 10:29 PM //
“Wicked Game” came up. Haven’t heard it in years.
http://ayehli.com/blog/archives/323
Arachne Jericho
January 12, 2012 at 1:24 AM //
“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.
Jo Eberhardt
January 12, 2012 at 2:23 AM //
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
Andrew
January 12, 2012 at 3:00 AM //
My first challenge. What a ton of fun.
http://sir-zing.livejournal.com/90620.html
Samantha Stein
January 12, 2012 at 10:08 AM //
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*
Kai
January 12, 2012 at 10:23 AM //
Recognizer – 490 words.
http://kaimicheals.com/wp/?p=7
Dave Carson attempts to prevent one crime in a near-future panopticon London.
Donna McNicol
January 12, 2012 at 10:43 AM //
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!
RyanWrites (Ryan Baggett)
January 12, 2012 at 11:35 AM //
“Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix
Here’s my story:
http://ryanwrites.com/2012/01/flash-fiction-challenge-little-wing/
MRMacrum
January 12, 2012 at 1:12 PM //
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
Paul
January 12, 2012 at 9:26 PM //
And here we are: http://paultevis.com/blog/2012/1/12/the-obvious-child.html
Candice
January 12, 2012 at 11:02 PM //
This was fun! Here’s my entry:
http://candicerobinson.ca/2012/01/12/unbeatable/
Robyn
January 13, 2012 at 12:03 AM //
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
Katherine Tomlinson
January 13, 2012 at 1:47 AM //
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
Lynna Landstreet
January 13, 2012 at 5:21 AM //
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
Scar*let Nguni
January 13, 2012 at 6:05 AM //
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.
Ryan Jassil
January 13, 2012 at 7:58 AM //
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