Behold last week’s challenge: “Just The Opening Line.”
So, in less than two weeks now, my debut original novel — Blackbirds — enters into the world. Hopefully with a mad flutter of wings and not the thud of a dead crow hitting the windshield of a parked car, but that’s a thing that’s out of my control. The book aims to be a sharp-toothed tale about fate and free will, featuring a girl who can see how you’re going to die just by touching you. (Let me add, in a moment of self-promo whorishness, that if you pre-order the book now from Amazon (US), Amazon (UK), or B&N, and you email me proof of said pre-ordering to terribleminds at gmail dot com, I will toss you my short story collection and the first Atlanta Burns novella. For free, in PDF or MOBI format.)
What all this means is, today we’re talking about death.
The Big “D.”
Demise. Dirt-Nap. Stick a fork in me, I’m done.
You have 1000 words to write a short story that prominently features death. What that means is up to you, of course. And genre is also in your court.
But a death — or the concept of death, or an exploration of death — must be front and center.
I’ll pick my favorite before Blackbirds releases on April 24th, and I’ll send the winner an e-book of my novel from either Amazon (MOBI) or B&N (ePUB).
You’ve got 1000 words.
Post the stories at your blogs or online spaces — don’t post here in the comments as the stories are too long to live at Casa Terribleminds. I’ll delete stories that post here. I’ll bring the hammer down.
Deadline is — well, given that I’m traveling next week, let’s short the deadline by one day.
Your new deadline is Thursday, 4/19, by noon EST.
EDIT:
AND WE HAVE A WINNER.
*pant, pant, pant*
Man, took me a while to go through these — I thought I’d have time traveling but I suspect I underestimated how many of you would enter.
Some really great stories here. The game has been upped. I found myself having to pick apart entries based on tinier details to count them out.
Spritzing death with a douche-spray? Death’s ride? Red and the Wolf? Many many good entries. A couple-few that were hard to read (blogs with images behind the text are unpleasant at best). But mostly top notch.
I’m calling the winner for:
A De/composition.
By Ilona Rose.
It’s short and strongly written and struck me in a very sad way.
http://ilonatherose.wordpress.com/a-decomposition/
Ilona, contact me at terribleminds at gmail dot com.
Thanks, all!
86 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: “Death Is On The Table””
I’ve loved everyone’s stories! Here’s my contribution:
http://www.jfriday.com/2012/04/flash-fiction-challenge-victory-after-death/
[…] This is a short story written as an entry to a Flash Fiction challenge issued by Chuck Wendig at his blog Terribleminds. Specifically, this is the entry for the challenge “Death Is On The Table”. […]
Ok, here is my entry:
“The Price of Wisdom”
http://www.jeffxilon.com/the-price-of-wisdom/
Now I can start reading everybody’s stories.
[…] wrote this as an entry for Chuck Wendig’s Death Is On The Table flash fiction […]
BOOM!
“Just The Job” – http://crayonyellow.wordpress.com/2012/04/18/just-the-job/
These stories are full of win.
How could I resist this challenge. My entry; “Death Duty – Apply Within”
http://awannabewriters.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/flash-fiction-challenge-death-is-on.html
Here is my answer to the challenge. I give you … “Cookies”
http://dsnite.blogspot.com/2012/04/flash-fiction-cookies.html
“Every Breath You Take”
http://github.com/shanel/flash_fiction/blob/master/low_tide.txt
[…] here’s the original text of the challenge. The post can be found here. What all this means is, today we’re talking about […]
Man, this challenge was fun to do. Plus I had a chance to write in first-person present tense! My first submission to the Terrible Minds flash fiction, too.
Here it is, “A Walk in the Woods:”
http://www.humming-rain.com/2012/04/18/flash-fiction-a-walk-in-the-woods/
Here’s my own last eleventh-hour entry, “Cold Calculus”. Win or lose, I hope people like it.
http://verdantartifice.com/2012/04/flash-fiction-cold-calculus/
A short one from me this week, and eleventh-hour as well. Can’t wait to read everyone else’s.
http://ilonatherose.wordpress.com/a-decomposition/
Please find my entry, Death Happens, via the link below.
http://mkbrick.blogspot.com/
[…] on Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds blog, he posted a challenge: “You have 1000 words to write a short story that prominently features […]
The Brief Afterlife of David Sinclair:
http://lithicbee.wordpress.com/2012/04/19/flash-fiction-challenge-death/
Thanks for the inspiration.
Here’s my submission:
http://unseelieorvampire.blogspot.com/
Been monitoring for a while and finally took the plunge, graphic included: http://flat5.net/2012/04/evil-eye/
Please don’t make any assumptions about this. Or call the cops. It won’t do her any good.
http://the-writer-blocked.blogspot.com/2012/04/my-mistress-death.html
Long time lurker, first time participant. Enjoy!
http://mindofdrunkle.com/2012/04/19/heres-my-attempt-at-flash-fiction-because-all-the-cool-kids-are-doing-it/
Freshly flashed today: Infinitely More Difficult
Not for those who are queasy about matter-of-fact discussion of suicide. JSYK.
[…] attempt at flash fiction on my blog courtesy of Chuck Wendig’s weekly writing challenge found here. It’s probably a little darker than my usual fare, but I hope you like it. If you don’t […]
A tale of how a god dies, when they cannot die.
http://amandalyngordon.blogspot.com/2012/04/flash-fiction-ala-chuck-wendig-death.html
Here’s mine.
Death Visits http://wp.me/p1BAlV-2T
I look forward to reading the rest of the entries. You are all very good.
I wasn’t able to make the deadline for this challenge, but having read through the other entries, I have to say that the piece by the ‘lastmoleman’ is fantastic! Have bookmarked your site Mr Moleman and will be checking out your new stuff regularly. Nice work!
Bex
I agree Bex. Drew / lastmoleman – beautifully haunting. So far this list has made me chuckle, given me goosebumps, and made me think.
I need to do this more often.
[…] Last week’s challenge: “Death Is On The Table“ […]
Just in time – a quick write this morning. Fairy tale characters pitched in to help.
http://www.ravensview.ca/ravens/2012/04/death-is-on-the-table.html
[…] the deadline on last week’s Terribleminds challenge, but I wanted to post it anyway. The challenge was posted on April 13th, which was exactly two […]
So, for the record, this list is epic.
Some great stuff here — I’m still getting through it all whilst traveling.
Expect an answer come Tuesday. 🙂
— c.
[…] late to the party so I’m trying to make up for lost and ill-spent time. Chuck Wendig over at Terrible Minds gave a flash fiction challenge to write, 1000 words or less, a short story about death however we […]
Just wrote it. I know this is late but wanted to share for anyone who comes across this archived 😛 Hope that’s ok
http://raskyred.wordpress.com/2012/04/24/flash-fiction-april-13-late/
AND WE HAVE A WINNER.
*pant, pant, pant*
Man, took me a while to go through these — I thought I’d have time traveling but I suspect I underestimated how many of you would enter.
Some really great stories here. The game has been upped. I found myself having to pick apart entries based on tinier details to count them out.
Spritzing death with a douche-spray? Death’s ride? Red and the Wolf? Many many good entries. A couple-few that were hard to read (blogs with images behind the text are unpleasant at best). But mostly top notch.
I’m calling the winner for:
A De/composition.
By Ilona Rose.
It’s short and strongly written and struck me in a very sad way.
http://ilonatherose.wordpress.com/a-decomposition/
Ilona, contact me at terribleminds at gmail dot com.
Thanks, all!
— c.
[…] First – Short Story April 16, 2012 By 11 Comments I entered this story at this writing challenge for Chuck Wendig: “You have 1000 words to write a short story that prominently […]
[…] been slacking on the job. I used to do the TerribleMinds Flash Fiction Challenge every week, but the first quarter-year has been challenging so I had to re-prioritize. I’m […]
[…] Some flash fiction for Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds blog. The theme? Death. (This will actually be up tomorrow to meet Chuck’s deadline, but I am […]