Chuck Wendig is a novelist, screenwriter, and game designer. This is his blog. He talks a lot about writing. And food. And the madness of toddlers. He uses lots of naughty language. NSFW. Probably NSFL. Be advised.

Flash Fiction Challenge: Spin The Wheel

First up, a little administrative work:

I picked the random winner from the last challenge, “The War On Christmas.”

BLUE LYNX is that winner.

Blue Lynx, contact me at terribleminds at gmail dot com. Kay? Kay.

With that outta the way, it’s time to BEGIN ANEW.

*dun dun dun*

Here’re the rules. I’m going to give you three categories. You will pick randomly from each category, maybe with a d10 or using a random number generator. From your choices, you’ll have 1000 words to write some flash fiction. Post this fiction at your online space. Link back here. Due by Friday, January 11th, at noon EST.

Here, then, are your categories:

Subgenre

Fairytale Fantasy
Post-Apocalyptic Horror
Superhero
Police Procedural
Military Sci-Fi
Kaiju
Dieselpunk
Conspiracy Fiction
Splatterpunk
Southern Gothic

Setting

An abandoned Wal-Mart
An underwater alien ship
The tropics
Limbo
A meth lab
The Golden Gate Bridge
On the surface of a comet
A Nevada brothel
Inside a virtual reality world
A nightclub in Hell

Must Feature

Talking animals
Magical foodstuff
A straight razor that never needs sharpening
One or several time-travelers
Mummies
Nanotechnology
A vigilante
A dead body
A blizzard
A mystery box

116 comments

Brandy

January 4, 2013 at 10:42 AM // Reply

My magic numbers are 7-8-4: Time travelers at a Dieselpunk Nevada brothel.
Sebastian Peters (@SebThePeters)

January 4, 2013 at 10:52 AM // Reply

I got Military Sci-Fi (5), a Nevada Brothel (8) and a mystery box (10)…

I’ll be on that like the plague!
Rachel

January 4, 2013 at 10:56 AM // Reply

Splatter punk story about a dead body at an abandoned Walmart. Gotta say, kinda stoked about this actually.
Stephen

January 4, 2013 at 11:02 AM // Reply

HNY to you Chuck and all the Wendigites. I’ve rolled the lists into my wp plugin that generates random choices and gives out the items rather than numbers.
Christin

January 4, 2013 at 11:31 AM // Reply

Wow so, I got the bug hard from my prompts and here’s mine: http://christwise.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/flash-fiction-challenge/
- itsfamilyjules
  
  January 8, 2013 at 7:52 PM // Reply
  
  I thought that was lovely. I really enjoyed the sense of mystery and the bittersweet payoff.
  - Christin
    
    January 9, 2013 at 10:31 AM // Reply
    
    Thank you so much!
Jim Franklin

January 4, 2013 at 11:40 AM // Reply

Well here we are my first piece of Flash Fiction for 2013, and I rolled ‘Splatterpunk’, ‘Abandoned Wall-Mart’ and ‘Talking Animals’.

Hope you like it. This is The Cat & Mouse Murders – http://writewayround.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/flash-fiction-the-cat-mouse-murders/
- itsfamilyjules
  
  January 8, 2013 at 7:53 PM // Reply
  
  Splatter-y! Nicely done.
- lwpatricks
  
  January 17, 2013 at 10:27 PM // Reply
  
  The last line had me laughing. Fun story!
Sebastian Peters (@SebThePeters)

January 4, 2013 at 12:54 PM // Reply

This is it – http://fav.me/d5qebcs

It rocks, by the way.

(Not biased in any way.)
- itsfamilyjules
  
  January 8, 2013 at 7:53 PM // Reply
  
  I can’t get to it unless I sign up for DeviantArt
Curtis Edmonds (@Curtis_Edmonds)

January 4, 2013 at 3:35 PM // Reply

Challenge met and accepted. THOR SLAYMASTER’S SHOPPING SPREE.

http://www.curtisedmonds.com/thor-slaymasters-shopping-spree/

(Superhero, Wal-Mart, blizzard, not that these things are important.)
- itsfamilyjules
  
  January 8, 2013 at 7:58 PM // Reply
  
  That was fun, I loved the style of it, and it was very creative!
- lwpatricks
  
  January 17, 2013 at 11:11 PM // Reply
  
  Fun story. I enjoyed the book burning lol
erimeh

January 4, 2013 at 4:57 PM // Reply

here is my contribution.
http://weiderthatithought.blogspot.com/2013/01/flash-fictionkaijulimbomystery-box.html
- erimeh
  
  January 7, 2013 at 9:13 PM // Reply
  
  Fixed some spelling issues and my URL (Thats what I get for rushing)
  http://weirderthanithought.blogspot.com/2013/01/flash-fictionkaijulimbomystery-box.html
  - itsfamilyjules
    
    January 8, 2013 at 8:07 PM // Reply
    
    That was very cool and weird, I really enjoyed it!
29tp

January 4, 2013 at 7:58 PM // Reply

That Last Tear Drop

(I love prompts!)

http://lemc2.wordpress.com/2013/01/05/that-last-tear-drop/
- lwpatricks
  
  January 17, 2013 at 11:22 PM // Reply
  
  Great story! I enjoyed the writing and found it sad and beautiful!
danzierlea

January 4, 2013 at 8:36 PM // Reply

2-4-7. 2.Post-Apocalyptic Horror, in the Tropics, with a Vigilante. I don’t like the genre, so this will be a great exercise!
- danzierlea
  
  January 4, 2013 at 9:37 PM // Reply
  
  Oh wait… 4 is Limbo. I’m not sure I can pull off post-apocalyptic HORROR in limbo. I call reroll! …3,7,2. A superhero on a comet with magical foodstuffs. Molllified, for now.
- danzierlea
  
  January 4, 2013 at 10:51 PM // Reply
  
  And now… “Quick Fix” by me. http://danzierlea.wordpress.com/2013/01/04/magic-food/ It’s about magic food, a superhero, and a comet. Let me know if you all like it.
- danzierlea
  
  January 6, 2013 at 12:48 PM // Reply
  
  AND in the spirit of neither being nor appearing to be a cheating cheat-faced cheater, I give you “Danced to Death.” http://danzierlea.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/part-2-not-cheating/
Tia Kalla (@tiakall)

January 5, 2013 at 12:22 AM // Reply

I rolled fairytale fantasy, Golden Gate Bridge, and a dead body. So I present: “Canonbreaker”.

http://itt.ymakadomain.com/?p=65
- lwpatricks
  
  January 17, 2013 at 11:35 PM // Reply
  
  Enjoyable read! I liked the last sentence =)
Fox Zayuri

January 5, 2013 at 2:49 AM // Reply

So, I rolled:
Police Procedural
A nightclub in Hell
Magical foodstuff

Shit, guys, I’m already working on a novel like this… WHAT DO I DO NOW, WENDIG? GUIDE ME!
Serena Cairns

January 5, 2013 at 7:13 AM // Reply

My friend and I don’t have web pages yet. Can we link to our ‘author’ pages on Facebook?
- terribleminds
  
  January 5, 2013 at 7:30 AM // Reply
  
  Long as everyone can see it, go for it!
Laura Libricz

January 5, 2013 at 8:16 AM // Reply

I didn’t even cheat–I took the numbers I got, first time. Year 299

http://lauralibricz.blogspot.de/2013/01/spin-wheel-flash-fiction.html
AM Gray

January 5, 2013 at 9:09 PM // Reply

I rolled:
9 Splatterpunk
10 A nightclub in Hell
2 Magical foodstuff

http://amgray.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/inferno.html
Dodging The Beat

January 6, 2013 at 10:58 AM // Reply

Splatterpunk, a nightclub in Hell, a mystery box.

One massive nail-bomb coming up…
Jessica Burde

January 6, 2013 at 12:07 PM // Reply

Been a while since I tried one of these. We’ll see what happens. I got:

Dieselpunk
The tropics
One or several time travelers
Chris Welsh

January 6, 2013 at 5:42 PM // Reply

I got superhero, surface of a comet and a dead body.

http://www.cwelsh.co.uk/flash-fiction-challenge-operation-decoy/
Brandon Stenger

January 6, 2013 at 6:58 PM // Reply

This was a lot of fun. I got Dieselpunk in a Nevada brothel with one or several time travelers.

http://www.brandonstenger.com/2013/01/06/ace_andrews/
Dave Versace

January 7, 2013 at 8:35 AM // Reply

I got Conspiracy fiction / On the surface of a comet / A blizzard, which led to probably the wierdest thing I have ever written. Snowball’s Chance – http://www.otherleg.com/lexifab2/?p=1530
Josh Loomis

January 7, 2013 at 8:36 AM // Reply

2-8-1. Let’s give it a crack.

http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/2013/01/07/flash-fiction-pearls-back-room/
jreinmiller

January 7, 2013 at 12:50 PM // Reply

I pulled:
8. Conspiracy Fiction
2. An underwater alien ship
4. One or several time-travelers

So here’s what I tossed together: http://www.jqpdx.com/2013/01/07/the-secret/
- oldestgenxer
  
  January 8, 2013 at 11:02 PM // Reply
  
  This, I like. Good story.
- Chris
  
  January 8, 2013 at 11:18 PM // Reply
  
  awesome story! i would like more!
oldestgenxer

January 8, 2013 at 1:16 AM // Reply

For the random number thing, the ones I got were 7, 5, and 10: Dieselpunk, A meth lab, and A mystery box.
This is not what I would have chosen. If I was cheating and could pick what I wanted, what I would have chosen is either fairytale fantasy or post-apocalyptic horror, an abandon Wal-Mart or the Golden Gate Bridge, and mummies or a blizzard. So what do I do with this?
The Pusher’s Algorithm
Ana M

January 8, 2013 at 11:22 AM // Reply

First timer…Conspiracy Fiction, A nightclub in Hell (both taken loosely) and nanotechnology.
http://anamaiolo.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/flash-fic-jan-11/
Joseph Turner

January 8, 2013 at 5:24 PM // Reply

I dont have a blog, webpage, facebook page or any type of cyber canvas whatsoever…so in order for me to blow your mind Chuck (retreats behind shield of obnoxiousness) am I allowed to post here?? or could I send it to your email for you to scrutinise?? or maybe I could just take a long walk off a short peir and allow you to continue your life unhindered by stupid questions? Though if I do, you will at some point from now jerk awake in the dead of night, glistening in the cool blue light of a full moon due to the panic induced cold sweat, and you will realise that what has been missing inn your life, is the enrichment that only my presence could have brought. It could be ten minutes, ten hours, ten years, ten aeons, point is it will happen.
- terribleminds
  
  January 8, 2013 at 9:48 PM // Reply
  
  Sadly not, Joseph — please don’t send to me. Try posting to Facebook or another social media site? Thanks! — c.
- oldestgenxer
  
  January 8, 2013 at 10:52 PM // Reply
  
  Joe, blogs are like assholes. Everybody has one, and the internet is full of them. Get yourself one for free. Don’t think of it as endless frustration, think of it as a new and exciting hobby.
  - Joseph Turner
    
    January 9, 2013 at 3:54 AM // Reply
    
    Okay, well it was worth a shot. I guess i’ll have to get a blog. (scribbles something down on paper) Anyone know where can I get an asshole?
itsfamilyjules

January 8, 2013 at 5:44 PM // Reply

My second flash fiction evah! These are fun, yeah?

http://itsfamilyjules.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/second-flash-fiction/
- Reggie Lutz
  
  January 9, 2013 at 10:14 PM // Reply
  
  Soooo dark! Which means, of course, I loved it.
  - Jules
    
    January 10, 2013 at 4:41 AM // Reply
    
    Thank you so much
- Sam Hume
  
  January 10, 2013 at 7:44 PM // Reply
  
  That was great. you capture southern gothic a whole lot better than I did.
  - Jules
    
    January 11, 2013 at 3:00 AM // Reply
    
    Thanks so much for reading it
Chris

January 8, 2013 at 6:53 PM // Reply

This is my first Flash-Fiction and it helped me a lot. I love doing this kind of stuff.
http://mouse462.tumblr.com/post/40047265183/scienceofthecaribbean
- Chris
  
  January 8, 2013 at 11:19 PM // Reply
  
  i realize its a little longer than 1000 words (double that actually) but still. sorry
S.W. Sondheimer

January 8, 2013 at 9:54 PM // Reply

Always seem to roll and Asian element on these. Kaiju (which I had to look up), Purgatory, and “a straight razor that never needs sharpening.”
Seems like a million years since I managed to carve out a few minutes to do one of these.
Glad to be back!
http://swsondheimer.wordpress.com/this-just-in/bubble-time/
S.W. Sondheimer

January 8, 2013 at 9:55 PM // Reply

Aw, crap. It was supposed to be Limbo, not Purgatory. I’m a call synonym.
*hangs head in shame*
It really has been a while…
Beth L.

January 8, 2013 at 11:22 PM // Reply

Police procedural, a meth lab, and a mysterious box starring in “Ice”.

http://knotachance.tumblr.com/
Brittney Williams

January 9, 2013 at 10:25 AM // Reply

I want to try a Southern Gothic setting, in an abandoned walmart with a dead body with a “razor that never needs sharpening.” Yes, I chose four, but they…I feel so intrigued on doing it. Could I ?
Anthony Elmore

January 9, 2013 at 11:22 AM // Reply

The Fates assigned me three elements: Superhero, virtual reality world, a vigilante. Yet, like delicates thrown in a dryer set to High, they came out as something else.

http://www.barelyok.com/flash-fiction-challenge-spin-the-wheel.html
Reggie Lutz

January 9, 2013 at 11:32 AM // Reply

My numbers were 2,8, and 6.
http://reggielutz.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-chuck-wendig-flash-fiction.html
- itsfamilyjules
  
  January 9, 2013 at 2:40 PM // Reply
  
  Very creative! Fun and sad all at the same time. Nice job
  - Reggie Lutz
    
    January 9, 2013 at 9:53 PM // Reply
    
    *blushes* thanks!
Adrian George Nicolae

January 9, 2013 at 12:58 PM // Reply

Here’s mine.
I drew -Conspiracy Fiction, The Golden Gate Bridge, A vigilante, by random.org. It was something new to me.

http://ayoungwriterblog.blogspot.ro/2013/01/not-night-mayor-wanted.html
Sarah O'Hara

January 9, 2013 at 1:40 PM // Reply

My numbers were 2, 8, and 8. How come I always end up with a dead body?

http://authorsarahohara.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge.html
beauhall

January 9, 2013 at 5:24 PM // Reply

1-5-6. Fairytale Fantasy Methlab Nanotechnology. Well fuck. Just great. A trip back to my childhood.
joeturner87

January 9, 2013 at 6:44 PM // Reply

So I went and got a blog, it was from a shady looking guy called Herman, who swore blind it had only been used several times before. Anywhooooo…to the point. I got 7)Dieselpunk…6)The Golden Gate Bridge…and….4)One or more time-travelers…so here goes

http://joetblogs.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-spin-the-wheel/

PS:- Oldestgenxer I finally found an asshole, it was in the mirror the whole time!
Matt Gourley

January 9, 2013 at 9:43 PM // Reply

I’m blaming Reggie Lutz for inspiring me to do this.

I got 4) A police procedural, 1) in an abandoned Walmart, 4) with one or more time-travellers.

http://mattgourley.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-quick-meeting.html
Daniel

January 9, 2013 at 11:04 PM // Reply

Yes! Got this out and it’s not the last minute.

http://dreinmiller.blogspot.com/2013/01/one-of-those-days.html
Daniel

January 9, 2013 at 11:09 PM // Reply

Oops. Forgot to add this. Rolled 3-8-7.
lwpatricks

January 10, 2013 at 12:40 AM // Reply

My roll is 1-10-10. I present to you, “The Last Temptation of Snow White,” a delightful romp through the misery of every little person’s favorite vixen. It’s not erotic smut…though the first sentence may seem like it.

http://lwpatricks.com/publications/flash-fiction-the-last-temptation-of-snow-white/
Wendy Hammer

January 10, 2013 at 9:12 AM // Reply

I wasn’t entirely successful but at least I had a great time. I rolled Splatterpunk, an abandoned Walmart, and talking animals. So, here it is, my first attempt at horror: “This is How You Remind Me”. http://sacredcheese.com/journal/2013/1/10/this-is-how-you-remind-me.html
Josh Atkins

January 10, 2013 at 2:22 PM // Reply

I rolled dieselpunk/the tropics/a mysterious box.

This is first story (of any length) that I’ve finished in YEARS, so please be gentle with me.

“Wellfleet’s Gone Missing”
http://jda30.blogspot.com/2013/01/wellfleets-gone-missing.html
Eva T

January 10, 2013 at 2:37 PM // Reply

I rolled 3, 7, 2 and the result can be found here: http://evathereseebert.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/flash-fiction-challenge-spin-the-wheel/
- Sam Hume
  
  January 10, 2013 at 7:35 PM // Reply
  
  Ha hahaha! classic. reminds me of the tick.
  - Eva T
    
    January 12, 2013 at 3:26 AM // Reply
    
    I’ve only seen one episode, but now that you mention it, you’re right; it does!
Devon Lynn

January 10, 2013 at 6:39 PM // Reply

This was a ton of fun! The number generator gave me: Splatterpunk inside a virtual reality world featuring a dead body.
http://devonlynn.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/flash-fiction-challenge-from-chuck-wendig-exposure-therapy-2/
- Sam Hume
  
  January 10, 2013 at 7:09 PM // Reply
  
  That was fun to read. very suspenseful
  .
  - Devon Lynn
    
    January 10, 2013 at 7:40 PM // Reply
    
    Thank you!
Sam Hume

January 10, 2013 at 6:55 PM // Reply

Wow, I actually had to make my own blog to post this. This is my first flash fiction ever, outside of a high school creative writing class. I rolled Southern Gothic in Limbo with a razor that never needs sharpening. This was a lot of fun.
Sam Hume

January 10, 2013 at 7:04 PM // Reply

first flash fiction ever, first blog ever. if i posted two times I’m sorry I didn’t see me first one.
http://samuelhume.blogspot.com/2013/01/flash-fiction-for-terribleminds-blog.html
- Jules
  
  January 11, 2013 at 3:01 AM // Reply
  
  I liked that. Your idea of limbo was really interesting!
  - Sam Hume
    
    January 11, 2013 at 7:39 PM // Reply
    
    thanks!
Sam Hume

January 10, 2013 at 7:12 PM // Reply

ok first flash fiction ever. I’ve been reading some great stuff some of yous guys have been putting up, so here’s my attempt. i rolled sothern gothic limbo razor blade. Enjoy!
http://samuelhume.blogspot.com/2013/01/flash-fiction-for-terribleminds-blog.html
Liz Davenport

January 10, 2013 at 9:02 PM // Reply

Here we go. A superhero, in a meth lab with nanotechnology

http://behealthymakeartlovelife.com/?p=691

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