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: The Wheel, Part Two

Last week’s challenge: “Spin The Wheel.” (So many entries!)

The past challenge was rather successful, so — I think we’re going to do it again.

I love these “games of aspects.” Eeeee!

Ahem. Anyway. So! Another set of random parameters for you to choose from, whether by rolling a d10 or using a random number generator like this one right here.

As usual, you’ve got 1000 words. Post it at your online space. Link back here.

You have one week. Due by Friday the 18th, noon EST.

Randomly choose one (or if you don’t want random and hate fun, pick one) from each:

Subgenre

Weird West
Comic Fantasy
Wuxia
Bad Girls In Prison
Zombie Apocalypse
Alien Abduction
Lovecraftian
Teenage Noir
Steampunk
Locked Room Mystery

Conflict

Betrayal by a loved one!
Need to hide a body!
Someone’s been poisoned!
The character is being hunted!
Enemy at the gates!
Heist gone wrong!
Man versus nature!
Man versus technology!
Revenge!
Family torn apart!

Must Feature:

Demonic possession
A forbidden book
A mysterious stranger
A bottle of rare whiskey
A vengeful god
Someone gone or going mad
A suitcase full of money
Carnival folk
A secret message
A hidden tunnel

100 comments

joeturner87

January 11, 2013 at 9:36 AM // Reply

Rolled…3,6,7…should be…interesting
Stephen

January 11, 2013 at 10:23 AM // Reply

Anyone wanting a random selection from the lists (rather than rolling / looking up) can get them here:

http://stephenemm.co.uk/flash-fiction/first-flash-fiction-challenge-of-the-year-part-2.php
Misa

January 11, 2013 at 11:35 AM // Reply

The Random gods have been kind – I got 1, 6 and 4. If I can’t make a story from those, there’s no hope for me.
- Sam Hume
  
  January 11, 2013 at 7:45 PM // Reply
  
  cant wait to see
Alex

January 11, 2013 at 11:49 AM // Reply

Rolled a 8, 5 and a 10. This should be good
csoffer

January 11, 2013 at 12:26 PM // Reply

I am not going to enter this contest. I did, however, just buy Mockingbirds and Blackbirds. As soon as I can figure out which one I’m supposed to read first, I will dive in!!!!!! #ilovechuck
Curtis Edmonds (@Curtis_Edmonds)

January 11, 2013 at 1:08 PM // Reply

There is, really, no such thing as random. Clearly, the random gods meant for me to enter this contest, and meant for me to choose “zombie apocalypse,” because OF COURSE, and “hunted,” because of the tie-in and, well, SHAMELESS RIP-OFF of a classical work of fiction, and “whiskey”, because it is by-God five o’clock somewhere. So I give you THOR SLAYMASTER’S DANGEROUS GAME.

http://www.curtisedmonds.com/thor-slaymasters-dangerous-game/

You’re welcome, America.
James

January 11, 2013 at 1:55 PM // Reply

8, 1, 3.

I have no idea, but tonight… oh hell.
Chelsea

January 11, 2013 at 4:39 PM // Reply

1,2,10 This does’t seem to hard I just kind of wish the random number generator had given me something a little weirder.
Sam Hume

January 11, 2013 at 7:51 PM // Reply

I got 5, 7, and 7. which seems easy. So I roll again *shake the dice and 1 7 6. Dang Stephen king already did that one.
joeturner87

January 11, 2013 at 7:52 PM // Reply

I got 3,6,7.

I don’t know if it could be called a Heist Gone Wrong, or if its Wuxia, but there is a Suitcase Full of Money. So one out of three ain’t bad.

http://joetblogs.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-spin-the-wheel-pt-2/
erimeh

January 11, 2013 at 9:55 PM // Reply

I rolled 6, 6, 8…this is going to be even weirder than the last one.
- erimeh
  
  January 18, 2013 at 12:24 PM // Reply
  
  I’m late I know I just spent the last 30 minutes fighting with my internet connection. I hope y’all enjoy it.
  
  http://weirderthanithought.blogspot.com/2013/01/working-for-peanuts-flash-fiction.html
jreinmiller

January 11, 2013 at 10:20 PM // Reply

7,8,10 for me. Second go at Lovecraft in the challenges. Happier with how this one came out than the last one.

http://www.jqpdx.com/2013/01/12/dear-friend/
- Dave Scott
  
  January 17, 2013 at 10:30 PM // Reply
  
  I was very impressed with this work. You were able to merge the (3) selections in a very unique way. You also did a great job on the ‘language’ of it – it ‘flavored’ the writing. Loved it.
Natalie Maddalena

January 11, 2013 at 10:49 PM // Reply

Lovecraftian. Need to hide a body! A secret message.
http://highlightonwords.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/rlyeh/
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 10:26 AM // Reply
  
  Loved this! Well crafted and strange.
troylefman

January 11, 2013 at 11:05 PM // Reply

8 2 10 challenge accepted!
S.W. Sondheimer

January 11, 2013 at 11:13 PM // Reply

Locked room mystery. Family torn apart! A bottle of rare whiskey!
A new moment with some old friends.
http://swsondheimer.wordpress.com/this-just-in/whiskey-in-the-room/
Tia Kalla (@tiakall)

January 12, 2013 at 12:11 AM // Reply

I got 10, 10 and 7. To which my brain promptly went “okay, time to be a sick motherfucker! Let’s take ‘a family torn apart’ LITERALLY!”

So I present my not-safe-for-hematophobes-or-anyone-with-taste, “A Forensic Puzzle”: http://itt.ymakadomain.com/?p=69
darleneaubol

January 12, 2013 at 8:13 AM // Reply

I give you The Bearded Lady
http://darlene.underdahl.net/?p=204

aka Darlene Underdahl
http://www.VermillionRoadPress.com
Alexa Muir

January 12, 2013 at 6:05 PM // Reply

Rather enjoyed this and pleased that the gods of story gave me three things that turned out to be a prequel to another idea I’d had a while back. I give you, 1. Weird West, 5. Enemy at the gates and 6. Someone gone or going mad. Or as I called it, “Sunset”.

Hope you enjoy and happy for any feedback.

http://bit.ly/X2X690
Tami Veldura

January 12, 2013 at 7:35 PM // Reply

Very pleased with my dice rolls: steampunk, enemy at the gates, vengeful god

I give you: To Heaven and Back Again, another short in my Approaching Lightspeed steampunk-in-space

http://www.tamiveldura.com/2013/01/to-heaven-and-back-again.html?zx=1ac83a3532ed3587
AM Gray

January 12, 2013 at 9:59 PM // Reply

I scored, 2 Comic Fantasy
· 6 Heist gone wrong!
· 1 Demonic possession
It’s called ‘Hobbit heist’

http://amgray.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/hobbit-heist.html
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 3:00 PM // Reply
  
  Enjoyed!
Jim Franklin

January 13, 2013 at 10:19 AM // Reply

Here we go then.

I rolled Weird West, Someone’s Been Poisoned, and Mysterious Stranger, hope you like it.

The Untold Legend of Skull Ridge
http://writewayround.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/flash-fiction-untold-legend-skull-ridge/
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 2:48 PM // Reply
  
  Hah! Amusing, and definitely the weirdest west I’ve read about.
Anthony Elmore

January 13, 2013 at 12:31 PM // Reply

I pulled from the hat Locked Room Mystery, Someone’s been poisoned, A bottle of rare whiskey. The challenge has been accepted.

http://www.barelyok.com/terrible-minds-flash-fiction-challenge-the-wheel-part-ii.html
- Dave Scott
  
  January 16, 2013 at 9:13 PM // Reply
  
  I loved your character development and attention to the small details – it makes it feel so much larger than the 1000 words written. Great job man – loved it.
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 10:34 AM // Reply
  
  Oh, this was fine. Didn’t find the locked room, but loved the dark humor, clean writing, and mystery. Well balanced.
ljpaddock

January 13, 2013 at 4:05 PM // Reply

Here’s mine. Great fun! Louise
http://ontheedgeofinfinity.wordpress.com/2013/01/13/spin-the-wheel-flash-fiction/
whirlingnerdish (@whirlingnerdish)

January 13, 2013 at 8:20 PM // Reply

Okay, finally got my nailed down. I got: Steampunk, the character is hunted, and it must feature a demonic possession. It came in around 978 words.

Doing the Devil’s Work: http://whirlingnerdish.blogspot.com/2013/01/flash-fiction-challenge-doing-devils.html
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 3:07 PM // Reply
  
  Oooh! Good writing. I enjoyed this. I don’t usually like steampunk, but you really captured the flavor of…everything.
Anthony Elmore

January 14, 2013 at 1:24 AM // Reply

BTW, I’ve given myself a challenge. I will do all Flash Fiction Challenges by the close of 2013. That’s right, Every mother frogging one! Statistically speaking, it’s impossible to write 50 consecutive crappy stories. By the end of the year, I should have at least 5 that are salable. Can he do it?

Link to the blog category for the FF challenges: http://www.barelyok.com/category/terrible-minds-flash-fiction-challenge
- erimeh
  
  January 18, 2013 at 12:43 PM // Reply
  
  My goal is to do at least 75% of the challenges. It’s far more ambitious then I normally am but I, like you, feel that at least some of my stories will not be totally craptacular
Josh Loomis

January 14, 2013 at 7:58 AM // Reply

9,3,9 – A return to Steampunk. Interesting.

1000 Words: “The Last Flight of the Wayward Albatross” http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/2013/01/14/flash-fiction-last-flight-of-the-wayward-albatross/
Victoria Huntley

January 14, 2013 at 12:15 PM // Reply

http://eyeofthewriter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/not-so-different.html

I rolled Bad Girls In Prison, Enemy at the Gates and A Bottle of Rare Whiskey. ^^
chelsearthompson

January 14, 2013 at 4:20 PM // Reply

Not flash-fiction, as it’s way too long, but fulfills Weird West, man vs. nature (desert of DEATH), and a rare bottle of whiskey. Written in honor of my BFF’s birthday. http://chelsearthompson.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/the-shortest-and-most-puerto-rican-sherrif-in-the-west/
Becky Rae

January 14, 2013 at 8:45 PM // Reply

I rolled Bad Girls in Prison, Enemy at the Gates, and Carnival folk. I had a lot of fun! Thanks for posting!
http://a-curious-person.blogspot.com/2013/01/flask-fiction.html
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 3:18 PM // Reply
  
  Some great and quirky writing here. I read this piece with a smile on my face, and was really into it. The ending shocked me (in a good way).
- Dave Scott
  
  January 17, 2013 at 10:23 PM // Reply
  
  I really liked the tempo of your writing. It made me laugh more than once and yet there were some nicely grimy visuals. Great job
Clay Ashby

January 15, 2013 at 1:53 PM // Reply

I’m a novice by every meaning of the word, but I’m practicing every day and this little competition is a great opportunity to do that.

My random was 5, 1, 1

I even started a blog for this, and it doesn’t even have a real domain name yet

http://www.thegnomecomputercompany.com/ClayAshby/the-end-of-salem/
Rebecca Douglass

January 15, 2013 at 2:59 PM // Reply

Had to cheat a little. First two genres I rolled I didn’t even know what they’d look like. (What IS Wuxia?). So I took comic fantasy and then rolled 3 & 6. Halitor the Hero (or maybe Halitosis the Hero) coming soon. . .
Meghan

January 15, 2013 at 4:46 PM // Reply

I rolled 7, 9, and 4…high standards to live up to – here’s hoping I do Lovecraft justice!
Riley Hill

January 16, 2013 at 2:16 PM // Reply

6,2,10. Alien abduction, need to hide a body, a secret tunnel. That was fun, though the listed conflict hit more in the second part of the tale. Trimmed to under a thousand words. http://authorrileyhill.com
- Dave Scott
  
  January 16, 2013 at 9:04 PM // Reply
  
  This, is, awesome! You had me captured to a point in the end where I audibly said “What?!?” My wife asked me “What, what?” I couldn’t explain – she had to read – we loved it
  
  Brilliantly done Riley.
  - Riley Hill
    
    January 17, 2013 at 10:15 AM // Reply
    
    Thanks, Dave. It was a blast to write. It started out around 1500 words, so I had to bite it down a bit. I might flesh it out and use it in a collection.
- Clay Ashby
  
  January 17, 2013 at 10:44 AM // Reply
  
  I really enjoyed your story! I felt like it had not just one twist, but two.
- lwpatricks
  
  January 17, 2013 at 7:27 PM // Reply
  
  Hey Riley! I’m thrilled you enjoyed my story =) I read through yours and loved it. You’re a fantastic writer and I love your voice and prose. How hard was it to cut words from your work? I shaved off 300. You know what they say: ‘Kill your darlings’ lol.
  
  Cheers!
- Riley Hill
  
  January 18, 2013 at 12:52 PM // Reply
  
  Added another link since it moved down in my posts: http://authorrileyhill.com/archives/218
Sarah O'Hara

January 16, 2013 at 5:11 PM // Reply

Not entirely on topic, but fun nonetheless.

http://authorsarahohara.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge_16.html
Dave Scott

January 16, 2013 at 8:51 PM // Reply

Oh yeah – 7, 6, 8 – Lovecraftian : Heist gone wrong! : Carnival Folk !!!
I wrote it from the standard H.P. (almost the modern found-footage-type film) docu-style creeptastic mystery. I got it to 1060 words and cut it back to 995.

I hope this is even close to as enjoyable to read as it was to write – I honestly had a blast writing this one!

Here is “Case #207″
http://www.cf.frickbat.com/davescott/?p=321
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 10:13 AM // Reply
  
  Well done, Dave. I enjoyed more than one chuckle. Having encountered a few police reports, I couldn’t help but imagine how the readers of these would react. This was a fun read.
lwpatricks

January 16, 2013 at 10:19 PM // Reply

Damnit Chuck!

Your addictive contests are taking 1000 words away from my own project weekly lol. Here’s my story entitled the Path of Crows – A kung fu fable with flavours of wuxia, revenge, and the reason why Nickelback exists — a vengeful god.

http://lwpatricks.com/publications/flash-fiction-the-path-of-crows-a-kung-fu-fable/
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 2:43 PM // Reply
  
  A Native American friend of mine used to comment on the laughter of crows…I completely enjoyed this story. I found it elegant, with twisted humor and wonderful characters. Thank you for a fine read.
Beth L.

January 16, 2013 at 11:06 PM // Reply

I freely admit, I do not roll. I take what I like most, and leave the rest. That being said, here’s steampunk, someone’s been poisoned, and a secret message.

http://knotachance.tumblr.com/
Laura Libricz

January 17, 2013 at 5:55 AM // Reply

I like Stephen’s random picker. And I am also goofing off writing Flash Fiction instead of working on my book.

“But it’s a great exercise in focusing,” she said.

Teen Noir: http://lauralibricz.blogspot.de/2013/01/914-flash-fiction.html
- Laura Libricz
  
  January 17, 2013 at 2:51 PM // Reply
  
  No, wait, that was Teeange Noir, Somebody blocking the exit and a suitcase full of money. But that wasn’t 914 was it? Did Stephen slip me a mickey? Or was that me?
Riley Hill

January 17, 2013 at 10:47 AM // Reply

Tight! Nice ending–didn’t see it coming. What were your “3″ random selections from the categories (I got the whiskey and money). Fun read.
louisesor

January 17, 2013 at 5:36 PM // Reply

My setting was Weired West, the conflict man vs. tech, the must have, Forbidden Book.

Wild Wild Horse http://wp.me/p1BAlV-3u
Rebecca Douglass

January 17, 2013 at 7:03 PM // Reply

Okay, here it is. 999 words, sub-genre comic fantasy, conflict is someone has been poisoned, and must-have is someone going mad. Introducing Halitor the Hero.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2013/01/halitor-hero-short-story.html
- Riley Hill
  
  January 17, 2013 at 9:14 PM // Reply
  
  Funny and fun!
Kirstie

January 17, 2013 at 7:43 PM // Reply

So much fun! I missed out last time because my toddler was sick so I couldn’t write.
I rolled 7, 8, 1 so behold: Emily’s Typewriter, a Lovecraftian man vs machine tale featuring demonic possession(I know, it’s almost too easy, right?!).
I fudged up though and I’ve gone over the word limit(1,200) so I’m not eligible to win, but I’d still love it if anyone wants to drop by and give me any feedback.
http://www.storybookperfect.com/flash-fiction-emilys-typewriter/
Alex

January 17, 2013 at 8:11 PM // Reply

Well, I got 8-6-4; a Teen Noir heist for rare whiskey gone wrong.

Folks, I present “Tessa Collier In the Drink”

http://mahoganyandink.blogspot.com/2013/01/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge.html
M E Lucas

January 17, 2013 at 8:50 PM // Reply

Ok, here we go…

Rolled the following: Subgenre: 3. Wuxia / Conflict: 2. Need to hide a body! / Must feature: 7. A suitcase of money.

New to all this writing stuff, especially Flash type, and went a few over on the word count, please don’t scold me!

http://melucas.co.uk/Scribblings/terribleminds-01.html
Melanie Marttila

January 17, 2013 at 9:14 PM // Reply

I got zombie apocalypse, family torn apart, and forbidden book.
For what it’s worth:
http://melaniemarttila.ca/2013/01/17/spinning-the-wheel-for-chuck-wendig/
h.vert

January 17, 2013 at 9:30 PM // Reply

I rolled Teenage Noir, Enemy at the Gates!, Carnival Folk.
(too bad I’m not sure what teenage noir actually is, lol.)
http://qandotherletters.blogspot.com/2013/01/flash-fiction-teenage-noir-enemy-at.html
Ryan

January 17, 2013 at 11:57 PM // Reply

you can read my entry by clicking my name

Its a comic fantasy story about revenge featuring a mysterious stranger.

Enjoy!
Julie

January 18, 2013 at 12:11 AM // Reply

Mine can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/320934261350504/doc/321434207967176/

Subgenre: Locked room mystery, Conflict: Man vs Nature, Must Feature: Someone gone or going mad

Entertaining challenge!
Amanda

January 18, 2013 at 10:37 AM // Reply

This was a lot of fun. Feels good to be writing again.
I rolled: Teenage Noir; A family torn apart; Carnival folk

http://alarrasgate.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-wheel-part-2.html
jay wolf

January 18, 2013 at 11:11 AM // Reply

Lovecraftian, Heist Gone Wrong, Forbidden Book. This Particular Body of Work:

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s112//sh/84b4e9bf-b7f1-4840-b00a-63ce2b433f0c/0f38c91b3dc690c86c9b3d9a79c6bc9a

A vignette with two Miskatonic U professors I created for another story.

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