Flash Fiction Challenge: Choose Your Motif
Last week’s challenge: “Photos of Impossible Places.”
Motif.
What, is it, you ask? Besides someone explaining that they have plenty of chompers in their mouth? (Wait for it, you’ll get it. I’ll just stand here while you… ah, good, you got it.)
A motif is not a theme.
It is not a mood.
It is a recurring element. A repeated symbol or overarching image.
(Birds are a motif found in my novels Blackbirds and Mockingbird.)
So, today, I’m going to give you 10 motifs.
You will choose one. Randomly, either by d10 or by random number generator.
This motif will be a significant symbol or element in your story. Symbolically and/or literally.
I’ll also toss in two other categories: setting and subgenre.
Choose (randomly or otherwise) one from each.
You have, as usual, up to 1000 words. Post at your site, link back here.
Due by Friday, February 1st, noon EST.
Ready?
Motifs
- Birds
- Skulls
- Blood
- Eyes
- Snakes
- Swords
- Water
- Storms
- Mirrors
- The Moon
Subgenre
- Dystopia
- Erotic Fantasy
- Noir
- Paranormal Romance
- Comic Fantasy
- Cozy Mystery
- Transhumanism
- Ecothriller
- Wild West (In Space)
- Mythpunk
Setting
- A train
- A virtual reality world
- A king’s bedroom
- A labyrinth
- Inside the mind of another character
- An amusement park
- A restaurant in space
- A villain’s volcano lair
- In the chamber of the gods
- Route 66


Mike Young
February 1, 2013 at 11:42 AM //
Skulls
Comedy Fantasy
Inside the Mind of Another Character
I didn’t really do skull as a motif – more as a character – but this was a fun little story anyway. Good chance to use some of my Fairy Tale Folk again.
http://www.ravensview.ca/ravens/2013/02/the-skull.html