Flash Fiction Challenge: “Roll For Title!”
Smell that?
*takes long sniff*
It is the first flash fiction challenge of the year.
I’VE THAT SCENT OF SHEER STORY POTENTIAL CLINGING TO THE INSIDE OF MY NOSE.
And it is wonderfully sweet.
I’d actually like to take a little moment to say I’m so happy that these challenges seem to get people writing and I’ve seen more than a few folks sell-through stories based on these challenges, which makes the brittle broken snow-globe that I call my heart twitch and shine for one second.
Anyway, let’s get to it.
All you need to do this week is to use a d20 or a random number generator to consult the table at the bottom of the document to roll for a story’s title. It’s a two-part title (meaning, two random numbers 1-20) and whatever title you get must fit the story you write for it.
You’ll have 1000 words, par usual. Post at your blog, link back here. Due in one week — January 17th, Friday — by noon EST. Easy-peasy story-squeezy.
(Example of an earlier, similar challenge here.)
The title tables are (and you’re free to put the word “The” in front of your title):
Column One
- Snowbound
- Devil’s
- Accursed
- Whispering
- Amethyst
- Griefstruck
- Lovestruck
- Red
- Cartographer’s
- Chaos
- Orbital
- Jackdaw’s
- Minotaur
- Invisible
- Dog Star
- Helical
- Flight of the
- Cerulean
- Seamstress’
- Ten-Year
Column Two
- Murders
- Kid’s Club
- Angel
- Vault
- Bookshop
- Champion
- Palace
- Fear
- Skull
- Potion
- Birdhouse
- Encyclopedia
- Peacock
- Prison
- Wire
- Rider
- Story
- God
- Parasite
- Earth
January 10, 2014 @ 3:12 PM
Okay, “Snowbound Bookshop”, not “Snowbound Bookstore”. Misread it there.
January 10, 2014 @ 4:33 PM
8 & 15: The Red Wire. Interesting. Back in a bit with a story… 🙂
January 10, 2014 @ 6:10 PM
Enjoy folks!
http://jdsfiction.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/roll-for-title-flash-challenge/
January 10, 2014 @ 4:41 PM
6 & 20. The Griefstruck Earth. interesting…
January 10, 2014 @ 4:43 PM
Oh, Cartographer’s Fear? Hmm, I think that calls for a little Lovecraftian horror.
January 10, 2014 @ 5:15 PM
Ten-Year Prison
January 10, 2014 @ 5:36 PM
19/6 Seamstress’s Champion
I think I can work this
January 10, 2014 @ 5:43 PM
I used a physical d20, because I’m a nerd like that.
…”Griefstruck Prison”. That sounds depressing.
January 12, 2014 @ 10:23 PM
How nerdy are you? Is it a spin-down D20, or is it a regular D20?
January 10, 2014 @ 5:46 PM
Cerulean Fear. Hmm, this should be interesting.
“Roll For Title” Flash Challenge | JDSFiction
January 10, 2014 @ 6:07 PM
[…] it is, the first Chuck Wendig Flash Challenge of 2014. This week was a random title challenge. After the random number gods cast my dice, I got: The Red […]
January 10, 2014 @ 6:55 PM
This’ll be my first time, so be gentle!
I’ve got Jackdaw’s Murders
January 11, 2014 @ 1:02 AM
Curious to see what you come up with. Jackdaw’s was one of my words too.
January 10, 2014 @ 6:56 PM
Helical Angel. Let’s see what happens!
January 10, 2014 @ 7:46 PM
13/10 – The Minotaur Potion.
Does someone know where I can find a king size brush, a flabby from raven’s blood and a leprous wall ?
There will be words !
January 10, 2014 @ 8:05 PM
Minotaur Rider.
Well okey dokey. This is my first challenge. Hopefully I’ll come back.
January 10, 2014 @ 8:11 PM
I subscribe to Writer’s Digest (I know, I know) and I totally fangirled over the hybrid writer piece! something cool from the Internet in real life! such fabulous! Probably the most interesting thing in the magazine, obviously.
January 12, 2014 @ 11:34 AM
You’re not alone. I had a freakout in the laundry mat when I saw that article.
January 10, 2014 @ 8:42 PM
My first Flash Fiction Challenge ever was a load of fun.
The Jackdaw’s Wire
http://the52review.blogspot.com/2014/01/terrible-minds-flash-fiction-challenge.html
Enjoy!
January 10, 2014 @ 11:22 PM
Very good stuff. I like how conflicted he seemed about killing the priest–would have been easy and predictable to have him be flippantly justified about it.
January 11, 2014 @ 12:28 AM
Thanks so much, for the encouragement. I thought it was kinda meh, personally, but this is my first time trying to write with such a small word count. I took a gander at yours and enjoyed it. Went a completely different direction than I initially expected.
January 11, 2014 @ 12:31 AM
Thanks 🙂
January 11, 2014 @ 2:51 AM
That was fun. I would read more of that world.
January 11, 2014 @ 7:41 AM
Good story. You got a lot of little details into a very limited word range. Nice job.
January 12, 2014 @ 7:26 PM
I really enjoyed this! I got a sense of an entire world in just a few details.
January 12, 2014 @ 7:27 PM
I tried to reply once and it disappeared…sorry if you get this twice!
I really enjoyed this! I got a sense of an entire world in such a short piece. Great read.
January 10, 2014 @ 8:48 PM
so well…. though I was good most of the way with daily writing in NOV and DEC but this last few not so good….
I got Devil’s Wire….lots of possibilities there….
January 10, 2014 @ 9:02 PM
Invisible Bookshop
My first response was: There are too many of those now.
I’ll be back.
:: Hunkers Down at Desktop to Write ::
January 10, 2014 @ 9:19 PM
Cartographer’s Vault – already I have an excellent visual.
January 11, 2014 @ 1:14 AM
Alright, here’s my attempt!
http://ajbauers.blogspot.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-challenge-cartographers.html
January 11, 2014 @ 1:46 PM
Very enjoyable dialogue and characterization. I’d definitely like to see where the discovery of the map ends up taking the group (and as a child of the 80’s myself, a reference to Goonies is always appreciated).
January 12, 2014 @ 12:31 AM
Thanks Nick – normally I try to stray away from pop culture references in my pieces, but with the tone of this flash fiction, I couldn’t help but throw it in 🙂
January 10, 2014 @ 9:22 PM
Cartographer’s Bookshop
The cartographer’s bookshop is on a quiet corner of a quiet street and on every shelf is what you’ll need to start your next adventure.
January 10, 2014 @ 9:29 PM
Here is my first Flash Fiction attempt: The Devil’s Rider.
http://www.ramblingbeachcat.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-fridays-devils-rider.html
January 12, 2014 @ 7:10 PM
Well, submitted this to some flash fiction publications today. Time to start up the process of rejection letters!
January 10, 2014 @ 10:22 PM
Ok, that was a blast!
“Ten-Year God”: http://www.cjaiferry.com/ten-year-god/
January 11, 2014 @ 3:33 PM
I liked that. I expect to see spec fic in these things so was a little surprised, but that was an excellent, polished story.
January 10, 2014 @ 10:27 PM
Amethyst Fear?
Okie-dokie.
January 10, 2014 @ 10:33 PM
“The Cartographers Fear”
http://ndeneau.tumblr.com/post/72934988306/flash-fiction-challenge-the-cartographers-fear
January 11, 2014 @ 1:59 PM
At first I wasn’t digging the direction that you took the story. Once it got to his perceptions and fears, however, you really sold it well. Nice work.
January 10, 2014 @ 10:57 PM
4/18 – “The Whispering God”
I’m sufficiently creeped out already. This is my first challenge.
January 12, 2014 @ 4:06 PM
http://animisticengine.tumblr.com/post/73127429403/the-whispering-god
And here it is.
Snowbound Angel. | Punk-ass Book Pusher
January 10, 2014 @ 11:45 PM
[…] is for the latest flash fiction challenge at Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds, in which you roll 2D20 and use the numbers to choose title words from two columns. I came up with […]
January 10, 2014 @ 11:45 PM
And here is Snowbound Angel, finished just before I have to shut down and go home.
http://dangerdean.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/snowbound-angel/
January 11, 2014 @ 12:26 AM
This was, in a word, fantastic. You really managed a strong voice in the piece and I love the cheat you used in making the thoughts stream together so as to only use a word each. I wish my effort had been half as good. Great job, sir.
January 11, 2014 @ 12:31 AM
Thank you! Now that I have that out of the way I can read everyone else’s. 🙂
January 11, 2014 @ 1:56 AM
Thanks! Now that I have that out of the way I can spend some time reading all the other people’s entries. 🙂
January 12, 2014 @ 1:40 AM
And now, of course, the response I tried to post from my phone decides to show up…
January 11, 2014 @ 4:36 AM
Really enjoyed that. Great work
January 11, 2014 @ 2:16 PM
That was superb! Best one I’ve read on here (and completely kicks my story’s ass). Well done.
January 12, 2014 @ 1:47 PM
Good story.
January 14, 2014 @ 8:19 PM
Well done! I liked that a lot.
January 15, 2014 @ 9:31 AM
Damn! Seriously, that was great!
January 15, 2014 @ 10:06 AM
Kudos for breaking out the word, “ersatz”. Well done, sir!
January 16, 2014 @ 3:00 AM
Thanks for the comments, everybody!
January 11, 2014 @ 12:20 AM
6/20 also. Griefstruck Earth?! Going to have to oil the gears, because they seem reluctant to turn…
January 11, 2014 @ 12:49 AM
Just found this and it looks like fun!
4/19 Whispering Parasite
January 11, 2014 @ 3:31 AM
20/10 – The Ten-Year Potion.
What happens when a customer is dissatisfied with a magical item purchase? They return it to Wensil and his Magical Item Return Office.
http://www.mattheweatonwriter.com/flash-fiction-challenge-ten-year-potion/
January 11, 2014 @ 7:24 AM
Here we go again! Chuck Wendig’s big carnival ride of craziness and fun 😀 All aboard for the great fun we loved last year – and more! 😀
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/the-cartographers-bookshop.html
Here’s my contribution… 😀
January 11, 2014 @ 1:24 PM
Mozette! Shoot me an email, your blogs have no contact information.
January 11, 2014 @ 2:41 PM
Great job, Mozette! I enjoyed your flash quite a bit. 🙂
January 11, 2014 @ 6:33 PM
Thank you, Joseph. I saw those two words and thought it’d be fun to have this kinda bookstore in a freaky kind of way… talking, mad squirrels and all! 😀
January 11, 2014 @ 8:17 AM
Snowbound Wire:
Rightyo. The occasional swear word here, but not much. What happens when brats who know better start mucking around with weather magic:
http://antagonistsneeded.blogspot.com/2014/01/snowbound-wire-chuck-wendigs-flash.html
January 11, 2014 @ 8:18 AM
Who should* Sorry, it’s late/early here
January 13, 2014 @ 8:46 AM
Liked the story.
January 14, 2014 @ 7:29 AM
Thank you. I think the thing I like about is the relatively instant gratification. No month of revising and beta’s and submitting. It makes me so happy to log on and see people comment 😀
So yeah, thanks 🙂
January 11, 2014 @ 10:08 AM
ooooo I got Lovestruck Fear! Good title if I do say so myself. Let’s get to it then.
Flash Fiction Challenge: The Ten-Year Potion | Matthew Eaton: Writer
January 11, 2014 @ 11:29 AM
[…] Flash Fiction Challenge: The Ten-Year Potion Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.I’ve decided it was time to showcase some of my writing ability, so why not post something here and then enter into the Friday Flash Fiction Challenge over at Chuck Wendig’s place? […]
January 11, 2014 @ 3:08 PM
Ten Year Encyclopedia. Should be fun. Back in a bit.
January 11, 2014 @ 3:26 PM
Here’s “Griefstruck God”
http://write-first.blogspot.com/2014/01/griefstruck-god.html
January 11, 2014 @ 6:43 PM
That rocked.
January 11, 2014 @ 9:31 PM
I tried to leave a post on your blog, but couldn’t figure out how – anyway, I liked it a lot, and I especially liked how personal the conflict was. It was well done 😀
January 12, 2014 @ 9:05 AM
Thanks for the replies, both of you. I will have to make sure it’s easy enough to post on the blog. Thanks again.
January 12, 2014 @ 9:10 AM
Wow…intense…loved how it ends…great story!
January 12, 2014 @ 2:33 PM
That was excellent!
January 13, 2014 @ 8:53 AM
Cool story. Good job.
January 11, 2014 @ 6:05 PM
Devil’s God.
again
Devil’s God.
I knew I should have bought a lottery ticket this week.
Flash Fiction Challenge – Roll for your title | Under a Starlit Sky
January 11, 2014 @ 10:26 PM
[…] It’s a new year and a new year of short story flash fiction challenges from Chuck Wendig’s Blog and here’s his first challenge of 2014 Roll For Your Title! […]
January 11, 2014 @ 10:32 PM
Okay here’s mine: The Griefstruck Earth. I moved my blog to wordpress cuz the one that came with my website was s***. so here it is: http://wp.me/pBqgu-52 hope y’all like it!
January 13, 2014 @ 4:23 PM
Interesting.
January 12, 2014 @ 12:55 AM
Jackdaw’s Peacock … Originally I thought I couldn’t think of anything. Then I spent the last few hours writing a romance story (It’s pg), please be gentle it’s my first time:
Jackdaw’s Peacock: http://art-of-shakura.tumblr.com/post/73059490599/jackdaws-peacock
January 12, 2014 @ 8:21 AM
This was interesting – I thought the emotions and attraction between the two were quite tangible. I tripped a bit over the dialogue at the end, but I think that has more to do with the time of night here than anything else 🙂 It was good.
January 13, 2014 @ 8:08 PM
Thank you for your feedback!~
January 14, 2014 @ 10:04 PM
Nicely done – I really like the characterization you have immediately for ‘Jackdaw’ in the beginning of the flash, it hooked me in.
January 12, 2014 @ 6:29 AM
Jackdaw’s Prison. Hmm… should be fun
Dog Star Prison | Her Raven Domain: Blog of Author Christine Frost
January 12, 2014 @ 9:16 AM
[…] a good excuse to pull the relics (the original set from 1978, no less!) from my desk drawer. This week’s challenge was to roll for a word or phrase in two columns, which would be the title, and then write a story […]
January 12, 2014 @ 9:21 AM
Dog Star Prison: kind of a grimdark sci-fi piece, if I had to categorize it. That’s what I love about these prompts–always getting me to try new things! http://www.herravendomain.com/dog-star-prison/
January 13, 2014 @ 4:27 PM
Nice story.
January 12, 2014 @ 10:08 AM
11/Orbital 15/Wire
“Orbital Wire”
Hmm. Okay then.
January 12, 2014 @ 10:51 AM
First prompt of the year is off and running! A new world for me. Steampunky and action packed 😀
Flight of the Vault
http://www.tamiveldura.com/2014/01/promp-flight-of-vault.html?zx=100de8139741236a
January 14, 2014 @ 1:20 PM
And part two:
http://www.tamiveldura.com/2014/01/flight-of-vault-part-2.html
January 14, 2014 @ 4:27 PM
Really good.
January 16, 2014 @ 9:43 AM
Thank you 😀 I might have a novel on my hands.
A little writing challenge | Bunny Gumbo's Blog
January 12, 2014 @ 11:08 AM
[…] Find out all of the details here Share this:ShareFacebookTwitterStumbleUponEmailDiggRedditPrintLike this:Like Loading… […]
January 12, 2014 @ 12:08 PM
Finally got an hour to sit down and write. Herein, “Red God:”
http://dreamsofcontrol.blogspot.com/2014/01/roll-for-title-chuck-wendig-flash.html
January 12, 2014 @ 4:28 PM
Oooh, Creepy. I want to know more 😀
January 14, 2014 @ 4:40 PM
Nice job using nothing but dialogue. That’s tricky to pull off. Love the twist, never saw it coming.
January 12, 2014 @ 12:36 PM
I got ‘The Helical Bookshop’.
This should be interesting.
January 12, 2014 @ 12:50 PM
My first attempt at the flash fiction challenge.
1 & 9… Snowbound Skull… Be gentle…
http://justinwalkerbooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-roll-dice-challenge.html
January 12, 2014 @ 1:39 PM
“The Red Potion.”
http://toushindaisblogofwonders.tumblr.com/post/73111661347/the-red-potion-chuck-wendigs-flash-fiction-challenge
January 14, 2014 @ 10:26 PM
I liked the world of your story and I’d like to know what happened when the Brothers find out. Good job!
January 12, 2014 @ 2:04 PM
Chaos Earth
Hmm…