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
410 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: “Roll For Title!””
Okay! First timer here. I rolled a 2/3 and got “Devil’s Angel”. Almost too good? Anyway here it is. I would love some feedback. This is my first short story. I really struggled to edit it down to what it is.
http://www.miserablesloth.com/devils-angel/
It seems this short was born a premie. Multiple issues have been addressed and revised. It now appears to be healthy and ready to be ingested(wait what were we talking about?).
“He was a small man in every way”…priceless! Really liked this one. One detail that bugged me though…she never washed the smeared makeup off her face! 😉
Thanks for reading! Also, thanks for picking out that omission. It has been fixed. It was detail that was left out after I tried to edit for length, then gave up realizing I had eviscerated the guts from the story.
Incredible how quickly 1,000 words runs out, isn’t it??
[…] winter’s veil. So lots of inside time to write. Chuck Wendig’s blog TerribleMinds.com is where you’ll see the latest challenge from this prolific and motivating writer to those of […]
I got “Invisible Bookstore.” Because the plague grips still two of my children, I’ve had lots of time to let this title stroll through the creative centers of my brain, and a mini-story to my larger novel-length work of INTERFACE, came to mind. The premise of INTERFACE is that humanity has been divided into two sects: Neurals and Purists. As you can imagine, the Neurals have a cerebral upgrade. Not Cyber Men upgrade, mind you. They still look like humans. But the world is divided. A casualty of this is libraries and bookstores. One woman, a Purist, is taking it upon herself to right that wrong. My story of INVISIBLE BOOKSTORES comes in right at 1,000 words. Sci Fi/Fantasy is a tough genre for flash, but I think I made this one work. Would love if folks read and comment. I can’t get these bits of placenta off my writing career if I don’t take a bath in feedback.
http://www.casondrabrewster.com/?p=1554
[…] challenge of the new year. Check out the challenge here. This week we had to randomly generate a title, and make a story based off the name. I went […]
I got Cerulean Rider. I decided to go with dragons as a theme.
http://naharavensari.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/flash-fiction-cerulean-rider/
Dragons are never wrong. I really like the concept of a water dragon.
Took a little while, but it’s done now. I apologize that my blog isn’t in WordPress but that might change soon. My roll for title gave me “Dog Star God” as a project. I had no idea how this would turn out, but it is completely different than what I started with. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy it. Any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated.
http://welcome2thewritersbloc.blogspot.com/2014/01/dog-star-god-flash-fiction-challenge.html
Tony, I enjoyed your story very much! Based on your title, I didn’t expect that kind of story at all. But it was creative and endearing. Good work!
I hope you don’t mind that I printed out your review and framed it. I framed it and it’s pegged at eye level on the wall directly in front of me. That way, while blood pours from my eye sockets while I write a chapter two to this, I’ll know it’ll be totally worth it! Thank you very much for your words of encouragement. It means a lot.
You’re welcome, and I don’t mind at all! Glad I could do something to help you through the pain of bleeding eye sockets. : )
[…] at Terrible Minds, Chuck Wendig has a great flash fiction writing exercise going. He has a link to a random number generator and two cross reference tables. The idea is that you […]
“Dog Star Earth” (15, 20), I went with a sci-fi sorta thing (probably unsurprising).
http://elviewrites.tumblr.com/post/72904244066/dog-star-earth
[…] http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/01/10/flash-fiction-challenge-roll-for-title/ […]
Alright…here it is! Cerulean Palace 🙂
http://www.miramichelleday.com/flash_fictions_and_short_stories/cerulean_palace/
Your link isn’t working for me… “page not found”
Sorry! I fixed it! 🙂
(Damnit Scottie! I’m a storyteller not a website builder! :P)
Wow! Looks like it’s been a very popular challenge so far. I haven’t done one in a while but I’m starting 2014 off on the right foot. Rolled a few titles until something sparked and that something was:
“The Invisible Encyclopedia”
Hope you enjoy it. Find it here: http://www.jeffxilon.com/flash-fiction-the-invisible-encyclopedia/
Really interesting concept Jeff. Thanks for that.
Glad you liked it. Thanks for reading.
I got Cartographer’s Vault. I wrote mine then read people’s with the same title. They did a great job! I need to work on my writing.
http://jeyyong.blogspot.com/p/meow.html
No need to put down your writing! I really enjoyed this. I love the small mysteries left unresolved about the stones and why his apprentice sold him out yet ran to tell him. Great read, thanks for sharing!
Thanks J.L.!
I liked it! And agree with J.L.
[…] The following is a work of fiction. I wrote it in response to the Great Chuck Windig’s Flash Fiction Challenge. Enjoy! […]
For the pleasure of the Wonderful Tribe of the Great Windig I offer this booze filled tale – Jackdaw’s Amethyst. http://jeffandwendy.wordpress.com/2014/01/15/jackdaws-amethyst-a-short-story/
[…] to start fresh with a new short story response to Chuck Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenge, Roll For Title. Twice as long as the word limit, but I really don’t adhere to that very […]
First one in a while, coming in pretty well over 1,000 words, but uh… oh well?
Hope you enjoy Minotaur Kid’s Club:
http://panningforclouds.com/2014/01/15/minotaur-kids-club-2066-words/
[…] Flash Fiction Helical Potions Flash Fiction time again. I haven’t written a piece of flash fiction of a thousand words in quite a while, so it took me longer than I would have liked to finish this one. This is part of Chuck Wendig’s Terribleminds flash fiction challenge. […]
[…] is Thursday. I’m posting a day early because this piece has been produced in response to a challenge from the inimitable Chuck Wendig. Chuck is someone that any new writer should look into: his advice […]
Couldn’t resist having a second go at this. I got the words Minotaur and Prison… So here’s Minotaur Prison.
http://www.thezombiechimp.com/2014/01/16/flash-fiction-the-minotaur-prison
[…] complete accident, I stumbled across two fine ladies who both competed in one of Chuck Wendig’s flash fiction challenges. It almost made me wish I had an icosahedral die […]
Here’s mine! ‘Lovestruck Birdhouse’ http://jcollyer.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/more-news-and-a-new-flashforfriday/
I’m back, after a brief involuntary hiatus. Rolling a 20 and a 6 gave me The Ten-Year Champion:
http://probablyfalse.tumblr.com/post/73517610783/the-ten-year-champion
Advisory note: Test readings have suggested it’s possible that the effect I was aiming for might only be experienced by those who were once English schoolboys. I apologise in advance for any confusion my story may cause for anyone that didn’t get an education from a rubbish Three Counties state school. This was entirely unintended.
That was fun, and I don’t think you have to worry about people not getting it. I had to look up what a cheeser was, and we didn’t call it the same thing in Canada, but this seems a pretty Universal schoolboy pursuit.
Thanks for reading! I was worried whilst writing that I’d missed the mark a little but was having too much fun not to see it through.
Sorry, I’m neither English nor was I ever a schoolboy…so what’s a cheeser??
This should explain everything in probably more detail than you’ll ever need:
http://tinyurl.com/3uo887a
Very excited to be a part of this year’s first flash fiction challenge.
Story title: The Invisible Bookstore
Link: http://cmsimpson.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge.html
Nice one! 🙂
Go, go, Power Rangers!
Title: The Dog Star Murders
Link: http://www.crayonyellow.com/2014/01/the-dog-star-murders.html
The Lovestruck Kid’s Club http://cljohns82.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/the-lovestruck-kids-club/
First short story of the year!
Rolled 15 and 7, which gives me “Dog Star Palace”
http://heyinternetletswrite.blogspot.com/2014/01/short-fiction-hot-fresh.html
My first short story in a while, and far off in tone from anything I’ve worked on before.
That was kind of cool.
Thank you.
[…] Written for the January 10th 2014 Flash Fiction Challenge: “Roll for Title!” over at Chuck Wendig’s blog Terrible Minds. 1,000 words exactly, including the title.) Share […]
I’ve been watching from the wings here for a while and I haven’t finished a piece of fiction in over a year, but how could I resist the gift of something called “Invisible Earth”?
Come on over to my place and meet Rosemary and her shovel: http://greystjames.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/invisible-earth/
[…] for another of Chuck Wendig’s terribleminds flash fiction challenges. For this challenge we had to take two randomly chosen words from two […]
I got “Lovestruck Rider.” I had a lot of fun with it, thanks! http://wp.me/p3McUV-2j
So, here’s my first toss of the hat into the ring. I rolled “Amethyst Murders.” Be gentle …
http://awisheraliar.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/chuck-wendigs-flash-fic-challenge-roll-for-title/
First time doing one of these challenges and I’m not feeling especially inspired this week, but I finished something so I’m glad I managed that much.
Accursed Encyclopedia
http://sordidstoryteller.blogspot.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-accursed-encyclopedia.html
I got “Jackdaw’s Bookshop.”
Ugh. Try that again with the actual link, maybe?
I got “Jackdaw’s Bookshop.”
http://redroom.com/member/nathan-burgoine/blog/flash-fiction-challenge-%E2%80%9Croll-for-title%E2%80%9D
[…] I participated in Chuck Wendig’s flash fiction competition once again: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/01/10/flash-fiction-challenge-roll-for-title/ […]
Wow–a lot of entries, and I’ll not have time to read more than a few. For now, my story, “The Cartographer’s Potion.”
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-friday-cartographers.html
Beware: Obscure football jargon.
Snowbound Champion: http://brtwrites.com/2014/01/16/flash-fiction-thursday-2/
Here goes. Helical Palace.
Carolineaisling.WordPress.com
[…] of fun!), followed by a couple of weeks off for the holidays, Chuck Wendig this week has given us this task to start the Flash Fiction Challenges for 2014. I rolled a 16 and an 18, so the title of my […]
I got a 16 and an 18, which gives me the title “Spiral God.” The muse stepped up when I needed her tonight. I’m very pleased to present what might be the oddest thing that I’ve yet written.
http://pauljwillett.com/2014/01/16/flash-fiction-spiral-god/
The soft and nuanced reference to the meaning of the title was nicely done.
Thanks, Kathryn
“Flight of the Peacock.” Comments welcome.
http://carlthenomad.blogspot.com/2014/01/flight-of-peacock.html
I rolled Red Encyclopedia.
Warning: May contain Opera.
http://www.stevencowles.com/red-encyclopedia/
[…] Last week’s challenge: “Roll For Title!” […]
So, because I like to do things last minute, here is my contribution:
The Cerulean Wire: https://www.abewolfgang.com/blog/cerulean-wire
Thanks!
Getting in under the wire… Dog-Star Earth. This one may go somewhere…LOL
http://jodilee.sacredtriskele.net/?page_id=3257
Good story. That would make a book I’d read.
Thanks, Kyra! 🙂
Oops, nearly forgot to post the link: The Amethyst God… http://jemimapett.com/blog/2014/01/17/flash-fiction-friday-the-amethyst-god/
Thanks for the challenge … my first time doing this Fast Fiction thing. Very cool. (Except I need to cut 180 words … my bad … will do!)
Looking forward to any feedback. And thanks …
CERULEAN RIDER
http://www.nicholasbrack.com/2014/01/17/cerulean-rider/
[…] This is my first attempt at Flash Fiction, and it’s based one of Chuck Wendig’s flash fiction challenges. […]
[…] up the Flash Fiction Challenge from Terrible Minds for the first time, where I had to use a random number generator to decide on a title, and write a […]
Cutting it close here, but all done!
Cerulean Birdhouse were my words. I quite enjoyed this. Thanks for the challenge!
http://rochelledeans.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/the-cerulean-birdhouse/
Nice work! I had Cerulean Birdhouse too so I enjoyed seeing where you took it.