Flash Fiction Challenge: The Who, The Where, The Uh-Oh
Last week’s challenge: “Roll For Title!”
Yoinks.
Last week’s flash fiction challenge was easily the most visited challenge I’ve ever run — also with the most participation. That’s bad-ass, and it’s amazing to see such energy and talent on display. Pat yourselves on the back. Eat some ice cream. MAKE OUT WITH YOURSELF IN A MIRROR.
Or something.
Anyway, this week, we’re back with another randomized challenge —
And, this week, I’m letting you have 2000 words instead of 1000.
The way forward is simple: pick (randomly or by hand) one element from each column below (Who, Where, Uh-oh) and smoosh those three together to concoct a single story. For bonus points, you can actually randomize the Who column twice — either to make a combination protagonist (PSYCHIC CELEBRITY! ASSASSIN ACCOUNTANT!) or to choose a second character to go into your tale, either as a supporting character or as an antagonist.
Post this story at your online space.
Link back here.
Due by Friday, the 24th, noon EST.
And the categories are…
The Who (Protagonist)
- Detective
- Ghost
- Bartender
- Dirty Cop
- Psychic
- Assassin
- Accountant
- Celebrity
- Android
- Waiter/Waitress
The Where (Setting)
- Nuclear Wasteland
- Amusement Park
- Chinatown
- Far-Flung Space Station
- Mad Botanist’s Greenhouse
- Virtual Reality
- The Underworld
- Trailer Park
- Pirate Ship
- Casino
The Uh-Oh (Problem)
- Betrayal by best friend!
- Left for dead, out for revenge!
- Encounter with a nemesis!
- Trapped!
- Something precious, stolen!
- Lovers, separated!
- Warring against nature!
- An unsolved murder!
- A conspiracy, revealed!
- Besieged by supernatural enemies!
January 17, 2014 @ 8:25 AM
Dammit! It’s already Friday… I missed last week’s challenge, but I’m still going to retro-participate. Shoot me.
Double trouble this weekend on the challenges though… rawr!
January 17, 2014 @ 9:01 AM
I for one am glad you’re posting these earlier, I can dedicate more time before going to work.
January 17, 2014 @ 11:32 AM
I’m doing 6, 1 & 4. I decided to continue Apocalyptic Bounty Hunter from last year’s 200 words at a time challenge:
http://article94.blogspot.com/2014/01/apocalyptic-bounty-hunter-part-two.html
January 19, 2014 @ 7:55 AM
I found the idea of zombies being co-ordinated and having a general interesting. The dialogue between her and Quentin also felt quite natural, flowed well, and held my interest. Thank you for sharing it 🙂
January 19, 2014 @ 11:40 AM
I’m glad you liked it! In my world, they’re not really zombies, but humans afflicted by a virus that kicks their metabolism into overdrive. There are two more plots to start before all the characters meet and some serious stuff happens.
January 21, 2014 @ 1:18 AM
Great stuff, Mark. Can’t wait to see where it’s going.
January 17, 2014 @ 9:02 AM
Woot… I’ve gone in and written a cool little piece that meanders everywhere and anywhere and finishes in the least-likely spot… 😀
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/hotel-california.html
And I’ve always wanted to use this Eagle’s hit in a story title. 😀
January 17, 2014 @ 9:52 AM
I liked the voice in this piece. Not bad at all 🙂
January 18, 2014 @ 6:31 AM
Thank you! You have to excuse my spelling mistakes, it was past midnight when I wrote it and my unit complex was in complete silence…. just how I like it to do my best and weirdest writings. 😀
January 19, 2014 @ 7:42 AM
Honestly, mine was written at 1am my time, so take all the typos you want.
*salutes with coffee cup*
January 21, 2014 @ 11:56 AM
Gah!!! I haven’t even started reading it yet and now I’ll have that song stuck in my head all day!! 😉
January 21, 2014 @ 12:13 PM
I like the “in the shop” idea!
January 22, 2014 @ 12:25 AM
Hehee…. sorry…. and I didn’t even think of it until the last moment about the twists I took on the story until I really read between the lines.
This is what happens when I’m up late at night and I let my half-asleep brain do all the writing. 😀 Not a bad trip, eh?
January 22, 2014 @ 7:07 PM
Wow! Since late last Friday night, my blog has received the most hits ever! 180 hits with 4 comments! Thank you all for reading ‘Hotel California’! 😀
January 23, 2014 @ 12:32 AM
So that’s why nobody is reading mine!! 😉
January 17, 2014 @ 9:38 AM
All right, here goes.
In which an android learns to let go of the man who created him. And there is more than one meaning to the word trapped.
Of the three parts columns to choose from I chose – Who: Android, Where: Virtual reality (although I also stole deep space station because only a bit of this happens in the virtual reality), and What: Trapped! (in more than one sense of the word). I hope you enjoy 🙂
Linky link: http://antagonistsneeded.blogspot.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-challenge-more-than-one.html
January 17, 2014 @ 9:41 AM
1, 1, 2
Detective, Nuclear Wasteland, Left for dead and out for Revenge
Not sure whether I feel more excited or daunted.
January 17, 2014 @ 9:47 AM
Wow. The first time I pull it off in ages. 3 10’s on a 3d10, but only for a writing challenge. Curse my luck.
January 17, 2014 @ 10:08 AM
I got Waiter/Waitress, in a casino, and trapped.
So my story would be a waitress who is working late at the casino and gets locked in. She sleeps under the blackjack table and gets let out in the morning when the duty manager arrives.
Am I doing this right?
January 17, 2014 @ 11:09 AM
Well, yes, but 2000 words gives you a chance to be a bit more creative about the nature of trapped…
January 17, 2014 @ 11:15 AM
Yeah, as short stories go, that is pretty short 😉
January 17, 2014 @ 11:56 AM
I’ve only been in a casino once for a couple of hours, but don’t they stay open 24×7? What Jemima said…
January 17, 2014 @ 12:03 PM
Yeah, the big Vegas-style ones do, but I bet the crappy ones here in the UK don’t. She could get stuck in the vaults I guess…
January 17, 2014 @ 11:07 AM
My random number generator friend gave me: Detective bartender in the Underworld with an unsolved murder! Sounds great to me. It’ll be on my blog around 1 am next Friday UK time, 7 pm New York Thursday.
January 23, 2014 @ 1:02 PM
Hell Hath No Fury… http://jemimapett.com/blog/2014/01/24/friday-flash-fiction-hell-hath-no-fury/
January 23, 2014 @ 1:24 PM
Hmmm, your blog link isn’t working for me.
January 26, 2014 @ 1:27 PM
Thanks Mckkenzie. I’ve spent the last 2.5 days trying to get it sorted… and it’s gonna take longer…. so here it is on my old blog:
http://jemimapett.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/friday-flash-fiction-hell-hath-no-fury/
January 26, 2014 @ 3:29 PM
And it’s a great story! Visions of hell like none they taught us in Sunday School…
January 17, 2014 @ 11:30 AM
Who: psychic
Where: virtual reality
Uh-Oh: left for dead, out for revenge
bonus character/trait; detective
I hope to be back . . .
January 17, 2014 @ 11:30 AM
A celebrity and a psychic trapped in a nuclear wasteland. LOVE IT! it’ll be up on my blog later today (will come back and post the link)
January 17, 2014 @ 3:27 PM
Here’s my story, A Long Way From Nowhere. I had fun writing it. http://underastarlitsky.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/a-long-way-from-nowhere/
January 18, 2014 @ 1:09 PM
can I just say, I love this challenge?! It’s really got me out of my comfort zone with writing a somewhat humorous story in a setting and with people I would never write about (a ditzy celebrity)!
January 19, 2014 @ 7:49 AM
I found Kenzie amusing in her ditzyness – there could be an axe murder involved and she’d be asking him/her for directions or maybe a lift back to her 4 o’clock nail appointment 😀 Thanks for sharing it
January 19, 2014 @ 11:53 AM
Thanks! haha, yes that’s exactly what I was going for! I could see that too! 😀
January 17, 2014 @ 11:39 AM
9…4…10…6…so! An android and a dirty cop OR a dirty android cop, in a casino, lovers separated. I’ve negative-clue, when it comes to androids, cops, AND casinos, but we shall see what happens. I haven’t done one in awhile so I’ve decided to just suck it up and work it out.
January 17, 2014 @ 11:54 AM
Let’s see: Detective + Waitress, Amusement Park, a conspiracy revealed!
Hmm, what can I do with that…
No wait, if I change waitress to ghost, I might be able to continue one of the challenges from last year: The House of Love and Murder. Now what should I call this one?
January 17, 2014 @ 12:10 PM
Accountant + Pirate Ship + Warring Against Nature . . . this should be fun. I’ve been wanted to do a pirate story for a while.
I guess I should finished last week’s challenge first. My imagination went a little off the rails with that one.
January 17, 2014 @ 12:13 PM
Oops . . . almost forgot the Bartender. Yup, throw in some booze and the possibilities become endless.
January 17, 2014 @ 12:28 PM
This rolling for a prompt thing is fantastic. Looks like I’ll be writing about a celebrity on a far-flung space station trying to get back with his/her separated lover.
January 17, 2014 @ 12:38 PM
I hand picked 6 10 and 9, and a second “who” I’m keeping a secret for now. started working on it already, we’ll see if I can get ‘er done tonight.
January 17, 2014 @ 12:40 PM
A psychic waitress is left for dead in a trailer park. Why is this making me think of True Blood? Huh…
January 17, 2014 @ 12:49 PM
So I rolled 6 – Assassin, 4 – In a Far Flung Space Station, and 3 – Meets Nemesis.
I think I did pretty well with this piece which I’ve titled “Tales from Sector Seven-Ten: Brady’s Log.
Brady is an assassin who has been wounded on his last mission. He attempts to head back to a safe house to recover, but there he meets an emissary of the Ka’huth, an amphibious fish-like race of aliens. What does the Ka’huth want and why is he there? Find out here!
http://writesomethingsmidge.blogspot.ie/
January 19, 2014 @ 7:41 AM
Hey, this was really interesting – I wanted to read more by the end of it, and the dynamics were interesting 🙂
January 17, 2014 @ 1:34 PM
Whoo, I didn’t think I’d use the full 2k, but I came a lot closer than I expected.
Waitress, far flung space station, paranormal attackers!
Also an angry Russian lady with a butcher knife!
Dine and Ditch
http://www.tamiveldura.com/2014/01/prompt-dine-and-ditch.html
January 18, 2014 @ 11:15 PM
really liked this! i’ve never seen actual russian in a story before! lol
January 22, 2014 @ 5:50 PM
Thanks, Caitlin! I wondered how people would take not being able to read some of the dialogue 😀
Flash Fiction Challenge: Golden Green Pig Men | Matthew Eaton: Writer
January 17, 2014 @ 1:55 PM
[…] Friday, another Flash Fiction Challenge from Chuck Wendig. Seriously, if you want a nice little challenge and some interesting fiction to read, go check it […]
January 17, 2014 @ 1:56 PM
All right, here we go. Waitress + Casino + Besieged by supernatural enemies!
Mary Lou is a dreamer, but her dreams turn into nightmares when the green pig men destroy her place of business: A casino buffet. Will her sister Billie save her, or will the pig men be the key to her liberation?
http://www.mattheweatonwriter.com/flash-fiction-challenge-golden-green-pig-men/
January 18, 2014 @ 11:17 PM
this was lots of fun! thanks for sharing. I’d like to read more about this…just because. space pigs. lol
January 17, 2014 @ 2:30 PM
Ohh, I can so see this story happening.
5 + 3 Psychic/ Bartender 7 – The Underworld 6- Lovers, Separated (Oh MY!!)
January 17, 2014 @ 2:58 PM
Reality ate my attempt at last week’s fantasy.
I got a bartender in a trailer park besieged by supernatural enemies. And the weekend to write it!
A Long Way from Nowhere | Under a Starlit Sky
January 17, 2014 @ 3:26 PM
[…] week’s Chuck Challenge is another random one – drawing words from a variety of lists and putting them together for […]
Rickity Roller | The Matticus Kingdom
January 17, 2014 @ 4:37 PM
[…] I used the =randbetween excel function to come up with which prompt words to use. Have no idea what I’m talking about? That’s because I haven’t shown you the prompt yet! This is another Flash Fiction Challange: […]
January 17, 2014 @ 4:39 PM
I have no idea if this is any good, it’s a genre that I wouldn’t normally find myself writing: http://thematticuskingdom.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/rickity-roller/ But, if you read it, I hope you enjoy it.
January 23, 2014 @ 6:03 PM
This IS good! One of my favorites on the thread today. The voice is great–if you told me you were a cop for a living I’d totally believe you.
January 23, 2014 @ 6:07 PM
I am a cop… No, not really. I’m just a lowly Jester. And, occasionally a scribe or storyteller. 😉
Thank you for the compliment. I’m glad you liked it.
January 17, 2014 @ 5:00 PM
Psychic
Nuclear Wasteland
Lovers, Separated
Been sick as a dog so I didn’t complete the last challenge (which is a bummer because it was awesome). This one should be very interesting.
January 17, 2014 @ 6:33 PM
The Random Number Gods have given me a Dirty Cop on a Far-Flung Space Station Left for Dead and Out for Revenge. Well played RNG. I’ll be back with the tale in a bit.
January 19, 2014 @ 1:20 AM
Here it is folks! Came in at 1,884 words. Enjoy! 🙂
Three Minute Scar http://jdsfiction.wordpress.com/2014/01/18/the-who-the-where-the-uh-oh-flash-challenge/
January 17, 2014 @ 10:55 PM
Evening, folks!
I rolled “Psychic Android trapped on a pirate ship,” which has lead me to research prehistoric aquatic creatures and Himalayan mountain passes for what I imagine will end up being one of the most unusual pirate stories ever.
I have a four day weekend here at college, so I hope to be done by Monday night. I’ve never done one of these before but you all seem like spectacular, talented people and I’m excited to join in!
January 17, 2014 @ 11:48 PM
Rolled the random dice and…
5 Psychic
1 Ghost 6. Assassin
4 Besieged, by supernatural enemies.
And here goes… nothing. Hopefully not literally, lol.
January 18, 2014 @ 7:33 AM
Ahem, strictly speaking, you’re missing out on a setting — the “Where.” 🙂
January 21, 2014 @ 11:56 PM
Oops! Thought I added that. Setting is: Trailer Park.
January 18, 2014 @ 2:26 PM
I got a detective and an assassin in a far-flung space station besieged by supernatural enemies. And it was fun.
http://elviewrites.tumblr.com/post/73742433792/escape
January 18, 2014 @ 4:58 PM
-Detective
-Nuclear Wasteland
-Left for Dead, out for revenge!
Had to redo the premise a couple times, but finally got it done: Staked Revenged
http://www.ramblingbeachcat.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-fridays-staked-revenge.html
January 18, 2014 @ 7:02 PM
Right, here’s my entry for the week. Random.org gave me a dirty cop and an assassin in a trailer park, and I picked out “Something precious, stolen” myself. It only runs around 1,500 words, so doesn’t hit the limit, and has no speculative elements whatsoever, which feels weird to me. Hope you like it.
http://dangerdean.wordpress.com/2014/01/18/loose-ends/
January 18, 2014 @ 7:39 PM
Love the dialogue. Totally didn’t see the twist coming–very good stuff.
January 18, 2014 @ 7:45 PM
Thanks!
January 23, 2014 @ 5:07 PM
Great story! The dialogue was great and the imagery was better.
January 18, 2014 @ 8:21 PM
Who: Psychic. Where: The Underworld. Uh-Oh: Beseiged by supernatural enemies. Wish me luck, this will be FUN.
January 18, 2014 @ 11:18 PM
ooohh, that does sound like fun! looking forward to reading it! 🙂
Watcher: Short story characterization/ general procrastination | Mockingbirdblues
January 18, 2014 @ 9:51 PM
[…] Hey guys! I’ve decided to do my first flash fiction challenge (http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/01/17/flash-fiction-challenge-the-who-the-where-the-uh-oh) […]
New Order of Light: The Candidate | Writing To Be Noticed
January 19, 2014 @ 12:47 AM
[…] Chuck Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenge at terribleminds. Each week he has various lists of items that you can choose randomly or by hand. […]
January 19, 2014 @ 1:01 AM
Rolled and got Ghost Assassin/Nuclear Wasteland/Trapped.
Here it is: http://jeremymilburn.wordpress.com/2014/01/18/new-order-of-light-the-candidate/
Hope you enjoy!
“The Who, the Where, the Uh-Oh” Flash Challenge | JDSFiction
January 19, 2014 @ 1:17 AM
[…] week’s flash challenge from Chuck Wending is The Who, the When, the Uh-Oh. In his generosity he has given us 2000 words to play with instead of the normal 1000. The Random […]
January 19, 2014 @ 2:39 AM
The random story gods gave me a Dirty Cop in an Amusement Park warring against nature! I like it.
January 19, 2014 @ 6:37 AM
Question, what if we don’t have an on-line space on which to post? Can’t I send
my pen on legal pad through the mail, or via carrier pigeon.
Thanks for providing an exercise to assist in my utter and total
ignoring of reality, Wendig! Whew, & Shku-zang.
January 19, 2014 @ 7:37 AM
Hi, @Vilda —
Lots of options to get a quick and easy (and free!) online space. Tumblr.com. WordPress.com. Both recommended by yours truly.
— c.
January 19, 2014 @ 11:39 AM
Ok then. Thanks for the tip. Much appreciated! -veeb.
January 19, 2014 @ 1:43 PM
Assassin, Underworld, Conspiracy
Hell yeah…
January 19, 2014 @ 3:12 PM
The Random Number Generator of Fate gave me
1) Detective
2) Waitress/Waiter
3) Chinatown
4) Unsolved Murder
So this is what I did http://joetblogs.wordpress.com/2014/01/19/teribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-the-who-the-where-the-uh-oh/
for some reason WordPress won’t let me create any links, so cannot link back here 🙁
January 21, 2014 @ 3:45 PM
Seems like the start of a good novel.
January 22, 2014 @ 3:13 AM
Thanks Dean, who knows, one day maybe.
January 19, 2014 @ 8:04 PM
2. – Ghost
4. – Dirty Cop
5. – Mad Botanist’s Greenhouse
8. – An Unsolved Murder
I’ll be back with my post shortly.
January 20, 2014 @ 4:27 AM
1) Psychic Bartender
2) Trailer Park
3) Warring against nature!
Been fun writing it, I can see so much more than just the flash fiction.
January 24, 2014 @ 2:14 AM
Warring against nature… gah!
January 24, 2014 @ 3:36 AM
Finally did it, got it going… can’t promise anything, but I sorta like it. Would appreciate any comments. Here or there. Thank you.
http://www.bastardgenres.net/flash-fiction-challenge-bottoms-up/
Putting this together felt like the start of something bigger. Excuse the grammar, I suck at grammar, hope you get the gist of the story.
Secrets of the Game - 10th Day Publishing
January 20, 2014 @ 10:49 AM
[…] prompt this week from Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds blog seems pretty straight forward; Who, Where, and Uh oh. Three variables set the stage of the story, […]
January 20, 2014 @ 10:52 AM
Dirty cop, Casino, Trapped, and waiter/waitress.
Here is the story. http://www.10thdaypublishing.com/secrets-game/
January 20, 2014 @ 11:40 AM
1,10,2: Detective, Casino, Left for Dead & Out for Revenge!
Service with a smile, and it’s served right here: http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/2014/01/20/flash-fiction-service-with-a-smile/
January 20, 2014 @ 6:04 PM
3, 9, and 3, which is not something I would have ever chosen for myself. Here it is!
http://stephanie-wood-franklin.blogspot.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-bartender-pirate-ship.html
Bloody Bard Bares . . . | The D/A Dialogues
January 20, 2014 @ 8:51 PM
[…] Well. Moving on. The witty-but-assuredly mad Chuck Wendig, at Terrible Minds, does a prompted feature as well. Check out the one that went live last Friday – A may or may not participate, provided […]
January 20, 2014 @ 11:57 PM
Had a lot of fun. My second challenge.
Enjoy!
http://justinwalkerbooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/terribleminds-flash-fiction-who-where.html