Flash Fiction Challenge: Charlie And The Whoa What Now?
Last week’s challenge: Random Title Challenge.
So, in case you haven’t seen it, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has a new cover.
It’s a beautiful cover. See?
But to me it’s the beautiful cover to an entirely different book.
So: I want you to write it.
Er, okay, you don’t have to write a whole book.
But let’s say: 1000 words or so of fiction using that cover as inspiration.
(Feel free to ignore the title. Focus just on the photo!)
Write it at your blog blog or online space.
Link back here.
Due by Friday, August 15th, noon EST.
August 8, 2014 @ 12:42 PM
The frustrating thing for me is that this cover is from stock photography. Maybe this is why I don’t work in advertising now. Because if I was going to do a 50th anniversary cover to a book and put out a press release about it, I would have used original art.
Using stock is nothing to write a press release about.
August 8, 2014 @ 12:49 PM
Wait… This is a joke, right? That looks more like something out of the “Stepford Wives” or “Children of the Corn”.
August 8, 2014 @ 2:03 PM
I was going to say, I can do that in 5 words: “Stepford Females of All Ages”. :O) I’ll put my thinking cap on.
August 9, 2014 @ 5:20 PM
I was thinking the same thing. My brain keeps wanting to go to some horror plot.
August 8, 2014 @ 12:52 PM
I had to read some of the news articles on this to realize that’s a girl on the cover, not Charlie in drag. (One story: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-28703254)
August 8, 2014 @ 1:29 PM
Wait wait. That was SERIOUS? I saw it flying around yesterday and thought it was a joke!
August 8, 2014 @ 1:34 PM
I can’t stand that cover for that book. Maybe if someone was doing a biography of Veruca Salt, great, but that for Charlie? What relationship does that have to that book? NONE.
August 8, 2014 @ 2:07 PM
The title is now: “Where’s…my…CHOCOLATE, you Wonka!”
August 8, 2014 @ 3:00 PM
Considering the book is cautionary tale about spoiled children and bad parenting, and since Veruca Salt is the worst of all the kids, I think this cover is perfect. Also, it’s a Penguin Classic release aimed at adults, not a brand new book the publisher is introducing to an audience, so they can get away with a more creative cover. I think too many people are basing their opinions about this cover on the film(s) instead of the book. Then again, I think the Dahl cartoon covers are ridiculously stupid, so maybe it’s a taste thing.
August 8, 2014 @ 3:34 PM
You sure that’s not Ira Levine’s The Stepford Wives?
August 8, 2014 @ 3:36 PM
Also, could have been worse. Could have featured these couche-tards: http://www.alwaysontherun.net/veruca7.jpg
August 8, 2014 @ 4:28 PM
I get more of a Jonbenet Ramsey vibe…
August 9, 2014 @ 8:12 AM
Bingo.
August 9, 2014 @ 5:20 PM
Yes.
August 8, 2014 @ 4:55 PM
Me, too. Good prompt, though. http://www.writingpast.com/writing-challenges-or-see-the-crappy-first-drafts/valley-of-the-doll
August 10, 2014 @ 1:01 PM
It was an interesting story. You mentioned you were concerned about the voice of the narrator, but I suspect a girl in that situation would think older than her years.
August 10, 2014 @ 11:41 PM
Thanks for reading and the feedback. Much appreciated.
August 8, 2014 @ 5:30 PM
Mine is up at http://article94.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/16-sunsets-revelations/
August 9, 2014 @ 12:36 AM
Ooooh, good and creepy… I like it! 😀
August 9, 2014 @ 12:37 AM
Yay! Did you read the older stuff?
August 9, 2014 @ 12:52 AM
Ooh.. no… not yet… hang on, I’ll go and do that! 🙂
August 9, 2014 @ 1:19 AM
Love it! Reminds me of ‘Constantine’ ! 😀
August 8, 2014 @ 8:43 PM
That is hella creepy…
August 9, 2014 @ 12:18 AM
Okay… it’s twisted and creepy that photo… so is what I wrote… 😛
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/charlie-and-thewoah.html
August 10, 2014 @ 12:11 PM
I love it! But, that’s to be expected from the author of Body Rentals.
August 10, 2014 @ 8:45 PM
Body Rentals?
So happy you loved it Mark 😀
August 10, 2014 @ 9:47 PM
http://article94.wordpress.com/body-rentals/
August 11, 2014 @ 8:18 AM
OOOOOHHH! I’ll be buying that when I’m at my folk’s place next!
16 Sunsets – Revelations | Article 94
August 9, 2014 @ 9:28 AM
[…] Chuck’s prompt this week was to write a story to go with the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory cover revealed on Wednesday. I figured we’d all see how Joaquin was getting along with his new friends. Here’s 1000 words on the nose: […]
Flash Fiction Challenge: A Creepy Picture | Beth Turnage
August 9, 2014 @ 7:12 PM
[…] the picture for the newest cover of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as the inspiration for his latest flash fiction challenge. Yes, I agree it is creepy, worthy of inspiration. The challenge: one thousand word based on the […]
August 9, 2014 @ 7:14 PM
Okay, this is a little out of my genre, but here goes:
The Good Girl: http://bethturnage.com/?p=186
August 10, 2014 @ 11:07 AM
I really struggled with this one. So many false starts. Here’s what I came up with in the end:
http://www.jpjuniper.com/stories/2014/8/10/new-model-amy
August 10, 2014 @ 4:03 PM
This was a great start, and I loved the concept. But I thought the ending could be stronger. You mention her anger at the beginning. It was the gun that didn’t go off.
As Checkhov said:
Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.
—Anton Chekhov
August 10, 2014 @ 4:09 PM
This was a reply to JP Juniper
August 10, 2014 @ 7:33 PM
Thanks for reading. I appreciate the feedback!
August 11, 2014 @ 6:46 AM
Great work folks. Here is mine. http://thebackseatwriter.blogspot.com/2014/08/forever-perfect.html
August 13, 2014 @ 10:57 AM
Tonia–That was perfect.
August 13, 2014 @ 6:21 PM
Thanks! 🙂
August 11, 2014 @ 11:56 AM
First thought was a spin on Mommy Deareat vs Charlie as a drag queen…interesting choice Tonto.
Remember to Blink | The Eichenblog
August 11, 2014 @ 2:25 PM
[…] following is a bit of flash fiction written in response to Chuck Wendig’s call to action. Apparently there’s a new edition of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory coming out that has […]
August 11, 2014 @ 2:28 PM
Here is my entry. http://eichenblog.org/?p=2624
Daydreams and Wishes | This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time
August 11, 2014 @ 10:48 PM
[…] challenge this week over at Terrible Minds was to write a 1,000 word flash fiction on the new cover for Charlie […]
August 11, 2014 @ 10:51 PM
Not sure if I should really include this, but I’ve seen people break the rules before. I just couldn’t bring myself to write 1,000 words – it was all too disturbing for me right now. So, I wrote a poem instead. At least I feel that I can move on.
https://helenespinosa.wordpress.com/2014/08/11/daydreams-and-wishes/
August 13, 2014 @ 11:33 AM
Okay, I should never be allowed to write after midnight, it comes out super fucking dark. Have fun with The Misfortune Teller: http://dubious-gravity.tumblr.com/post/94635073909/the-misfortune-teller
A Beautiful Disaster | Under a Starlit Sky
August 13, 2014 @ 11:41 PM
[…] week’s flash fiction challenge was based on this disturbing new cover of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. It took me awhile to think up what to write about but once it came, I wrote the story in half an […]
August 13, 2014 @ 11:42 PM
Here’s my story. A Beautiful Disaster http://wp.me/pBqgu-b4 (glad i’m not alone in thinking the cover image is uber creepy!).
August 14, 2014 @ 5:19 PM
Hope you like what I did with this… “A dirty mind is a Joy forever”
http://gembolding.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/a-dirty-mind-is-a-joy-forever/
August 14, 2014 @ 9:43 PM
“Enjoy” as much as you can. Here is “Charlotte”: http://lickthespoonclean.com/?p=62
August 15, 2014 @ 12:08 AM
http://theunstillpicture.wordpress.com/
My first blog post. The mirroring of the blog name and story title was completely unintentional– at least consciously.
August 15, 2014 @ 1:54 AM
Been a long time since I’ve done something like this so here goes! Please be gentle…
The Lisa
http://shuttrbear.tumblr.com/post/94796411033/i-decided-to-participate-in-a-flash-fiction
August 15, 2014 @ 3:00 AM
A tad long, but I liked the idea and where it led.
http://pauljwillett.com/2014/08/14/flash-fiction-i-remembered-it-was-thursday/
Flash Fiction Challenge: Color Title Challenge « terribleminds: chuck wendig
August 15, 2014 @ 1:45 PM
[…] Last week’s challenge: Charlie And The Whoa What Now? […]