Chuck is the author of the published novels: Blackbirds, Mockingbird, Under the Empyrean Sky, Blue Blazes, Double Dead, Bait Dog, Dinocalypse Now, Beyond Dinocalypse and Gods & Monsters: Unclean Spirits. He also the author of the soon-to-be-published novels: The Cormorant, Blightborn (Heartland Book #2), Heartland Book #3, Dinocalypse Forever, Frack You, and The Hellsblood Bride. Also coming soon is his compilation book of writing advice from this very blog: The Kick-Ass Writer, coming from Writers Digest.
He, along with writing partner Lance Weiler, is an alum of the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriter’s Lab (2010). Their short film, Pandemic, showed at the Sundance Film Festival 2011, and their feature film HiM is in development with producers Ted Hope and Anne Carey. Together they co-wrote the digital transmedia drama Collapsus, which was nominated for an International Digital Emmy and a Games 4 Change award.
Chuck has contributed over two million words to the game industry, and was the developer of the popular Hunter: The Vigil game line (White Wolf Game Studios / CCP). He was a frequent contributor to The Escapist, writing about games and pop culture.
Much of his writing advice has been collected in various writing- and storytelling-related e-books.
He currently lives in the forests of Pennsyltucky with wife, two dogs, and tiny human.
He is likely drunk and untrustworthy. This blog is NSFW and probably NSFL.
You may reach him at terribleminds [at] gmail [dot] com.
This week’s challenge?
I want you to click this link: generate random cocktail.
It will, predictably, give you a random cocktail and its recipe.
(If for some reason that link doesn’t work: try this one. It gives you 10 at a time.)
The title of the random cocktail is the title of your new flash fiction story.
You have ~1000 words.
Due by next Friday, 3/20. Noon EST.
Post at your online space. Link to it in the comments below.
john freeter
March 16, 2015 at 12:15 AM //
“Neon Voodoo”. Didn’t have much of a choice on the subject matter, did I? 🙂
https://johnfreeter.wordpress.com/2015/03/15/neon-voodoo/
elctrcrngr
March 17, 2015 at 11:01 AM //
Wow, this was cool. I have SO had it with zombie movies and TV shows, but I really liked this story. Well done!
john freeter
March 17, 2015 at 2:23 PM //
Thank you. I tried to write something set in the 80s’ to use the neon bit of the title (I’ve been playing hotline miami…), but I’m glad you think it turned out alright!
jacki214
March 22, 2015 at 1:00 PM //
I like where you got your inspiration and enjoyed the direction you took it.
Lisa
March 16, 2015 at 2:08 PM //
Shore Breeze. Sounds like just what I need right now.
Toni J
March 16, 2015 at 7:39 PM //
“Bittersweet with a Twist” Oh boy, this one got weird!
http://tonij.net/2015/03/bittersweet-with-a-twist/
john freeter
March 16, 2015 at 11:34 PM //
Very cool. For a second I thought the twist would be explosive diarrhea, but I liked what you did much better!
Andrew T
March 17, 2015 at 1:10 AM //
I loved how weird that got!
Toni J
March 17, 2015 at 10:05 AM //
Thanks guys!
caszbrewster
March 18, 2015 at 11:08 PM //
Good weird!
jacki214
March 22, 2015 at 12:33 PM //
I think the twist goes hand-in-hand with the cure. Great idea for a story.
Tastyniblets
March 16, 2015 at 11:07 PM //
I’m an Antoine Special. oooh..
M.K.
March 17, 2015 at 3:03 AM //
I made an attempt! Hot Red Lover.
M.K.
March 17, 2015 at 3:11 AM //
Here’s a link to Hot Red Lover.
https://decomposingadjectives.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/flash-fiction-challenge/
jacki214
March 22, 2015 at 11:48 AM //
Oooo. I could be all wrong, but I’m getting a past lives vibe. This was mysterious and sexy.
Eva Therese
March 17, 2015 at 6:54 AM //
“Mojo”. Okay then. https://evathereseebert.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/random-cocktail-challenge *clink*
ElctrcRngr
March 17, 2015 at 10:32 AM //
I really liked this. It has a spooky feeling to it, a great Halloween story. You should polish it up a little and develop it into a short story.
Eva Therese
March 18, 2015 at 4:12 AM //
Thanks! I do hope I can find something more to do with it later.
caszbrewster
March 18, 2015 at 11:10 PM //
Spooky with a side of creep. Nice. Also, I like your blog title. Of course now I have a bit of a Funk Soul Brother earworm.
Eva Therese
March 20, 2015 at 7:45 AM //
Aw, thanks! And if you like silly puns, I should tell you about my writers group ‘Writer’s Guilt’.
jacki214
March 22, 2015 at 11:38 AM //
I love the magic. You could create a whole world and mythos from this. I like your character. She has a well-developed morality and it makes me curious about her reasons for doing what she does.
R. M. Mendivil
March 17, 2015 at 11:02 AM //
I think there was an error in the comment i posted before, but anyways here’s the link to my attempt at Royal Smile cocktail. I kinda doubled the expected word count, so it doesn’t count as flash fiction anymore ^^ But I really liked how in turned out. Here goes: https://justsomecynic.wordpress.com/2015/03/16/royal-smile/
Andrew Hickey
March 17, 2015 at 2:29 PM //
I got “Jesus Is Here”…
http://andrewhickey.info/2015/03/17/jesus-is-here/
upickdandelions
March 17, 2015 at 6:30 PM //
That was enjoyable. I expected it to be a bit more allusionary — hmmm… that’s not a word — but it was fun.
jacki214
March 18, 2015 at 10:19 PM //
Awesome! I laughed my head off! I wouldn’t change a thing, except maybe have these thousand word conversations on different topics every now and then. I’d sign up for that. Thanks! (still smiling)
upickdandelions
March 17, 2015 at 3:33 PM //
I haven’t written fiction in over 20 years. I invite comments on this first draft of a first chapter. https://redeemingquantity.wordpress.com/2015/03/17/ch-1-breezy-point-draft-1/
ElctrcRngr
March 17, 2015 at 7:11 PM //
Well, if your really looking for a critique… this is fine, for a first draft. The punctuation needs a little work, to clarify the dialogue, which is in person, on the phone, in emails, etc. A first chapter could probably stand with a little less description, but your introduction of the protagonist was good, very organic, you do a nice job of showing her home situation, as opposed to telling it. Just needs some overall sanding and polishing
upickdandelions
March 17, 2015 at 7:21 PM //
Thanks. Yes, I really want critiques.
john freeter
March 17, 2015 at 8:14 PM //
I might be wrong (I usually am, and english is my second language) but at the beginning you describe the dialogue “she was brief…” which isn’t really necessary (showing vs telling). Also try and spread out description between action and dialogue rather than in large chunks. Be careful with vague adjectives “he smelled amazing”. I like thoughts in italics, but that’s probably personal preference. You should use ” ” for dialogue, and use tags or action to make it clear who’s speaking and to give it variety. A different font for e-mail conversations would make things clearer. I didn’t read very carefully, but I got mixed up with the extended flashbacks. I do like the character’s voice though, and the setup is intriguing.
upickdandelions
March 17, 2015 at 8:19 PM //
It’s all helpful. Thank you.
David_N_Wilson (@David_N_Wilson)
March 17, 2015 at 4:36 PM //
“Walk Me Down” – by David Niall Wilson – Challenge Complete … story postered here : http://davidniallwilson.com/2015/03/walk-me-down-free-st-patricks-day-fiction/
jacki214
March 18, 2015 at 10:39 PM //
Really good. I love your characters, the factory/town/pop parallels. Love the way you worked “Walk Me Down” into the story multiple times. Loved this sentence –> When the paper was read, and his cup was empty, it was time to go, and it didn’t matter if I’d finished eating, or forgotten to put on a shirt. “Come on boy,” he’d say. “Let me walk you down… No one broke in – everyone there was looking for a way out. <– Was struck by the poignancy, but think it underlined the theme perfectly.
stranger
March 17, 2015 at 5:16 PM //
I got “Curtain Call”, I’ll see what I can do with that.
Also when I tryed the second page that was linked in the news above, it showed me a cocktail named “Dirty Mexican Ghetto Whore”. That certainly escalated quickly.
caszbrewster
March 18, 2015 at 11:54 AM //
I got Bondage’s No Problem. This ought to be interesting.
ElctrcRngr
March 19, 2015 at 5:19 AM //
Just read your story for this week’s challenge. Good work, I really liked the voice and narration of the POV character.
caszbrewster
March 19, 2015 at 1:35 PM //
Thanks so much! I actually really dig Phil and might pull him out for more adventures. I don’t know. We’ll see.
jacki214
March 18, 2015 at 3:10 PM //
Here’s a lovely warm weather cocktail for you. It’s called Skinny Dipper.
https://jackiperrette.wordpress.com/2015/03/18/flash-fiction-challenge-random-cocktail-challenge/
upickdandelions
March 18, 2015 at 4:25 PM //
Those photographs are both controversial and inspiring. I like your characters, too. Do I feel romance in the breeze?
jacki214
March 18, 2015 at 6:14 PM //
You are correct. These photos have caused a bit of uproar on FB. In response, the photographer now posts his pictures in a cropped format that will link to Twitter or Tumblr so that viewers can see uncensored versions.
This flash fiction is a vignette using characters from a m/m romance I am writing. Not sure it will retain the Skinny Dipper title, but that is actually what inspired the whole thing.
This is the first time I’ve written flash fiction and I found it really fun.
caszbrewster
March 18, 2015 at 10:15 PM //
Nicely done.
jacki214
March 18, 2015 at 10:17 PM //
Thank you!
caszbrewster
March 18, 2015 at 10:09 PM //
Bondage’s No Problem
Here’s the cocktail, as randomly generated: http://www.webtender.com/db/drink/3627
Here’s my 999 words, which may just end up a longer story, we’ll see: http://www.casondrabrewster.com/?p=2173
john freeter
March 19, 2015 at 8:54 AM //
Nice. The narrator’s attitude is very relatable, and the story kept me intriguied.
caszbrewster
March 19, 2015 at 1:36 PM //
Cool!
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 12:19 AM //
Really enjoyed this. Could be the beginning of a mystery. I liked the characters. Wish I knew what OTF means…
ryanjamesblack
March 19, 2015 at 12:09 AM //
I got ‘Suddenly, Daylight’…
https://ryanjamesblack.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/suddenly-daylight/
upickdandelions
March 19, 2015 at 12:35 AM //
Best story I’ve read here yet.
ryanjamesblack
March 19, 2015 at 9:05 AM //
Thanks!
katemcone
March 25, 2015 at 8:40 AM //
I really loved this — I appreciated the fresh take and the spoofing, I would love to see it as a short film!
gowordbird
March 19, 2015 at 11:09 AM //
I ended up with the brandy-based drink, Cherry Blossum.
https://gowordbird.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/chuck-wendigs-random-cocktail-flash-fiction-challenge-cherry-blossum/
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 12:27 AM //
beautiful and wistful. I really enjoyed this.
katemcone
March 19, 2015 at 1:13 PM //
I got “Green Goddess”. Enjoy. https://katethesape.wordpress.com/read-my-stuff/
Kate Copse
March 20, 2015 at 11:50 AM //
I really enjoyed this, great story!
katemcone
March 20, 2015 at 11:58 AM //
Oh, thank you so much! 😀
jacki214
March 20, 2015 at 11:58 PM //
I liked the subject, very relevant. I’m glad it had a happy ending, but Beth had me worried for a minute! This could easily be a full length story people would want to read.
katemcone
March 25, 2015 at 8:43 AM //
Oh wow, thank you! Gender/orientation and identity are some things I’m very passionate about so they always find a way into my stories in one way or another.
Henry
March 19, 2015 at 2:37 PM //
I got the Cosmo Katie, which meant that it had to be space. Space and obsession and murder, of course.
http://fistfulofwits.com/2015/03/19/flash-fiction-cosmo-katie/
Toni J
March 19, 2015 at 3:21 PM //
That was awesome. Well done!
Andrew T
March 19, 2015 at 4:35 PM //
I enjoyed that. Good work!
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 12:36 AM //
Go, Cosmo Katie! Wow. You had my emotions all over the place with this!
katemcone
March 25, 2015 at 8:43 AM //
I really enjoyed the narrator voice. I pictured Starbuck from the most recent iteration of BSG. Nicely done!
Sheriff Dan (@MWhipple4)
March 19, 2015 at 7:30 PM //
Shit, I got Green Cookie Monster… Whep! Here goes nothing!
Sheriff Dan (@MWhipple4)
March 19, 2015 at 10:24 PM //
Okay, here we go. Green Cookie Monster.
https://greasysqueezins.wordpress.com/2015/03/20/hello-world/
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 12:51 AM //
Awww. Such a sweet story – and had me laughing in a few places. It’s especially funny, because it is so authentic. 🙂
lisacle
March 19, 2015 at 11:47 PM //
I got “Brutal Hammer,” which sounds perfectly horrible to me (red wine and vodka?), but the title inspired me to write my first ever YA piece. http://wp.me/p1Tyuy-bB
Sheriff Dan (@MWhipple4)
March 20, 2015 at 12:16 AM //
Very nice!
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 1:02 AM //
so sweet! I really loved the way you had Gillian squeal and shriek . That completely blew away all the clouds.
Rebecca Douglass
March 20, 2015 at 12:55 AM //
Mine is up, but at the moment I can’t access it to copy in the URL. For to moment, I will instead link in a great story by writer Jemima Pett, “Equinox on Ice.”
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2015/03/20/flash-fiction-friday-equinox-on-ice/
Jemima Pett
March 22, 2015 at 10:19 AM //
Thanks, Rebecca! I knew I wouldnt get back in time to link it up myself! But at least I wasn’t the victim!
Rebecca Douglass
March 20, 2015 at 1:02 AM //
Okay, got into my own blog at least. Here is “Thug’s Passion”
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2015/03/friday-flash-fiction-thugs-passion.html
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 1:15 AM //
I liked it…dark humor and pathos. Kind of like “Leon, The Professional” caring for the 12-year-old Mathilda…unexpected…but in this case, deadly! It had a bit of an “Of Mice and Men” flavor.
Kristin Mireles
March 20, 2015 at 4:47 AM //
It’s been too long since I’ve done one of these. My randomly selected beverage is Raspberry Punch. http://mireles-musings.blogspot.com/2015/03/raspberry-punch.html
Simon Bucher-Jones
March 20, 2015 at 7:58 AM //
I enjoyed these so I went and got “Iced Coffee Fillup” Hm. Well the result is here:
http://simonbjones.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/iced-coffee-fillup.html
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 1:51 AM //
Shades of Clockwork Orange. Definitely gives the reader a lot to think about.
Kate Copse
March 20, 2015 at 8:09 AM //
A bit late to the party, but here’s my story (hopefully the link will work):
https://katecopse.wordpress.com/2015/03/19/lighthouse/
I’ve been meaning to take part in these challenges for months to help me start writing, but I haven’t written fiction in years and found it hard to get started (so I know its not the best).
katemcone
March 20, 2015 at 12:02 PM //
You had me from Grim saying things grimly. (I adore word humor) I thought this was such a unique way of looking at death/afterlife, and the humorous surprise at the end was great. Good job! 😀
jacki214
March 21, 2015 at 2:01 AM //
Awww. Humor, surprise and sentiment. <3
Kate Copse
March 22, 2015 at 10:56 AM //
Thank you, both 🙂 I was a bit worried about the response I’d get putting something on the interwebz, especially as I haven’t really done anything like this before, but I’m glad I did!
Robert Sadler
March 20, 2015 at 8:39 AM //
Been a while since I’ve had the chance to take part. Happy to be back. As always, feedback much appreciated.
Shot of Respect (tequila, 151, tabasco sauce – disgusting)
http://www.andablankpage.com/shot-of-respect/
M.A. Crosbie
March 20, 2015 at 3:32 PM //
I came for the tequila and stayed for your story. It was brilliant – the characterization was spot on. I really enjoyed it!
Robert Sadler
March 20, 2015 at 3:42 PM //
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks taking the time to check it out. Yours was fantastic, too. I left a comment under your post.
jacki214
March 20, 2015 at 11:55 PM //
Really enjoyed this. It gave me ideas about alternate realities for the story, but I won’t elaborate…would spoil it.
Robert Sadler
March 21, 2015 at 8:54 AM //
So happy you liked it! Thanks.
David
March 20, 2015 at 9:15 AM //
Okay, so this one ran a bit long. Like 7000 words long. Hey, sometimes it takes what it takes.
Blue Ice Mountain: Blue Curacao, Perrier, vodka, club soda. I hope my story is stronger than the drink:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HC0jL95Rn82mKQVTQ7e41vQ86SA7D3kL_jpK8vUiIEE/edit?usp=sharing
Alice E Keyes
March 23, 2015 at 1:50 PM //
Late – I combined cocktail and 100 word challenges
Norse Goddesses and Screaming Viking
http://aliceekeyes.blogspot.com/p/norse-goddesses-and-screaming-viking.html