Chuck Wendig: Terribleminds

Flash Fiction Challenge: Random Cocktail Challenge

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.

terribleminds

198 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: Random Cocktail Challenge”

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    • 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

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    • 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.

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    • 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.

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  15. 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.

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      • 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.

        Reply

  30. […] This week’s flash fiction challenge from Chuck Wendig instructs us to use the Random Cocktail Generator to come up with the title for our next 1,000-word piece. I got “Brutal Hammer,” which sounds like a completely disgusting drink (half French red wine and half vodka, mixed in an old fashioned glass and then slammed) but sparked a whole slew of ideas for a short story. I went in what I hope is an unexpected direction, and the story turned into a little YA/coming of age piece. […]

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    • Thanks, Rebecca! I knew I wouldnt get back in time to link it up myself! But at least I wasn’t the victim!

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    • 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.

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    • 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! 😀

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    • 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!

      Reply

  42. […] Herr Wendig is at it again This week’s flash-fiction challenge revolves around adult beverages randomly generated. The one I got is Bondage’s No Problem. Yes that’s a real cocktail. It has vodka in it, for which I’m allergic, so I’ll never taste it unless you maybe sub some whiskey instead. Below is where the title Bondage’s No Problem took me — in 999 words. It’s easy to believe that maybe this might be a much longer story, clearly I could continue it. But, I think it works as it is, as well. Read it. Comment below. Much appreciated. […]

    Reply
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