Flash Fiction Challenge: Insomnia


Last night, I had insomnia.

It’s not a usual problem, and I don’t expect it to continue, but last night — it indeed plagued me, and it was the kind that unspooled itself further every time I thought HEY I’M NOT SLEEPING AND I’D SURE LIKE TO SLEEP.

So, I think it’s appropriate to make today’s theme one of INSOMNIA.

Insomnia must figure in your story in some way. Feel free to be flexible or creative in how it applies. In fact, creativity and flexibility are desirable qualities for a fiction writer, mm?

Length: ~1000 words

Due by: July 8th, Friday, noon EST.

Post online somewhere.

Drop a link back here so we can read it.

DON’T SLEEP

GET WRITING


86 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: Insomnia”

    • I really like this; reading it made me realize how rarely the problems of sleep cycle adjustments ever get addressed in sci-fi.

  1. […] Flash Fiction challenge this week: Insomnia must figure in your story in some way. Feel free to be flexible or creative in how it applies. Insomnia, described as ‘inability to sleep’ in the dictionary spread open on the table opposite him. It’s not that he is unable to sleep, it’s that he doesn’t want to go to sleep. He can’t. There’s a difference. How? Why? You have to sleep don’t you? The human body can go 11 days without sleep before it shuts down. He can’t afford to do that. See, the problem with sleeping is that it gives them the opportunity to… pray. They get satisfaction from the fact that you’re in another dimension, completely unaware of your surroundings, tucking and pulling on your limbs, throwing your furniture and hiding your blankets, dragging you around the house, making you feel like you’re going insane in your own mind, a prisoner in your own body trying desperately to escape but never can. […]

    • I wouldn’t say it sucks. It needs some work, but the idea is interesting, and the conclusion intriguing.

      I hate the pink background on your blog, though. It does weird things to my eyes!

Speak Your Mind, Word-Nerds

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: