Today, a challenge to you:
I want you to come up with your own monster.
Not a vampire, not a werewolf, not a Loch Ness serpent or a Chupacabra. Something new. Something uniquely yours.
You will create this creature and give it life inside a piece of flash fiction.
Name it. Think about it in context of its environment. Make it a character all its own. You can write something horror, fantasy, sci-fi, or if you wanna take it for a more literary or literal spin, do so. It’s your monster. Take it for a walk where you want to walk it.
Story length: ~1500 words
Due by: Friday, 3/17, noon EST
Post at your online space.
Give us a link back here.
CREATE YOUR MONSTER.
Michael Goins says:
Here’s a piece of flash fiction I wrote a while back that I think might fit. It’s under “Work.”
March 10, 2017 — 1:17 PM
William Walker says:
I was going to ask permission to use a human who acts like a monster. Then I said fuck it, I don’t need permission, it’s my monster. Stand by.
March 10, 2017 — 2:14 PM
NoWorkingTitle says:
Here’s the monster from the middle grade book I’m writing. I ripped chapter one right from the unedited manuscript, so please pardon all the typos and inconsistencies. https://bpdstoryblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/pecunious-cloaked-ch-1-unedited/
March 10, 2017 — 3:11 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
I love this!!
March 16, 2017 — 12:20 PM
NoWorkingTitle says:
Thank you!
March 16, 2017 — 1:26 PM
Carol J Forrester says:
https://caroljforrester.com/2017/03/10/curious-things-rotten-places/
March 10, 2017 — 3:28 PM
NoWorkingTitle says:
Here’s one from a middle grade story I’m playing with. https://bpdstoryblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/pecunious-cloaked-ch-1-unedited/
March 10, 2017 — 3:29 PM
David says:
Little Things – ~470 words
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12zQlHpVEkkhkLnOv-QE0d3cZyV_odnrmFQekSVWSu-s/edit?usp=sharing
March 10, 2017 — 3:37 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Very surreal!
March 13, 2017 — 8:42 AM
dcxli says:
Maybe not as monstrous as you’d hoped, but I’d like for you all to meet the rock-eaters.
https://dcxli.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/the-rock-eaters/
Let me know what you think!
March 10, 2017 — 6:11 PM
Mozette says:
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2017/03/the-demon-host-and-vinyls.html
enjoy!
March 10, 2017 — 11:20 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Fun take on the prompt, and very unique! Those demons always make it to the best gigs. -__- One tiny niggle…. it’s all about the bass (not base) 😛
March 13, 2017 — 11:34 AM
Mozette says:
Aaahh… thanks for the pick-up. I’ll correct it. 🙂
March 14, 2017 — 8:52 AM
dutchman71 says:
Here’s a monster for ya – and scary like hell it is: The Grim Reaper.
http://jaxlogan.com/index.php/2017/03/11/grim-reaper/
March 11, 2017 — 7:07 AM
Sophie Giroir says:
Basically, I took the thing that terrifies me and created my monster.
https://lifeinmyshoesandsometimesout.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/memory-thief/
March 11, 2017 — 4:34 PM
Sophie Giroir says:
**I did no research for this. It’s possible it’s completely impossible. Also…My grandmother was just diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease, so lately that’s been on my mind.
March 11, 2017 — 4:41 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Fantastic!
March 16, 2017 — 12:51 PM
J.W. Martin says:
Great story. Loved every word!
March 17, 2017 — 9:41 AM
dougkzeigler says:
My monster…the worst of them all. https://scotchfullyyours.wordpress.com/2017/03/11/game-master/
March 11, 2017 — 11:03 PM
NoWorkingTitle says:
Excellent! I thought I was reading about a CEO or an operations manager until I got to the water pockets.
March 15, 2017 — 8:27 PM
dougkzeigler says:
Thanks! Much appreciated.
March 16, 2017 — 1:17 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
This is soooooooo good!!
March 16, 2017 — 1:00 PM
dougkzeigler says:
Thanks! I was a bit worried at the offense some might take, but I’m really happy with how it turned out.
March 16, 2017 — 1:18 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Psst! Did ya see today’s Flash Fiction Challenge? 😉
March 17, 2017 — 1:16 PM
J.W. Martin says:
Wonderful! Very clever.
March 17, 2017 — 9:48 AM
dougkzeigler says:
You’re too kind, sir.
March 17, 2017 — 1:14 PM
Nancy Cupp says:
Great idea! I wish I could participate, but I’m off on vacation for the next 10 days. Please keep this stuff coming, I love your stuff.
March 12, 2017 — 9:49 AM
the story hive says:
This is something a bit older – “the problem with magic” (here: https://thestoryhive.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/the-problem-with-magic/)
March 12, 2017 — 12:35 PM
Adan Ramie says:
You’ve heard of the love bug, but no one has ever seen it like this before. http://adanramie.com/you-never-know-when-its-going-to-get-you-flash-fiction/
March 12, 2017 — 1:55 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
What a fun monster! tee hee!
March 16, 2017 — 4:19 PM
Adan Ramie says:
I thought so too, Tsara. Imagine a world in which everyone had a taste of what they fear – what a happy place it would be.
March 19, 2017 — 9:46 AM
The Urban Spaceman says:
In 862 words, I give you: The Cannileech
https://theurbanspaceman.net/2017/03/12/the-cannileech-flash-fiction/
March 12, 2017 — 5:10 PM
curioushart says:
I like the format and the complexity of this piece. This is worthy of a Grimm episode.
March 14, 2017 — 10:25 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
This is fantastic! A quick read because of the style but lacking nothing. I love it!
March 16, 2017 — 4:11 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Thanks! I’m working real hard on saying more by writing less. Glad to know it worked in this case! 🙂
March 16, 2017 — 4:55 PM
b.b.kemp says:
Hey, Chuck. Here’s a link to William Walker’s idea, ‘use a human who acts like a monster’. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ND473OS
March 13, 2017 — 7:18 AM
Marcia Bourgeois says:
I’m new here. Please explain what it means what it says to post on your on line space. I’m just starting to write after many years of putting it aside and have never worked with an on line group.
March 13, 2017 — 11:57 AM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Post a story on your own personal blog. From the URL bar, copy the link from your published blog post, and paste it into the comments section here.
Be warned, this isn’t a group. It’s a chaotic, mania-induced FFA. You might get some reads, maybe some likes and a few comments, but you won’t get solid crits. If you’re looking to ‘work with’ a group for genuine feedback and crit, you’d be better looking around writing forums and buddying up/mentoring/script-swapping with like-minded folks (the people around here are crazy.)
March 13, 2017 — 6:29 PM
grahamwrites says:
Couple of false starts that ended up in dead ends. Didn’t know where this puppy was going to go, but kinda like where it did. Hope you do too. http://grahamwho.com/grahamwrites/2017/03/13/flash-fiction-serenity/ Now off to read yours.
March 13, 2017 — 12:08 PM
curioushart says:
I like your story. Well done.
March 14, 2017 — 10:31 PM
grahamwrites says:
Thanks, Curious. Had to read yours twice. Either it’s too deep for me, or I’m too stupid for it. But hey, like i said, I read it twice.
March 15, 2017 — 7:55 PM
curioushart says:
Thank you. I thought your story was complex and deep; I like that stuff.
March 15, 2017 — 8:53 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Very cool!
March 16, 2017 — 4:31 PM
J.W. Martin says:
This was great. Anytime there’s a legion approach in something, I’m in.
March 17, 2017 — 10:01 AM
Cameron Mount says:
Of all the stories posted for this prompt, this one is definitely my favorite.
March 17, 2017 — 12:18 PM
grahamwrites says:
Cheers Cameron.
March 20, 2017 — 10:10 AM
Skye says:
Ooh! Good one!
March 18, 2017 — 1:47 AM
The Penultimate Universe says:
I’ve used an excerpt from my current WIP for this challenge. Enjoy!
https://penultimateuniverse.wordpress.com/2017/03/13/the-darkling-wakes/
March 13, 2017 — 12:25 PM
grahamwrites says:
Will astronauts ever learn not to go opening canisters they find in space?
March 13, 2017 — 1:32 PM
The Penultimate Universe says:
I guess they never learn but as long as they do, it should still make for exciting stories! 🙂
March 14, 2017 — 6:42 AM
Susan B Cogan says:
Monster for Hire, A Button Man Story
There’s more than one monster out there…
https://medium.com/@SusanBCogan/monster-for-hire-bd539e84f0d#.4l2jfm1bk
March 13, 2017 — 10:21 PM
curioushart says:
Problem-Solution situation well played.
March 14, 2017 — 10:37 PM
michelledevilliersart says:
I could only muster a poem-monster: https://cadmiumdiamond.wordpress.com/2017/03/14/flashy-poem-monster/
March 14, 2017 — 1:14 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
But well mustered, and funly done! That’s definitely no frail deed you’ve achieved.
March 16, 2017 — 5:05 PM
michelledevilliersart says:
Thank you!
March 17, 2017 — 9:07 AM
The Writer says:
An old idea, that was brought back to life. Enjoy!
https://atcrump.com/2017/03/14/the-night-that-stood-the-longest/
March 14, 2017 — 1:44 PM
Thomas Diehl says:
Finally a use for an old concept of mine. The Predator of Fire turned out more creepy than scary, but it does fit the monster monicker nicely.
http://en.thomasdiehl.eu/?p=352
March 14, 2017 — 7:06 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Here’s one that my son wrote a while back. I love this excuse–errrrr, good reason — to share it!
Summary: Lieutenant James Harwood is sick of sitting around doing paperwork and wants to go chase bad guys. However, when the danger comes to him, hunting clues might be what kills him. Or worse….
Tonight You Die; Tomorrow You Wake by Shay Shelton
https://www.inkitt.com/stories/horror/41190?ref=v_1f4687da-5dd5-41d1-a685-a5ae7d02d5ad&utm_source=shared_web
March 14, 2017 — 7:36 PM
curioushart says:
Here is my story (446 words). It is a faithful retelling of what Trevor told me.
https://curioushart.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/this-rough-beast/
March 15, 2017 — 10:32 AM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Nicely done! A very powerful and punchy piece.
March 16, 2017 — 5:08 PM
Sam Brady says:
I realized that I created a pretty cool monster last year when we did a genre mashup here, so I am bringing back my Southern Gothic/Kaiju fire-breathing possum. The story is called “Burn”. Please to enjoy.
https://sambrady.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/chuck-wendig-burn/
March 15, 2017 — 8:10 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Here’s my story. My word count is a bit high (1,670), sorry about that. But according to my son the ending is pretty good. When I asked if it was spooky he said, “Not really. It’s kind of cheesy.” But, you know, he did say the ending was pretty good. Wait, could he have meant that it was good that it ended? Yikes!
I hope you like cheesy monster stories with endings!
Lonely Spirit: http://autismanswersbytsara.blogspot.com/2017/03/short-story-lonely-spirit-flash-fiction.html
March 15, 2017 — 10:23 PM
dougkzeigler says:
LOVE this!
March 16, 2017 — 1:28 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Thank YOU!!!!
March 16, 2017 — 4:19 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Very well written, and very sad! I liked that we don’t ever see the tree man ourselves, we only see him through a mother’s longing, a little boy’s imagination, and an errant drawing. Sometimes the best (worst) monsters are the ones we never see with our own eyes.
March 16, 2017 — 5:27 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I admit to loving scary movies but I rarely read and never write spooky stories. So I almost didn’t bother trying this challenge. But when I heard myself avoiding a challenge because it was a challenge, well, I had to laugh at myself and then give it a try!
I truly appreciate the comments.
Hugs!!
March 16, 2017 — 6:23 PM
Cameron Mount says:
Very creepy. I wouldn’t say it was cheesy at all.
March 17, 2017 — 3:14 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
Thank you! Actually, it gave my mom nightmares and I had to talk her down last night. So she didn’t think it was cheesy either. tee hee!
March 17, 2017 — 5:06 PM
RachelDPanda says:
Sometimes we are the monsters. And no, this is not a zombie/monster story where humans are terrible. I think we’ve seen those before. Story fuel by anger and red wine. 😛
http://racheldpanda.tumblr.com/post/158461160423/gringita-feminism-or-how-white-feminists-are
March 15, 2017 — 11:39 PM
curioushart says:
Great story. What is an WOC?
March 16, 2017 — 10:35 AM
RachelDPanda says:
Woman Of Color. And thanks!
March 16, 2017 — 11:25 AM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Aww, sorry to hear about your job! 🙁 Horrible human beings come in all shapes, sizes, genders and colours, but it stings even worse when such meanness comes from someone who ought to be in your corner. Hope the red wine managed to make you feel a little better, at least, and that your story was some small catharsis! 😛
March 16, 2017 — 5:37 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
This one is sadly recognizable and familiar. (Also, sorry about the loss of your work. I hope writing this story gave you a helpful release.)
March 17, 2017 — 1:15 PM
Helene says:
My monster is a human who becomes the little voice in your head. The fucking nagging nasty voice. I’ve met and defeated a few in my time, but this one is mor epowerful. After the intro in French, at http://www.campagnonades.com/fiction-un-monstre/
March 16, 2017 — 8:56 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
My monster just *might* be metaphorical. The story will go live this afternoon, probably before this comment gets approved.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2017/03/flash-fiction-friday-create-your-own.html
March 16, 2017 — 1:09 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
“Sorry, the page you were looking for in this blog does not exist.” My god, that’s the worst monster I’ve ever seen; the monster of a blank/missing page! 🙁
I’m guessing the story hasn’t gone live yet. Will check back tomorrow. 😛
March 16, 2017 — 5:29 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Wouldn’t you know it, the post got approved too soon! It’s live now 🙂
March 17, 2017 — 12:20 AM
Jemima Pett says:
I posted mine last night, just after midnight my time, but it’s still waiting for approval this morning. That’s not a complaint, Chuck – we’re just trying to work out how best to deal with your spam filter 🙁
March 17, 2017 — 4:39 AM
Tsara Shelton says:
This is fantastic!!
March 17, 2017 — 1:53 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Thank you!
March 17, 2017 — 8:00 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Let’s see if Blogger recognises me as human today!
Great story, and I loved the very old-world, scientific zeitgeist. I can picture Mr. Archibald. D. Jones as a Victorian-era explorer, full of his own pomp and grandeur, believing that a superior mind can overcome any adversity. An unexpected style, but very enjoyable!
(Note: Blogger did not recognise me as human today)
March 18, 2017 — 11:34 AM
Vicente L Ruiz says:
I’m completely out of my comfort zone with this one. I almost couldn’t make it. Then I chose a children-story-like approach that somehow took a bitter twist. Here’s Azad:
https://medium.com/@VicenteLRuiz/azad-5bec6418fba2#.pg1tyf87m
March 16, 2017 — 7:09 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
I like it! The children-story approach makes it a quick read and the seeking of what “Monster” means is a fun take on the theme.
March 17, 2017 — 2:03 PM
Vicente L Ruiz says:
Many thanks! I thought it would look child-like, while at the same time touching on deeper themes… Something I usually don’t pull off.
(Sorry to answer so late, I missed your comment completely).
April 6, 2017 — 3:49 AM
Jemima Pett says:
Mine should go live in ten minutes, so with any luck it’ll just fit neatly with the approval process 🙂
A strange sort of monster, but one all of my own …
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2017/03/17/fridayflash-fiction-the-monster-at-the-gates-of-hell
March 16, 2017 — 8:18 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
I’m loving this story.
March 17, 2017 — 8:01 PM
calebtrenton says:
My first piece. I just started this week because I saw this challenge. Enjoy “Shattered”.
https://intermittentanecdotes.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/shattered/
March 17, 2017 — 1:56 AM
grahamwrites says:
Thought I’d have a second go at this one, a bit of a laugh. http://grahamwho.com/grahamwrites/2017/03/17/flash-fiction-shit-monster/
March 17, 2017 — 6:52 AM
J.W. Martin says:
This was a ton of fun to write. Look out for… Torrent!
http://www.jwmartin.com/writing/torrent-a-flash-fiction-story/
March 17, 2017 — 9:18 AM
Tsara Shelton says:
Well, I won’t be feeling my usual calm when I hang out by our pond for a while. 😀
March 17, 2017 — 12:48 PM
xtina morris says:
http://www.xtinamorris.com/monster/
first draft! Thanks for the idea!
March 17, 2017 — 10:34 AM
Cameron Mount says:
Right under the wire. Keep your eyes peeled for hemadips.
https://cameronamount.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/the-hemadip-wendig-challenge/
March 17, 2017 — 11:40 AM
Tsara Shelton says:
Clever and creepy!
March 17, 2017 — 1:08 PM
Cameron Mount says:
Thanks!
March 17, 2017 — 3:05 PM
Skye says:
This is late, late, late, but I hope someone reads it and likes it anyway. Here goes: http://runnerskye.ca/beware-hydrobeast-part-2/
March 17, 2017 — 7:39 PM
Tsara Shelton says:
I read it! I liked it!
March 20, 2017 — 11:40 AM