I advise you to click here:
There, you will find the ability to generate algorithmic inspirational memes.
Just like the one at the fore of this post.
You can either:
a) generate your own or
b) use the one above.
From there, design a piece of short fiction around that, um, “inspiration.”
Use the text in the story if possible.
Otherwise, just use it as a springboard to delightful story weirdness.
Length: ~1000 words
Due by: Friday, the 28th, noon EST
Post at your online space.
Link back here so we can all read it.
The end.
Charlotte Grubbs (@literary_lottie) says:
I dunno, Chuck, my “inspirational” quote was “Without pants, there is no reason to live,” and I’m pretty sure that violates Penmonkey Code.
July 21, 2017 — 1:08 PM
Jade M. Wong says:
LOL. Was not expecting to read that quote when I scrolled down to the comments.
July 21, 2017 — 1:18 PM
Daniel M. Clark says:
My quote is “Don’t write. Let yourself listen to society.”
The hell do I do now? Curse you, Inspirobot!
July 21, 2017 — 2:26 PM
Adelise M Cullens says:
This is the best thing. Why have I never heard of this before? Thanks, Chuck.
July 21, 2017 — 6:03 PM
Anna Nyms says:
It’s great. I spent some time generating “inspirations”, found a lot of interesting lines that would make great first lines of a story. One of my favorite funny lines Is “First comes the finger, then comes nudity” or “Learn to make your colleague come”.
July 25, 2017 — 2:47 PM
Adelise M Cullens says:
Bahahahahahaha I saved so many. It was hard to pick just one. I might have to make it a weekly thing. I got things like, “The reptilians are planning to have faith in the men in the shadows” & “A ghost is eternal particles on vacation.” Best use of AI. lol
July 25, 2017 — 6:51 PM
Bonnee says:
This is an interesting little site … though I’m giving some of these quotes a heckin’ frown.
July 22, 2017 — 7:34 AM
Paul Grignon says:
Chuck!
Great post! I was up to the Inspirobot challenge and posted it and linked back here. Had a grand time writing it. Thank you for that exercise, and your wonderful post about a bad day writing. I appreciate your wit. Take care,
Paul
July 22, 2017 — 5:17 PM
Paul Grignon says:
Addendum: In case my post was not accessible, you can find it here: paulgrignon.wordpress.com
Thank you!
July 22, 2017 — 5:21 PM
Adelise M Cullens says:
Well done, Paul!
July 22, 2017 — 8:37 PM
Paul Grignon says:
Thank you, Adelise. I appreciate it very much. Can’t wait to read your take!
July 22, 2017 — 10:06 PM
Anna Nyms says:
I really liked your story.
July 27, 2017 — 4:13 PM
Paul Grignon says:
Dear Anna,
Thank you so much for the kind words! I appreciate your comment. I enjoyed (if that’s the word : ) reading your own dystopian take. Well paced, and great visuals! It made me want to go outside and peer at the sky for streaming meteorites. Excellent job!
Take care,
Paul
July 28, 2017 — 6:33 AM
Danielle says:
Great story!
July 29, 2017 — 7:07 AM
someguyinawaistcoat says:
I clicked five times and got a different saccharine image each time, but all read the same:
“Fear rimjobs”
… Welp. I guess I’m off to write the most disgustingly terrifying incubus story I can.
July 22, 2017 — 10:10 PM
Mozette says:
https://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2017/07/plain-jane.html
A little over 1,000 words… couldn’t be helped.
enjoy.
July 22, 2017 — 11:48 PM
Danielle says:
I didn’t see that twist coming at the end. Intriguing! Definitely makes me want to know more about this whole situation.
July 29, 2017 — 7:13 AM
Lisa says:
I got “Perversion is the procrastination of another demension.” With my terrible mind, I fear the outcome would be some strange alien romance not suitable for all viewers. L
July 23, 2017 — 11:01 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
“Can you picture how it would be if artists were allowed to tell the truth?”
Approx 500 words: https://theurbanspaceman.net/2017/07/24/artistic-licence-flash-fiction/
July 24, 2017 — 8:40 AM
Daniel M. Clark says:
Love it. Well done, evocative. I especially love the idea of creative license as a thing that can be revoked, or that has to be earned.
July 27, 2017 — 5:17 PM
Sam Brady says:
Thought provoking, especially in today’s environment. I passed by several potential quotes because they were too obviously political. You’re a braver spaceman than I am.
July 27, 2017 — 9:30 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Ironically, this was one of the least political quotes I came across, too. 😛 Not sure about braver than you, though. This is a story I’ve wanted to tell for a while, and the quote was a convenient platform to launch it from.
July 28, 2017 — 4:59 AM
Danielle says:
Wonderful story!
July 29, 2017 — 7:17 AM
Daniel M. Clark says:
“What you have to understand is that fairies don’t *want* to hurt anyone. They live in their small communities and when the big folk get too close, they move out of the way.
Usually.”
Ocean Mist of the Mountain
https://danielmclark.com/library/ocean-mist-of-the-mountain/
July 24, 2017 — 6:48 PM
Sam Brady says:
Awesome, and unexpected! Not what I would have expected from the quote. I like the thought of an angry fairy, though. Very cool take.
July 27, 2017 — 9:35 PM
Danielle says:
Great story! Loved your take on your prompt. Plus, fairies are cool.
July 29, 2017 — 7:22 AM
Danielle says:
This was fun.
Here’s my story.
Regret – Writing Upside Down
https://writingupsidedown.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/regret/
July 25, 2017 — 4:35 AM
Skye says:
I really liked this one. Took a bit to realize the inspiration. Good pacing and dialogue.
July 31, 2017 — 3:33 AM
Danielle says:
Thank you!
July 31, 2017 — 7:54 AM
LC says:
Beth’s paranoia explained in 960 words. Poor Beth. How will she escape this inhumane creature she thinks she loves? What is the price you pay for love? My quote was; “Be yourself, be paranoid, be better” Enjoy! https://thewritingsoflc.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/flash-fiction-challenge-inspired-by-inspirobot/
July 25, 2017 — 7:47 AM
Danielle says:
Loved this!
July 29, 2017 — 7:26 AM
The Writer Jenny says:
InspiroBot bookmarked for future usage. Think I might be a little messed up from laughing at my final sentence so hard for this challenge. u_____u;
https://jennifersparr.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/a-clove-of-garlic-can-improve-dreams/
July 25, 2017 — 6:55 PM
aimeethere says:
Has InspiroBot freaked out on anyone else? Flashing screen asking where am I, then a standby screen for InspiroCorp, and then a background of waves and soothing messages from InspiroCorp between quote generations? It’s hilarious but I have no idea what I did to trigger it.
July 25, 2017 — 10:19 PM
Daniel M. Clark says:
Yes, that happened to me, too. Only once, and I think I generated about fifty quotes (I’m stockpiling). No idea what triggered it.
July 25, 2017 — 11:48 PM
aimeethere says:
Um, well, yeah. This just sorta happened like this all in a rush. I suppose InspiroBot truly is inspiring.
https://aimeethere.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/full-benefits/
July 25, 2017 — 11:59 PM
Daniel M. Clark says:
That was *amazing*.
I’ve seriously never seen anyone so successfully play with tense and POV like that before. I’m blown away.
July 27, 2017 — 5:35 PM
aimeethere says:
Thank you! It felt like it was getting away from me a bit when I switched to the plural third, but I just plowed through. I gotta say, it was one of those satisfying times where it seems like what i intended and what I ended up with matched pretty well. I was going for a sort of kaleidoscope feeling, like each switch was a new slide clicking into view.
July 28, 2017 — 8:19 PM
Sam Brady says:
Please to enjoy 963 kinda weird words.
https://sambrady.wordpress.com/2017/07/26/chuck-wendig-open-for-business/
July 26, 2017 — 6:48 PM
Eva Therese says:
I wrote a thing with robots because InpiroBot told me to. I for one welcome our new robot overlords.. https://evathereseebert.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/inspired-by-inspirobot/
July 27, 2017 — 11:29 AM
Vicente L Ruiz says:
This was so hard. I generated at least a dozen and couldn’t make up my mind.
In the end I went with “Can You Imagine What Would Happen If You Found A Way To Be Nice To Everybody?” It’s a different vision on the superhero life…
https://medium.com/@VicenteLRuiz/can-you-imagine-what-would-happen-if-you-found-a-way-to-be-nice-to-everybody-7209bdde5776
July 27, 2017 — 12:03 PM
grahamwrites says:
“First comes the break-up, then comes the destruction” was just too good to pass up. Have a read. http://grahamwho.com/grahamwrites/2017/07/27/flash-fiction-half-of-everything/
July 27, 2017 — 1:06 PM
Anna Nyms says:
Wow. Talk about splitting custody in half.
July 27, 2017 — 4:24 PM
C. Jai Ferry says:
800 words on a mother’s insecurity. Fun challenge~
http://www.cjaiferry.com/blog/july-meme/
July 27, 2017 — 1:14 PM
Incognito Scribblings says:
https://incognitoscribblings.tumblr.com/post/163492317785/first-comes-the-breakup-then-comes-the
July 27, 2017 — 1:35 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
These are generated randomly, by a computer algorithm, right?
If so, we might need to be very afraid. I got the phrase “Can we reinvent entertainment?” accompanied by a picture of two flies ‘doing it.’ AI is either mocking us or has got us pegged far more than we realise.
July 27, 2017 — 5:22 PM
pamtanzey says:
Here’s mine- Remember to Have Fun
https://pamtanzey.wordpress.com/2017/07/27/remember-to-have-fun/
July 27, 2017 — 9:33 PM
Allison Maruska says:
I tried for an almost-all-dialogue piece, after I finally stopped being distracted by Inspirobot.
https://allisonmaruska.com/2017/07/27/flash-fiction-perfection-and-regret/
July 27, 2017 — 9:47 PM
Adelise M Cullens says:
I did it. I’m not happy with it. But I did it. lol Failure is just as important as success so I posted it anyway. Complete with two alternate endings cause I couldn’t decide which was worse. https://adelisemcullens.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/tinfoil-swords-chuck-wendigs-flash-fic-challenge/
July 27, 2017 — 10:07 PM
The Writer Jenny says:
I personally liked the first ending, because it brought a creepier vibe which I inherently gravitate towards for no particular reason.
July 28, 2017 — 11:53 AM
Skye says:
YAY! I actually got this one done on time, for once. I’d love any feedback; not sure if it works. http://runnerskye.ca/flash-fiction-first-comes-murder/
July 28, 2017 — 12:29 AM
Ashleigh Bonner says:
I got “All absence is always reinventing itself”. This fits nicely with my abstract writing style. I’ll post what I come up with later. Something about all the dimensions we can’t see. I’m excited to read your posts and see your blogs.
Ashleigh @ http://www.ashanauthor.blogspot.com
July 28, 2017 — 1:01 AM
Jane Arisi says:
1,130 words (close enough, right?) of a thief in a speakeasy reuniting with the love of her life. Great challenge 🙂
https://janearisi.wordpress.com/2017/07/28/flash-fiction-from-inspirobot-me/
July 28, 2017 — 2:55 AM
Kenzie says:
Being the coward I am, I stuck with the inspirational quote here rather than gambling on a new one.
http://www.lavenderwriting.co.uk/?p=111
July 28, 2017 — 4:59 AM
Ashleigh Bonner says:
My prompt “All absence always reinvents itself.”
206 words.
Take a look:
https://ashanauthor.blogspot.com/2017/07/inspirobot-prompt.html
July 28, 2017 — 12:00 PM
Ashlee Jade says:
So the bot has little messages it displays between inspirational quotes. I just got “Bots are the next stage of evolution” then the quote it generated was “After evolution comes the attack”… I am very, very scared.
July 28, 2017 — 11:48 PM
Ivy Evelyn Grey (@onauratoujours) says:
a wee bit late, but i combined your inspirobot prompt with one that was generated for me– hope you like it :).
https://iseeyoureyesiknowyoureyes.tumblr.com/post/163549087941
July 29, 2017 — 12:22 AM