And we return with an old favorite.
We shall mash subgenres up and write the weird stories that result.
I will give you 20 subgenres. You will pick two from the list either using a d20 or random number generator (or use monkey knuckles or coffee grounds or whatever), then you will write a short story that mashes up those two subgenres.
Length: We’ll say 1500-2000 words.
Due by: Next Friday (2/9), noon EST.
Post at your online space.
Drop a link to the story in the comments below.
THE SUBGENRE LIST:
- Revenge Thriller
- BDSM Erotica
- Fairy Tale / Fable / Folklore
- Haunted House
- Wild West
- Body Horror
- Near-Future Sci-Fi
- Sword & Sorcery
- Occult Detective
- Musical
- Comic Fantasy
- Urban Fantasy
- Superhero
- Bodice Ripper
- Who-done-it
- Space Opera
- Climate Change
- Medical Thriller
- Paranormal Romance
- Artificial Intelligence Sci-Fi
BEATRIZ JODAS ALBANO says:
Haunted-house and Superhero. Hum, I have an idea…
February 2, 2018 — 9:31 AM
Mark Gardner says:
I got 16 & 7: https://article94.com/2018/02/02/space-combat/
February 2, 2018 — 9:55 AM
M Elizabeth Ticknor says:
Body Horror Fairy Tale/Fable/Folklore.
…I think I *have* to do this one.
February 2, 2018 — 10:11 AM
Jack says:
15 & 19… who-done-it and paranormal romance. This could be interesting!
February 2, 2018 — 10:31 AM
Kathy says:
Occult Detective meets Wild West. Thoughts are swirling.
February 2, 2018 — 11:54 AM
amberleygriffin says:
Naaaww man… but I have already written an Occult Detective Revenge Thriller…
February 2, 2018 — 1:19 PM
Emily Miles says:
7 and 6… near future body horror? This may take a fun turn.
February 2, 2018 — 3:37 PM
Emily Miles says:
Here you go. “GMO scrap heap.” https://www.tumblr.com/blog/sketchystormwritesgarbo
February 8, 2018 — 11:51 PM
Carla Robertson says:
Wild west superhero here we go….
February 2, 2018 — 7:50 PM
Mozette says:
https://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2018/02/romancing-stone.html
BDSM erotica and Revenge Thriller
enjoy. 😀
February 2, 2018 — 11:37 PM
Em says:
Comic Fantasy and Superhero 😀 I have just the idea…
February 2, 2018 — 11:51 PM
Betsy says:
Bodice ripper + paranormal romance–well they do go together, though they’re outside of my wheelhouse…
February 3, 2018 — 12:54 AM
NIna Angela McKissock says:
1 and 18 for me. How erotic may be be?
February 4, 2018 — 9:36 AM
Dani Stowe says:
12 & 14. I had to look up “Bodice Ripper.” *blushing*
February 4, 2018 — 1:46 PM
Anne Bohannon says:
Ha! I did too! I’m doing it as one of mine.
February 6, 2018 — 5:53 PM
Willow ✍ (@MindOverMuses) says:
Superhero + Medical Thriller
I’ll give it a shot! My child refuses to sleep tonight anyway, lol!
https://mindovermuses.tumblr.com/post/170525532561/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-not-so
February 5, 2018 — 1:21 AM
Vicente L Ruiz (@VicenteLRuiz) says:
I got 2 and 12. BDSM Erotica and Urban Fantasy. Shall I dare…?
February 5, 2018 — 6:09 AM
Vicente L Ruiz (@VicenteLRuiz) says:
OK, right under the deadline, but here it is. Obviously it’s NSFW, but I didn’t hit very heavily either with the BDSM or the Urban Fantasy themes.
Not Your Usual Nightclub: https://medium.com/@VicenteLRuiz/not-your-usual-nightclub-be6413b3782c
February 9, 2018 — 4:43 AM
mdflyn says:
I got fairy tale and haunted house. Might I introduce “Gingerbread Lullaby” http://mdflyn.com/2018/02/05/gingerbread-lullaby-original-flash-fiction/
February 5, 2018 — 2:12 PM
Anne Bohannon says:
Nice original lullaby!
February 10, 2018 — 10:59 AM
mdflyn says:
Actually it’s an old German lullaby. I thought it fitting.
February 10, 2018 — 4:27 PM
Anne Bohannon says:
Oh nice. It works really well!
February 10, 2018 — 4:31 PM
Timothy S Morehead says:
Wild West and Body Horror. ROTTEN HELL. This was fun.
February 6, 2018 — 10:25 PM
Timothy S Morehead says:
Forgot the link. Here it is ROTTEN HELL – https://www.timothysmorehead.com/blog/2018/2/6/rotten-hell-a-flash-fiction-challenge
February 7, 2018 — 10:46 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
I wanted to read it. But on my computer, your blog has a very light grey font on a white background–much too hard for this old lady to read 🙁
February 9, 2018 — 8:04 PM
Christopher Lawson says:
He updated the text color to black. Reads fine on my computer now, Rebecca.
February 10, 2018 — 11:17 AM
Christopher Lawson says:
I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. It is apparent that you had a blast writing it, and that you know how to “spin a yarn”. Nice use of the two sub-genres.
February 10, 2018 — 11:53 AM
Sam Brady says:
Comic Fantasy vs Musical for 1900 words of yummy goodness. Please to enjoy “Meeting The Familiars”
https://sambrady.wordpress.com/2018/02/07/chuck-wendig-meeting-the-familiars/
February 7, 2018 — 7:54 PM
Eva Therese says:
Been forever since I did one of these. Sword & Sorcery and Climate Change. https://evathereseebert.wordpress.com/2018/02/08/the-subgenre-shake-and-bake
February 8, 2018 — 5:44 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Comic fantasy and occult detective worked nicely to give direction to a little piece I’d already started about the demon 333…
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2018/02/friday-flash-333.html
February 8, 2018 — 11:41 PM
andys says:
Running in late, because it has been an insanely busy week, and goddamn it! Now I have to write a novel about this. I got occult detective/paranormal romance, and we are off to the races with Hearts Aflame: http://andreaspeed.com/2018/flash-fic-challenge-hearts-aflame/
February 9, 2018 — 4:30 AM
Christopher Lawson says:
Wild West (5) and Who Done It (15).
Great fun. Thanks!
“The People Who Weren’t There”
http://christopherlawson.com/final_the_people_who_werent_there.pdf
February 9, 2018 — 5:15 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Interesting story, though I found that some of the setting/time period was a bit slippery. Poor kid!
February 9, 2018 — 8:33 PM
Christopher Lawson says:
Thanks for reading the story, Rebecca. I appreciate the feedback on time period – probably not truly Wild West based on the Wikipedia definition.
February 10, 2018 — 11:25 AM
Anne Bohannon says:
Folk Tale/Bodice Ripper
This one gets a little dirty 😉
Interesting exercise! Happy Friday!
https://annebohannon.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/vendredi-vignettes-the-huntsman/
February 9, 2018 — 7:39 AM
swordsoftheancients says:
And with about five minutes to spare, here’s mine. I picked Artificial Intelligence Sci-Fi and BDSM Erotica. This one’s called “Subroutines.”
https://swordsoftheancients.com/2018/02/09/subroutines/
February 9, 2018 — 11:56 AM
lpstribling says:
A bit late, but hey, I made it. PASSWORD: Around
https://lpstribling.wordpress.com/2018/02/14/turning-around/
February 14, 2018 — 7:00 PM