Flash Fiction Challenge: Stolen Titles (Stephen King Edition)
Here’s the challenge this week:
I want you to take the title of one of the following Stephen King books, and write a short story based on it. The trick is, your story should be entirely different — you’re divorcing the title from the novel from whence it came, and writing Your Own Damn Thing. (Bonus points if you assume an entirely different genre — not horror at all.)
Get it? Got it? Good.
Choose a title randomly (random.org) or just pick.
1. The Stand
2. Mr. Mercedes
3. Under the Dome
4. The Shining
5. The Colorado Kid
6. The Talisman
7. The Dead Zone
8. Desperation
9. Bag of Bones
10. The Dark Half
Length: ~1000 words
Due by: Friday, April 13th (oh shit!), noon EST
Write at your online space.
Give us a link below.
Go steal a title.
April 6, 2018 @ 5:54 PM
The Dark Half
https://laurengreenewrites.com/2018/04/06/the-dark-half/
April 9, 2018 @ 8:57 AM
Nice! I like this one! had me guessing all the way to the end! 😀
April 9, 2018 @ 11:47 AM
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
April 12, 2018 @ 6:08 PM
Like it. Love stories of dual personality, especially where one doesn’t know about the other.
April 13, 2018 @ 12:42 PM
Thanks Graham!
April 13, 2018 @ 10:05 AM
Ooh. This was quite interesting.
April 13, 2018 @ 12:42 PM
Thank you for reading!
April 14, 2018 @ 3:52 AM
Pleasure 🙂
April 6, 2018 @ 7:38 PM
Oh, perhaps the irony of it all: Just now such a writing exercise is not possible because. . . of deadlines. To quote The Great American Philosopher, Homer J. Simpson: D’oh!
Seriously, I will pursue this challenge when time allows. Until then: Nice to meet you.
April 7, 2018 @ 8:45 AM
https://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2018/04/the-shining.html
I picked ‘The Shining’ and did a spin on spin on it… thought you’d like it and get a giggle out of it as the same time 😀 Oh! And it’s under 1,000 words this time. 😀
April 9, 2018 @ 9:44 AM
Oh yes, I did get a giggle out of it. Very nicely written.
April 9, 2018 @ 8:54 PM
Thank you… I started laughing out aloud at the dude flapping his arm, then the bird flapping his wings – very Monty Python! – and laughing at the image of it in my mind as I wrote was great! But really if it works well for a writer, and then works well on the page,… well that’s what it’s all about, right? 😛
April 10, 2018 @ 2:31 AM
As a matter of fact, that was what I found the funniest moment in your story too.
You’re right- if you aren’t bored while writing, then the reader won’t be bored while reading either.
April 9, 2018 @ 12:55 PM
Great job! I loved Richie. Also, you could probably continue writing this if you wanted to. Quite a cliffhanger.
April 9, 2018 @ 8:56 PM
Oh yes! I could have, but I was very close to the 1,000 words as it was… I wanted you guys to think: what would an old 87 year old dude keep that was that valuable which was worth guarding?
April 10, 2018 @ 5:42 AM
Yeah, it worked well. I really enjoyed it.
April 7, 2018 @ 11:10 AM
https://melodyklink.com/2018/04/07/flash-fiction-bag-of-bones/
Here’s mine! I took on “Bag of Bones.” Totally unsure on word count since MY PC ATE ITSELF, but there’s a story there. XD
April 9, 2018 @ 3:49 PM
Mel–this had me laughing so hard. I love what you did here.
April 9, 2018 @ 6:57 PM
Ha! I do hope the next time we see her she’s got a pocket-edition spellbook (super handy, you can always have it on you! Never be caught without your spellbook again. $29.95 with free salt pouch with compartments for essential herbs and a candle loop!)
April 11, 2018 @ 3:28 PM
Really enjoyed this one.
April 7, 2018 @ 4:34 PM
Didn’t edit or proofread I’m sorry if it’s terrible it’s called the stand.
https://medium.com/@dannyoakes/the-stand-3f60c66a1418
April 9, 2018 @ 12:04 PM
I really liked this. Intriguing story, and I enjoyed the imagery you used.
April 9, 2018 @ 5:52 PM
Thanks for reading it!
April 9, 2018 @ 8:55 PM
Damn, if that’s without edits I want to read more of your stuff. Good imagery, language, and flow. Especially liked the comment about the kind of harmless saying everyone says/has heard. It’s worth proofreading though; the mistakes kinda disturb the immersion.
April 10, 2018 @ 11:08 AM
I gave it a quick once over, oof. Hopefully it’s better now! Just knew if I spent any time reviewing it I’d chicken out.
April 11, 2018 @ 4:23 AM
Oh man I know the feels.
April 10, 2018 @ 2:54 PM
Outstanding. Thank you for this.
April 11, 2018 @ 8:57 AM
Thanks, Benjamin, that’s encouraging. And you’re welcome.
April 12, 2018 @ 10:20 AM
This was great. Your words put me there, right in the middle of it all. Mysterious and thrilling. Awesome job!
April 13, 2018 @ 10:22 AM
Great job! This was so gripping. Loved the whole atmosphere of mystery you created with your wonderful imagery.
The Dark Half – Stories from Nyth – Edmund J. Asher
April 7, 2018 @ 5:33 PM
[…] I wrote this for Chuck Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenge: Stolen Titles (Stephen King Edition). […]
April 7, 2018 @ 5:37 PM
The Dark Half
http://edmundjasher.com/2018/04/07/the-dark-half-stories-from-nyth/
862ish words. It kills me not to have exactly 1000 words (I have problems) but I like this story the way it is. Of course, I’ve only just finished it… so, I’ll probably want it changed after a day or two. But I will refrain. Move on to other stuff.
April 12, 2018 @ 6:53 PM
I read this twice to fully appreciate the horror. Especially love the mise-en-scene macabre which took a beat to understand exactly what it was… constructed of. *Shudder*
April 9, 2018 @ 10:56 PM
I’m sad. Not because I can’t write(?) but because I don’t have a fancy personal site like everybody else has. Sorry I missed the last meeting…
April 10, 2018 @ 1:24 AM
The Shining
https://www.facebook.com/notes/thomas-anders-witherspoon/the-shining/10156404179708278/
April 10, 2018 @ 7:01 AM
Desperation
http://www.therunnerstone.com/uncategorized/desperation-a-writing-challenge/
April 10, 2018 @ 9:15 AM
This was hilarious. I loved it. Great job with so few words.
April 12, 2018 @ 10:25 AM
Sounds like my kind of party! Couldn’t stop laughing at this one. Great work!
April 12, 2018 @ 6:01 PM
Thought poor Mrs Muldoon was the toilet bowl for one moment. Disturbingly, I pictured this rather lucidly.
April 13, 2018 @ 4:46 AM
Hee, hee. Have you sought counselling for this?
April 13, 2018 @ 10:31 AM
Haha! This was funny as shit (pun intended).
April 10, 2018 @ 9:19 AM
Thank you for the kind words.
April 10, 2018 @ 1:19 PM
Mr. Mercedes. He’s still a killer. But only for commercial gain. http://grahamwho.com/grahamwrites/2018/04/10/flash-fiction-mr-mercedes/
April 11, 2018 @ 11:50 AM
Brilliantly put together. I loved this.
April 12, 2018 @ 9:14 AM
Thank you, Lauren. Working my way towards your one.
April 12, 2018 @ 11:02 AM
Thanks Graham!
April 11, 2018 @ 3:35 PM
Enjoyed reading this one.
April 12, 2018 @ 9:15 AM
Thanks Julie – enjoying writing it.
April 11, 2018 @ 11:46 PM
Glorious. I love this story of the bad and the much, much worse. *Chuckles*
April 12, 2018 @ 9:16 AM
Thanks Rose. Bad people are the best.
April 12, 2018 @ 2:48 AM
Excellent!
April 12, 2018 @ 9:16 AM
Thanks a lot John.
April 13, 2018 @ 10:37 AM
This was wonderful.
April 11, 2018 @ 3:14 PM
The Dead Zone: https://authorjulieclark.com/short-stories/the-dead-zone-flash-fiction-challenge/
“Emma Winter can’t help but swallow the energies of those around her, including the ‘well-intentioned’ who visit her family’s farm stand.”
April 11, 2018 @ 5:29 PM
Long time reader, first time submitter. I present The Dead Zone, hope it is enjoyable to read.
I know the ending seems a tad weak, I was writing it so much that I hit the word limit before I knew it. Stopped at 999 words.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTJpKGC5m77nWUQJJ_pzJ7P1f3k7jCzOv7Z2lK0Ycyd3vbbBgVXji-nkRKVSkipkeFh134JPdARR7gw/pub
April 11, 2018 @ 6:55 PM
In the spirit of Stephen King, I wrote 3000 words in the span of two days. Here are three tales with stolen titles from the master himself.
The Dark Half (https://wormholelesstraveled.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/the-dark-half)
The Shining (https://wormholelesstraveled.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/the-shining)
Mr. Mercedes (https://wormholelesstraveled.wordpress.com/2018/04/11/mr-mercedes)
April 12, 2018 @ 11:29 AM
I loved all three. You’re so talented.
April 12, 2018 @ 11:50 AM
Aw shucks! Thanks for taking the time to read all three 🙂
April 12, 2018 @ 6:33 PM
The character and voices in Mr Mercedes made me grin, esp the exchange at the start. And the unexpected art commentary.
April 13, 2018 @ 7:15 AM
Thanks! I enjoyed writing all three but Mr. Mercedes was a ton of fun especially.
April 11, 2018 @ 10:37 PM
Bag of Bones, with Morra again, but she’s a little less disoriented this week. There’s so much to tell I’m struggling to keep these brief. 1050ish words.
https://www.crowbarwriting.com/bag-of-bones
April 12, 2018 @ 10:41 AM
This was fantastic! Loved the imagery, the characters, the creepy… witch? Mask lady? Gonna read the one from last week too! Five stars !
April 12, 2018 @ 7:05 PM
Thank you! Because these are pieces from a much larger world I’m working on I’m always worried they won’t make sense as standalones. Flash fiction necessitates some mystery but has to point to something
April 13, 2018 @ 7:12 AM
I get the same thing. Sometimes a flash fiction is just what the doctor ordered together those juices flowing, but then will it make sense to someone just joining? I think you did a very good job though.
Outright Theft – Dirck de Lint's Missives from the Living Skies
April 12, 2018 @ 12:39 PM
[…] so I sometimes baulk at a title that I know hangs on something else. I’m hoping the latest flash fiction challenge from Chuck Wendig has burnt some of that idea out of me, because he’s instructed people to take a title from a […]
April 12, 2018 @ 12:50 PM
Say, that was fun! I’ve strayed 40 words past the limit, but since I’m on good terms with my publisher I can get away with such outrages. I went with Bag of Bones.
https://dirckwrites.wordpress.com/the-current-story/bag-of-bones/
April 13, 2018 @ 2:58 AM
Oh. Oh my.
April 12, 2018 @ 1:24 PM
My Mr. Mercedes is non-lethal in any way, but as an Israeli, my grammar mistakes might be.
😉
https://medium.com/@roiberger/mr-mercedes-aa749c93f98
What's up at Ravens March.
April 12, 2018 @ 3:04 PM
[…] of Bones,” which is a result of a Steal-a-Title Challenge I decided I should get in […]
Flash Fiction Challenge: The Shining – The Rangle Tree
April 12, 2018 @ 5:29 PM
[…] Wendig, author and writer of the excellent Terribleminds.com blog, set a flash fiction challenge for his readers. The challenge was to write a short story using […]
April 12, 2018 @ 6:31 PM
HI everyone. Here is my effort – The Shining. Enjoy.
https://jackmdavenport.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/flash-fiction-challenge-the-shining/
April 12, 2018 @ 8:13 PM
The Colorado Kid is a western. Please to enjoy.
https://sambrady.wordpress.com/2018/04/12/chuck-wendig-the-colorado-kid/
April 12, 2018 @ 8:37 PM
I never read The Stand, but I’m going to go out on a limb and say this is probably nothing like that.
https://adambroggi.com/stories/the-stand/
Cheers and thanks for the challenge.
April 12, 2018 @ 10:05 PM
I made an attempt to use The Colorado Kid for a little Western YA thing I’ve been trying. I couldn’t work my word count down enough and scrapped it for this challenge. (You can find it on my website.) Went with The Stand, a King favorite from my youth.
Here it is per the challenge: completely retyped verbatim save for one word. See if you can find the word I changed.
Just kidding. Enjoy. 997 words.
https://benjaminjkirby.com/2018/04/12/the-stand/
April 12, 2018 @ 10:53 PM
My effort included here – The Shining. Enjoy.
https://wordpress.com/read/feeds/43449128/posts/1825081798
April 12, 2018 @ 11:44 PM
Under the Dome. It was easy for me to stay away from the original plot, because I’d never even heard of this one. And I’m pretty sure King doesn’t do humor. Only 870 words.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2018/04/friday-flash-under-dome.html
April 13, 2018 @ 10:43 AM
Hah! I love how you turned such a small, common thing into such a well-narrated sorry. Great job!
April 13, 2018 @ 10:43 AM
Story*
The Dark Half | Charlie and the cerebration factory
April 13, 2018 @ 2:57 AM
[…] I’ve decided to do a flash fiction challenge. It’s created by the amazingly creative Chuck Wendig, who’s asked us to put a spin on titles of Stephen King’s books. Now, I absolutely […]
April 13, 2018 @ 4:10 AM
The Dark Half- not horror at all, so hope I get bonus points
Anyway, here it is- https://magicquill17.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-dark-half/
About a budding supervillain who doesn’t want to be one. Hope you enjoy.
The Dead Zone – James O'Dae
April 13, 2018 @ 6:59 PM
[…] for Chuck Wendig’s flash fiction challenge: Stolen Titles (Stephen King Edition). This was written while vacationing in Iceland, on my iPhone, please excuse typos, increased […]
April 13, 2018 @ 7:06 PM
Almost a late entry. Written on my iPhone while vacationing in Iceland.
The Dead Zone. 765 words.
Basically a Bermuda Triangle scenario in space.
https://jamesodae.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/the-dead-zone/