Last week’s challenge: “Photos of Impossible Places.”
Motif.
What, is it, you ask? Besides someone explaining that they have plenty of chompers in their mouth? (Wait for it, you’ll get it. I’ll just stand here while you… ah, good, you got it.)
A motif is not a theme.
It is not a mood.
It is a recurring element. A repeated symbol or overarching image.
(Birds are a motif found in my novels Blackbirds and Mockingbird.)
So, today, I’m going to give you 10 motifs.
You will choose one. Randomly, either by d10 or by random number generator.
This motif will be a significant symbol or element in your story. Symbolically and/or literally.
I’ll also toss in two other categories: setting and subgenre.
Choose (randomly or otherwise) one from each.
You have, as usual, up to 1000 words. Post at your site, link back here.
Due by Friday, February 1st, noon EST.
Ready?
Motifs
- Birds
- Skulls
- Blood
- Eyes
- Snakes
- Swords
- Water
- Storms
- Mirrors
- The Moon
Subgenre
- Dystopia
- Erotic Fantasy
- Noir
- Paranormal Romance
- Comic Fantasy
- Cozy Mystery
- Transhumanism
- Ecothriller
- Wild West (In Space)
- Mythpunk
Setting
- A train
- A virtual reality world
- A king’s bedroom
- A labyrinth
- Inside the mind of another character
- An amusement park
- A restaurant in space
- A villain’s volcano lair
- In the chamber of the gods
- Route 66
Clay Ashby says:
10. The Moon
5. Comic Fantasy
6. An amusement park
This is so far outside of my box that by the time I’m done I’m going to be clawing at the walls looking for any way possible to get back in.
January 25, 2013 — 9:20 AM
Clay Ashby says:
So, I failed. It has zero comedy in it and I went over the 1000 word limit a little. It’s still great practice though and I look forward to the next challenge!
http://www.thegnomecomputercompany.com/ClayAshby/the-orphanage
January 29, 2013 — 4:18 PM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
Huh. Skulls, Wild West (in space), and In the chamber of the gods … I think this is one that’s just sort of going to have to happen. If I think to hard, my brain might do a Raiders on me.
January 25, 2013 — 10:35 AM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
Yep. SkullFeather Whore. I’m so, very sorry.
http://swsondheimer.wordpress.com/this-just-in/skullfeather-whore/
January 27, 2013 — 8:47 AM
Amber says:
I like that you didn’t use human skulls. Great job I think 🙂 Although I’m slightly curious about things like why she took him to the chamber and why she killed him differently than he was supposed to die 😮
January 27, 2013 — 9:57 PM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
Hey, Amber. Glad you enjoyed. The ideas was: since he “picked” her, he brought Huginn and Munnin (Odin’s ravens “Thought” and “Memory”) together, he allowed her to remember who she really was. Killing him quickly was a reward of sorts. He couldn’t get off lightly — he did think Death was just some “whore” after all 🙂
January 28, 2013 — 12:14 PM
Amber says:
Ah, great! And I do imagine using Death as a whore wouldn’t make her happy with you.
January 28, 2013 — 5:07 PM
Sam Hume says:
Thats a hard list to work with.
January 31, 2013 — 3:38 PM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
It just sort of happened. Not sure how successful it was, but it happened
January 31, 2013 — 8:00 PM
Angela's World of Writing says:
Ooohhh I love it!!
January 25, 2013 — 11:06 AM
Lisa says:
10. The Moon
5. Comic Fantasy
3. A king’s bedroom
Very interesting! I’m going to try to play along 😉
January 25, 2013 — 11:39 AM
Obsidian Dragon says:
Blood, Comic Fantasy, in a…virtual reality world?
…I’m actually having the hardest time trying to make blood funny.
January 25, 2013 — 11:40 AM
tigs (@syzara) says:
1. Birds.
2. Erotic Fantasy.
4. A labyrinth.
Well, let’s give it a swing.
January 25, 2013 — 11:51 AM
Mishka says:
Snakes, Mythpunk, and an amusement park. Far, far out of my comfort zone!
January 25, 2013 — 12:00 PM
Anthony Elmore says:
Motif: Storms
Genre: Wild West (In Space)
Setting: An amusement park
I hope I can keep it from sounding like low rate Firefly fan fiction.
January 25, 2013 — 12:15 PM
Elizabeth Barone says:
This already sounds terrible: skulls, erotic fantasy, and a restaurant in space. My goal is to make it even more terrible.
January 25, 2013 — 12:41 PM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
@ Anthony Elmore: I’m a little worried about that too.
January 25, 2013 — 12:55 PM
Troy L says:
Eyes , Erotic fantasy (…) and a train. Hmm
January 25, 2013 — 1:48 PM
Rebecca Ralston says:
Motif: Birds
Genre: Noir
Setting: Inside the mind of another character
I like the motif, I just had to have Google define Noir for me, and I’ve never tried a setting that’s not a real place. Let’s see how this goes…
January 25, 2013 — 2:45 PM
darleneaubol says:
A roll of the virtual dice gave me a motif of birds (fine), a subgenre of mythpunk (gulp), and a setting of a virtual reality world (erm…), not my comfort zone, but I hope you like it.
The Pigeons
http://darlene.underdahl.net/?p=208
aka Darlene Underdahl
http://www.VermillionRoadPress.com
January 25, 2013 — 3:50 PM
Amber says:
Haha the attack pigeons are great! Its probably from some cartoon in my childhood but they all look like mini Hitchcocks to me.
January 27, 2013 — 10:41 PM
Rhalina says:
Motif: Water
Genre: Comic Fantasy
Setting: Space Restaurant
Rebecca, I had to Google what Comic Fantasy. Lets give this a roll!
January 25, 2013 — 4:02 PM
Tia Kalla (@tiakall) says:
So I rolled Blood, Fantasy Erotica, and a king’s bedroom.
Uh.
Erotica? Really? Oh dear lord.
Feeling like I was this close to pulling a Delilah S. Dawson to get this done, and sort of surprised I had the chutzpah to post it on my blog, but oh well, here it is…
“Dirty Laundry”: http://itt.ymakadomain.com/?p=87
January 26, 2013 — 1:05 AM
Amber says:
I really like your last line 😀
January 27, 2013 — 10:35 PM
Sam Hume says:
Oh wow. Actually, pretty good, just get a Favio model for the cover and you’re set.
January 31, 2013 — 3:15 PM
Sam says:
I feel bad about missing the last two weeks (damn you far cry 3!) so I’m gonna try really hard on this one. I rolled 8,9,5. This is gonna be weird.
January 26, 2013 — 8:22 AM
Sam Hume says:
so far, it’s thursday, and I’m at almost double my word limit on a first draft. AHHH! WHY?!?!?! so close to an ending!
January 31, 2013 — 3:36 PM
Anthony I. says:
Blood. Dystopia. Restarurant in space. Dear God, lol.
January 26, 2013 — 2:09 PM
Amber says:
Mirrors, ecothriller, and a villains volcano lair. I was going to QQ @ ecothriller but now I’m thanking the RNG for not throwing me erotica 😮 I think I will give it a try!
January 26, 2013 — 6:13 PM
Amber says:
Here is ‘I Favor Fire’ http://onethemis.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/i-favor-fire/
Please enjoy.
January 26, 2013 — 9:08 PM
Alan John says:
Very poetic and enjoyable to read.
January 27, 2013 — 11:54 PM
Jim Franklin says:
I’m a bit late with this one, but it was still a lot of fun to write. I got ‘skulls’, ‘cozy mystery’ and ‘a villains volcano lair’. My weird and comic tale is called Tea with Dr Chaos, I hope you like it.
http://writewayround.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/flash-fiction-tea-dr-chaos/
First time with using motifs so let me know how I can improve.
Thanks
January 27, 2013 — 11:45 AM
beautiful loser says:
6. Swords 2. Erotic Fiction 3. A King’s bedroom….wow going to be interesting strech out of my comfort zone. I’ll link to it when I’m done. 🙂
January 27, 2013 — 11:52 AM
Rebecca Ralston says:
Okay, so I finished it.
Motif: Birds
Subgenre: Noir
Setting: In the mind of another character.
Title: Pigeon’s Eye View
Link: http://rebeccaralstonwriter-com.webnode.com/news/pigeons-eye-view/
So, it definitely was a stretch for me. My first time writing with Noir and with a motif.
January 27, 2013 — 6:17 PM
Alan John says:
Hi, I was generated Blood, Wild West (in space) and Restaurant in space. Like many have said, it was a challenge and the thousandth word sneaked up on me this week.
http://alanjohnpresents.wordpress.com/flatrock-9/
January 27, 2013 — 11:35 PM
Ryan says:
Motif: Eyes
Sub Genre: Comic Fantasy
Location: King’s Bedroom
Done
January 28, 2013 — 1:02 AM
Jess Riegler says:
This is not intended for audiences under 18! Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
http://jess-riegler.blogspot.de/2013/01/an-erotic-fantasy.html
You tell me what I got.
January 28, 2013 — 3:54 AM
Alan John says:
The first couple are easy but the third, which is clearly a king’s bedroom, could almost also be inside of another character’s mind. I guess I didn’t understand that as a setting and am glad I didn’t roll it. Glad I’m over 18 and was allowed to read it.
January 28, 2013 — 5:07 PM
Josh Loomis says:
Motif: Swords
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance
Location: Route 66
Story: Right here. http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/2013/01/28/flash-fiction-knight-of-swords/
January 28, 2013 — 8:05 AM
Laitie says:
Here’s the link to my entry!: http://laceysmonologues.tumblr.com/post/41740506729/flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your-motif
January 28, 2013 — 7:18 PM
Jeanne B. says:
Motif: Mirrors
Subgenre: Erotic Fantasy
Setting: Route 66
http://jmboverthinking.blogspot.com/2013/01/flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your.html
January 28, 2013 — 7:36 PM
Danzier says:
3-9-4. Blood, the wild west (in Space), and a Labyrinth.
What? Star wars responses on the next post? Oh, sorry… 😉
January 28, 2013 — 10:32 PM
willcaraway says:
Motif: Eyes
Subgenre: Noir
Setting: Amusement Park
I sort of went out of noir, but I like where it went.
http://willcaraway.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/energy-drinks-bad-for-you-naaahh/
January 29, 2013 — 2:05 AM
cats17 says:
Does anyone know which story was chosen for last week’s selection of interesting places?
January 29, 2013 — 7:37 AM
terribleminds says:
@cats —
I don’t choose a story every week, only one where there’s a prize on the line.
Thanks!
— c.
January 29, 2013 — 8:01 AM
Anthony Elmore says:
Motif: Storms
Subgenre: Wild West (In Spaaaaaacee!!!)
Setting: Amusement Park
I’ve always wanted to write a cowboy story, so hunker by the campfire and listen to the tale of Frost’s Hellstorm.
http://www.barelyok.com/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your-motif.html
January 29, 2013 — 12:02 PM
Eva T says:
I got Blood, Supernatural Romance and a kings’ bedroom. I had difficulties getting the setting to fit, so in the end I had to use interpretation. http://evathereseebert.wordpress.com/2013/01/29/flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your-motif/
January 29, 2013 — 2:12 PM
catemorgan says:
The Dice of Cursedness declared I should scribble something random about Eyes, in a Cozy Mystery, on a Train. Agatha Christie send-up, anyone? 😀
I give you “Blood, Ink, and Mrs. Fortescue”: http://catemorgan.com/2013/01/30/youve-been-flashed-blood-ink-and-mrs-fortescue/
January 29, 2013 — 8:24 PM
jreinmiller says:
I pulled 2, 1, and 5 from the RNG. So a Dystopian tale of skulls inside another character’s mind it is.
http://www.jqpdx.com/2013/01/30/inside-job/
January 29, 2013 — 9:48 PM
JFriesen says:
This was my post for two challenges ago, except it was also part of a class and I was waiting for feedback. Never happened. Fortunately, I think it kind of fits here. So while it doesn’t technically follow the rules, it’s going up. Sorry.
Motif: Yellow Scarf and an itch
Subgenre: Noir
Location: Train (and with a stretch, in Someone Else’s Mind)
http://thestrangethoughts.blogspot.ca/2013/01/hipster.html
January 29, 2013 — 10:54 PM
gembolding says:
motif: water
genre: dystopia…sci-fi…romance.. couldn’t help myself
setting: route 66
http://gembolding.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/nephraim/
January 30, 2013 — 3:37 AM
Beth L. says:
A water motif, transhumanism, and the temple of the gods, combined in “Antediluvian”.
http://knotachance.tumblr.com/
January 30, 2013 — 11:00 PM
Damien says:
Motif: Eyes; Subgenre: Ecothriller; Setting: A King’s Bedroom… Yeah.. Tried putting all three of these in one situation… Here we go!! lol 🙂
http://sidtrickster.blogspot.com/
It’s the story called “The Eyes of Always”… Enjoy!!! 🙂
January 30, 2013 — 11:16 PM
AM Gray says:
I rolled mirror, dystopian amusement park.
http://amgray.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/beware-jabberwock.html
January 31, 2013 — 5:51 AM
louisesor says:
Random choice
motif: swords
setting: amusement park
subgenre: erotic fantasy O.O This one would definitely not have been my pick. But I guess that’s why it’s a challenge, right?
Queen of Swords http://wp.me/p1BAlV-42
January 31, 2013 — 11:10 AM
colemorrissey says:
Birds, Transhumanism, Trains http://colemorrissey.wordpress.com
January 31, 2013 — 1:03 PM