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
80 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: Choose Your Motif”
http://colemorrissey.wordpress.com Bird, Transhumanism, Trains
[…] didn’t enter this one, I was starting to think this weekly flash fiction challenge from Terribleminds was procrastinations favourite cousin. Or at least I was allowing it to be, however well intended […]
Well, this is last ditch, like the throwing up in the kids dolls house…sort of, anyway, here it is
http://joetblogs.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your-motif/
Woo! I finally finished it, and it is way to long at 2,300 words! At this point its a shortish short story. I rolled storms, wild west in space, and in another characters mind. I really enjoyed writing this. comments and constructive criticism is appreciated. NSFW. The Operator. p.s. if anyone can come up with a better title leave a comment and I’ll change it. http://samuelhume.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-operator.html
I rolled sword, dystopia, and a king’s bedroom for “Defiance”.
http://redwritingmuse.blogspot.com/2013/01/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge.html
[…] was written for this week’s Flash Fiction Challenge at […]
Swords, comic fantasy, and restaurant in space: http://welltemperedwriter.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/thargra-the-barbarian-and-the-great-asteroid-fortress-adventure-prologue/
lol – I almost had what “welltemperedwriter” above me had.
My wife chose for me this week.
“Snakes : Comic Fantasy : A Restaurant in Space”
I had a blast with this one.
http://www.cf.frickbat.com/davescott/?p=373
Better late than never, right?
http://billthescribe.blogspot.com/2013/02/chuck-wendigs-flash-fiction-challenge.html
[…] Last week’s challenge: “Choose Your Motif“ […]
‘Ascension’
(birds, transhumanism, inside another character’s mind)
http://imaginedrealms.typepad.com/writing/2013/02/ascension.html
The Moon
Paranormal Romance
Amusement Park
My co-author and I managed to wrap this into the ongoing fiction of our blog. The portion of this post in blockquote is the flash fiction. The before and after just connects it to the rest of our work for our readers.
http://www.gaslightfantasy.com/a-titillating-find/
Skulls
Comedy Fantasy
Inside the Mind of Another Character
I didn’t really do skull as a motif – more as a character – but this was a fun little story anyway. Good chance to use some of my Fairy Tale Folk again.
http://www.ravensview.ca/ravens/2013/02/the-skull.html
[…] piece for the Chuck Wendig flash fiction challenge (which is a great prompt, because it encourages me to create on a weekly basis beyond my own […]
[…] Fiction: Tea with Dr Chaos More flash fiction goodness, and this week it is all about motifs. Terribleminds.com gave us a list of motifs, settings and sub-genres to randomly choose from. Whatever we chose or […]