Last week’s challenge: “The Random Fantasy Character.”
Right now I’m neck-deep in the next Miriam Black book, which of course features the aforementioned Miriam: a psychic girl who can see how and when someone is going to die just by touching that person. She’s angry and vulgar and dangerously proactive and — well, she’s a lot of fun to write.
Psychic powers are a hoot, really.
Hers is pretty subtle — lots of psychological horror.
It’s not like she’s setting people on fire with her mind.
But maybe you want to write about that.
So, here’s how this works. I’m going to list 20 psychic powers at the bottom of this post. Feel free to roll a d20 to pick a random one or just grab the one you think it most awesome (though let’s be honest: random is more fun). If you need to know what it is: well, Google is your best friend. And your prom date.
Your story must include one — and only one — of the psychic powers mentioned.
You have one week, as always. Due by May 31st, noon EST.
Write ~1000 words.
Post on your online space.
Link back here.
Ta-da.
And now, the list of psychic powers:
- Clairvoyance
- Pyromancy
- Cryomancy
- Telepathy
- Psychometry
- Faith or Psychic Healing
- Precognition
- Telekinesis
- Mediumship
- Levitation
- Astral Projection
- Bilocation
- Teleportation
- Aura Reading
- Divination
- Retrocognition
- Past-Life Regression
- Mind Control
- Dream Control
- Psychic Empathy (aka an Empath)
Lori Fetters Lopez (@fetterslopez) says:
I cheated in that I asked a random friend to pick a # from 1-20. He picked 5, psychometry. I hit the word count on the nose, I’m anal like that. Hope you enjoy. http://lostinthewriting.net/the-house-on-merry-lane/
May 28, 2013 — 10:54 PM
billthescribe says:
Psychometry. An interesting tool for a 1950’s PI.
http://billthescribe.blogspot.com/2013/05/wendig-challenge-cold-reads-and-hot.html
Hopefully there will be another challenge that opens up the next part.
May 29, 2013 — 8:24 AM
jenniferw19 says:
Couldn’t resist this challenge when I saw it.
6. Faith or Psychic Healing
http://jenwatson19.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/rock-stars-arent-people/
Glad I managed to get this finished now. The first draft was 1750 words and it took serious cutting! Just hope it all makes sense.
May 29, 2013 — 4:27 PM
Colin Fisher says:
I rolled retrocognition. Interesting. Here’s my story, It’s sci-fi, and I’m afraid I blew through the word limit suggestion a bit at 1600. But this is the first time I’ve done a flash fiction challenge, it was super fun! Anyway, here’s RetCog: http://popcornapocalypse.blogspot.com/2013/05/retcog-short-story.html
May 29, 2013 — 5:31 PM
R.J.Keith says:
http://accessoriesnotincluded.com/2013/05/28/wanted-must-use-fire/
A repost because WordPress went wonky. Pyromancy, DnD and burning things.
May 29, 2013 — 10:26 PM
Beth L. says:
Psychometry and crime, in Hands Off.
http://knotachance.tumblr.com/
May 29, 2013 — 10:28 PM
rangelicus says:
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my first successfully-completed response to the Wendigo’s Flash Fiction Challenges: Helping Hand, in which I explore the Apocalypse, Divination, and demonic influence.
http://toothsomefiction.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/insert-title-here/
May 30, 2013 — 3:05 AM
crow365 says:
I rolled “teleportation” and ended up writing a little diddy called “Harry’s Tavern, 9:30 PM – in the men’s room”:
http://nickegelhoff.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/flash-fiction-challenge-must-contain-psychic-powers/
May 30, 2013 — 1:15 PM
rebeccadouglass says:
I responded to this in the wrong place. I wanted to say I liked it and wouldn’t might reading more of how that world works out!
May 31, 2013 — 1:19 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Strange how these random choices get posted together – I also rolled teleportation. My post goes live at about 1 am Eastern Time on 31st, so apologies for posting early – but I’m not here to link then. I’ll have teleported….
http://jemimapett.com/2013/05/31/sir-woebegone-and-the-dragon/
Oh – I’ve nabbed one of the characters from last week’s glum empress story 😀
May 30, 2013 — 2:14 PM
joeturner87 says:
I’m not sure this went to well…plus I didn’t have sufficient amount of time to edit. But here goes:
White Mist
http://joetblogs.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-must-contain-psychic-powers/
May 30, 2013 — 7:48 PM
Fatma Alici says:
I’m not sure how much I like how much this one turned out. But, I told myself I didn’t just puke it out, it would never get done. So, that’s what I did. Empath is the ability.
It Was, and It Wasn’t.
http://naharavensari.wordpress.com/2013/05/30/it-was-and-it-wasnt/
May 30, 2013 — 8:08 PM
Dana Alyce-Schwarz says:
I kicked around a few different ideas for which power to use before I let a RNG pick. I’m kind of pleased with this one to be honest. http://contrastsolution.blogspot.com/2013/05/my-less-than-humble-return.html
May 30, 2013 — 9:32 PM
Sam Barnett says:
I got Aura Reading. I struggled with this one, but here is my second completed flash challenge.
I am not sure how this one turned out, but I wrote, and there are words. I am counting that as forward progress.
http://ihavenotechnicalskills.com/2013/05/must-contain-psychic-powers/
May 31, 2013 — 1:28 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
I think it was pretty good. I liked the ending.
May 31, 2013 — 10:50 AM
Sam says:
Thanks. I felt more like a pantser this time than my usual tendency to over think and plot everything out. There was much word belching.
May 31, 2013 — 11:02 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
This one was tough for me–not sure I like the story, which turned out very dark.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2013/05/flash-fiction-friday-choker.html
May 31, 2013 — 1:37 AM
Sam says:
Before reading your story I imagined this power as more passive. Your story made me feel like some sort of psychic travel was taking place. I really like that different spin on an idea I thought I understood. You took it somewhere much cooler than I imagined this power could go.
May 31, 2013 — 11:14 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
Thanks! I’m not very up on psychic powers, and had to look it up. And what kept coming to me was how nasty it could be if something had been in bad places. . .
May 31, 2013 — 1:20 PM
Mike Berkey says:
Antique stores are not your friend! Cool story.
May 31, 2013 — 6:13 PM
rebeccadouglass says:
Thanks! These Challenges are the best. Speaking of which, hey, Chuck! Where’s the next challenge?
May 31, 2013 — 10:39 PM
melsbabysis says:
This was fun!
http://thewriterinmeblog.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/the-touch/
May 31, 2013 — 4:25 AM
Icarus Mortis says:
So I got psychic empathy, fun, but ended up bending the rules and dipping into telepathy. Originally it was used for shadow, but that’s arguable now.
At 975 words, here’s ‘Sharp Minds’: http://blog.icarusmortis.co.uk/2013/05/31/sharp-minds/
May 31, 2013 — 4:36 AM
kimberleymc says:
Psychic healing was definitely fun to write and visualize. 🙂
http://kcrawfordfiction.wordpress.com/2013/05/31/flash-fiction-psychic-powers/
May 31, 2013 — 6:25 AM
Jess Riegler says:
Ok, bit late but who cares. This is a futuristic thing called The Medium. As always: Caution 18+
http://jess-riegler.blogspot.de/2013/05/a-cold-rainy-night.html
May 31, 2013 — 7:18 AM
Mike Berkey says:
Much like everything I do, finished at the very last minute. ~1000 words, cryomancy, spies, the Cold War and, uh, boiled cabbage?
http://billionmonkeys.blogspot.com/p/a-colder-war.html
May 31, 2013 — 7:47 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
Okay, I liked this one too, so the comment below that wandered in from elsewhere fit anyway 😀
May 31, 2013 — 1:26 PM
Mike Berkey says:
‘Salright! 😀
Your comment was close enough that it made me realize that I didn’t give many gender cues in my story. Rereading it again, I realized it could either be a somewhat fabulous female or a rather awesomely catty and effeminate man. I think if I expanded it, I’d go for option #2, because it’s kind of bad ass that way. 🙂
May 31, 2013 — 6:11 PM
rebeccadouglass says:
Really liked that. I want to keep reading about that guy.
May 31, 2013 — 11:03 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
This is in the wrong place. I went and found the right button to click and put it where I wanted it. Please disregard my incompetence.
May 31, 2013 — 1:21 PM
orlando psychics says:
i really liked reading this sight.
October 9, 2013 — 7:12 AM