All right! This week’s challenge is late — I’d written one to post on Friday but WordPress… ate it? I don’t know. It was there one day, then the next it wasn’t. And by then I was at BEA partying with Grumpy Cat, so, it was too late.
Just the same, I’ve had a few folks email me and ask me to still do one.
SO HERE WE ARE.
Your challenge this week:
Pick three words from the list of ten.
Incorporate these words into your story.
Ready?
- Scarecrow
- Mint
- Epidemic
- Tongue
- Republic
- Scorpion
- Divorce
- Moon
- Holiday
- Legend
Again: three words. Incorporate into the tale. Which doesn’t mean simply using those words — it means making them parts of the plot, characters, or motifs found within. You can choose these words randomly (d10 or random number generator) or eschew chaos and hand-pick ’em.
You’ve got (less than) one week.
Due by Friday, June 7th, noon EST.
Write ~1000 words at your online space. Link back here.
CHOOSE YOUR WORDS AND WRITE.
Jim Franklin says:
Hmmmm the agony of choice.
Think it will be scarecrow, moon and holiday for me.
June 2, 2013 — 8:59 AM
jdsfiction says:
Hmmm, this will be interesting. RNG gave me 6- Scorpion, 10- Legend, and 5- Republic. This should be fun!
Thanks Chuck!
June 2, 2013 — 10:42 AM
Rick Cook Jr says:
Scorpion, Holiday, and Legend. Ought to be interesting.
June 2, 2013 — 11:03 AM
jdsfiction says:
Here it is! From the words Scorpion, Legend, Republic: I give you
Baber’s Tale at http://jdsfiction.wordpress.com/
I hope you enjoy!
June 2, 2013 — 9:02 PM
jreinmiller says:
6, 8, 9 from the RNG. Nothing coming to mind yet. Must go ponder.
June 2, 2013 — 12:07 PM
rebeccadouglass says:
So glad you went ahead and did this. Saves me having to invent my own idea, you know? RNG gave me 1, 2 and 6. Sounds like in might fit into Skunk Corners, the world of the Ninja Librarian.
June 2, 2013 — 2:13 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Well, the Title “The Legend of the Scarecrow Epidemic” has just jumped out at me, but I may not be able to fit it in my schedule this week. I’ve got a substitute for this Friday all prepared though 😉
Have fun, Rebecca!
June 3, 2013 — 3:34 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
I like that. Makes me wish I’d gotten epidemic! I can see that story better than my own.
June 4, 2013 — 12:36 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Well, I haven’t started yet. May have to keep it for my next free friday 🙂 Feel free to use the title!
June 4, 2013 — 4:22 PM
Jemima Pett says:
I did keep it for a free friday… http://jemimapett.com/2013/06/21/the-legend-of-the-scarecrow-epidemic/
Better late than never
June 21, 2013 — 1:32 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
So here’s what I got–a little historical fiction and only the tiniest bit creepy. Didn’t land in
Skunk Corners, though.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2013/06/flash-fiction-friday-scarecrow-and.html
June 7, 2013 — 10:17 AM
Ellis Carrington says:
Mint, Epidemic, Tongue. http://caferisque.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-desparate-hope.html
June 2, 2013 — 5:07 PM
chriswhitewrites says:
Here’s mine, it’s the latest installment in a serial I started writing because of the Smashing Sub-Genres challenge (a Steampunk/Men’s Adventure story called The River of Crawling Death.) I used Republic, Scorpion and Divorce…
The River of Crawling Death (Episode VI)
June 2, 2013 — 7:14 PM
Fatma Alici says:
I got Scarecrow, Mint, and Moon. Which is basically what I called the story.
http://naharavensari.wordpress.com/2013/06/02/scarecrowmintmoon/
June 3, 2013 — 1:36 AM
Jemima Pett says:
I confess I was so distraught at missing your prompt I went back to March and picked 5 words from a challenge there. ‘ll reserve this list for another future emergency 🙂 “Dolphin Replay” still won’t appear on my blog till Friday, though.
Glad you’re back, Chuck!
June 3, 2013 — 3:18 AM
Serena Saint-Marceaux says:
Oh, yay, the challenge appears!
The d10 speaks and gives me 4, 8, 10 – Tongue, Moon, & Legend. Hm. I foresee . . . werewolves.
June 3, 2013 — 3:42 AM
rangelicus says:
Haha I got the same ones! My mind went a completely different direction though, so we’ll see what happens. 🙂
June 3, 2013 — 7:36 AM
Serena Saint-Marceaux says:
Oh, cool! That will be interesting to see, then. 🙂
June 3, 2013 — 10:43 AM
Serena Saint-Marceaux says:
Under the Strawberry Moon – http://fontofrandom.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/under-the-strawberry-moon-story-for-a-flashfiction-challenge/
June 4, 2013 — 5:15 PM
rangelicus says:
Late, but here nonetheless. You’ve Got to Eat Them: http://toothsomefiction.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/youve-got-to-eat-them/
June 8, 2013 — 6:34 AM
Josh Loomis says:
The Die of Destiny chooses mint, scorpion and Republic.
http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/2013/06/03/flash-fiction-the-cruelest-sting/
June 3, 2013 — 9:17 AM
Preeti says:
RNG picked 3,6 and 9 so here it is. The holiday. Hope I’m getting better at these!
http://fuchsiaoutbursts.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/the-holiday/
June 3, 2013 — 9:41 AM
anninyn says:
3, 6 and 10. Epidemic, Scorpion, Legend. Hmmm.
June 3, 2013 — 11:37 AM
anninyn says:
And here it is.
http://thequickfics.tumblr.com/post/52222108824/the-scorpion-epidemic
Warning, lesbiands and swearing and post-apocalyptic worlds can be found within. If you have a particularly prudish work, they probably wouldn’t like you reading it.
June 5, 2013 — 10:53 AM
Chris says:
What is meant by “online space”? Must I have my own blog site to participate?
June 3, 2013 — 12:56 PM
Serena Saint-Marceaux says:
Before I set up my blog I posted to Archive of Our Own (http://archiveofourown.org/) and there are a number of other archives that will give you a place to post original work if you don’t have a website or blog of your own, and don’t want to create one.
(Of course, I think you’d only need one if you want to share your flashfiction online afterwards – you could certainly write for the challenge without that. Um. Sorry for randomly seizing on your comment. I hope I said something helpful, at least.)
June 3, 2013 — 1:42 PM
parkerjonJon says:
I don’t even know how to link back to your page, which makes me a proper numpty..RNG gave me 9,10 & 6 . Holiday , legend ,scorpion !!
June 3, 2013 — 1:36 PM
youcakeordeath says:
http://youcakeordeath.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/flash-fiction-challenge-1/
I chose, holiday, scorpion and mint. Enjoy. It’s my first one, be nice…actually, be honest 😉
Cheers.
June 3, 2013 — 2:05 PM
Trine Toft Schmidt says:
I was already knee deep in my homegrown flash fiction story when you posted the challenge, but luckily the words fit perfectly. Here is Dragon Initiate. Word total: way too much.
http://www.trinetoftschmidt.com/2013/06/dragons-and-flash-fiction/
June 3, 2013 — 3:06 PM
Trine Toft Schmidt says:
Yup, should perhaps mention that I chose Mint, Scarecrow and Moon.
June 3, 2013 — 3:07 PM
Elisa Nuckle says:
I chose the words Republic, Moon, and Divorce. That mixed with “The Rains of Castamere” equals a very somber high fantasy flash fiction piece. I DIDN’T SEE IT COMING. http://elisanuckle.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/flash-fiction-husband-and-wife/ Hope you like it. It came out to around 700 words. I keep barely making it below 1000.
June 3, 2013 — 5:11 PM
Elisa Nuckle says:
Actually I messed up the link. http://elisanuckle.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/flash-fiction-republic-of-the-divorced-moon/ is the proper one. 😀
June 3, 2013 — 5:44 PM
Kate says:
Republic, Epidemic, and Tongue. Should’ve fleshed the themes out a bit more, but I can always edit later.
http://greyspacethoughts.wordpress.com/2013/06/03/athens-flash/
June 3, 2013 — 6:07 PM
Justin Paul Walters says:
Good job on this, your story hit me right in the feels.
June 4, 2013 — 3:55 PM
Jasmine Stanford says:
Thanks for posting this! Fridays just aren’t the same without it.
I got scorpion, Republic, and Legend. Enjoy “The Mark”
http://jasminestanford.blogspot.com/2013/06/flash-fiction-mark.html
June 3, 2013 — 6:40 PM
Rick Cook Jr says:
My words were Scorpion, Holiday, and Legend. I don’t even know what I did here, but it was fun to write.
A little first line tease to get you interested: “The bass rumbled to life and the ground began to dance.”
http://panningforclouds.com/2013/06/04/shortstories-st-johns-scorpions/
June 4, 2013 — 12:21 AM
Justin Paul Walters says:
I did a random role, and tried my best to use meanings that weren’t quite as obvious. Here is the result.
http://www.justinpaulwalters.com/2013/06/03/flash-fiction-random-words-2/
June 4, 2013 — 1:03 AM
Justin Paul Walters says:
Err, ROLL that is. Also, forgot to mention, my three words were Moon, Holiday, and Divorce. Enjoying everyone’s stories so far!
June 4, 2013 — 12:43 PM
Rachel Saunders says:
I chose divorce, legend, and republic – here is my story: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mgc494qkqbg954k/The%20closing%20door.doc
June 4, 2013 — 8:03 AM
Mozette says:
For me, it’s the Scarecrow, holiday and mint… 😀 yeah, weird but I know I can do something with these 😀
June 4, 2013 — 8:51 AM
Mozette says:
Okay… here it is. Now you guys who are Supernatural fans will probably see a bit of that in this, but I’ve turned the story around a little… the scarecrow is there in the apple orchard and so is the premise a little, but I’ve used this story a little differently.
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2013/06/mint.html
June 4, 2013 — 9:17 AM
Wanderer says:
Epidemic, scorpion, and divorce. Certainly won’t be dull!
June 4, 2013 — 10:58 AM
Wanderer says:
Read “Stings” here: http://secondstaronther.wordpress.com/2013/06/04/stings/
June 4, 2013 — 2:29 PM
C. Brian Hickey says:
Scarecrow, holiday, legend ovah heah
http://decemberpaladin.tumblr.com/post/52157659008/scarecrow-holiday-legend
June 4, 2013 — 3:28 PM
jreinmiller says:
RNG led to: Scorpion, Moon, Holiday. So here we go:
http://www.jqpdx.com/2013/06/05/holiday-bound/
June 5, 2013 — 1:03 AM
Beth L. says:
Moon, divorce, and holiday, together in Honeymoon.
http://knotachance.tumblr.com/
June 5, 2013 — 10:10 PM
crow365 says:
I rolled “Moon”, “Holiday”, and “Divorce”; and came up with a short-piece entitled “Moonlight on the Pier”: http://nickegelhoff.wordpress.com/2013/06/06/flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your-random-words/
June 6, 2013 — 7:48 AM
rc170 says:
My three words, choose randomly, were: Scorpion, legend and holiday. My story can be found here: http://wp.me/p2X1mW-Y
June 6, 2013 — 2:07 PM
Rick Cook Jr says:
Heh, same words as me, imagine that.
June 6, 2013 — 7:17 PM
Matt Gomez says:
Epidemic, Scorpion, Legend:
http://www.writerscarnival.ca/servant-of-the-scorpion-queen/
I’m not going to lie, I really don’t think this is my best work at all. But I could be biased.
June 6, 2013 — 2:36 PM
rebeccadouglass says:
Can’t say if it’s among your best, but I liked it. Very creative, and good visuals.
June 9, 2013 — 11:58 AM
Matt Gomez says:
Thanks Rebecca, glad you liked it.
June 9, 2013 — 12:02 PM
Erin says:
This is the first story I’ve written in over 15 years. I welcome any criticisms you may have!
Moon, Scorpion, Epidemic : The Bitten
http://adhdrelax.blogspot.ca/2013/06/flash-fiction-challenge-bitten.html
June 6, 2013 — 5:28 PM
Dana Alyce-Schwarz says:
About 550 words, I’m having trouble breaking the halfway point to be honest. I don’t want to force the 1,000 words if I don’t have 1,000 words to say, but it also feels like I’m cheating/lazy if I don’t expand it at least a little. Anyways, here you go!
http://contrastsolution.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-wordsmithing-continues.html
June 6, 2013 — 9:03 PM
Eric Sourwine says:
Tongue, Mint, Legend were my randomly chosen words.
The Hitchhiker:
http://ericsourwine.blogspot.com/
June 6, 2013 — 9:28 PM