Last week’s challenge: Subgenre Frankenstein.
I’m going to give you ten words. Your job is to work all ten of these words into a flash fiction story, ~1000 words in length. That’s it. End of mandate.
The story’s due in a week: Friday, August 30th, noon EST.
Post at your online space.
Link back here.
The ten random words are as follows:
Katie Cross says:
Well chosen
August 23, 2013 — 12:21 PM
Elaina/Mazuri says:
Um, is it six or ten? I’m confused! lol
August 23, 2013 — 12:26 PM
Peter Sturdee says:
Chuck needs more coffee.
August 23, 2013 — 12:27 PM
agincourtdb says:
That’s some Radiohead math right there. 🙂
August 23, 2013 — 12:31 PM
Happiness is Not a Disease says:
Hmmbrr..brrrwwu…bruwahaHAHA!
August 23, 2013 — 2:05 PM
maryann lockard says:
Thought it was just my math! lol
August 23, 2013 — 12:37 PM
Michelle says:
Six random words, four beamed directly from Chuck’s brain, obviously. But which are which?
August 23, 2013 — 12:45 PM
Gita8 says:
Is this some kind of trick?
August 23, 2013 — 12:52 PM
Tammy says:
The challenge is picking the correct six words and turning them into ten…
August 23, 2013 — 12:53 PM
ScrappyD00 says:
Does the title count? “Atomic Brimstone”
August 23, 2013 — 12:57 PM
terribleminds says:
SHUT UP I’M A WRITER NOT A… A COUNTER PERSON.
Ahem.
Ten.
ALL TEN.
Use all ten.
Six is not a number.
*waves hand*
These are not the droids you’re looking for.
August 23, 2013 — 1:02 PM
Rafe Brox says:
*totally writes Chuck into the role of counter person, perhaps at a deli, serving questionably-enumerated sandwiches*
August 23, 2013 — 1:43 PM
Sirith says:
“The atomic willow was as disfigured as the clay balloon that floated in the canyon, a funeral of brimstone captivated by deceit.”
I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist, even if the sentence doesn’t make sense. Now I feel challenged to make some sort of (abstract, psychedelic) painting that gives actual meaning to this sentence… To the sketchbook!
August 23, 2013 — 1:51 PM
Mark Gardner says:
Interesting challenge. I have to work today so I wont get a chance to try until tomorrow.
August 23, 2013 — 2:07 PM
markgardnerauthor says:
I wrote this on my iPad while on the way to retrieve my children from school. Only 503 words this time and my POV is funky. Anyway, enjoy:
http://article94.blogspot.com/2013/08/ten-more-words.html
August 23, 2013 — 4:01 PM
nitromidget says:
This was fun. It got my curiosity piqued by all the little tidbits you added. I didn’t see the bit about the c___e coming at the end! Great quick piece for Chuck’s challenge.
August 25, 2013 — 8:22 PM
Mark Gardner says:
I’m glad you liked it. I was going to go a different direction, but it just ended up with the c___e at the end.
August 25, 2013 — 11:19 PM
nitromidget says:
I think it worked, because it made me re-evaluate what I initially read. I mean, The antagonist is tough, tatted, and merc’ing, so there is that judgment developed. BUT then you drop the cl__e angle and the first impression of the MC changes because of that.
Well played, sir.
August 25, 2013 — 11:25 PM
Scott Roche (@spiritualtramp) says:
Nicely done bit of misdirection.
August 28, 2013 — 3:24 PM
Paige Williams says:
Great story, and all in just over 503 words. Nicely done!
August 28, 2013 — 5:09 PM
Paige Williams says:
lol I mean, just over 500 words, geesh.
August 28, 2013 — 5:10 PM
D. W. Coventry (@DWCoventry) says:
The result was profoundly weird, but a decent way to spend the afternoon. Thanks to S.W., my fellow Wendigo, for prompting me to write today
http://dwcoventry.com/blog/2013/8/23/flash-fiction-challenge-random-words
August 23, 2013 — 2:52 PM
Mike Berkey says:
That’s pretty awesome. I love the idea of a fantasy setting which relies on ballooning as an integral part of their afterlife. 🙂
August 25, 2013 — 2:09 PM
nitromidget says:
I have to admit, I wanted to know more. The crone was so delightfully creepy and odd. I definitely was curious about being able to pull out a soul. Is there a separate place for good souls? Are they a different, brighter color and texture? Definitely had me curious!
August 25, 2013 — 8:38 PM
Jon says:
As I said on your blog – creeptastic! Fantastic use of the prompt. This is the best of these I’ve seen.
August 30, 2013 — 1:02 AM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
I think the variable math broke my brain:
http://swsondheimer.wordpress.com/2013/08/23/flash-fiction-8-23-13/
August 23, 2013 — 3:24 PM
nitromidget says:
Okay, you made me don that Earl Hickey expression, my eyebrow lifted and my lips slightly puckered from being impressed/surprised, when Azazel ate the fl____s. I loved that. But the last paragraph was so dang country it cracked me up and made me want to clap. Yessir!
August 25, 2013 — 8:52 PM
S.W. Sondheimer says:
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed!
August 25, 2013 — 8:55 PM
Joshua Allen says:
I went right for it this time, so I wouldn’t be late: http://writerjosh.tumblr.com/post/59126270373/some-memories-never-remembered
August 23, 2013 — 4:00 PM
nitromidget says:
Your story honestly made me want to scroll back up to provide answers to the MC. The last lines made me wonder if Finn and the boy were related, as well. Nice piece to muse on after reading it.
August 25, 2013 — 11:41 PM
Joshua Allen says:
Thanks for reading it. Probably too ambiguous. I have that problem frequently.
August 26, 2013 — 10:05 AM
nitromidget says:
That’s not what I meant. I meant I felt sympathy for the MC and cringed when his memories were targeted. You did that well.
August 26, 2013 — 8:59 PM
Joshua Allen says:
Cool, thanks!
August 30, 2013 — 10:37 AM
curiouskermit says:
that was awesome! I feel so bad for Finn – I hope you can come back to him in the future!
August 26, 2013 — 10:08 AM
Jon says:
The kid’s malevolence and ability kind of came out of nowhere for me, but wow, what an ending. Very nice.
August 30, 2013 — 1:05 AM
willeditor says:
Why are the word choices for refrigerator magnet poetry never this apocalyptic?
August 23, 2013 — 4:22 PM
rjkeith says:
I blame my Accounting and Statistics homework for this one. There are, however, no mention of numbers.
http://accessoriesnotincluded.com/2013/08/23/after-the-atom/
August 23, 2013 — 5:54 PM
Smoph says:
Couldn’t help myself, this idea leapt forth.
A Mentor’s Mantle: http://prose.smoph.org/2013/08/23/a-mentors-mantle/
August 23, 2013 — 7:51 PM
Johan says:
This is my first entry here. I know that some people have a problem with stories like this, sorry if I stir unwanted emotions.
http://lorentzord.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/flash-fiction-challenge/
August 23, 2013 — 9:36 PM
Mark Gardner says:
It’s dark, but we live in dark times. None of the words felt forced, which, I suppose, indicates strong word smithy. I liked it.
August 24, 2013 — 10:11 AM
Johan says:
I’m really happy that you liked it, thanks for taking the time to read it!
August 25, 2013 — 8:23 PM
Jon says:
Well, that IS cheery. 🙂
Good stuff. The actual running went on a little too long for my taste — I would have preferred to see an unexpected twist, or a try/fail cycle before the last one, something to break it up. But all in all it was a worthy intro to Mr. Wendig’s challenges :). Well done!
August 29, 2013 — 10:50 PM
Natalie says:
My first entry at this site. I do hope I have not misunderstood any of the words since English is only my second language but I really loved the idea of writing a story based only on a few words. Enjoy!
” The first time I ever saw her she held a blue balloon in her hand. Her brown hair was tied up in a neat hairdo that looked far too sophisticated for such a young child. In the background of the old picture you could see the Grand Canyon reaching far above her parent’s heads. She was such a pretty child, even with all the clay on her brimstone colored dress – no doubt the results from making mud cakes at every stop on the way up to the top of the mountain. My grandmother had on several occasions told me about her childhood, the games she had played with her parents (being the only child) and their trips together.
She had lost her grandfather at a young age, as he had been captivated on the charges of stealing money from a business associate. He died in prison and his funeral was hushed down by the family who didn’t want anyone from the outside to see his disfigured body. They had told their neigh burghs that he had died from a stroke. A deceit indeed, but a necessary one for the times they were living in.
To me, all my grandmothers’ tales about growing up in the 1930s always seemed like a dream of some sort. I had loved to listen to her over a cup of tea in her old kitchen; she had been the most amazing storyteller I had ever known. But no one can live forever and as I now recall her bright eyes that was always filled with excitement every time I came over during my summer holiday, the memory I will forever treasure was the time I tried to explain the atomic structure of the tart she was eating to her. Being at that time a student of chemical engineering, I had just taken a course in food processing techniques and was eager to show her what I had just learned. She laughed at me of course, but at the end of the day she was drawing a pretty good picture of the atomic structures of several important food ingredients she normally used in her own cooking. She had offered me an old willow as a token of her appreciation (it was a joke of course) which I had reluctantly accepted. Today it hangs on my wall, a remainder of one of the most wonderful persons I have ever known. She died soon after I graduated but her memory will forever live on in me and in all the other persons she meet, loved and helped throughout her life.
The little girl in the picture will never die. She will live on in my heart forever. “
August 24, 2013 — 10:36 AM
Jim says:
Okay, I have to apologise in advance. Atomic & Canyon had me fnar fnar fnaring all the way to the keyboard. http://dirtymercsbarandgrill.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/atomic-canyon.html
We’re dead classy this side of the pond.
August 24, 2013 — 12:52 PM
curiouskermit says:
I tried to post on your blog, but I kept getting error messages, so not sure if it worked. This was great! I love the description of the hero, and when his superpower is revealed, I laughed out loud. Very funny!
August 26, 2013 — 10:11 AM
Jon says:
Now that’s a twist! Love the way you set it up, making us think it was just nerves. Though there was occasional overwriting, the paragraph 4 from the bottom made it all pay off. Pure poetry. Well played, sir!
August 29, 2013 — 10:55 PM
Smoph says:
Haha. Oh dear. Classy is definitely the word. Good fun though.
Just a word, constructively though. I think you used sulphur and brimstone together… They’re the same thing.
August 30, 2013 — 1:56 PM
nitromidget says:
I did mine as a sequel to the first one I did with the Random Story Title Generator, although I tried to make it as stand alone as possible. Hopefully the super obvious stuff is fun for those who know the lines.
http://nitromidget.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/bookkeeper-of-the-grim-hideous-ticket-part-2-of-terrible-minds-challenge/
August 24, 2013 — 2:01 PM
Courtney Cantrell says:
Thanks for the excellent words, Chuck! This is my first time to do a terribleminds challenge. It was fun and got my half-rusted writing brain into some semblance of gear. ; )
“At the Funeral of a Marriage”: http://courtcan.com/writing/at-the-funeral-of-a-marriage/
August 24, 2013 — 3:02 PM
nitromidget says:
This piece was a fantastic bit of gritty self-evaluation. The fact that it’s just Jack the entire time is great, because the characters feel the way he probably sees them in real life. The sister is so negative, the mother-in-law is kind of thoughtfully que sera, sera, the wife is sane and tells him what he needs to hear from her, and the disfigured man is uncomfortable, but only initially. By the end, he’s the catalyst, because tJack and Grace’s marriage couldn’t survive as long as both of the people in it blamed themselves for the man’s death. Well done!
August 26, 2013 — 9:21 PM
Courtney Cantrell says:
Thanks, nitro! Your analysis is spot-on, and I appreciate the compliments. It’s great to know that others besides me “get” these characters. : ) Thank you for reading!
August 26, 2013 — 11:44 PM
melissa dominic says:
I needed a little creative brain dislodging, so, this came at just the right time. Thanks for the loss of sleep last night, Chuck, it means a lot to me ;D.
I’ve never actually shared my work here before, so, uh, yeah. Let’s pretend we all know one another and yay!
http://thepockethouse.net/storytime-mandate-edition/
August 24, 2013 — 5:59 PM
Jon says:
Love the bigger story at work here. I don’t *understand* the bigger story at work — the time is unclear to me — but this was lovely.
August 29, 2013 — 10:59 PM
Mozette says:
Been busy this weekend and today I’ve had time to have fun with this one!
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/brimstone-canyon.html
Enjoy!
August 24, 2013 — 9:06 PM
nitromidget says:
Sorry for the double post, my page hiccuped!
August 26, 2013 — 9:30 PM
Mozette says:
Hey that’s okay… no worries. 😀 computers and the net does that sometimes 😛
I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I’m not really sure about the backstory myself, but that story just happened exactly that way in my head; and so it came out onto the computer in those words. Plus I’m watching a lot of Supernatural right now on dvd; so there’s lots of Angels and Demons in my writing at the moment 🙂
August 28, 2013 — 1:19 AM
curiouskermit says:
This one came quicker than the others have. I give you “In The Red Sunset”.
http://curiouskermit.wordpress.com/
feedback is hugely appreciated!
August 25, 2013 — 10:30 AM
Mike Berkey says:
I don’t think I’ve ever read such an upbeat post-apocalyptic story. I really like it–that sort of “well, it’s probably going to kill us all, but by gosh, let’s explore and enjoy life” sentiment. I could see this turning into a cross between “Adventure Time” and “The Road.” 🙂
August 25, 2013 — 2:15 PM
curiouskermit says:
thank you! so glad you liked it =)
August 25, 2013 — 2:49 PM
Mike Berkey says:
987 words. Numerologists would have a field day.
Fortinbras Clay’s Atomic Funeral
http://billionmonkeys.blogspot.com/p/fortinbras-clays-atomic-funeral.html
Thrills, chills, elephants and the Norwegian town of Ytterby.
August 25, 2013 — 2:05 PM
curiouskermit says:
Love it! Some of your phrases are so descriptive, they’re fantastic: “incestuous love affair between a ransom note and a party hat” – awesome =)
August 25, 2013 — 2:58 PM
The Newbie says:
No idea why this turned into a quasi-post-apocalyptic thing in my head, but that’s stream of consciousness for you….
Oh and just had to use the opportunity to finally use one of the best last sentences from last month!
Caroline: http://eccrouse.blogspot.com/2013/08/truth-be-told-im-not-sure-any-of-them.html
August 25, 2013 — 5:54 PM
Smoph says:
Nasty mother!
August 30, 2013 — 3:27 PM
jreinmiller says:
My entry this week goes gangster-ish to sort out the randomness.
Enjoy.
http://www.jqpdx.com/2013/08/25/locked/
August 25, 2013 — 7:18 PM
Katie Cross says:
Mine wasn’t what I expected, but I like the Uncle so much I might write him into one of my novels. So I might owe you some kind of royalty if I make money off him.
http://kcrosswriting.com/chocolate-raspberry-brimstone-a-1000-word-story/
August 26, 2013 — 9:28 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
Man, what a list. It was ringing in my head as some historical fiction/fantasy, then he dropped the Atomic bomb on me. Didn’t quite fit. I’m off to see if I can make something of it.
August 26, 2013 — 11:43 AM
Dan Dan The Art Man says:
My first try at this. Thanks to Chuck for doing these challenges. Mine comes in at exactly 1,000 words complete with cover art. I give you “Death of a Salesman’s Boss.”
http://www.dandantheartman.com/2013/08/death-of-salesmans-boss-story-for-chuck.html
August 26, 2013 — 12:49 PM
Jon Jefferson says:
Here we go with a bit I call Poker Face…
http://jonjeffersonauthor.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/poker-face/
August 26, 2013 — 1:12 PM
Wanderer says:
Wasteland http://secondstaronther.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/wasteland/
August 26, 2013 — 8:07 PM
ScrappyD00 says:
Ever start writing an idea and when you finish it is NOTHING like the idea you started with? This is that:
“The King of Michigan”
http://writeatthecrossroads.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-king-of-michigan-flash-fiction.html
August 26, 2013 — 11:29 PM
tbianconi says:
I actually had the original idea for this story weeks ago, but it kinda fell flat like a basketball pierced with a nail. Then I saw that 9 of the 10 words in this week’s challenge fit perfectly with it, and I decided to give it a second go. So here it is, the Demon Graveyard:
http://kalganrhendron.wordpress.com/2013/08/27/the-demon-graveyard/
August 27, 2013 — 12:51 AM
Jen Squire (@jen_squire) says:
“And they’re off…”
http://jen-squire.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/and-theyre-off.html
August 27, 2013 — 4:24 AM