You know the drill: Random number generator or d20. Roll it. Grab a setting from the list below and go forth and write yourself around 1000 words of fiction set in that location.
Due in one week, by September the 6th, noon EST.
Post at your online space.
Link back here.
The list, then, is:
- A Starbucks during the Apocalypse
- The gates of Heaven
- A slaughterhouse
- A library on an alien world
- Satan’s palace, Pandaemonium
- Inside a giant creature
- On a pirate beach
- In a penal colony built by elvish astronauts
- Route 66 during a tornado
- On a crashing plane
- Inside the virtual reality landscape of a robot’s mind
- The NYC subways
- Ancient Sumer
- A monster brothel
- A shopping mall in Arizona
- In a police department during an epic blizzard
- In the base of the Moon Nazis
- In a serial killer’s nightmare
- A distant island far from home
- Lost in New Jersey
Choose. Write. Rock it.
Smoph says:
I got rolled to Heaven’s gates, so here is my story, Morte. http://prose.smoph.org/2013/09/04/morte/
Love any discussion of my story. Thanks Chuck, for these prompts, and everyone for showing me how interesting it is to see such variety even on one topic!
September 5, 2013 — 1:47 AM
crow365 says:
I rolled “the NYC Subways” and came up with “One Night Only”: http://nickegelhoff.com/2013/09/05/flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your-setting/
September 5, 2013 — 7:55 AM
Matt Zitron (@mattzitron) says:
I decided to do a second that I just chose from the list:
http://mattzitron.tumblr.com/post/60361226122/flash-fiction-challenge-in-the-base-of-the-moon-nazis
September 5, 2013 — 10:40 AM
oldestgenxer says:
I haven’t participated in a while–I know you missed me. Why the sudden change? Well, I find myself out of a job. I’ll be joining in as long as the electricity and internet connection lasts.
Visitors from Out of Town
I’ve had enough random in my life these past few weeks–I wanted something I had control over for once. I was going to go with Lost in New Jersey, but Ancient Sumer is basically the same thing.
September 5, 2013 — 11:13 AM
Danny Rand says:
My first entry, hastily concocted.
http://deathbykeyboard.tumblr.com/post/60381814514/the-library-at-galaxandria
September 5, 2013 — 3:59 PM
Jemima Pett says:
I got lucky for once and rolled a two – Gates of Heaven. It’s another adventure for Sir Woebegone, and will be online in about 2 hours time, when it gets to be Friday where I am.
http://jemimapett.com/2013/09/06/friday-flash-fiction-sir-woebegone-examines-his-conscience/
September 5, 2013 — 6:02 PM
Dan Dan The Art Man says:
My second time writing a story. I hope I keep this up and write one every week! Mine’s called “A Staring Stranger,” and came out at 961 with setting # 12 – The NYC Subways
http://www.dandantheartman.com/2013/09/the-staring-stranger-story-for-chuck.html
September 5, 2013 — 6:07 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Nice story – really captured the subway atmosphere. Beware though, this Friday thing is addictive!
September 6, 2013 — 7:38 AM
Jessica says:
I used my little brother as an RNG, he chose 16.
Police station. Epic blizzard.
Gotcha.
September 5, 2013 — 6:42 PM
Jessica says:
So this was my first time here. I am not impressed by my ending, but that means I can only go up from here, Right?
…right?
http://anunperfectlife.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/flash-fiction-the-storm-of-the-century/
September 6, 2013 — 4:16 AM
Jemima Pett says:
Well, I liked the ending. Coming from an area where snow is normal, even if people can’t cope with it, I was trying to work out where it was set all the way along. Nice work. – and good to see you here. You’ll be back, I bet!
September 6, 2013 — 7:44 AM
Jessica says:
Thanks! We, uh, we don’t get snow around these parts, so if it even thinks about raining hard it’s suddenly THE STORM OF THE .
September 6, 2013 — 12:16 PM
curiouskermit says:
the ending’s not bad. I like how you describe the feeling of a snowstorm – I live through a lot of them, and it felt right!
September 6, 2013 — 10:07 AM
Jessica says:
Fabulous, glad to know I got the feeling down correctly. Thank you!
September 6, 2013 — 12:17 PM
Simon says:
Another first timer here.
I was a little disheartened when I rolled a 17, as others have already done so well with the brief. I hope I’ve done it justice, even if I did wriggle a little.
Here is Krater, compiled with considerable haste as I realised the deadline was looming.
http://probablyfalse.tumblr.com/post/60400486117/krater
September 5, 2013 — 7:54 PM
curiouskermit says:
I hope there will be more to this! I have to know what happens next. Excellent story telling.
September 5, 2013 — 9:39 PM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
http://www.writerscarnival.ca/a-most-peculiar-house/
I went with #14, monster brothel. NSFW. Possible brain bleach required. Or not.
September 5, 2013 — 9:53 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Delightful! Great tension and twist. I noted that Chuck said “about” 1000 words this week, too!
September 6, 2013 — 7:32 AM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
Glad you enjoyed it!
September 6, 2013 — 10:09 AM
curiouskermit says:
excellent story! very fun read. =)
September 6, 2013 — 10:31 AM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
Thank you! Glad you liked it.
September 6, 2013 — 10:38 AM
rebeccadouglass says:
Screaming in at the deadline, as usual: A Distant Island, Far From Home. I actually rolled one of the settings that most appealed to me. Though I kind of want to write about a Starbucks at the end of the world, too 🙂
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2013/09/flash-fiction-friday-on-distant-island.html
September 6, 2013 — 1:09 AM
Jemima Pett says:
Love it! Good to see Xavier out and about again 🙂
September 6, 2013 — 7:25 AM
Tony Taylor says:
I’m going to miss the deadline, but dammit, I am going to finish and submit. I have learned an invaluable lesson. If I am going to make it as a writer, I must balance my time and respect guidelines. Lesson learned. I will be late, but I will finish. Thank you for this blog!!!
September 6, 2013 — 5:59 AM
Connor Millard says:
I didn’t get anywhere near finishing and know that I won’t make the deadline, but I’m posting it here anyway in the hopes that maybe someone can tell me where the hell I went wrong.
http://theverydefinitionofprocrastination.blogspot.com/2013/09/flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your.html
September 6, 2013 — 6:38 AM
Christine Frost says:
I’m hooked on these prompts, but haven’t submitted one in quite a while.
Ancient Sumer
http://www.herravendomain.com/?p=392
September 6, 2013 — 10:07 AM
M.R. Dorough says:
Rolled a 5 – Satan’s palace, Pandaemonium
Damned Perdition:
http://mrdorough.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/damned-perdition/
September 6, 2013 — 11:34 AM
curiouskermit says:
that was really fun! I like the dialogue – when Virgil was talking to Jose as if he didn’t speak English I laughed out loud.
September 6, 2013 — 11:52 AM
M.R. Dorough says:
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
September 6, 2013 — 12:08 PM
Jessica says:
The sound I made at the last paragraph was absolutely inhuman. I’ll be wiping coffee off my monitor now. Well done!
September 6, 2013 — 12:15 PM
M.R. Dorough says:
I hope your monitor survived. 🙂
September 6, 2013 — 2:12 PM
momdude says:
Pushing the deadline – got an eighteen, “Inside a serial killer’s nightmare”. This is easily the creepiest thing I’ve ever written. As always, comments and constructive criticism is welcome.
http://wp.me/p3tdUw-iO
September 6, 2013 — 11:49 AM
angelacavanaugh says:
So, I’m actually late this week. Started a new job, working on my novel… took some time to actually sit down and write this week’s flash fiction. But it’s done. I call it Starpocalypse.
http://angelacavanaugh.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/flash-fiction-friday-starpocalypse/
September 6, 2013 — 4:33 PM
keithjcollier says:
Love this list of settings. RNG gave me #13, Ancient Sumer: http://keithjcollier.wordpress.com/2013/09/07/sumerian-sandstorm/
September 7, 2013 — 4:20 PM
Tony Taylor says:
I know that I am late and I am 69 words over the prescribed 1000, but I finished and that’s what is important. Inside the nightmare of a serial killer…great challenge! Now to the next challenge….
http://taylormaderandomwrites.blogspot.com/2013/09/flash-fiction-choose-your-setting.html
September 9, 2013 — 3:05 PM