Last week’s challenge: The Who, The Where, The Uh-Oh
Pick a fairy tale.
Go on, do it.
I’ll wait.
If you don’t know your fairy tales — Google is your friend, of course.
Hell, here’s a pretty good list of the Grimm’s tales.
I want you to pick one — I’ll let you do that — and rewrite it.
Except, wait now, hold on.
I want you to also roll to choose a random subgenre. You will then apply said random subgenre to the fairy tale you have picked for maximum awesome. Get it? Got it? Rad.
You have 1000 words.
You have one week — due Friday, January 31st, noon, EST.
Write it at your online space. Link back here.
Do tell us which fairy tale you’re using by making it the title of your story.
Subgenre
(roll a d20 or go to a random number generator)
- Cyberpunk
- Dystopian
- Erotica
- Spy Thriller
- Southern Gothic
- Satire
- Urban Fantasy
- Space Horror
- Space Opera
- Young Adult Contemporary
- “Grimdark” Fantasy
- Psychological Horror
- Hard Sci-Fi
- Slasher Film
- Ecothriller
- Sword & Sorcery
- Lovecraftian
- Zombie Apocalypse
- Superhero
- Detective
jralbert says:
I decided on Sleeping Beauty and rolled Space Horror. Lovely! I have to admit that I haven’t read much (or really any) Space Horror, but I figured it was pretty self explanatory. I tried, and boy was it fun!
http://www.jenniferralbert.com/short-stories/sleeping-beauty-the-space-horror/
January 26, 2014 — 8:52 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
It’s horror, alright! Ugh. Well done.
January 31, 2014 — 11:02 AM
Jessica says:
Hansel and Gretel as an urban fantasy?
…huh. Okay, let’s see what happens.
January 26, 2014 — 10:45 PM
nathanael garvison says:
Goldilocks as a grimdark fantasy. Well, here goes nothing.
January 26, 2014 — 11:49 PM
Claire says:
Fantastic challenge! Was inspired and had fun with it. 🙂
Fairy tale: Little Red
Sub-genre: Dystopian
http://raceagainstthelaze.weebly.com/1/post/2014/01/flash-fiction-challenge-fairy-tale-remixed.html
January 27, 2014 — 3:47 AM
Josh Loomis says:
Remixing fairy tales is so up my alley, it’s not even funny. When the d20 of Destiny gave me ‘hard sci-fi’ it felt like Christmas all over again. Hope you enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it!
http://www.blueinkalchemy.com/2014/01/27/flash-fiction-rapunzel-in-orbit/
January 27, 2014 — 8:30 AM
Mildred Achoch says:
Definitely sci-fi, definitely brilliant. I did enjoy reading it!
January 27, 2014 — 12:20 PM
Jon Jefferson says:
Mixed in some southern gothic (maybe) in my retelling.
http://www.10thdaypublishing.com/path-hunter/
January 27, 2014 — 11:14 AM
Adam Hughes says:
I rolled a “20,” so …
“The Ugly Duckling” with a tiny bit of gumshoe mixed in:
http://adamhughes.in/quality-food-home-delivery/
January 27, 2014 — 8:21 PM
Jeremy Podolski says:
Hansel and Gretel: The Aftermath
A satirical remix
http://jeremypodolski.com/2014/01/28/hansel-and-gretel-the-aftermath/
Had a blast with this challenge.
January 28, 2014 — 9:50 AM
Kait says:
Hilarious! I loved it!
That was a cool take, going with aftermath angle.
January 28, 2014 — 6:42 PM
Jeremy Podolski says:
Thanks Kait – this challenge is turning out some crazy stories.
January 28, 2014 — 8:45 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Ha. Take One on Rapunzel as Space Opera is about 1600 words. I’ll be working on it and post later in the week, but I don’t know if it will lend itself to being told at 2/3 the length.
January 28, 2014 — 1:20 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
I forgot and posted below, but here it is: http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2014/01/flash-fiction-friday-trapped-aboard.html
January 31, 2014 — 12:28 AM
Jim Franklin says:
I’ve chosen The White Snake, and I got Super-hero as the genre, and wrote a curious tale of super-hero, super-crime and auditable government policies.
Here we go with… The White Snake (well, Adder)
http://www.thezombiechimp.com/2014/01/28/flash-fiction-white-snake-well-adder/
January 28, 2014 — 1:54 PM
Eva Therese says:
Don’t remember the title of the fairy tale, that I mixed up with the Detective genre. Yay for lousy memory! http://evathereseebert.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/flash-fiction-challenge-fairy-tales-remix/
January 28, 2014 — 2:44 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Beauty and the Beast, perhaps? I really enjoyed it… I ike noir too.
January 31, 2014 — 7:32 AM
Eva Therese says:
Actually I think it was called ‘Hans, my hedgehog’. At least that was the title of the Jim Henson adaptation.
January 31, 2014 — 4:55 PM
Mildred Achoch says:
Oh I enjoyed reading this! You’ve captured the genre very well. Great first paragraph!
January 31, 2014 — 7:45 AM
Eva Therese says:
Thanks!
January 31, 2014 — 4:56 PM
Jemima Pett says:
I’ve been obsessed with a revised version of The Princess and the Pea ever since I invented the Narrathon – a story telling event and trade – in my books. Here at last is a chance for Willoughby to do his stuff. Maybe I included satire, maybe I didnt. It’ll be live around midnight UK time Friday, 7pm New York Thursday. If the server doesnt go down again…
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2014/01/31/flash-fiction-friday-willoughby-does-the-princess-and-the-pea/
January 28, 2014 — 2:57 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
I’m not sure it’s satire, but it’s a good story, and an improvement on the original.
January 31, 2014 — 12:32 AM
Jemima Pett says:
Thanks!
January 31, 2014 — 7:33 AM
Courtney Cantrell says:
I chose Grimms’ fairy tale “Brother and Sister,” one of my faves as a kid. Can’t resist a yarn that includes someone getting boiled alive in the bath. #morbid #therapy
The random number generator gave me CYBERPUNK, which dismayed me at first. I’ve never even read that — how by all of Wendig’s beard hairs am I supposed to write it?!?
But I pulled out my vorpal sword and went to slaying the beast. I like the carcass. I mean, the result. I’d be happy for y’all to let me know how I did. : ) Thanks!
http://courtcan.com/writing/free-short-story-a-grimms-fairy-tale-cyberpunk/
January 28, 2014 — 3:51 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
I think you did pretty well, though I don’t know the original story and wasn’t completely clear on exactly what happened at the end.
January 31, 2014 — 12:37 AM
Courtney Cantrell says:
Well, the original story takes at least 2,000 words to recount. ; ) Lemme see if I can summarize:
Sister and brother are tormented by wicked-witch stepmother and stepsister. Sis & bro run away. Witch turns bro into deer. Sis meets king, gets married, lives with king & deer-bro in palace. Witch cooks sis to death in hot bath. Stepsis takes sis’s place. Sis returns as ghost to nurse her baby at night. King finds her, recognizes her, expresses undying love. Sis returns to life, stepsis is unmasked. Witch is burned at stake, stepsis gets torn to pieces by wild animals. Deer-bro becomes a real boy again. Happily ever after.
To simplify, I made witch and stepsister over into a single character, the “false Queen.” So at the end of my story, sis & bro & deer get to play the role of wild animal killing their nemesis. The hybrid threesome then escapes, with the hint that they’ve stolen the microchip containing the plans to “cure” them and return them back to normal.
February 1, 2014 — 11:31 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
This, right here, is why fiction is such a wonderful thing; it has the power to take you to crazy worlds where, even if you don’t entirely understand everything that’s going on, you’re THERE, right in the middle of it… and I was definitely there in your world. Being more than a little bit scared, but in a good way.
A gripping tale with some fantastic imagery going on – although next time I might try not to be eating my tea when I’m reading the end 😉
January 31, 2014 — 2:57 AM
Courtney Cantrell says:
Thanks, Wendy! I’m glad you enjoyed it so much, and I’m blushing at the compliments. I’m sorry about the problem with eating/drinking while reading…and yet, I’m not sorry. That makes me feel like I did my job! ; )
February 1, 2014 — 11:34 PM
Jemima Pett says:
I really like your style! Great vorpal-work there 🙂
January 31, 2014 — 7:47 AM
Courtney Cantrell says:
Ah, you’re speaking my language. ; ) Thanks so much, Jemima! Glad my writing connects with you.
February 1, 2014 — 11:36 PM
dangerdean says:
Okay, I finally got this done. This was the toughest challenge I’ve done to date. I’m not entirely sure it counts as “grimdark fantasy”, but it is a world where life is crap and nobody is happy for long, so I guess it counts. Also, I thought it would be fun to tell it not from the POV of or with the focus on the “heroes” but on the princess who is offered as a prize, and usually has no agency in the story. Anyway, I hope it doesn’t suck. 🙂
http://dangerdean.wordpress.com/2014/01/28/the-singing-bone/
Now I can read the other ones, as I’ve been avoiding them until I finished this.
January 28, 2014 — 5:03 PM
mikes75 says:
That is definitely dark, and really wonderfully done!
January 29, 2014 — 9:29 AM
dangerdean says:
Thank you!
January 29, 2014 — 6:01 PM
John Rickett says:
I love the voice on this one, and think you did a fantastic job writing opposite gender.
February 1, 2014 — 8:28 PM
Kait says:
This was my first flash fiction. So fun!
Snow White – Southern Gothic
http://blackcatdragon.blogspot.com/2014/01/snow-white-flash-fiction-remix.html
January 28, 2014 — 5:05 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Fascinating! I haven’t a clue about Southern Gothic, so I was really interested in your take on it. Well done!
January 31, 2014 — 8:05 AM
Kait says:
Thank you for reading my story and taking the time to comment on it. This was my first public post of anything I’ve written – so you were my first ever feedback from a stranger. 🙂
February 1, 2014 — 8:33 PM
Rick Cook Jr says:
The Rose – Space Opera becomes “Rose Petals Spinning in Space”
I was sad after writing it.
http://panningforclouds.com/2014/01/28/rose-petals-space/
January 28, 2014 — 8:21 PM
Kait says:
Wow.
I need a moment to regroup.
January 28, 2014 — 8:51 PM
Mildred Achoch says:
I agree with Kait. Wow! I especially enjoyed the first six paragraphs. In very few words you painted a very comprehensive picture of the situation (and the genre). And yes, the ending was sad but a beautiful sad which is the best kind of sad 🙂
January 29, 2014 — 4:46 AM
Jeremy Podolski says:
Great imagery. I also especially was drawn in by the opening paragraphs.
January 29, 2014 — 9:03 AM
Wendy Christopher says:
I was also sad after reading it – but in a good way (if that makes any sense..?) Beautifully, heartfeltly written (I know heartfeltly isn’t a proper word, but it’s the closest I could find to what I mean.)
February 1, 2014 — 3:53 PM
Fatma Alici says:
Okay, I picked Bearskin, because I love that particular fairy tale. And, I rolled space opera. Which, honestly is just mean. Anyway, it came out kind of weird. A good weird, I think.
http://wp.me/p2Oiy2-7d
January 28, 2014 — 9:50 PM
BockClocker says:
I got satire, and chose (without considering word count) Faithful John. For what it’s worth: http://springloadedcats.wordpress.com/2014/01/25/faithful-john/
January 29, 2014 — 4:26 AM
Francesca Carrillo says:
Late entry here. Its been awhile since I’ve done any flash fic challenge. Gotten ‘The Lambkin and the Little Fish’ in the “Grimdark” Fantasy genre.
Here we go:
Lamb & Fish, Revisited
January 29, 2014 — 4:35 AM
Kate Sparkes says:
This is my first entry into a flash fiction challenge… eek! I had fun with this one. I chose Cinderella (my favourite when I was a kid), and Random.org gave me lucky seven- Urban Fantasy. I can’t say I envy my Cinderella…
http://disregardtheprologue.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/cinder-ella-flash-fiction-challenge/
January 29, 2014 — 8:43 AM
Mira Day says:
That was awesome! I loved everything about it 🙂 Great job!
January 29, 2014 — 11:04 AM
Kate Sparkes says:
Thank you! And thanks for reading!
January 29, 2014 — 11:07 AM
Mira Day says:
3rd challenge I’ve done and I’m loving them more and more each week! Friday’s are more then just the start to the weekends and payday now 🙂
I picked Sleeping Beauty and rolled psychological horror. O.o I had a ton of fun with it!
http://www.miramichelleday.com/flash_fictions_and_short_stories/sleeping_beauty_the_remix/
January 29, 2014 — 10:48 AM
Mildred Achoch says:
Nice! 🙂
January 29, 2014 — 12:39 PM
dangerdean says:
Well done!
January 29, 2014 — 10:51 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
Woah! Nicely done – and a brilliant twist on the original story. I was hooked right to the end.
January 30, 2014 — 1:48 PM
Mira Day says:
Thanks everyone! ^.^
January 31, 2014 — 11:54 AM
Rick Cook Jr says:
I think it had the intended effect, then. Thank you for reading!
January 29, 2014 — 11:06 AM
Rick Cook Jr says:
Buh. This wasn’t supposed to go here.
January 29, 2014 — 11:07 AM
J.J says:
OMG I finished it, yay for me. Rapunzel, Young Adult Contemporary, called Hiding in the Tower with a Boy/
http://growingasawriter.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/terrible-minds-flash-fiction-challenge-remixed-fairy-tales/
January 29, 2014 — 12:19 PM
mikes75 says:
OK, my first foray into erotica! I started with “The Boy Who Drew Cats,” changed the protagonist to a woman, and kinda ran from there. Lemme know what you think!
http://untitledunited.com/2014/01/29/fairy-tale-remixed-drawn-out-of-need/
January 29, 2014 — 1:05 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
…And now I’m going to take a cold shower! This was really well-written – not a single porn cliche in the whole thing, which takes A LOT of skill. Not that I’m any kind of expert in this field of course – I’m just GUESSING that this is how good erotica writing should be IF I’d ever read any in my life, which of course I HAVEN’T… *looks away, whistles innocently…*
January 30, 2014 — 1:40 PM
mikes75 says:
This is by far the best compliment I’ve ever gotten, Thanks!
January 30, 2014 — 2:38 PM
LO says:
First challenge!
http://oondootwa.tumblr.com/post/74982180717/the-princess-and-the-pea-slasher-flash-fiction
January 29, 2014 — 5:39 PM
Smoph says:
Wow! Dark! Seriously though… Go Princess.
February 1, 2014 — 1:17 AM
Wendy Christopher says:
Woah…. Worst. Blind Date. Ever! But a really gripping slasher story with a fun, badass heroine. Great job 🙂
February 1, 2014 — 4:01 PM
Katya de Becerra says:
Thanks for inspiration! Lots of good ideas here:) Here’s my Cyberpunk take on Hansel and Gretel – http://katyabecerra.blogspot.com.au/2014/01/hansel-und-gretel-13.html
January 29, 2014 — 7:19 PM
Smoph says:
Good idea Katya. Nice execution of your idea.
February 1, 2014 — 1:22 AM
Katya de Becerra says:
Thank you! Thanks for reading:) btw I loved that you chose The Firebird fairy tale for your story – nice writing there!
February 1, 2014 — 3:36 PM
joe petty says:
I had started out the challenge trying to write satire, but I’m just not funny enough. Then whilst working my job, where I get paid, my co-worker and I devised a steampunk version of Briar Rose. I can’t promise it’s all that great, but it’s in at 999 words.
http://www.bastardgenres.net/briar-rose-steampunk/
January 29, 2014 — 8:25 PM
caszbrewster says:
Southern Gothic. Woah. Made me stretch. My take on The Red Shoes. http://www.casondrabrewster.com/?p=1578
January 29, 2014 — 8:40 PM
Wendy Christopher says:
Holy moley, that was dark! But really well done – great job! I found myself reading it in a Scarlett O’Hara accent from the first paragraph, so you did a fine job on capturing the feel of the piece too.
January 30, 2014 — 1:26 PM
J. S. Collyer says:
This was great! Dystopian SciFi, all teh win! Here’s my response ‘Foam’. I’d be interested to know if people can tell which fairy tale I chose… http://wp.me/pail1-eV
January 30, 2014 — 6:10 AM
Siddhartha says:
Awesome. Here is my slasher take on a beloved fairy tale. I’d rather not say which one to preserve a little bit of mystery.
http://ssbasu.wordpress.com/2014/01/30/fairy-tales-remixed/
I went a bit over on the word limit, with more than 1350 words. It is also an amalgam of traditional slasher and straight-up horror. Hope you like it.
January 30, 2014 — 8:12 AM