Last week’s challenge: Fifty Characters.
So, last weekend I was at the Pike’s Peak Writer’s Conference.
It was great stuff — highly recommended.
One of the days I did a workshop on theme, a topic that, for me, is quite beloved. One of the exercises was that we had a bunch of folks in the room come up with various themes — then I picked one and had people write to that theme. Follow me? So, one of the themes they picked was:
“We’re all human, even when we’re not.”
So, I’m going to grab that, and that’s now your theme.
Use it and write a 1000-word piece of flash fiction in service to that theme.
Write it at your online space.
Link back here via the comments.
Due in one week, by May 9th, at noon EST.
Dana Alyce-Schwarz says:
This is the third time I’ve used these two characters. I’m starting to like these guys.
http://contrastsolution.blogspot.com/2014/05/don-john-strike-again.html
May 8, 2014 — 10:14 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Yeah, I know that problem 🙂 Some of mine even have their own badges now!
May 9, 2014 — 2:26 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Mmm. Badges. I need to make badges for some of my favorite characters. Except. . . I’m no artist!
“Badges? We don’t need no steenking badges!” 😉
May 9, 2014 — 11:00 AM
Mark Baron says:
I like the story – kind of a noir feel to it, but I didn’t sense at any point the characters being not human, save for the murderer…whom never felt human at all. Perhaps I misread it. Otherwise, though, I love a good noir crime story! Thanks for sharing it!
May 9, 2014 — 5:48 PM
Jemima Pett says:
This arrived straight away, but I was stupid enough to nearly forget to post it 🙁
Homing Instinct – a kind of sequel to last week’s Pilgrimage.
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2014/05/09/friday-flash-fiction-homing-instinct/
May 9, 2014 — 2:24 AM
Mark Baron says:
An interesting read! I like the characters a lot. And of course, that dolphins are more communicative than humans. I will admit, I was waiting for a so long, and thanks for all the fish. 😉
May 9, 2014 — 5:56 PM
momdude says:
A tough one for me to avoid what I saw as the standard cliches for this sort of thing. I might have dodged that bullet, or I might have churned out something so lame that even my junior high school self would cringe reading it. Could go either way.
But I did nail the 1,000 word guideline ON THE NAIL. So, at least there’s that.
http://pauljwillett.com/2014/05/08/flash-fiction-fair-play/
May 9, 2014 — 2:38 AM
Mark Baron says:
Oh man, I started smiling as soon as I realized what was going on – what an awesome, unusual subject for this theme! This was really, really good, man. I loved it!
May 9, 2014 — 10:18 PM
momdude says:
Thanks, Mark!
May 9, 2014 — 11:12 PM
testwood says:
Look like my first link isn’t working. Here’s the correct link:
http://testwood.tumblr.com/post/85105837373/human-even-when-were-not
May 9, 2014 — 3:25 AM
Mark Baron says:
I enjoyed the craft of your story, the weaving of the words, though I admit, I’m not a huge werewolf fan in general. I did have trouble spotting the theme here…I felt a lot of bestial nature in the work, a lot of animalism…but where was the human in the beast?
May 10, 2014 — 12:19 AM
Mark Johnson says:
Thanks. I think I went for too much here and didn’t really pull off the intent. The cage was a metaphorical representation of a struggle within the mind of the human – the man and beast were the same person.
I enjoyed the challenge though, definitely want to keep them going.
May 10, 2014 — 10:08 AM
Mark Baron says:
Ah! I can totally see that now…maybe I need to stop reading and critiquing after 16 hr work days, LOL!
May 10, 2014 — 10:11 AM
Mark Johnson says:
Looks like my original link wasn’t working. Here’s one that works:
http://testwood.tumblr.com/post/85105837373/human-even-when-were-not
May 9, 2014 — 3:28 AM
Adam Hughes says:
Probably still needs some edits, but my quick first version of “How Not to Kill a Meme” is her:
http://adamhughes.in/how-not-to-kill-a-meme/
May 9, 2014 — 6:58 AM
Cody Rock says:
This is my first time doing this. Here’s the link to my blog: http://contradictionparadox.blogspot.com/
May 9, 2014 — 8:01 AM
R.T. Wilder says:
At 1000 words exactly, a human monster horror story called Baykok http://rtwilder.wordpress.com/2014/05/09/baykok/
May 9, 2014 — 12:03 PM
Jon Stoffel says:
A little late, but because no new challenge has been posted yet, I’ll claim “saved by the (lack of) bell.” I present:
Were All Human Even When Were Not
1000 words
http://www.jdstoffel.com/2014/05/were-all-human-even-when-were-not/
May 9, 2014 — 2:42 PM
underastarlitsky says:
Since there wasn’t a challenge this week (why not?!) i finally got around to writing this week’s story (way, way late, i know!). so here is: My Name Is Nothing, What’s Yours? http://underastarlitsky.wordpress.com/ Comments welcome, as usual! 🙂
May 11, 2014 — 11:23 PM