Last week’s challenge: Random Title Challenge.
So, in case you haven’t seen it, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has a new cover.
It’s a beautiful cover. See?
But to me it’s the beautiful cover to an entirely different book.
So: I want you to write it.
Er, okay, you don’t have to write a whole book.
But let’s say: 1000 words or so of fiction using that cover as inspiration.
(Feel free to ignore the title. Focus just on the photo!)
Write it at your blog blog or online space.
Link back here.
Due by Friday, August 15th, noon EST.
Christopher Robin Negelein says:
The frustrating thing for me is that this cover is from stock photography. Maybe this is why I don’t work in advertising now. Because if I was going to do a 50th anniversary cover to a book and put out a press release about it, I would have used original art.
Using stock is nothing to write a press release about.
August 8, 2014 — 12:42 PM
leedunning says:
Wait… This is a joke, right? That looks more like something out of the “Stepford Wives” or “Children of the Corn”.
August 8, 2014 — 12:49 PM
kentuckygal50 says:
I was going to say, I can do that in 5 words: “Stepford Females of All Ages”. :O) I’ll put my thinking cap on.
August 8, 2014 — 2:03 PM
Allison Maruska says:
I was thinking the same thing. My brain keeps wanting to go to some horror plot.
August 9, 2014 — 5:20 PM
Erin says:
I had to read some of the news articles on this to realize that’s a girl on the cover, not Charlie in drag. (One story: http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-28703254)
August 8, 2014 — 12:52 PM
Kait Nolan says:
Wait wait. That was SERIOUS? I saw it flying around yesterday and thought it was a joke!
August 8, 2014 — 1:29 PM
Badger says:
I can’t stand that cover for that book. Maybe if someone was doing a biography of Veruca Salt, great, but that for Charlie? What relationship does that have to that book? NONE.
August 8, 2014 — 1:34 PM
Laurie McLean says:
The title is now: “Where’s…my…CHOCOLATE, you Wonka!”
August 8, 2014 — 2:07 PM
Nelson says:
Considering the book is cautionary tale about spoiled children and bad parenting, and since Veruca Salt is the worst of all the kids, I think this cover is perfect. Also, it’s a Penguin Classic release aimed at adults, not a brand new book the publisher is introducing to an audience, so they can get away with a more creative cover. I think too many people are basing their opinions about this cover on the film(s) instead of the book. Then again, I think the Dahl cartoon covers are ridiculously stupid, so maybe it’s a taste thing.
August 8, 2014 — 3:00 PM
Helena Hann-Basquiat says:
You sure that’s not Ira Levine’s The Stepford Wives?
August 8, 2014 — 3:34 PM
Helena Hann-Basquiat says:
Also, could have been worse. Could have featured these couche-tards: http://www.alwaysontherun.net/veruca7.jpg
August 8, 2014 — 3:36 PM
S. J. Paige says:
I get more of a Jonbenet Ramsey vibe…
August 8, 2014 — 4:28 PM
decayingorbits says:
Bingo.
August 9, 2014 — 8:12 AM
Allison Maruska says:
Yes.
August 9, 2014 — 5:20 PM
Jodi McMaster says:
Me, too. Good prompt, though. http://www.writingpast.com/writing-challenges-or-see-the-crappy-first-drafts/valley-of-the-doll
August 8, 2014 — 4:55 PM
Mark Gardner says:
It was an interesting story. You mentioned you were concerned about the voice of the narrator, but I suspect a girl in that situation would think older than her years.
August 10, 2014 — 1:01 PM
Jodi McMaster says:
Thanks for reading and the feedback. Much appreciated.
August 10, 2014 — 11:41 PM
Mark Gardner says:
Mine is up at http://article94.wordpress.com/2014/08/08/16-sunsets-revelations/
August 8, 2014 — 5:30 PM
Mozette says:
Ooooh, good and creepy… I like it! 😀
August 9, 2014 — 12:36 AM
Mark Gardner says:
Yay! Did you read the older stuff?
August 9, 2014 — 12:37 AM
Mozette says:
Ooh.. no… not yet… hang on, I’ll go and do that! 🙂
August 9, 2014 — 12:52 AM
Mozette says:
Love it! Reminds me of ‘Constantine’ ! 😀
August 9, 2014 — 1:19 AM
R. A. Opp says:
That is hella creepy…
August 8, 2014 — 8:43 PM
Mozette says:
Okay… it’s twisted and creepy that photo… so is what I wrote… 😛
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/charlie-and-thewoah.html
August 9, 2014 — 12:18 AM
Mark Gardner says:
I love it! But, that’s to be expected from the author of Body Rentals.
August 10, 2014 — 12:11 PM
Mozette says:
Body Rentals?
So happy you loved it Mark 😀
August 10, 2014 — 8:45 PM
Mark Gardner says:
http://article94.wordpress.com/body-rentals/
August 10, 2014 — 9:47 PM
Mozette says:
OOOOOHHH! I’ll be buying that when I’m at my folk’s place next!
August 11, 2014 — 8:18 AM
Beth Turnage says:
Okay, this is a little out of my genre, but here goes:
The Good Girl: http://bethturnage.com/?p=186
August 9, 2014 — 7:14 PM
JP Juniper says:
I really struggled with this one. So many false starts. Here’s what I came up with in the end:
http://www.jpjuniper.com/stories/2014/8/10/new-model-amy
August 10, 2014 — 11:07 AM
Beth Turnage says:
This was a great start, and I loved the concept. But I thought the ending could be stronger. You mention her anger at the beginning. It was the gun that didn’t go off.
As Checkhov said:
Remove everything that has no relevance to the story. If you say in the first chapter that there is a rifle hanging on the wall, in the second or third chapter it absolutely must go off. If it’s not going to be fired, it shouldn’t be hanging there.
—Anton Chekhov
August 10, 2014 — 4:03 PM
Beth Turnage says:
This was a reply to JP Juniper
August 10, 2014 — 4:09 PM
JP Juniper says:
Thanks for reading. I appreciate the feedback!
August 10, 2014 — 7:33 PM
Tonia Brown says:
Great work folks. Here is mine. http://thebackseatwriter.blogspot.com/2014/08/forever-perfect.html
August 11, 2014 — 6:46 AM
Beth Turnage says:
Tonia–That was perfect.
August 13, 2014 — 10:57 AM
Tonia Brown says:
Thanks! 🙂
August 13, 2014 — 6:21 PM
Pam says:
First thought was a spin on Mommy Deareat vs Charlie as a drag queen…interesting choice Tonto.
August 11, 2014 — 11:56 AM
Anthony Eichenlaub says:
Here is my entry. http://eichenblog.org/?p=2624
August 11, 2014 — 2:28 PM
Helen Espinosa says:
Not sure if I should really include this, but I’ve seen people break the rules before. I just couldn’t bring myself to write 1,000 words – it was all too disturbing for me right now. So, I wrote a poem instead. At least I feel that I can move on.
https://helenespinosa.wordpress.com/2014/08/11/daydreams-and-wishes/
August 11, 2014 — 10:51 PM
Catkins says:
Okay, I should never be allowed to write after midnight, it comes out super fucking dark. Have fun with The Misfortune Teller: http://dubious-gravity.tumblr.com/post/94635073909/the-misfortune-teller
August 13, 2014 — 11:33 AM
underastarlitsky says:
Here’s my story. A Beautiful Disaster http://wp.me/pBqgu-b4 (glad i’m not alone in thinking the cover image is uber creepy!).
August 13, 2014 — 11:42 PM
gembolding says:
Hope you like what I did with this… “A dirty mind is a Joy forever”
http://gembolding.wordpress.com/2014/08/14/a-dirty-mind-is-a-joy-forever/
August 14, 2014 — 5:19 PM
mareng9 says:
“Enjoy” as much as you can. Here is “Charlotte”: http://lickthespoonclean.com/?p=62
August 14, 2014 — 9:43 PM
anastasiasoluna says:
http://theunstillpicture.wordpress.com/
My first blog post. The mirroring of the blog name and story title was completely unintentional– at least consciously.
August 15, 2014 — 12:08 AM
Elvis M says:
Been a long time since I’ve done something like this so here goes! Please be gentle…
The Lisa
http://shuttrbear.tumblr.com/post/94796411033/i-decided-to-participate-in-a-flash-fiction
August 15, 2014 — 1:54 AM
momdude says:
A tad long, but I liked the idea and where it led.
http://pauljwillett.com/2014/08/14/flash-fiction-i-remembered-it-was-thursday/
August 15, 2014 — 3:00 AM