Last week’s challenge: And, Action!
By now, I suspect you know how this works.
But, just in case?
You will choose two random numbers.
(Use a d20 or a random number generator.)
Each between 1-20.
Then, those random numbers go to the items in the columns at the end of this post.
One for each.
That earns you your title.
You might end up with Elegant Alleyway.
Or the Black-Hearted Eight.
Or the Lupine Last Call.
You can add “The” to the fore of the title, and make the second part plural, if need be.
And that’s it.
You’ve got, ohhh, 1500 words this go around.
Due in one week — by next Friday, noon EST.
Post at your online space.
Link back here.
Now, get to pickin’.
Column One
- Serpentine
- Emerald
- Blood-Stained
- Interstitial
- Judas
- Lupine
- Reaper’s
- Merciful
- Elegant
- Ceaseless
- Black-Hearted
- Gravedigger’s
- Hissing
- Bewitching
- Dead
- Fifth
- Monkey’s
- Dressmaker’s
- Almost
- Endless
Column Two
- Precipice
- Alleyway
- Nursemaid
- Eschaton
- Confirmation
- Thunderhead
- Eye
- Pincushion
- Daughter
- Reward
- Beauty
- Locket
- Chasm
- Eight
- Quietus
- Beast
- Inquiry
- Last Call
- Coil
- Widow
Mozette says:
I saw two I loved and just had to write this little dittie… a little over 1,000 but couldn’t make it any shorter. 😀
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/the-reapers-thunderhead.html
August 28, 2014 — 10:46 PM
cavalaxis says:
I really like the premise you extracted from the prompt. I like that she’s not the type to stand idly by and accept her fate, but that she wants to understand and maybe prevent her husband’s fate from happening again. I would like to see you use more Show, less Tell. A little more mystery. Maybe set up the backstory using flashbacks? I tend to use a cinematic approach, imagining only what I can see through the camera lens as it pans around the room. Remember how old school monster movies, you didn’t even *see* the monster until the movie was almost over? That’s the trick with writing horror, to keep the reader watching for hints and signs and OMG IT’S RIGHT BEHIND YOU. Also, I don’t understand how she got the Reaper’s scythe at the end, but I really like that she beat him at his own game!
September 5, 2014 — 2:51 PM
D.R.Sylvester says:
Lupine Chasm. Sounds vaguely sexual. What, why are you looking at me like that… the dice did it! Anyway, will get this written and posted up over the weekend. I’LL BE BACK
August 29, 2014 — 12:19 AM
D.R.Sylvester says:
Done! http://drsylvesterfiction.com/2014/09/02/flash-fiction-challenge-let-fate-choose-your-title/
September 1, 2014 — 8:33 PM
dangerdean says:
Yeah, I’d read that book.
September 4, 2014 — 6:46 PM
D.R.Sylvester says:
Thank you! This comment has pretty much made my Friday, and I haven’t even had coffee yet (9.50am here).
September 4, 2014 — 7:48 PM
LittleBlackDog says:
Um, Ceaseless Pincushion. Yeah, I’m gonna take some time on this one….
August 29, 2014 — 12:26 AM
wildbilbo says:
Merciful Alleyway.
On it.
August 29, 2014 — 1:02 AM
wildbilbo says:
The Merciful Alleyway
I have killed twenty three men since the war ended in ‘45. I killed on the orders of my country during the war, and when it ended I did not stop killing.
Some days I think twenty three is too many.
(Continued at http://uncertaintales.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/the-merciful-alleyway/)
August 31, 2014 — 11:40 PM
Richard says:
The switch gives the story real power.
September 2, 2014 — 4:25 AM
wildbilbo says:
Thanks!
September 2, 2014 — 6:36 AM
D.R.Sylvester says:
Hah, I see what you did there.
September 2, 2014 — 9:13 AM
Tanya says:
Very nice. “I didn’t see it coming”, as they say.
September 5, 2014 — 4:21 AM
wildbilbo says:
Excellent 🙂 thanks!
September 5, 2014 — 4:26 PM
Tanya says:
*curtseys* You’re most welcome. Thank you for the read!
September 5, 2014 — 4:41 PM
cavalaxis says:
Beautiful pivot. The repetition helped nail down the monotony of waiting. Well done, sir.
September 5, 2014 — 4:03 PM
wildbilbo says:
Thanks for the kind words 🙂
September 5, 2014 — 4:26 PM
thenovelprojectchronicles says:
Ok, given that I seem to need a kick up the wazoo to get writing this week I’m going give this challenge a shot. Black-hearted Beauty. Should be a cinch right?
August 29, 2014 — 4:01 AM
thenovelprojectchronicles says:
Here it is.
http://thenovelprojectchronicles.com/black-hearted-beauty-flash-fiction-challenge-let-fate-choose-your-title/
I hope you all like it. Leave me links in the comments to the story also so that I can read your efforts 🙂
September 3, 2014 — 4:21 AM
Pavowski says:
“Dressmaker’s Last Call.” I think the RNG gods are messing with me…
August 29, 2014 — 5:29 AM
Pavowski says:
I did this one properly, rolling the dice before I even looked at the possible titles, coming up with the bizarre title “Dressmaker’s Last Call.” I balked at it, not knowing how I’d possibly approach it.
I went through a lot of different concepts and plots before ultimately arriving at this one. I pushed away my initial ideas of thieving and murder in favor of something entirely different. I actually ended up liking this little story quite a lot. At 989 words, here it is.
http://wp.me/p4p1YR-gl
August 30, 2014 — 11:16 PM
wildbilbo says:
Nice.
August 31, 2014 — 12:35 AM
Pavowski says:
Thanks!
August 31, 2014 — 9:12 AM
D.R.Sylvester says:
You picked a good one, this works well.
September 2, 2014 — 9:25 AM
Carey Burns says:
I really enjoyed this one–well done!
September 2, 2014 — 8:01 PM
Pavowski says:
Glad you liked it!
September 3, 2014 — 5:36 AM
cavalaxis says:
Stunning. I really liked, “a congealed shadow, a living darkness”. Love the concept and the execution.
September 5, 2014 — 3:56 PM
percykerry923 says:
‘Reaper’s Daughter’. This is what I made from it.
http://percykerry.tumblr.com/post/96081010719/the-reapers-daughter
August 29, 2014 — 8:22 AM
Josh says:
That was awesome
August 29, 2014 — 7:56 PM
Mozette says:
Love it! 😀
August 29, 2014 — 10:08 PM
wildbilbo says:
Great stuff 🙂
September 3, 2014 — 12:07 AM
mat says:
I enjoyed the last one so much I’m going to crank another out, despite having already written 1800 words of something else today
August 29, 2014 — 8:51 AM
Michael Berkey says:
Probably not going to write anything this week, but “Monkey’s Eight” is a damn fine title for a story if anybody wants it. A more simian Ocean’s Eleven? Sign me the hell up.
August 29, 2014 — 8:56 AM
Laura Quirola says:
The Dead Pincushion? Ahahahahaha, this will be fun.
August 29, 2014 — 9:19 AM
mat says:
http://reticulatedmetalarms.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/the-gravediggers-daughter/
done it, a quick, short hours work – in my defence I got an unimaginative combination, and I apologise in advance for using fake regional American accents…
August 29, 2014 — 9:56 AM
Helen Espinosa says:
Dead Eschaton. Probably not what I would have picked but I’m off to write some words. 🙂
August 29, 2014 — 11:29 AM
Sean Kelley says:
Endless Booty… I mean beauty
August 29, 2014 — 11:39 AM
Kimberly Unger says:
I got Monkey’s Widow
. Total win. Back in an hour….
August 29, 2014 — 11:51 AM
Bart Ping says:
Reaper’s Coil. Time to write something.
August 29, 2014 — 11:53 AM
Laura K says:
Ceaseless Beast. Alright that seems like a solid title for my first go at this game…
August 29, 2014 — 11:56 AM
thenovelprojectchronicles says:
Haha. That title sounds like something an 80’s metal band would call themselves. I love it! 😀
August 31, 2014 — 8:05 AM
Christopher Wilde says:
Hmm. Almost Eschaton.
August 29, 2014 — 1:11 PM
Luis Vazquez (@luisishere) says:
Random number generator selected “Endless Confirmation” …I’m thinking something intrusive… Like signal intrusion…
August 29, 2014 — 1:12 PM
Bryce Anderson says:
“Merciful Eight”
That seems pretty wide open.
One option, if you’re on a Mac:
1) open Terminal
2) type in “irb” and hit Enter
3) Enter the following :
puts “#{rand(20)} #{rand(20)}”
Your two numbers. Praise unto the Ruby gods.
August 29, 2014 — 1:15 PM
Bryce Anderson says:
Rolled again, got “Dead Confirmation.” Evocative. But no do-overs!
August 29, 2014 — 1:17 PM
Bryce Anderson says:
Crud. Code is bad. It picks a number between 0 and 19, THE WAY GOD INTENDED, not 1-20. Corrected:
puts “#{rand(20) + 1} #{rand(20) + 1}”
August 29, 2014 — 1:19 PM
Mark Gardner says:
Let’s see… *roll* 15. Okay, “Dead.” *roll* 19. “Coil…” I guess I’ll be back with “Dead Coil.”
August 29, 2014 — 3:36 PM
Mark Gardner says:
So much fun with this one: http://article94.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/16sunsets-dead-coil/
August 29, 2014 — 6:11 PM
David says:
“Blood-Stained Beast” Okay I can do this.
August 29, 2014 — 3:54 PM
Catkins says:
Almost Precipice, how wonderfully poetic.
I also might have to include the word eschaton, because it is such a good word.
August 29, 2014 — 5:18 PM
Rick Cook Jr says:
Been a while since I’ve done any writing prompts, this one seemed fun! I pulled “Reaper’s Pincushion” and this is the result:
http://panningforclouds.com/2014/08/29/reapers-pincushion/
August 29, 2014 — 5:19 PM
Catkins says:
this is goood
August 31, 2014 — 2:33 PM
Rick Cook Jr says:
Thank you! Have you finished “Almost Precipice” yet? It’s kind of an awesome title and I’d love to see what people do with “Almost” titles.
September 1, 2014 — 6:40 PM
D.R.Sylvester says:
Hah, really cool. I’ve always been a big fan of kind-hearted characters in that line of work (Terry Pratchett’s DEATH springs to mind). Good story
September 2, 2014 — 9:43 AM
Tanya says:
Fantastic. Thank you.
September 2, 2014 — 10:43 AM
Kai says:
I got Gravedigger’s Beauty. This is going to be a toughie.
August 29, 2014 — 5:22 PM
angelacavanaugh says:
Endless Chasm
http://angelacavanaugh.com/2014/08/29/flash-fiction-friday-ceaseless-chasm/
August 29, 2014 — 6:53 PM
angelacavanaugh says:
I mean Ceasless Chasm.
August 29, 2014 — 6:54 PM
D.R.Sylvester says:
Woooah. I felt like this was right on the cusp of making a powerful statement about something, but then the daughter just bailed out… Heavy stuff though. Good work.
September 2, 2014 — 9:54 AM
Carey Burns says:
I had Gravedigger’s Thunderhead. Sounds like an unfortunately ailment…
http://careyburns.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-post-and-story.html
August 29, 2014 — 7:32 PM
Carey Burns says:
*unfortunate (indeed, it is)
August 29, 2014 — 7:34 PM
Rick Cook Jr says:
I enjoyed this! The title is referenced nicely in the story and it had a good pace, buildup with the coming storm. Simple and effective
August 30, 2014 — 4:30 PM
Carey Burns says:
Thank you 🙂
September 1, 2014 — 3:31 PM
D.R.Sylvester says:
What he said. Also, surprising.
September 2, 2014 — 10:00 AM
Carey Burns says:
Thanks!
September 2, 2014 — 8:04 PM
iliamarie2001 says:
Almost inquiry…. interesting….
August 29, 2014 — 8:02 PM
Mari says:
Judas Quietus…or The Fifth Eye… both are really calling me.
August 29, 2014 — 11:04 PM
ryanjamesblack says:
Here goes mine….The Fifth Inquiry….
http://ryanjamesblack.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/the-fifth-inquiry/
August 29, 2014 — 11:44 PM
fadedglories says:
Sorry. I only just got around to reading this one, I was sidetracked by a volcano, but never mind that..
I think your story is extremely funny, but it has that cute li’l touch of pathos that made me empathise with your hero! Seriously, I think it’s well written and very good.
September 6, 2014 — 2:22 PM
Robbie Knight says:
First time. 19 drew me Serpentine Coil. Here goes. http://robbieknightstoryblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/serpentine-coil-19.html?spref=tw
August 30, 2014 — 2:28 AM
almosthuman1blog says:
I got Emerald Widow…
http://almosthuman1blog.wordpress.com/2014/08/30/flash-fiction-emerald-widow-by-anthony-armstrong/
August 30, 2014 — 3:45 AM
Beth Turnage says:
11 & 13–Black-Hearted Chasm–TBA
August 30, 2014 — 5:32 AM
LuAnn Braley says:
“Gravedigger’s Beast”
http://www.wattpad.com/68522347-yo-quiero-taco-hell-taco-and-the-gravedigger
August 30, 2014 — 8:26 PM
danzierlea says:
One of each = 11; 16: Black-hearted Beast. Huh. Good place to start up again, I suppose.
August 31, 2014 — 1:47 AM
Richard says:
The Gravedigger’s Precipice – did not find this easy but good for the writing muscle, wherever that lives.
Thanks for the prompt!
http://traitorblade.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/chuck-wendig-flash-fiction-friday_31.html
August 31, 2014 — 10:02 AM
wildbilbo says:
Already left comment on your own page, but this one was great. Atmospheric.
August 31, 2014 — 6:20 PM
Richard says:
Thanks!
September 2, 2014 — 4:23 AM
JP Juniper says:
“Dead Eight” — at first I thought it was going to be a spaceship gambling heist gone wrong sort of thing, but it turned out not to be anything like that at all. *shrugs*
http://www.jpjuniper.com/stories/2014/8/31/dead-eight
August 31, 2014 — 12:00 PM
mat says:
brilliant, loved the girl with the hat.
September 1, 2014 — 2:31 AM
JP Juniper says:
Thanks! Every story needs a girl with a hat, I think. 🙂
September 1, 2014 — 10:19 AM
jezknee says:
‘Lupine Nursemaid’ – this came out a bit more British than I originally intended, but it’ll do:
http://jezpgknee.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/lupine-nursemaid-short-story/
August 31, 2014 — 1:21 PM
wildbilbo says:
Awesome.
August 31, 2014 — 9:14 PM
MCoorlim says:
This reminds me that I need to get moving on the next version of my random title generator.
August 31, 2014 — 8:44 PM
Carlos Perez says:
Lupine Eye
August 31, 2014 — 11:21 PM
fadedglories says:
The Bewitching Chasm……………….. has it’s first sentence written.
September 1, 2014 — 2:34 PM
R.L. Black says:
Oops, put my link in the wrong post. Sorry. Let me try this again. Okay, mine was The Judas Confirmation. Here’s my flash:
http://rlblack.weebly.com/flash-fictionshort-stories.html
September 1, 2014 — 3:00 PM
Jon Jefferson says:
The case of the Hissing Widow
http://www.10thdaypublishing.com/hissing-widow/
September 1, 2014 — 8:25 PM
Laura says:
Emerald Beast. This should be interesting…
September 2, 2014 — 12:28 AM