That classic challenge is back:
Do not write a story.
Nope. Mm-mm, don’t do it.
Instead:
Write only an opening sentence.
Not two sentences. Not three. One. Good. Sentence.
Drop the opening sentence in the comments below, and then next week we will make use of some of those sentences for the next challenge. You’ve got one week — due by next Friday, the 17th, noon EST. Get cracking, word-herders.
Karl Green says:
He’d found it after getting lost in the vast oceans of his imagination, the trail he’d walked was nowhere to be found but there on the ground it was.
April 14, 2015 — 5:08 AM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
I have to admit, being dead isn’t nearly as boring as I feared it would be.
April 14, 2015 — 6:07 AM
Anthony Crociata says:
It wasn’t the fact that it was pitch black that worried me, but what the fuck was that smell?
April 14, 2015 — 7:38 AM
Suzie says:
Who knew that our fate would end up resting in the clumsy hands of a three year old?
April 14, 2015 — 9:05 AM
Pamela says:
I like this!!
April 14, 2015 — 10:40 AM
the story hive says:
He flipped his still glowing cigarette out of the wrecked windshield, squinted out into the rain, not sure if he had just seen a large blurry hunter or a large blurry bear approaching his crash-landed mustang, the deciding that he needed to have a better look, if he was going to acknowledge anything existing outside of the car.
April 14, 2015 — 10:33 AM
Paige S. says:
I think- He flipped his still glowing cigarette out of the wrecked windshield. – is fantastic without the rest of the exposition 🙂
April 14, 2015 — 4:49 PM
glenavailable says:
Spoken like a bona-fide editor and I second it.
April 15, 2015 — 4:01 AM
the story hive says:
thanks, you’re right.
April 15, 2015 — 1:48 PM
the story hive says:
thanks a lot. 😉
April 16, 2015 — 10:11 AM
the story hive says:
Edited: He flipped his still glowing cigarette out of the wrecked windshield.
April 16, 2015 — 10:11 AM
sayitsultry says:
Earlier, when the writing tutor talked about death by PowerPoint, he hadn’t thought she meant it literally.
April 14, 2015 — 11:00 AM
StarNinja says:
“What we do is serious business, son,” the clown said as he set the bomb’s timer.
April 14, 2015 — 1:06 PM
Alice E Keyes says:
Nice sentence.
Clowns creep me out – my nightmare is a magician clown hypnotist trying to sell me something on a street corner. If I chose this one, the bomb would be faulty and blow up the clown.
April 15, 2015 — 7:46 PM
smkay70 says:
Love this…going to see what I can do with it.
April 24, 2015 — 2:25 AM
tshawn says:
The machines in the corner of the room beep and wheeze in slow, regular patterns.
April 14, 2015 — 3:14 PM
erinkkenny says:
This one makes me sad.
April 17, 2015 — 11:46 PM
shagun1593 says:
I love it. I am going to use it for my story. Thank you for writing it @tshawn
April 19, 2015 — 3:06 AM
Paige S. says:
I woke up with scabs on my hands and blood in my mouth.
April 14, 2015 — 4:52 PM
todonne says:
There is a room in the house that is empty save for new flesh.
April 14, 2015 — 10:17 PM
addy says:
todonne how many times do we have we to tell you not to put the flesh in there? it goes off too quickly, put it in the fridge like a normal serial killer.
love it.
April 17, 2015 — 3:43 AM
warjna says:
Magic starts out as an itch in your fingertips, a maddening itch, and it works its way up behind your eyes and into your brain, until you can’t see what everyone else is looking at—until you realize what they’re looking at—is you.
April 15, 2015 — 4:53 AM
Anthony says:
While waiting, I wandered; dust illuminated by sunshine evoked normality and before-the-war and I escaped through the kitchen window to autumn leaves and laughter, until an imperious knocking echoed in the hall and dragged me back.
April 15, 2015 — 7:20 AM
Anthony Crociata says:
“ouch”!
April 15, 2015 — 9:38 AM
Sam Hedenberg says:
I grew up in the kingdom of the cul de sac.
April 15, 2015 — 10:04 AM
Alice E Keyes says:
And died driving a minivan. Nice sentence – This story could go anywhere.
April 15, 2015 — 1:13 PM
smkay70 says:
This is awesome.
April 21, 2015 — 11:51 PM
Curtis says:
If I had to choose between being killed by unicorns or werewolves, I would bathe in barbeque sauce and throw myself at werewolves.
April 15, 2015 — 10:16 AM
Ada Ireland says:
This is the opening line for a comedy, right? 😀 I like it!
April 16, 2015 — 10:05 PM
Curtis Dibrell jr says:
Thank you. Can you let me know if you use this one?
April 17, 2015 — 1:11 PM
Abigail says:
Facing potential death at the cotton fluff filled paws of a small army of stuffed animals was not how I imagined the end of my evening.
April 15, 2015 — 12:04 PM
Alice E Keyes says:
The voracious slurping of noodles was once the tiger eating the writer’s hand writing a Djinn story.
http://aliceekeyes.blogspot.com
April 15, 2015 — 1:09 PM
Alice E Keyes says:
edited – The voracious slurping of noodles was once the tiger eating the writer’s hand penning a Djinn story.
April 15, 2015 — 7:50 PM
katemcone says:
“To gaze upon the Great Pyramid of Giza*, with its gargantuan proportions, its cruel and bloody history, and its indifferent permanence would have been life-altering for Jan and Barry, but they had taken a wrong turn somewhere, and their chance was irrevocably lost.”
You can pick a natural wonder, a Wonder of the World, or make up one to insert in lieu of the pyramid and its description, if you wish.
April 15, 2015 — 3:40 PM
susan adsett (@susanadsett) says:
They said everything went right the day his mother died.
April 15, 2015 — 7:25 PM
Someone says:
I love it!
April 19, 2015 — 10:38 AM
Jennifer says:
The war ended long ago, but nobody told us.
April 15, 2015 — 8:40 PM
jjtoner says:
This I like (1)
April 17, 2015 — 12:45 PM
Daniel says:
Such a simple opening, yet epic at the same time.
April 18, 2015 — 11:33 AM
Kris says:
She hefted the sack into a splintered canoe and, not for the last time, cursed her father.
April 15, 2015 — 8:54 PM
alyssabethancourt says:
To a people-watcher, there is something uniquely special about the post-midnight caffeine imbiber; there’s always a story.
April 16, 2015 — 3:12 AM
Periodically Demented says:
“I know you’re a really happening guy but I just wish you’d happen somewhere else.”
April 16, 2015 — 5:49 AM
Ada Ireland says:
A good story is about to happen. I can feel it.
April 16, 2015 — 10:09 PM
smkay70 says:
Oooh. Nice.
April 21, 2015 — 11:52 PM
kakubjaya says:
We walked along the beach at the end of the world, holding hands for the last time.
April 16, 2015 — 7:14 AM
Still Trying says:
I would write this story,except that it happened to me, and it’s just too painful. Really.
April 18, 2015 — 10:02 AM
Karl Olsson says:
“…?”
April 16, 2015 — 10:59 AM
My Pulpy Heart says:
“Awww, that’s cute… you think you’re people.”
April 16, 2015 — 12:56 PM
Henry says:
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being a teenager, it’s that plausible deniability is everything.
April 16, 2015 — 4:23 PM
allen morgan says:
White lights float in my vision, my brain pounding out the tune of Zeppelin’s Black Dog against my skull, as I begin to retch.
April 16, 2015 — 4:51 PM
dangerdean says:
Every Thursday in recent history Doctor Tongue had brought a cake for the library staff, but for some reason this Thursday rated pie.
April 16, 2015 — 6:02 PM
cmscholz222 says:
I like this a lot, actually made me smile. Could be tightened up a bit for more impact but I’d definitely read further.
April 16, 2015 — 7:42 PM
Helen Espinosa says:
The golden blaze from the eastern sky illuminated me as I stood on the hilltop overlooking the quiet town, trying to suppress the need that was rising again.
April 16, 2015 — 6:38 PM
Sarah Shinkle says:
He was just sitting down to a cup of tea and a book out on his patio to enjoy the brisk autumn morning when he felt the hairs on the back of neck stand up.
April 16, 2015 — 7:50 PM
Ada Ireland says:
They say that to err is human and to forgive is divine, but I think they got the second half of that saying all wrong.
April 16, 2015 — 10:15 PM
Ada Ireland says:
Revision: They say that to err is human, to forgive is divine; the second half of that saying is a complete lie.
April 17, 2015 — 2:43 AM
Periodically Demented says:
Well, it looks like you erred. I will not forgive you. 🙂
April 17, 2015 — 2:46 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
I used yours, though I simplified it a bit (and made it two sentences). It will be up on Friday 4/24. I’ll post a link then.
April 22, 2015 — 11:54 AM
Periodically Demented says:
The Dark God rose behind her, quietly building the fury it would unleash.
April 16, 2015 — 10:24 PM
Ada Ireland says:
I would write the story but I’m afraid that it would make the Clean Reader app gag and then self-destroy.
Nobody on this forum wants that, right? :-))
April 17, 2015 — 2:46 AM
Periodically Demented says:
It’s alright, Ada. Your writing isn’t THAT bad. Hey! Stop pinching my arm!
April 17, 2015 — 2:48 AM
R.J. Sanchez says:
Most couldn’t bear it, they turned away, but Mr.Patendale had seen it all in his day.
April 16, 2015 — 10:30 PM
smkay70 says:
I like this!
April 21, 2015 — 11:54 PM
Sarah D says:
Everyday I visit the same pond and everyday I see the same silver duck with the grey tail.
April 16, 2015 — 10:45 PM
ashronin says:
I remember exactly where I was when the first bomb went off.
April 17, 2015 — 1:18 AM
GFirestorm says:
Near the end, he could feel her presence closer than ever.
or
Once the first bullet flew over my head, all my faith perished.
or
Sweet Valya is dead.
April 17, 2015 — 7:53 AM
Sam Phillips says:
The barman turned with a grin and spat into my whiskey.
April 17, 2015 — 8:27 AM
Tom Byrne says:
There were only two people in front of Roy in the queue, and one of them was dead.
April 17, 2015 — 9:16 AM
jjtoner says:
This I like (2)
April 17, 2015 — 12:46 PM
Meagan Friedman says:
You’re my favorite.
April 17, 2015 — 4:38 PM
Crankyashley says:
A day without fusion is like a day without sunshine, and, unfortunately, we were running dangerously low on fusion.
April 17, 2015 — 9:45 AM
Jemima Pettj says:
Thank you! I’ll use this one 🙂
April 18, 2015 — 8:35 AM
ElctrcRngr says:
Clever. I like
April 22, 2015 — 9:38 AM
Jemima Pett says:
It’ll be up in about three hous time (Friday my time 🙂 ) It’s also letter U for the A to Z Challenge… http://jemimapett.com/blog/2015/04/24/flash-fiction-friday-upwelling/
April 23, 2015 — 4:15 PM
jay x wolf says:
Happiness is a cold beer, an enormous burrito, and enough time to down them both before the werewolf catches up with you again.
April 17, 2015 — 10:16 AM
Josh Loomis says:
Yoink!
April 19, 2015 — 10:45 PM
Pavowski says:
I had hoped that my past had forgotten me… right up until the moment they kicked the door in.
April 17, 2015 — 10:46 AM
evoletyvaine says:
Like this. Was picturing an opening scene from “Alias” when I read this.
April 17, 2015 — 7:50 PM
Andrea Speed says:
Oh, I could right something about this ….
April 18, 2015 — 2:23 AM
Andrea Speed says:
Story is up: http://andreaspeed.com/2015/flash-fic-challenge-past-prologue/
April 20, 2015 — 6:11 PM
TooManyJens says:
“From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli” — some time travel expeditions sound a lot better in the brochure.
April 17, 2015 — 11:23 AM
meagan42 says:
Very Douglas Adams– I like it.
April 17, 2015 — 4:40 PM
poorerdick says:
Little did Harold know that the sneeze he was about to experience would bring about the end of humanity and the world as he knew it.
April 17, 2015 — 11:55 AM
the story hive says:
… I think I just had a Douglas-Adams-y moment of some kind…. 🙂
April 17, 2015 — 2:58 PM
poorerdick says:
I aim to please. 🙂
I imagined Stephen Fry reading it as I wrote it.
April 17, 2015 — 3:30 PM
the story hive says:
I used your sentence to start a story – this is part one. https://thestoryhive.wordpress.com/2015/04/27/tick-tick-tick-achooo/
April 27, 2015 — 2:52 PM
poorerdick says:
I can’t wait to read part two! I think I can sympathize with the AI – I’d find those routine tasks boring as well.
Amusing note: When I read Brack and Pain, my brain immediately inserted Barack and Palin, and produced some interesting images.
April 27, 2015 — 7:50 PM
Andrew T says:
Haha, looks like you have two writing you’re line. 🙂 Here’s my contribution, a case of *really* bad luck:
https://whatrealityisthis.wordpress.com/2015/04/24/flash-fiction-challenge-harolds-sneeze/
April 23, 2015 — 11:44 PM
poorerdick says:
As a cat-owning Dick, I really enjoyed reading your story. While it was a bit rough (as first drafts are), it actually made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, and that is the highest of praise from me.
(While I greatly enjoy humor, it is a rare comedic work that even manages to make me crack a smile – let alone laugh loudly at multiple occasions.)
April 24, 2015 — 12:23 PM
Andrew T says:
Wow, thanks for your praise, I’m glad you enjoyed it! As a newbie writer, comments like yours helps keep me writing, knowing I have the potential to entertain. Cheers!
April 24, 2015 — 11:10 PM
the story hive says:
I need you to stop petting the test subject!
April 17, 2015 — 12:42 PM
Diandrew says:
He forced me to watch the hanging.
April 17, 2015 — 1:00 PM
Matt Tatum says:
Just when you think you have everything going right in your life, the fist of Satan smacks you in the face so hard with unexpected swagger and sting.
April 18, 2015 — 3:06 PM