I did this challenge back at the start of the year and kinda adored it.
Therein I described it as follows:
I love that some writers describe their stories — usually in an elevator pitch or to sell the story to an agent, editor or reader — as “THIS STORY meets THAT STORY.” Right? “Oh,” the writer says, “It’s like CATCHER IN THE RYE meets SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS.” And you’re like, whoa, what the fuck does that even mean.
Today, we are going to find out.
Below, you’ll find two columns, each of 20 different fairly well-known properties.
You will randomly choose one from each column either by d20 or random number generator.
Then you will literally fill in the variables of the equation:
IT’S LIKE X MEETS Y.
And you will write the resultant story.
Note: your goal is not to literally mash these up in fan-fiction (though I suppose if that’s where your head goes, hey, I can’t stop you) — the goal is to take the idea, the spirit of the combination and make them into a story all your own. What is the theoretical mash-up look like and feel like? Diggit? So, what’s the story like if you get: “It’s like HARRY POTTER meets INDIANA JONES?” Or, “It’s like GAME OF THRONES meets SCOOBY DOO.”
So, get your random number generator or d20.
Pick one from each column.
Mash them together. See what kind of story squishes out.
You’ve got 2000 words.
Due by next Friday (5/1) at noon EST.
Post at your online space. Link to it here in the comments.
Ready? Steady? Go.
Column X
- Paranormal Activity
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- Terminator
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre
- War Games
- Hunger Games
- Batman
- Goodfellas
- Pokemon
- The Wheel of Time
- Robocop
- Dracula
- The Princess Bride
- Dirty Harry
- The Great Gatsby
- Josie and the Pussycats
- Ender’s Game
- Guardians in the Galaxy
- Twin Peaks
- Dungeons & Dragons
Column Y
- Pulp Fiction
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Toy Story
- Die Hard
- Pacific Rim
- Back to the Future
- To Kill A Mockingbird
- Ghost In The Shell
- Se7en
- The Wire
- Sherlock Holmes
- True Detective
- Monsters, Inc.
- Doctor Who
- The Matrix
- Groundhog Day
- The Lord of the Flies
- The Stand
- Mad Max
- Minecraft
Toni J says:
War Games + Groundhog Day = Thermonuclear War http://tonij.net/2015/04/thermonuclear-war/
April 29, 2015 — 3:56 PM
Nick Vaccaro says:
First time poster here! I’m so glad I stumbled onto your site, and I’m especially glad that this was the first flash fiction I wrote. The randomness definitely forced me out of my comfort zone.
I did go true random here – first roll – and got Buffy and Back to the Future. They both have the obvious mentor/protege theme, but I may have taken this too literally.
https://albeitfiction.wordpress.com/2015/04/30/its-like-buffy-meets-back-to-the-future/
April 30, 2015 — 11:13 AM
conniecockrell says:
The random number generator gave me Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Pulp Fiction. I sucked up my dismay and gave it a shot. See my post on the 1st at http://wp.me/p2AyuM-uL.
Good job to the rest of you. Well done.
April 30, 2015 — 3:21 PM
elctrcrngr says:
Connie, your link didn’t seem to work when I clicked on it. Perhaps it has a typo?
May 1, 2015 — 1:58 AM
Henry says:
Guardians of the Galaxy + True Detective = swashbuckling adventure dealing with missing children and slavery, plus other deeper moments of homage. Fortunately, I already had the perfect setting for it. Enjoy!
http://fistfulofwits.com/2015/04/30/flash-fiction-so-many-guns/
April 30, 2015 — 4:35 PM
Jemima Pett says:
It’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets The Matrix. and maybe it’s just the start of something rather than a complete flash. Live in 1 hour (midnight UK time).
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2015/05/01/flash-fiction-friday-communication-breakdown/
April 30, 2015 — 5:57 PM
supernaturalstoryteller says:
Robocop meets Pulp Fiction. Uncharacteristically, you may be surprised to find some harsh language and scenes of violence:
https://gorgartilts.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/the-curse-of-the-robopulp/
April 30, 2015 — 11:02 PM
T. Jane Berry says:
I rolled True Detective and Pokemon. Which is all of the awesome. No awesome left for you.
I strayed into the mashup side of things because my knowledge of Pokemon fits neatly into a thimble. I leaned on what I knew.
Content note: It’s styled after True Detective, so there’s injury, way too much profanity, death, and other nasties.
http://blog.tjaneberry.com/2015/04/true-pokemon.html
May 1, 2015 — 1:37 AM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
I ended up with DIRTY HARRY and THE WIRE. Yeah, not my usual style at all.
https://mxgomez.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/render-unto-caesar-a-chuck-wendig-challenge/
May 1, 2015 — 6:29 AM
poorerdick says:
I ended up with ‘Pokémon’ and ‘Lord of the Flies’. While they are very compatible (both involve children on their own, children who come into conflict with each other, children who engage in pointless brutality, and worlds having suffered war), ‘Lord of the Flies’ essence (the rapid self destructive slide from polite, civilized children to savage, brutal barbarians due to the actions of a few bad apples) is a little hard to compress into 2000 words. Or even the 3000 I ended up using.
I probably needed at least 7,500 if not 10,000 words to do this mashup justice. Oh well. In any case, I’ve posted the story below! I hope someone enjoy’s it!
https://poordicks.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/flash-fiction-challenge-pokemon-meets-lord-of-the-flies/
May 1, 2015 — 10:58 AM
Carrie says:
Here’s my first attempt at flash fiction! This was a lot of fun!
http://committedlycarrie.blogspot.com/2015/05/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none.html
May 1, 2015 — 11:47 AM
pjc3rd says:
This is my first go at just letting someone read my stuff. Hope I did okay.
https://crazyphils.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/flash-fiction-challenge-x-meets-y-buffy-the-vampire-slayer-meets-silence-of-the-lambs/
May 1, 2015 — 12:33 PM
Kristin Mireles says:
I got Lord of the Flies meets Terminator. The RNG gods are smiling on me.
http://mireles-musings.blogspot.com/2015/05/x-meets-y-again.html
May 1, 2015 — 2:48 PM