Go to the comment section of last week’s challenge.
Therein, folks created characters in whatever way they felt passed creative muster.
Your job this week is to reach in there and pluck out a character that intrigues you, and drop that character into a new piece of fiction of your own devising. You have 2000 words to accomplish this, to give you a bit of extra oxygen.
Please credit the original character creator in your post!
Post your story at your blog.
Link back here, yadda yadda.
Due on one week, by Friday, September 4th, noon EST.
145 responses to “Flash Fiction Challenge: Pick A Character And Go, Go, Go”
I missed participating in last week’s challenge, can I still get in on this one? I feel a little guilty for not having a character out there…
As one of last week’s participants, I’d say go for it! The more the merrier and all that.
I say go for it too!
I think any of us would be glad to have you borrow, use, or abuse one of our characters.
Okay… here we go!
I chose this one:
https://thewritingblocks.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/flash-fiction-challenge-create-a-character/
because I thought it would be fun… and turned it into this:
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/wanted-undead-or-alive.html
because it was a lot of fun… 😀
enjoy! 😀
Ooh! I think there’s a lot of fun fodder to be had in setting up conflict between paranormal adventurers and the not-so-paranormal law — and in the times when one’s monster-killing duties set you up against the ones you care about.
I was a little disappointed to see the cool “deaf vampire hunter” idea get turned into “deaf vampire hunter who can actually hear just fine anyway”? It would be interesting to see how deafness is both a strength and challenge for such a character.
P.S. regarding the use of dialogue tags, I see you doing something I see crop up quite a bit, which is:
“That’s true.” The woman said.
When the right form is:
“That’s true,” the woman said.
That’s my $0.02 anyway – keep it up! 🙂
I tried to stick to the deaf vampire killer idea – but it morphed all on its own into what happened… and the story did explain how she ‘heard’ people and things (how she felt instead of actually hearing things), but still it was so much of a challenge to me – as a writer to stick to the idea of it. Yes, I do have a lot to learn with it.
As with the dialogue… well, I’ve tried it the way you’ve told me is the right way, only to be corrected to how I’ve been writing… then I’ve been recorrected yet again to the way you’ve been writing to be re-recorrected again… only to confuse the crap out of me. So, I write the way I write dialogue and if proofreaders and editors hate me, so be it. 😛
Thank your reply though … I love hearing from anyone who has enjoyed my writing. 😀
Interesting creation Mozette. I’m glad to see Coreal is getting some use in other people’s stories. I hope she was useful in helping you develop your writing and your style. Cheers!
Well… I found her very interesting… very cold; and yet she begged the ever-questioning writing in me of where her family was, if they knew that she was a Vampire Hunter/Killer and what would happen if she had to face that dreaded day of if she had to hunt them down because they were turned… how she’d deal with it.
And more the question of how anyone would deal with something like this…. not very well.
*grumble grumble gripe bitch moan* It’s doubtful I’ll be able to submit a story by the deadline. I need to take an unexpected flight on short notice down to Florida to help my son pack up and drive back home to New York. Hmmm … If I get caught in the hurricane, I may have some time after all. *wanders off pondering the logistics of writing on a Kindle Fire*
You could write it by hand. That’s got to be better than on a Kindle. So small!
I could, but then I wouldn’t be able to read it. My handwriting is terrible at best!
You can write 1,000 words in an hour or two, I bet. Don’t give up!
1000 words in an hour or two? Maybe, but they will suck! I’m not giving up, just not hopeful of being able to deliver on time. My son is bringing his laptop so that helps. Thanks for the encouragement!
I realize it’s much easier for me to say (type) than for you to do 🙂
Greetings from Friggin’ Hot N Humid Florida! Just so you kind of have a chance to say “I told you so”, I woke up yesterday morning with the story mostly complete in my head and banged 2,000 words with some minor editing in about 3 hours. A few more passes through and it just might be readable. 😉
Regardless of whether you get it in on time, I say go for it. I’m interested to read it.
The story has been posted and the comment is awaiting moderation by Chuck. I know he’s busy around the weekend so for the record, I am not complaining. 🙂
[…] Last week the Challenge (click here) was to make a character profile in 250 words. I did Carthin from my WIP in progress series. This week is take someone else’s character and write a story about them. I used Bob, click here to read about him. And, to see even more great flash go HERE. […]
Okay, after several hours of trying to fix my website, the post is finally up. So yay for me on two counts.
Thanks to http://dswilliams.com/2015/08/24/flash-fiction-creating-a-character/ for loaning me their character.
http://www.fatmaalici.com/2015/08/28/challenge-test-drive-a-character/
I really like the take on the character
Thanks so much. I mulled over it for quite a while.
super fun! I like the reveal on who and what bob was 🙂
[…] A Chuck Wendig prompt – genre: mystery/horror – found footage […]
I took my own character, Steve Garner (https://thestoryhive.wordpress.com/2015/08/28/meet-steve-garner/) After writing I realized, that was not, what Chuck meant. 🙁
This whole thing is a short story/ story idea I’m working on right now. Hope you like it, nevertheless. It’s not smooth, I know.
https://thestoryhive.wordpress.com/2015/08/29/haunted-hunter/
Whelp, here’s my attempt at doing something with Jersey Malone (from https://helenespinosa.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/flash-fiction-jersey-malone/)
I’m not quite sure it isn’t just a longer character study, but here you go. http://fredgyost.com/2015/08/29/flash-fiction-challenge-everyday-business/
I liked this one, very entertaining! I think you captured the essence of the character nicely, but it’ll be interesting to how the person who created the character feels:)
Agree!
Glad y’all liked it! It’s scary to play around with someone else’s character. Fortunately Helen already left a nice comment on the entry saying she liked what I had done.
[…] story is brought to you by FLASH FICTION CHALLENGE: PICK A CHARACTER AND GO, GO, GO at Chuck Wendig’s Terrible Minds. I used Jersey Malone, created by HELEN ESPINOSA. Helen, […]
http://insani-x.com/2015/08/29/flash-fiction-challenge-borrowed-character/
I borrowed Karen Boyd who was awesome! http://www.scaryhippopotamus.com/enter-karen-boyd/
Oh, wow, awesome. Very cool. I have not really done a lot with this character, so it was very nice to see what you did. Thanks!
She was a very cool character to work with, so many possibilities, thanks for sharing her!
This one was awesome (both the character and what you’ve done with it)! I’ve got a bad feeling I know what’s going to happen to her though, and I wish things had come to a head inside the 1000 words, instead of (spoiler alert?) the to-be-continued type ending. Good stuff!
Thanks!
So many things could happen to her. I feel like the to-be-continued is one of the best parts of flash fiction, that may be my own personal bias showing through.
awesome! Loved this scene
Here’s mine. I’m using Tenaldi, courtesy of Jana Denardo. Check him out here:
http://jana-denardo.livejournal.com/176608.html
And here’s the story. Tenaldi’s having a pretty bad week. I hope I didn’t screw him up too badly:)
http://strangeandcuriousthings.blogspot.fi/2015/08/terribleminds-challenge-borrowed.html
Poor Tenaldi. Knows all the plants, but nothing of liars and politics!
Thanks again for using Tenaldi. I loved what you did with it. Poor little guy.
I’m glad you liked it. He was very fun to write 🙂
Glad to hear it. Shared it with my friends and they enjoyed it, too.
[…] week’s flash fiction challenge thrown down by Chuck Wendig was to take someone else’s character and write a story under 2,000 words (mine comes in […]
I borrowed this ghostly character from: https://thatsalotofhats.wordpress.com/2015/08/24/on-the-outside-looking-in-flash-fiction-challenge/
And here is my attempt to dance in this character’s world: https://helenespinosa.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/flash-fiction-searching-for-memories/
I liked this. Nice twist at the end! I didn’t see it coming.
I liked this. Nice ending.
Yes! helen I love this story really sucked me in for the ending! POW! nice!
I was caught up in this story. Nice work, Helen!
Thanks for your comments everyone. It means a lot. Happy y’all liked it. 🙂
I took Christine Chrisman’s unnamed character (http://christinechrisman.com/chuck-wendig-flash-fiction-challenge/) out for a spin:
The Bookseller’s Grandson: http://www.ridleykemp.com/stories/2015/8/30/booksellers-grandson
I liked this one a lot.
Thank you very much. It took a lot out of me.
Ridley this was so incredibly engrossing and so fun to read I really appreciated your take on the bookstore clerk, and the excitement you generated out of my small 250 words! also liked the idea bout why the bills were unpaid, but the store was still open! Wonderful!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. I didn’t know if I did right by your character-he takes some time to get to know. Thanks for the lovely set up!
you took him in a direction I didn’t even see, which I found fascinating and exciting. I was picturing him as some sort of oracle that underground people and criminals might consult….
As it turns out, that’s exactly how his “friends” saw him being used as well.
Fine work. Well done.
Thank you sir. I appreciate it.
This one was awesome (both the character and what you’ve done with it)! I’ve got a bad feeling I know what’s going to happen to her though, and I wish things had come to a head inside the 1000 words, instead of (spoiler alert?) the to-be-continued type ending. Good stuff!
Aaargh! That was supposed to be a reply to Mariah’s post, above. Sorry for stinking the place up with misplaced comments…
Okay, short story finished! I used Todd Dillard’s awesome Yvonne Mae: -Korean superheroine feminist living in Brooklyn NY: http://www.doodle-doodle.com/writing/the-equalizer-another-flash-fiction-challenge/
Here’s the story, please to enjoy: http://drsylvesterfiction.com/2015/08/31/flash-fiction-challenge-time-to-create-a-character-2/
This is PERFECT thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Haha oh awesome! I was worried I’d missed the mark with her, so really stoked you dug it. Let me know when you finish the main work set in this story world, as this was a fun pair of combat boots to walk a mile in.
[…] all about writing a 250 word character description, or a short scene introducing a fresh character. THIS WEEK we’ve been given the task of picking one of these characters, that someone else has created, […]
[…] http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2015/08/28/flash-fiction-challenge-pick-a-character-and-go-go-go/ […]
[…] story is part of Chuck Wendig’s: Pick a Character and Go, Go, Go. The characters from which I could select from are here. I chose an unnamed character by […]
Here is my story:
https://grouchyguyscifi.wordpress.com/2015/08/31/two-for-one/
I used http://imagination.cjreader.com/ CJ’s characters, thanks for sharing them and hope it works in some way.
I took Pavowski’s unnamed character http://accidentallyinspired.com/2015/08/21/game-face/ and had a play with it.
Here’s the story I created: Shifters http://kira.jessup.co/?p=386
I had a lot of fun with this one.
It’s always a little bit surreal when somebody picks up something of mine. It’s also pretty awesome. I really enjoyed this — you added a layer of depth that wasn’t even in my mind for this character. Very cool!
I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Interesting what you’ve done here. I chose the same character to work with.
http://behindthemantle.blogspot.com/2015/09/borrowed-time.html
I took thesexiestwriter’s character from criticalsexualmass.wordpress.com and came up with this:
http://cubiclemonster.weebly.com/writings
Let me know what y’all think!
Creepy-good stuff here. Nice.
Thanks! As a beginning writer, I really appreciate the support!
Cool! A kind of Poe meets Joe Hill tale. Thanks, Ashlee, it was a good read.
Awesome compliment – thanks, Lili!
[…] week’s flash fiction challenge from Chuck Wendig involved taking a character created by another author and crafting a short story featuring that […]
I appropriated Menoetius Moros, a jerk of a guy offered by elctrcrngr. Too unlikable by half: I had to try my hand at killing him off. Then again, a guy like Moros doesn’t go down easy…
Here’s “The Forty-Second”: http://accidentallyinspired.com/2015/08/31/the-forty-second/
And elctrcrngr’s original character is here: https://elctrcrngr.wordpress.com/2015/08/26/character-sketch-menoetius-moros/
I’m honored, sir. Your writing has always impressed me, and you captured M.M.’s essence to a T. Nice twist at the end.
I ended up using the character David Blackstone created here: http://www.agincourtdb.com/2015/08/the-specialist.html
And here’s the story I wrote with him: http://aimee-ogden.tumblr.com/post/128104216551/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-82815
I liked your story a lot! I had to read the ending twice, though. spoiler alert- I hadn’t fully digested her absolution from guilt. 😉 Nicely played, Aimee!
🙂 Thanks! Yeah, that ending could be clearer, probably. I have a thing for Ambiguous Endings, I think, which has been creeping into the ones that aren’t intended to be ambiguous …
I liked that about the ending. It made me think.
I liked this one, especially the ending. Hey, this is so off- topic, but I got an email from the editor of the Frozen Fairy Tales anthology, and I saw a familiar name among the other recipients. Are you in the anthology too? (If it’s okay to ask?)
Small world, haha — that is indeed me. Congrats on getting into the anthology! This is my first short story sale, so I’m pretty excited. 🙂
Congratulations to you too *writerly fistbump* This was my third sale, not including some drabbles to SpeckLit, so still exciting!
I used nkharrold’s Cossima Renhaus and gave her an adventure. https://tonij.net/2015/09/01/cossima-renhaus-and-the-crown-of-geldland/
Adam Hughes created Father Michael. I chose to use his description as the first words of my story:
http://samkdsonlinepace.blogspot.com/2015/09/find-character-pick-it-up.html#!/2015/09/find-character-pick-it-up.html
Clever! I liked the conclusion- well twisted!
I wanted to read more about the Agency – you had me hooked!
Thanks for the kind words, Lili and Ashlee!
Very nice! I like how you left the ending open.
Thanks!
Sheila Barnesworth : Nocturnal Flesh Puppet was birthed by Gary Weller (http://behindthemantle.blogspot.com/2015/08/flash-challenge-082115.html) Please check out his work as a prologue.
Then read: https://liliweaveswords.wordpress.com/terribleminds-challenges/sheila-barnesworth-nocturnal-flesh-puppet/?preview_id=282 Let me know what you think. 😉
Well done!
very entertaining story- I love your development of Gary’s character
Thanks, Ashlee! What did you believe at the conclusion? Delusion or possession? 😉
Hi Lili! I went with possession – that seemed more fun for me at the time. Plus, my gears are going for good Halloween stories & your story gave me some good ideas!
The character I borrowed was Mercy Williams, from:
http://kristenflowers.com/2015/08/27/flash-fiction-challenge-82815/
Here’s the story:
https://eotena.wordpress.com/2015/09/02/mercy-williams/
I hope it does the character justice!
Tom G.H. Adams Created Razorback: https://tomghadams.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/character-sketch-chuck-wendig-prompt/
I took him out for a spin: https://mxgomez.wordpress.com/2015/09/02/razorback-a-chuck-wending-challenge/
[…] brings me back to my terribleminds flash fiction habit. This week, our prompt was to use a character someone had created last week and write up to 2000 words about them. By […]
I borrowed Hoshi, from Pleasant Street’s piece here:
https://geletilari.wordpress.com/2015/08/28/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-character-building/
Pleasant Street’s piece inspired me to alter things a bit and investigate why someone might have a tattoo like Hoshi’s:
http://fistfulofwits.com/2015/09/02/flash-fiction-i-do-not-forgive-you/
Fantastic. You only changed the setting, but not her character or her attitude. You make me want to write more for her. Love it.
That is high praise, thank you! I’m glad that I was able to find what you’d been aiming for and explore it elsewhere 🙂
You’re welcome. I enjoyed reading it. I am worried about what slaughter to your character I have done. Since I have not heard from you I think maybe you are disappointed? I had a few ways to go with it, but that was the one that came through and I was doing it very late up to the deadline.
Beautiful imagery.
[…] week’s flash fiction is part two of a the create/share a character challenge presented by Chuck Wendig. Two weeks ago characters were created, and I really liked this one by Aimee Ogden. On Friday Chuck […]
Here’s the character I used, courtesy of Aimee Ogden. http://aimee-ogden.tumblr.com/post/127493638821/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-82115.
Here’s what I did with it. Really needed a larger word count. This felt choppy. https://thatsalotofhats.wordpress.com/2015/09/02/intervals/
Interesting twist. The implications of that could lead to a much longer story.
That was my problem… it wanted to be bigger.
T whole werewolf protection industry is fascinating, even if they aren’t generating clientele. Pretty sure I’m gonna riff on this idea again.
Ha, I love this! Great ending, too. Thanks for taking Lucia for a spin!
Glad you like it! I was nervous about using someone else’s character. Lucia was fun to work with.
I’ve chosen Pav’s character to work with. His original entry is here.
There were quite a few others that also spoke to me, but this one was the loudest and demanded the most attention.
Please enjoy, Borrowed Time.
I borrowed the dragon librarian from Laylalawlor.com.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2015/09/friday-flash-dragon-library.html
Anyone else getting stuck in moderation? This never used to happen–is it because of having a link in the comment?
Looks like it’s the link…trying again…
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2015/09/friday-flash-dragon-library.html
Yeah, it’s happening a lot. However, Chuck has written a post about it recently, and it’s due to his book tours that we’re being put into moderation mode. Just be patient, and your work will show.
This is my first attempt at one of these challenges: https://fictionaryattempts.wordpress.com/
Oops, here is the direct link: https://fictionaryattempts.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/flash-fiction-challenge-pick-a-character-and-go-go-go/
I chose Fred Yost’s character, Claudia, at http://fredgyost.com/2015/08/23/flash-fiction-challenge-claudia-artifex/
The resulting story can be found at my blog on https://tomghadams.wordpress.com
Thanks for the character, Fred.
[…] is my first attempt at Chuck Wendig’s flash fiction challenge. Thanks and credit goes to JQ Davis, whose character I selected for this […]
[…] Two of Chuck Wendig’s Flash Fiction Challenge, “Pick a Character and Go, Go, Go,” dropped last Friday. Thanks to Kira Jessup for creating Ryan Healey and […]
11:21 by my watch so in under the wire.
There were a lot of great characters to choose from. It would have been very difficult to pick one if Zack Klimczak’s character Coreal, didn’t start to tell me her story as soon as I read her description at https://thewritingblocks.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/flash-fiction-challenge-create-a-character/
Please accept a serving of Stake, Well Done – http://normalisjustasettingonmyclothesdryer.blogspot.com/p/stake-well-done.html
Thanks to Kira Jessup for creating Ryan Healey and throwing him into the mix.
http://wp.me/p6BqQP-O
Last week was my first time joining the challenge, this week’s my first time writing a story for it. I chose Kira Jessup’s character, Ryan, from http://kira.jessup.co/?p=380
So here’s my story, Purgatory Has Too Nice a View:
http://nezchan.dreamwidth.org/8613.html#cutid1
I haven’t been checking the comments but this was great. Nicely done 🙂
Here’s mine http://aliceekeyes.blogspot.com
thanks Matthew Gomez for the character – https://mxgomez.wordpress.com/2015/08/21/time-to-create-a-character-chuck-wendig-challenge/comment-page-1/#comment-150
I chose Henry’s character Sarah, from his piece here:
http://fistfulofwits.com/2015/08/26/flash-fiction-characters-in-250-words-or-less/
And here is my little story about what has become of Sarah:
https://geletilari.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/redemption/
Here’s my entry. Hope y’all like it
https://elctrcrngr.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/the-wedding/
I borrowed Kristen’s character Mercy, from her entry at http://kristenflowers.com/2015/08/27/flash-fiction-challenge-82815/
Thanks, Kristen!
[…] offer them up as a prompt for this week. I offered up Nove, a Death Companion of sorts. This week, I run with a Specialist and spin some wordery on the order of […]
I also used David Blackstone’s The Specialist. (http://www.agincourtdb.com/2015/08/the-specialist.html)
Here’s where I went with it: https://sjmcqwordery.wordpress.com/2015/09/04/scrappy-bit-of-business/