This one is so damn easy.
And yet, so damn hard.
See, coming up with the new and proper titles for stories is a difficult act, sometimes — you either have the title going in (which makes it easy), or you need to think of a title for a story, and that’s when (for me, at least) it gets hella hard. Thinking of a title for a pre-existing story is the one time when I really get vaporlock in my writing. I just sit there, stammering. “THE… THING ABOUT THE STUFF. THE… THE NIGHT THE EVENT HAPPENED. THE HAPPENING. THE STUFFENING. THE SWORD OF THE NIGHT OF THE REVENGE OF THE RABBIT OH GOD THIS BOOK DOESN’T HAVE SWORDS OR RABBITS AND BARELY ANY REVENGE AT ALL.”
I’m not good at titles.
Ray Bradbury was famous for making up a list of titles and then writing stories to match those titles. And that’s a little bit of what we’re going to do here, today.
All I want you to do is come up with a title.
One title.
No more.
Then take that title and plop it into the comments below.
Next week, you will all have a chance to scout out the completed list of titles in the comments and write a story geared toward one of those made-up titles (one you did not yourself invent).
That’s it. That’s all. Easy, and yet, difficult.
GET THEE TO THE TITLEMOBILE
J Michael Best says:
Any Color As Long As Its Black
September 23, 2015 — 12:17 PM
glenavailable says:
50 Shades of Black?
September 23, 2015 — 4:16 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
#400.
Walking Backwards into Hell
September 23, 2015 — 12:49 PM
glenavailable says:
How was the log ride Rebecca? Annie Edson Taylor(1838-1921) salutes you and asks “Got anything planned for the 500th?”
September 23, 2015 — 4:23 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Splash! Wheeeeee! Oops.
September 28, 2015 — 11:34 PM
glenavailable says:
Proof that in the right hands and within particular moments writing can be euphoric. I take it the ‘oops’ means that, caught up in the excitement and celebration of the occasion, you forgot to write on waterproof paper?
September 28, 2015 — 11:58 PM
1batfastard. says:
The Quantum Mechanic War.
September 23, 2015 — 2:43 PM
Alice E Keyes says:
The flight of Winged Carriage
September 23, 2015 — 2:44 PM
Jason Hollen says:
The Surrogate Unbound
(surrogate as to a Lovcraftian God)
September 23, 2015 — 5:11 PM
smkay70 says:
Just Another Day.
September 24, 2015 — 3:20 AM
Lola says:
This is my choice! Thanks!
September 29, 2015 — 6:02 PM
Lee Langtom says:
The Hand Drawn Man
September 24, 2015 — 7:58 AM
dcxli says:
Thanks for the title!
September 30, 2015 — 9:27 AM
Matthew J Daniels says:
The Wolf of Banderville Moor
September 24, 2015 — 10:04 AM
Adan Ramie says:
Cut+Paste
September 24, 2015 — 9:21 PM
glenavailable says:
Captain Pedantic asks “Would that story pass plagiarism checks?”
September 24, 2015 — 9:24 PM
Adan Ramie says:
Only once the glue dries, glenavailable.
September 25, 2015 — 5:06 AM
glenavailable says:
Old school cut ‘n paste. With you!
September 25, 2015 — 7:21 PM
Henry says:
Your Questions Will Not Be Answered
P.s. I made too many. You can read the rest of them here: http://fistfulofwits.com/2015/09/25/flash-fiction-challenge-attack-of-the-titles/
September 25, 2015 — 9:48 PM
G. Howell White says:
Just a quick shout out to glenavailable not only for all of the commments he’s provided here, but also for taking the the time to both read one of my 500-worders and to provide feedback on it. Nothing like a good review to make you smile in the afternoon! Cheers Glen!
September 25, 2015 — 11:18 PM
glenavailable says:
Thankyou George and I can only once more pay homage to our generous host Chuck Wendig who has made possible every exchange for we who value words and all things literary.
September 25, 2015 — 11:45 PM
glenavailable says:
Could the Library Ninja (you know who you are) please prepare her barrel/log and stand by. This one’s going over the 500 Comment falls sometime soon.
September 27, 2015 — 6:10 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
LOL! I think the comments move on to the next challenge now 🙂
September 28, 2015 — 11:29 PM
writing, writing, words words words. says:
Shiny Objects
September 29, 2015 — 2:43 PM
glenavailable says:
500! We did it and I knew we could!
September 30, 2015 — 10:44 PM