Last week, I said, “Come up with a title.”
And you did. Over 400 of them.
Now, your job is to go into the comments section of that post and find a title you like. Then, write a story (under 2,000 words, we’ll say) to fit that title. Please do not choose a title you came up with. The challenge is to pick up something new!
You have one week — due by Friday, October 2nd.
Post the story on your online space and link to it in the comments below.
Please give credit to the person who came up with your title. Credit is good.
Go. Pick. Write. Enjoy!
M.J. Diedrich says:
Courtesy of Carlywrites (betterwithapenblog.com), “The First Apology.”
“Somebody had screwed up. Mia thought it was the new guy in Protocol. I suspected Britt. She’d always rubbed me the wrong way….”
http://mjdiedrich.com/2015/09/25/the-first-apology/
September 25, 2015 — 12:28 PM
Anna says:
I lied this. Feels very unique. Nice world-building!
September 27, 2015 — 4:16 PM
M.J. Diedrich says:
Many thanks! I really enjoyed yours as well, especially its overall premise and the…collegial relationship depicted towards the end.
September 28, 2015 — 11:05 AM
Aimee Ogden says:
I really like the worldbuilding here, too. I like the idea of this whole workforce that exists just to communicate with these complicated alien beings! I would have liked to see the Mars First movement be at least mentioned in passing earlier in the story. I’m also a little confused how Britt contrived to have all the people that would have worked for her or translated her work out at the same time? But mostly I really liked the setting and the setup here!
September 29, 2015 — 3:57 PM
M.J. Diedrich says:
Thank you for both the kind words and the useful feedback. Much appreciated! I loved your use of imagery and detail in “Under the River,” especially the significance of color, to convey both tone and detail. The way you set up and paid off the dull white really worked for me.
September 30, 2015 — 9:37 AM
dcxli says:
I really liked what you’ve done here. You took a somewhat vague title and created a complex and compelling world. I really enjoyed it.
September 30, 2015 — 12:53 PM
M.J. Diedrich says:
Thank you! I look forward to seeing more of the adventures of Arden and Snorts from your story.
October 1, 2015 — 5:08 PM
StarNinja says:
I went with Penquillity’s title, The Charge of the Fright Brigade. A lot of fun to write! Here it is:
https://wormholelesstraveled.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/the-charge-of-the-fright-brigade/
September 25, 2015 — 2:10 PM
Anna says:
Wow! Fantastic opening, and the fun just kept on coming. Is this part of a larger universe or just a one-off, because the detail was amazing.
September 28, 2015 — 12:47 AM
StarNinja says:
It was supposed to be a one off but it’s gotten such a nice response that mayhaps I will make it into a larger universe. Tentative title: the “Spookyverse”. Thanks for the read Anna 🙂
September 28, 2015 — 1:10 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
I’m double-dipping on this one–today and next Friday. For today, I used AKDrees’s title, “How the Rain Gets In”.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2015/09/friday-flash-fiction-how-rain-gets-in.html
Now to pick another for next Friday 🙂
September 25, 2015 — 2:46 PM
J. Grace says:
Loved it!
September 27, 2015 — 1:40 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Thanks!
September 28, 2015 — 11:23 PM
Aimee Ogden says:
Nice description – I liked the creeping sense of dread and the inexorable onset of the rain.
September 29, 2015 — 4:03 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Followed up this week with “Weather Permitting,” which just sort of naturally had to continue the story!
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2015/10/flash-fiction-weather-permitting.html
October 1, 2015 — 8:41 PM
Jemima Pett says:
They had me worried there!
October 2, 2015 — 2:02 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
We may never know if they make it out okay. But they are going to enjoy the journey.
October 4, 2015 — 12:46 PM
eclecticscribe66 says:
Great idea! 🙂 I did something similar with my family. We all tried our hand at writing catchy opening lines for stories then we switched them around and everyone wrote a short story with someone else’s opening line.
September 25, 2015 — 4:16 PM
Mark Gardner says:
I close Mozette’s title. https://article94.wordpress.com/2015/09/25/muffled-silence/
September 25, 2015 — 6:10 PM
Mozette says:
I like this one… this is a story I can see as a novella or a short series of books – depending on which way you take it. 😀
Thank you for picking my really vague title. 🙂
September 26, 2015 — 8:04 PM
Mark Gardner says:
Thanks, Moz! If you’d like to read more: https://article94.wordpress.com/tag/victorious-maiden/?order=asc
September 26, 2015 — 10:28 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Ah! It did feel like a fragment. Very atmospheric!
October 2, 2015 — 2:05 PM
entrebat says:
Here’s mine with a special to J.T. Wilibanks.
Not quite fiction. Not quite fact.
The Fine Art of Becoming Nothing
We have become the monsters under the bed waiting for the bare feet and supple ankles to hit the floor.
September 25, 2015 — 8:07 PM
kirizar says:
I highly recommend this as piece of higher thought reading. I can’t say I completely grasped every nuance, but if you are all about the nuance and subtleties of language, then this one’s for you.
September 30, 2015 — 8:59 PM
Andrea says:
I took zer_netmouse’s title, for a quick and dirty piece of revenge noir. I may double dip as well. http://andreaspeed.com/2015/flash-fic-challenge-rage-walks-beside-me/
September 25, 2015 — 8:13 PM
Anna says:
I liked this, especially your descriptions. Very vivid, and I liked the way they flow (like the way you used the sea and shore imagery, for example).
September 28, 2015 — 1:13 PM
g.firestorm says:
Very good ! I loved your descriptions, firm and tight!
September 29, 2015 — 3:33 PM
kirizar says:
Dirty, gritty, with some very vivid analogies. Might have gone a knife too far describing the throat-slitting scene. Either that, or I am a squeamish pansy. I think you may have liked killing the bad guy just a tad too much. Might need to seek therapy for that. Otherwise, great piece of work.
September 30, 2015 — 9:04 PM
Pleasant Street says:
From Aaron Jeffries: A Message from Her
September 25, 2015 — 8:13 PM
Mozette says:
Your link didn’t show up… did you forget to put it in?
September 26, 2015 — 8:32 PM
Pleasant Street says:
My mistake…I don’t know what I was thinking, that we should say which one we chose before writing. But I guess I did that already on the first blog post. No, I have not written it yet.
September 26, 2015 — 8:39 PM
Mozette says:
Aahh… looking forward to it. 😀
September 26, 2015 — 9:57 PM
Mozette says:
I chose Tabitha Beth’s title… 😀
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/i-am-not-alice.html
Enjoy!
September 25, 2015 — 9:23 PM
Curtis Dibrell jr. says:
Wow I didnt not expect yor story to go in the direction that it did. Well done
September 26, 2015 — 9:04 PM
Mozette says:
Thank you… actually I didn’t expect it to take me there either. I don’t plan my stories, they take me along for the ride as much as they do for you – so both you and I were surprised the same way. 😀
September 26, 2015 — 9:44 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Great story!
September 28, 2015 — 11:51 PM
Mozette says:
Thank you Rebecca and Curtis… I know some of it was a big vague, but I did my best with it. 😀
October 2, 2015 — 8:18 PM
Anna says:
Here’s mine. I’m borrowing Gordo’s “The Crack in Lucy’s Eye.” This one turned out pretty weird, even for me…
http://strangeandcuriousthings.blogspot.fi/2015/09/terribleminds-challenge-borrowed-title.html
September 26, 2015 — 4:14 PM
Natalie says:
I really enjoyed your story. Great imagery.
September 27, 2015 — 8:06 PM
pwodoomw says:
Nice.
September 27, 2015 — 10:07 PM
mannixk says:
Nice job!!
September 28, 2015 — 10:15 AM
Anna says:
Thanks, guys:)
September 28, 2015 — 1:15 PM
SamKD says:
LIke!
September 29, 2015 — 11:08 AM
Aimee Ogden says:
What a cool idea! I really liked this title but couldn’t think of an idea to do it justice, which you definitely did. Really like the personification (demonization?) of these maladies.
September 29, 2015 — 4:11 PM
kirizar says:
You have a light touch with weird and a delightful take on what you might see if you too had a crack through which to view the true cause of much human misery. Maybe you need to explore your dark side more often?
September 30, 2015 — 9:17 PM
maddaandhalfofthewholestory says:
Hello 😀 I chose Nick’s title: H is for Hammer Time! I took a more gamerly approach to it rather than murdery… because I am more about human interaction than horror.
Here it is:
https://maddashalfofthewholestory.wordpress.com/2015/09/26/flash-fiction-challenge-2-h-is-for-hammer-time-title-by-nick/
September 26, 2015 — 6:45 PM
Hurricane Katelyn says:
I chose Joshua M. Neff’s title: The Man from the Ministry of Fog
http://study-in-ink.tumblr.com/post/129949695055/the-man-from-the-ministry-of-fog
This was quite fun! Nice break from my usual work.
September 26, 2015 — 8:23 PM
Modern Authors says:
I liked it. Felt like it really belonged to that title.
September 30, 2015 — 9:15 PM
kirizar says:
You have a very good grasp of character voice. I could truly picture the cantankerous old woman and the much put-upon ministry agent. I have to say, though, they sounded suspiciously efficient for government agents. They must have a better infrastructure in your fictional world than they do here.
September 30, 2015 — 9:22 PM
Joshua M. Neff says:
Holy cats, I absolutely LOVE that! Honestly, that’s very much the kind of story (in tone, if not in setting) that I had in mind when I came up with the title.
October 2, 2015 — 4:20 PM
Pavowski says:
I appropriated Mark Davis’s “The 2nd Street Writing Syndicate.” I haven’t had this much fun writing a story in a while. I hope you like it too.
http://accidentallyinspired.com/2015/09/26/the-2nd-street-writing-syndicate/
September 26, 2015 — 9:48 PM
curleyqueue says:
Fun, funny, original, and just the right amount of snark-loved it!!
September 27, 2015 — 7:17 PM
Pavowski says:
Glad you did!
September 27, 2015 — 8:42 PM
mannixk says:
That was awesome. No “prosometer” necessary.
September 28, 2015 — 10:22 AM
Pavowski says:
Right on! Sometimes you think up something that just NEEDS to be in the real world…
September 29, 2015 — 9:06 AM
JQ Davis says:
Loved it!
September 29, 2015 — 12:30 PM
kirizar says:
I took that title too. I challenge you to compare our separate visions: http://wp.me/p4K3CH-cf
September 29, 2015 — 10:56 PM
Johnny Rosario says:
From mrdugdarley, the title is simply:
Greetings.
September 27, 2015 — 5:32 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Be sure to add the link when the story is written!
October 1, 2015 — 8:42 PM
J. Grace says:
I picked “Gold Like Your Blood,” courtesy of erimeh.
September 27, 2015 — 1:43 PM
Fred G. Yost says:
Here’s my entry, inspired by msshonnerz’s title of “Cornbread and Cognac”.
http://fredgyost.com/2015/09/27/flash-fiction-challenge-cornbread-and-cognac/
September 27, 2015 — 9:37 PM
boundbeautifunk says:
I really enjoyed this. Great work!
October 1, 2015 — 2:32 PM
Fred G. Yost says:
Thanks!
October 2, 2015 — 8:49 PM
Matthew (@ThewTheSlightly) says:
This was awesome! Really enjoyed it. Reminded me a bit of the comic Southern Bastards.
October 1, 2015 — 9:20 PM
Fred G. Yost says:
Ooh, I’ll have to check that one out. Glad you liked it!
October 2, 2015 — 8:48 PM
Beth says:
I chose Leigh Statham’s wonderfully evocative “Turbulence and Sunshine.”
September 28, 2015 — 2:35 AM
Modern Authors says:
Well, here goes. Greetings looked interesting so that is what you have. https://modernauthors.wordpress.com/2015/09/28/greetings/
September 28, 2015 — 8:01 AM
Modern Authors says:
I apologize. My title was GREETINGS from mrdugdarley.
September 28, 2015 — 11:23 AM
addy says:
well that was eerie. i love it!
September 29, 2015 — 8:40 AM
Modern Authors says:
Thanks! To be honest, I was a bit worried about this one.
September 29, 2015 — 6:52 PM
addy says:
Well I’m glad you pushed through.
I loved it
September 30, 2015 — 12:59 AM
mrdugdarley says:
Thoroughly enjoyed that. The sense of powerlessness was quite apparent.
September 29, 2015 — 6:16 PM
Modern Authors says:
Thank you. I hope I’ve done your title justice.
September 29, 2015 — 6:55 PM
Mozette says:
Well done! I loved its creepiness… and how weirdly polite it was.
September 29, 2015 — 10:30 PM
Ashlee says:
Here’s “Beers of the World After” – thanks NinjaGW:
http://cubiclemonster.weebly.com/writings
September 28, 2015 — 12:26 PM
boundbeautifunk says:
Very fun. I wish every job had demented magic beer……..
September 30, 2015 — 11:27 AM
Ashlee says:
Thanks, boundbeautifunk! I work part-time at a brewery, so it was kind of cathartic for me to write!
October 1, 2015 — 11:52 AM
boundbeautifunk says:
I suspected something similar. There’s only so many times you can answer the same question. “Boy cows don’t give milk? Wow, I never realized that before,” says a middle aged man with children……
October 1, 2015 — 2:33 PM
G. Howell White says:
I’m going with “The Sound of Fire” by Russell (NLN), the story for that one just popped out. If nothing else, this has forced me to create a blog to post stories on, which will probably lead to creating a website. Dammit Chuck, you’re costing me money here!
September 28, 2015 — 8:20 PM
g.firestorm says:
I used Angélique Jamail’s title : “Farce Macabre”
Many many thanks !
https://impulsedevice.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/farce-macabre/
September 28, 2015 — 9:33 PM
addy says:
loved it
September 29, 2015 — 8:03 AM
dcxli says:
Very dark but it definitely kept my attention. Great job!
September 30, 2015 — 12:53 AM
dcxli says:
I appropriated “Cobblestones of the Road” from maddaandhalfofthewholestory.
This is my first Flash Fiction attempt, seeing as I am rather new to this whole writing thing, so I would greatly appreciate any feedback, complimentary or brutal.
https://dcxli.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/cobblestones-of-the-road/
September 28, 2015 — 10:39 PM
addy says:
But what was in the chest!?
loved it, i imagine there is a lot more here than meets the eye,
September 29, 2015 — 8:52 AM
dcxli says:
That is indeed the question, my friend. I’m glad you liked it!
September 29, 2015 — 9:35 AM
Aimee Ogden says:
I took thenotebook183’s title, “Under the River” and came up with this!
http://aimee-ogden.tumblr.com/post/130131859011/terribleminds-flash-fiction-challenge-under-the
September 29, 2015 — 9:58 AM
J. Grace says:
Beautifully worded. It reads like a song. =)
September 29, 2015 — 2:39 PM
Aimee Ogden says:
Thank you! 🙂
September 29, 2015 — 4:29 PM
boundbeautifunk says:
I did missalimcd’s The Mysteries of Her Head
https://cheesywriterblog.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/the-mysteries-of-her-head/
September 29, 2015 — 6:36 PM
SamKD says:
Good one!
September 30, 2015 — 9:26 AM
boundbeautifunk says:
Thank you! Showers have such good ideas in them….
September 30, 2015 — 11:25 AM
Modern Authors says:
Thank you. I hope I’ve done your title justice.
September 29, 2015 — 6:53 PM
paigevest says:
I went with ‘She Never Dies Quietly’, contributed by nkharrold (https://freelancefedora.wordpress.com/). your title took me to a dark place… I hope that I did it justice. 😉
http://writingaboutreading.com/writing-about-writing/ffc-wendig-title/
September 29, 2015 — 11:00 PM
paigevest says:
I’ve seen some people posting the opening sentence(s) of their stories, so I’ll do the same… perhaps it will draw interest some of you. 🙂
“She screamed when I killed her for the last time. Of course she had. She always did.”
October 1, 2015 — 12:04 AM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Really a chilling tale! Well done.
October 1, 2015 — 8:53 PM
paigevest says:
Thank you! I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment! 🙂
October 2, 2015 — 12:15 AM
kirizar says:
Courtesy of David Marks’ Title: The Second Street Writer’s Syndicate.
“I tell you, Boss, Dewey’s got to be remaindered.”
https://kirisalazar.wordpress.com/2015/09/29/i-literarily-have-an-offer-you-cant-refuse/
September 29, 2015 — 11:01 PM
Princess of Dragons says:
I picked ‘Of Those in Shadow’, which was created by Anton. this is what I wrote for it:
https://princessofdragons.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/of-those-in-shadow/
September 30, 2015 — 7:08 AM
dcxli says:
I decided to double-dip, and this time I choose Lee Langtom’s title: The Hand Drawn Man. Enjoy!
https://dcxli.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/the-hand-drawn-man/
September 30, 2015 — 9:08 AM
Spelbring says:
My Attempt:
https://sarahspelbring.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/flash-fiction-challenge-now-choose-your-title/
September 30, 2015 — 11:58 AM
Mark Gardner says:
Okay, I decided to do another one, and use Dustin Miller’s title: https://article94.wordpress.com/2015/09/30/the-rocks-above/
September 30, 2015 — 1:04 PM
dcxli says:
Tobias and the Seven Dwarves? I really enjoyed it. It seems like a world ripe for the exploring.
September 30, 2015 — 3:52 PM
Mark Gardner says:
Thanks! If you’d like to know more: https://article94.wordpress.com/brass-automaton/
September 30, 2015 — 6:40 PM
Thomas Diehl says:
Well, that was very different from my usual stuff (not only because it’s in English), certainly my weirdest yet. 373 words grown from Medina’s “How to Sing Butterflies” http://en.thomasdiehl.eu/?p=126
September 30, 2015 — 1:57 PM
Natalie says:
Hi,
I really liked writerchick’s title, Banjo and the Wormhole. Thanks Anita.
http://wp.me/p1MxFw-3H
September 30, 2015 — 5:57 PM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
Courtesy of David Benson: Neon Sky. (And only 400 or so words over)
https://mxgomez.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/neon-sky-a-chuck-wendig-challenge/
October 1, 2015 — 9:58 AM
Suzanne Joshi says:
I chose to write a flash fiction story for the title “The Wolf of Banderville Moor”, title by Matthew J Daniels..Here is my web address:
https://patriciaruthsusan.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/the-wolf-of-banderville-moor/
October 1, 2015 — 11:55 AM
grahamwrites says:
“Cut + Paste” got my imagination working. Here’s what it came up with.
https://grahamwrites.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/flash-fiction-cut-paste/
October 1, 2015 — 1:24 PM
grahamwrites says:
By the way, thank you Adan Ramie.
October 1, 2015 — 1:26 PM
dcxli says:
Great action and I loved Sunny
October 1, 2015 — 3:40 PM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
Guess that was for me? Thanks!
October 1, 2015 — 4:21 PM
Jemima Pett says:
I used Sodmikail’s The Shipping List. It’ll be live in about 30 minutes.
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2015/10/02/friday-flash-fiction-the-shipping-list/
October 1, 2015 — 6:28 PM
SamKD says:
I always enjoy your work.
October 2, 2015 — 9:26 AM
Jemima Pett says:
Thanks!
October 2, 2015 — 1:23 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Got my title from Jemima Pett, and made a continuation of last week’s story. Weather Permitting:
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2015/10/flash-fiction-weather-permitting.html
October 1, 2015 — 8:33 PM
Jemima Pett says:
Without anything for today, I picked your Walking Backwards into Hell. So, it’s too late for this challenge….
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2015/10/16/friday-flash-fiction-walking-backwards-into-hell/
October 16, 2015 — 4:56 PM
Matthew (@ThewTheSlightly) says:
I chose “Showdown at Evermore” by JQ Davis. It came in just under 400 words. A part of me wants to keep writing the story to see what happens next.
http://www.matthewmarchitto.com/blog/2015/10/1/flash-fiction-challenge-choose-your-title-edition-showdown-at-evermore
(Spoiler (sorta): I like to think Marda fought her way to the center of the Evermore.)
October 1, 2015 — 9:16 PM