That will get you a set of random photos on Flickr (based on their “interestingness” algorithm).
Pick a photo from that spread.
Use that photo as the inspiration for a new piece of flash fiction. When you post the story at your online space, please also link to that photo on Flickr (not to the random generator) and give credit to the poster/taker of said photo.
That’s it. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.
Length: ~1000 words.
Due by: Friday, March 3rd, noon EST
Post at your online space. Give us a link in the comments.
The Urban Spaceman says:
I got a picture of Neuschwanstein castle and came up with the 999 word story, Writer’s Retreat:
http://wp.me/p3eRXm-Ka
Hope you likes!
February 24, 2017 — 3:56 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
You do good work, Mr. Spaceman!
February 28, 2017 — 5:00 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Thanks! I was lucky enough to get an amazingly awesome picture for inspiration.
March 1, 2017 — 5:01 AM
Allison Maruska says:
I did a flash fiction challenge mashup (again).
https://allisonmaruska.com/2017/02/24/flash-fiction-into-the-storm/
February 24, 2017 — 4:48 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Mmm mashed fictiontaters. Creamy and delicious!
February 27, 2017 — 11:01 AM
Beth Turnage says:
Great idea, but if you want to get an image you can post on your blog, go to search, enter “interestingness,” then on the left, after a gaggle of pictures show, drop down and click on “commercial use and mods allowed” and up pop a bunch of photos with that lovely Creative Commons license. Yummy.
February 24, 2017 — 5:14 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
I was lucky enough to find a very similar picture to the one I ended up with on Pixabay. I’ve used the Pixabay pic for my featured image, and just linked to the Flickr picture of anybody curious enough about the original.
February 24, 2017 — 5:21 PM
Chris H says:
Thanks for the workaround.
February 28, 2017 — 7:39 PM
Doug Daniel says:
My inadequate offering–
https://douglasdanieldotcom.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/flash-fiction-challenge-random-photo-exercise-memories-by-fire-and-moon/
February 24, 2017 — 11:09 PM
justoneprimate says:
Loved it! 🙂 Good stuff.
February 27, 2017 — 12:49 PM
Skye says:
I liked this one.
March 2, 2017 — 11:46 PM
curioushart says:
It is more than adequate in my opinion. Nicely done.
March 6, 2017 — 9:25 PM
justoneprimate says:
Here ya go folks! Enjoy.
https://justoneprimate.wordpress.com/2017/02/25/the-black-glen/
Picture Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/vuzephotography/32894112891/
vuzephotography.co.uk
February 25, 2017 — 1:42 AM
dcxli says:
Sudden Storm (838 words)
Picture here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/137349496@N06/33021334506/in/dateposted/
Story here: https://dcxli.wordpress.com/2017/02/24/sudden-storm/
February 25, 2017 — 2:35 AM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Ahh, great to see the picture to go with your story! As always, a solid offering from Cragfin and his crew.
February 28, 2017 — 7:35 AM
dcxli says:
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!
February 28, 2017 — 11:31 AM
Mozette says:
I chose a photo, downloaded it to put up on my Pinterest page, but then it vanished! Damn!
Well, I have described it in my intro… I hope you guys enjoy it.
http://youcantgoback-andotherimpossibilities.blogspot.com.au/2017/02/into-woods.html
February 25, 2017 — 7:08 AM
Mozette says:
Woohoo! Found the picture I worked with! I’ve added it to the intro in my works. 😀
February 25, 2017 — 8:06 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Creepy! Nice use of the nursery rhyme to create a chilling counterpart to all the death and viscera and blood.
March 1, 2017 — 5:47 AM
Mozette says:
Thanks… when I saw the image, the ‘Teddy-Bear’s Picnic’ kept playing around in my head… but not in the way it normally would. My brain… it just does that…
March 1, 2017 — 7:32 AM
curioushart says:
Well, well, well, this was definitely not the Teddy Bears’ Picnic.
March 6, 2017 — 9:32 PM
Phillip says:
Do I need a Flickr account to do this?
February 26, 2017 — 1:00 AM
Mozette says:
No.
February 27, 2017 — 7:32 PM
fr0stb1t says:
I did it, my first challenge! 😀
http://fr0stb1t.tumblr.com/post/157733078462
If anyone reads it, thanks a ton! It would be nice to receive some comments & criticism. My native language is not English, and I’d like to get a lot better at it.
Really inspiring challenge, thank you!
February 26, 2017 — 8:48 AM
The Urban Spaceman says:
I’m afraid I’m finding the opening very confusing to follow. At one moment it seems to be told from Felix’s perspective, then the next, I’m not sure if it’s from Gabriel’s. A little clarification would help me read further.
February 28, 2017 — 7:38 AM
fr0stb1t says:
Thank you for the feedback! It’s supposed to be written from Gabriel’s perspective, I’ll make sure to pay more attention to this next time.
March 15, 2017 — 11:01 AM
justoneprimate says:
How long does it take for posts to be visible?
February 26, 2017 — 11:39 AM
Mozette says:
A day or two… depends on when Chuck gets onto the computer next. Mine took about 2 days. Don’t worry, it’ll show. 🙂
February 27, 2017 — 6:52 PM
grahamwrites says:
Got dealt a good hand. Thanks Chuck. http://grahamwho.com/grahamwrites/2017/02/26/flash-fiction-wake-up-call/
February 26, 2017 — 1:58 PM
Mark Gardner says:
I found a photo that was all industrial zone warehouse-looking, so I continued my superhero serial: http://wp.me/p4le2s-1NS I linked to the Flickr photo in the green note.
February 27, 2017 — 9:04 AM
Rosemary Carlson says:
https://rosemarycarlson.com/2017/02/27/desolation-2/
Thanks, Chuck!
February 27, 2017 — 6:56 PM
Sam Brady says:
A little under 500 words, sort of trying to cross dogs with Casablanca. Not sure it’s all that great, but it might divert you for a few minutes. Please to enjoy anyway.
https://sambrady.wordpress.com/2017/02/28/chuck-wendig-corgi-noir/
February 28, 2017 — 6:56 PM
justoneprimate says:
This challenge was a first for me. I work in the marketing and web content world, and I’ve been dabbling. This was a TON of fun for me though, and I love what the rest of you have written. Quality stuff!
February 28, 2017 — 7:56 PM
rhythmandcrime says:
Trying to stay above water, I finish and present to you the latest from rhythmandcrime labs. A continued noir in the Wendig Third Person Present Indicative (or WTPPI™ for short). Cool pic and fun to continue the story another thousand words. https://rhythmandcrime.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/feathers/
February 28, 2017 — 9:48 PM
Michelle says:
This is the first time I’ve participated in this challenge! I found a lot of great pictures, but this one stood out: https://www.flickr.com/photos/darrellwyatt/32213836644/
My story is The Fog Witch: https://barenakedcritic.wordpress.com/2017/02/28/the-fog-witch/
Thank you, Chuck!
February 28, 2017 — 10:49 PM
Helene says:
I chose this picture of a setting sun (https://www.flickr.com/photos/142317063@N02/32902763181/) entitled “Incoming” and tied it with a story that was on my mind about the very recent death of a 35-year-old farm worker who’d come from Guatemala to work on a dairy farm North from here (Quebec). The roof caved in under the weight of the snow and he was burried without a chance of survival. None of the details in my story are based on reality except for the way he died as reported in the media. I found it sad and absurd that a man fromt he South would come to enjoy a better income here only to die burried under debris and snow. So I wrote this story, which you’ll find under the intro in French.
http://www.campagnonades.com/fiction-recit-inspire-dune-photo/
March 1, 2017 — 9:23 AM
Matthew X. Gomez says:
Picture is here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mmcclair/32955492496/
Fiction is here: https://mxgomez.wordpress.com/2017/03/01/clearing-the-castle-a-chuck-wendig-challenge/
Enjoy!
March 1, 2017 — 4:22 PM
Vicente L Ruiz says:
I cheated a bit and clicked until I chose the photo Enchanted (Explored) by Sapna Reddy Photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/sapna_reddy/33114792315/), a beautiful landscape of a snowed-in forest in the mist.
And then I came up with a werewolf story with a twist, “The Hunt”:
https://medium.com/@VicenteLRuiz/the-hunt-6e3dcd5d11d8#.nsl1r5g7o
March 1, 2017 — 5:06 PM
The Writer says:
Got a creepy one for you guys.
https://atcrump.com/2017/03/02/the-girl-in-the-garage/
Enjoy!
And as always, thanks Chuck.
March 1, 2017 — 10:09 PM
kim blades, writer says:
I liked this challenge. https://wordpress.com/post/kim153.wordpress.com/2495
March 2, 2017 — 5:33 AM
andys says:
Okay. I got a weird picture, and I have a weird story for it. The Construction Zone … http://andreaspeed.com/2017/flash-fic-challenge-construction-zone/
March 2, 2017 — 5:47 AM
Cameron Mount says:
I present “Ibrahim and the Polong” – https://cameronamount.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/ibrahim-and-the-polong-wendig-challenge/
Based on this picture – https://www.flickr.com/photos/amnewman/32184878604/
March 2, 2017 — 9:19 AM
curioushart says:
Here is my story about a boar and a spider. It’s titled “The Boar of Gloucester” I hope you enjoy it. https://curioushart.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/the-boar-of-gloucester/
March 2, 2017 — 9:28 AM
andys says:
I liked the Aesop’s Fable nature of this.
March 4, 2017 — 3:53 AM
curioushart says:
Thank you.
March 6, 2017 — 9:33 PM
dhippensteel says:
Came in under 500 words this time.
https://cornedbeefhashtag.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/3729/
March 2, 2017 — 9:37 AM
Rachel E Bailey says:
Lighting Up the Dawn
Rating: R (Safe for work)
Word Count: 1,160
Notes/Warnings: Implied prostitution, implied character death.
Summary: It’s morning, and Deva had said he’d be back before sunrise. He’d said it just before getting into the stranger’s fancy car. He’d promised. So, Sahil will wait patiently and calmly for Deva’s return, his hope, faith, and love lighting up the dawn. . . .
http://archiveofourown.org/works/10055540
March 2, 2017 — 3:31 PM
Serena Saint-Marceaux says:
The set of images I got gave me three I was tempted by, but I chose this one: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tctopend/33039088501/
The story I wrote is The Ocean’s Teeth, here: https://fontofrandom.wordpress.com/2017/03/02/the-oceans-teeth-story-for-a-flashfiction-challenge/
March 2, 2017 — 4:53 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Squeaked in just under 1000 words, and linked to the photo rather than including it, thanks to the tip above.
http://www.ninjalibrarian.com/2017/03/friday-flash-world-in-palm-of-her-hand.html
March 2, 2017 — 6:00 PM
The Urban Spaceman says:
Funny; I saw that picture on Flickr, too. I thought it was pretty, but couldn’ think of a story to go with it. Yours was great, so full of potential and implications. Very excellent! 🙂
March 3, 2017 — 11:50 AM
george hirvela says:
Here the picture link from Nay https://www.flickr.com/photos/11956357@N07/32200237174/
Here’s the link to the story https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u2exfp4_qmUfsOXb5OXPTAS_c7p6uKef9QWkP-FwjTM/edit
If you’re sensitive you may want to take a pass on this.
March 2, 2017 — 8:01 PM
Skye says:
Wanted to do some character development on my non-central characters in my WIP, so I did this story, which turned out to be more of a scene. I’d still love any feedback. Here is: http://runnerskye.ca/flash-fiction-challenge-random-photo-exercise/
March 2, 2017 — 11:03 PM
Sierra Miller says:
Hey there! I’ve been wanting to do one of these for a while, and I finally got around to finishing something. Had to cut this one down a lot; but pretty happy with it. Don’t know whether you’d call it dystopian or sci fi, but it’s a story about mole people. Let me know what you think!
The Red-Lighters:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zs5UxN-hiGdiQeNjvVlBh_HDmFpbfP2oumUyEeJwxYk/edit?usp=sharing
Photo link:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/timmyvangenck/32223708683/in/photostream/
March 3, 2017 — 4:15 AM
Jemima Pett says:
Lucked out with a fantastic picture called “The Road to Erebor”. Ideal for more of the stories generated through that random D&D character website you gave us, Chuck. 🙂
http://jemimapett.com/blog/2017/03/03/fridayflash-fiction-the-road-to-erebor/
March 3, 2017 — 4:36 AM
Rachel E Bailey says:
These picture prompts are GREAT! Second story I’ve written for a random picture in Interestingness in less than a day. I wish I’d gotten started sooner!
A Great Game
Summary: Soccer/Football team captain and forward Denny Kowalczyk’s just lost another game to his team’s chief rivals. In a funk, Denny is moping in the locker room when the midfielder of the opposing team, the charming and attractive Kurt Renholder, offers some words of wisdom.
March 3, 2017 — 4:55 AM
Isabelle Lauren says:
Hope I am not too late. This is my first time participating in this flash fiction challenge. My story is titled Hide and Seek. Hope you like it.
https://isabellelaurenwrites.wordpress.com/2017/03/03/flash-fiction-friday-8/
March 3, 2017 — 8:22 AM
Kay Kauffman says:
Here be my story, short though it is: https://suddenlytheyalldied.com/2017/03/02/until-we-meet-again/
March 3, 2017 — 10:49 AM
Michelle Baillargeon says:
Here’s this week’s offering, I’m a smidgen over the word count. I hope you enjoy it. I’m off to read yours.
https://michelle-wordplay.blogspot.com
March 3, 2017 — 11:47 AM
Raeann J. Boone says:
Wow, words cannot express how much I love this! I really really like it and was amazed how it finished. This piece is timeless! Because of that, here are some credits for the best you’ll ever see!
July 11, 2018 — 1:01 AM
Jerry L. Crisp says:
Drop dead gorgeous, man! This is what we really need right now. I commend you a lot for doing this! Here’s some love and peace from the best.
July 11, 2018 — 9:05 PM
Latanya J. Lachance says:
Drop dead gorgeous, man! This is what we really need right now. I commend you a lot for doing this! Here’s some love and peace from the best.
July 13, 2018 — 12:29 AM
Concrete Kevin says:
Great contest idea. I can definitely see the appeal of doing a random photo inspiration exercise like this. Could also be fun to do with random pieces of music.
July 13, 2018 — 7:20 PM
Vallarta says:
Drop dead gorgeous, man! This is what we really need right now. I commend you a lot for doing this! Here’s some love and peace from the best.
July 22, 2018 — 11:44 PM