Okay, FLASH-FICTION CHALLENGE aficionados - are you ready to write up a storm? It's time for another of our little writing phantasmagorias (as I like to call them). This will be our one and only Fiction Fest for the year since 2014 seems to have come and almost gone already. (Where does the time go?)
The rules:
Simply pick an illustration from the three shown above and create a short story around it. Let's not get bulky, try and keep it all to about a thousand words or less. Just realized that a thousand words is nothing much so disregard that and use as many words as you feel your story deserves. Within reason, of course. Maybe a limit of 3,000?
No prizes except the thrill of writing a story on a dare. Even if you've never written anything like this before, join in. It's all about the fun of seeing what your imagination can come up with. Any style is fine. Any idea will work as long as you keep in mind the illustration and what it might portend. The rest is up to you.
I've arbitrarily chosen September 14th (which is a Sunday) as the date for The Big Reveal. (Is that too much time? If you'd rather it were sooner, make a suggestion in the comments.) So that gives us a month if you're like me and put everything off or simply have too busy a life to just drop everything and take on something new. Plus remember that there's a long holiday weekend in that mix.
So let me know if you'd like to join in (don't be shy, this is NOT a competition) and we'll take it from there.
On September 14th, post the story on your blog. I'll collect the links and post them here as well along with my own story. Then we'll have a nice round-robin of reading and friendly critiquing.
Do try and keep 'expletives' (if any) in your story to a bare minimum. This is a family blog atmosphere and I am a strict task master.
In the final post on your blog, use the illustration you've chosen to write about but make sure you source it as I have and give the artist's name and link to his bio.
Hey! the Benda painting is brand new, isn't it? You sly minx you. ;^) That's the one I'll be going with. But I bet you knew that already. Thanks for whipping u another one of these. I like the sudden inspiration that follows when we do one of these writing challenges.
ReplyDeleteHa! At my age being called a 'sly minx' is a high compliment, John. :)
ReplyDeleteIt looks like maybe it's just going to be you and me again. Maybe I ought to call it Yvette and John's Flash Fiction Fest.
Yvette, I'm in! I'm happy with September 14 as the date of revelation. I think I'll need that much time as I have a natural inclination to sit over things, but please feel free to bring it forward if you wish.
ReplyDeleteThe 14th it is then, Prashant. I'm glad you're on board. That makes three of us. You think we'll get a Magnificent Seven? Ha.
DeleteThese certainly aren't the ones I'd have wanted to try my hand at, so I'll skip
ReplyDeleteWell, Richard, which one would you have chosen from the original list? Nothing is written in stone around here.
DeleteI'm trying here. I've never written fiction in my life (maybe a short story in grammar school). Do I have to murder anyone? Or can the story have other themes?
ReplyDeleteThe story can be whatever you want it to be, Kathy. You don't have to murder anyone if you don't want to. :) I'm so pleased you're giving it a try.
DeleteI'm sweating it out here. i write plenty of news stories or even editorials on news, women's issues, low-wage workers, federal budget cuts in food stamps and medical care, etc. But fiction, yikes!
ReplyDeleteYou'd think I had to run a 500-mile marathon or bike across the U.S.
Well, there's no rush, Kathy. The stories don't have to be ready until September 14th, remember. Take your time. I haven't even begun to think about mine. :)
ReplyDelete