idyll

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

A stream flows peacefully among beautiful flowering trees.  Write a little Flashy Fiction set in this idyllic locale.  How'd you come to be here?  What's your purpose...romance, tranquility, or something a bit more nefarious?

A BRUSH WITH FATE

A beautiful young woman hands a package to the less-than-handsome stranger. The back of her hand brushes against his arm. In that brief moment she learns everything there is to ever know about him.

Write a vignette about one of the impressions she has made 

through this contact with him.

SET THE STAGE: THE BLOOM OF FATHERHOOD

Here's the gist of it:

You're writing a story about fatherhood with a computer technician as the main character and a cheese pizza as a key object. Set the story in a Flower Shop.

Write the story!

What's the story, morning glory?

Or, more precisely, the name, Morning Glory?  Do you recognize the flower in the picture?  It's a Passion Flower.  Do you know the story behind the name?  For today's prompt, write a little Flashy Fiction that explains the naming of a flower.  The flower could be one newly found by your protagonist, or a fictional account of how a real flower got its name.

Still as a statue...

Photo by RJ Clarken

This is a photo of one of the graceful statues which ring the old hay barn site at Duke Farms.  The area is now a small oasis which is great for a quiet moment of contemplation, as well as something pretty to look at when bike riding or walking the grounds.  

While some statues are the stuff of a scary Dr. Who narrative, others have an interesting backstory.  

So...is her story about finding peace and being still...or was she bewitched (and turned into a statue, where she still remains to this day?)  How will her tale end...or will it ever end?  

Tell us about it, because everyone - yes, everyone - has a story to tell.

LAST MAN STANDING

You are being tortured.

The method is sleep deprivation.

If you fall asleep, you will die.

How do you stay awake?

What kind of hallucinations do you have?

Is it even worth the effort?

Tell us your solution.

Strike Up The Band

The band is playing your song.  What do we hear?  Is the soundtrack filled with classic rock or modern hip-hop, classical or something like Thunderscape by Erik Morales where the music paints a thunderous rainstorm?  Write a little Flashy Fiction that lets us hear the music.

Hello...hello...hello....

Is there anybody out there...there...there?

(Image Via Photobucket: Freedom Queen-Tunnel of Love Ukraine)

Happy writing Friday Flashy Fiction writers!!

A Loss For Words?

A quick note or the beginning of a new story?  Is the pad blank due to writer's block?  Are you an investigative reporter or just doing research?  Maybe this is about to be come a sketch book.  Write a little Flashy Fiction involving the quaint, old-fashioned pencil and pad as a key piece of the story.

Falling Angels

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

Has Heaven cast out the angels for failure to follow orders?  Is this the coming of the apocalypse?  Maybe it's an astronomical light show or the beginning of the end of your world.  Write a little Flashy Fiction on how a witness might interpret and react to this scene.

Flashy Fiction widget

In trying to increase the traffic to the Flashy Fiction website, we've developed the graphic above for friends and fans of the site to post on their websites, blogs, etc.  Below we have provided instructions for how to put this image on your site as a link back to the Flashy Fiction site.  The image is 150 pixels by 150 pixels and has a white background with no border.

A preview of the linked image on a WordPress blog can be seen here: http://pubwrite.wordpress.com/.

On WordPress:
Method One:  Text widget
  1.  Add the "Text" widget to a sidebar
  2.  Copy the HTML code below and paste it into the widget's text box.
       <span style='display:block!important;width:150px;height:150px;text-align:center;font-family:sans-serif;font-size:12px;border:1px solid #000000;'>

       <a href="http://flashyfiction.blogspot.com/">

       <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4AmiWRZAIU/UYEov6B63JI/AAAAAAAAAsY/gPG6s9I5P9U/s1600/FlashyFiction.png" title="Flashy Fiction ...daily writing prompts">

       </a>
       </span>

Method Two:  Image widget
  1.  Add an "Image" widget to a sidebar
  2.  Copy and paste this URL into the Image URL field:
       http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4AmiWRZAIU/UYEov6B63JI/AAAAAAAAAsY/gPG6s9I5P9U/s1600/FlashyFiction.png
  3.  Copy and paste this URL into the Link URL field:
       http://flashyfiction.blogspot.com/

On Blogger:
Method One:  HTML/Javascript gadget
  1.  Add the "Text" widget to a sidebar
  2.  Copy the HTML code below and paste it into the widget's text box
       <div style='display:block!important;width:200px;height:150px;text-align:center;font-size:10px;margin-bottom:30px;'>
       <a href="http://flashyfiction.blogspot.com/">
       <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4AmiWRZAIU/UYEov6B63JI/AAAAAAAAAsY/gPG6s9I5P9U/s1600/FlashyFiction.png" title="Flashy Fiction ...daily writing prompts" style="border:1px solid #000000;" />
       </a><br />
Add this widget to your site to share your love for Flashy Fiction.
       </div>

Method Two:  Image gadget
  1.  Add the "Image" gadget where you want it
  2.  Copy and paste this URL into the Image URL field:
       http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4AmiWRZAIU/UYEov6B63JI/AAAAAAAAAsY/gPG6s9I5P9U/s1600/FlashyFiction.png
  3.  Copy and paste this URL into the Link URL field:
       http://flashyfiction.blogspot.com/
  4.  Save the gadget

On a Website:
Method One:  Code/HTML view
  --In the code, add the following code snippet where you want the linked image to appear:
       <a href="http://flashyfiction.blogspot.com/">
       <img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4AmiWRZAIU/UYEov6B63JI/AAAAAAAAAsY/gPG6s9I5P9U/s1600/FlashyFiction.png" title="Flashy Fiction ...daily writing prompts">
       </a>

Method Two:  Design/GUI view
  1.  'Insert an image/picture' where you want the linked image to be
  2.  Use the URL below as the source/location of the image:
       http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B4AmiWRZAIU/UYEov6B63JI/AAAAAAAAAsY/gPG6s9I5P9U/s1600/FlashyFiction.png"
  3.  Enter 'alt/alternate text' and 'title/hover' text as you see fit.  We recommend: Flashy Fiction ...daily writing prompts"
  4.  Select the new image and add/edit a hyperlink to the following URL:
       http://flashyfiction.blogspot.com/
   **These are general guidelines for design/GUI implementation.  Your specific web development software may use different words/fields/methods for accomplishing this task.

SATURDAY WORKSHOP - CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

The Saturday Workshop is a new feature at FLASHY FICTION. We will explore the writing process, developing certain elements that we can use in future prompts.

Today, lets develop a character.

It's easy to put a character into our stories, but it is more satisfying to establish one of substance.

• Decide who your character is. Male or female, young or old. 
• Will your character be the protagonist (hero) or the antagonist (opponent)?
• Give your character a personality. List qualities a good person may have. Make another list of qualities a bad person could have. Use these to add flair to your characters. Remember, no protagonist is perfect. An antagonist is not purely evil. Find a mix of qualities that make your characters more human. A 60% to 40% ratio will keep your characters well rounded.
• Create an appearance for your character. Observe people around you. What features appeal to you? Which turn you off? Look at magazine and television and list desirable and unwanted traits. Give them quirks that make them unforgettable. Maybe they twirl their hair, or pluck their beards. They could be a loveable drunk, or just a nasty person
• Be creative with the name. Keep a note book of interesting names you hear or see and try to use them in your characterization.
• Put some meat on his/her bones - Flesh out your character. Give your characters background. What is their sexual orientation? Do they have political leanings? Practice any religious beliefs? Create interesting jobs. Do they have a hobby? What kind of music, movies, books, etc. do they enjoy? How do they treat people who can do nothing for them. Do they do the right things when no one is watching?
• Don't let your character be predictable - don't be afraid to be surprised by what your character is capable of doing, good or bad. 

As an exercise, use these ideas to create and post a profile for a character.  Write one for a hero. Write one for an antagonist. A love interest? Try using one (or all) of these in your next attempt at FLASHY FICTION .

All Things Small...

and Creepy-Crawly. 

(Photobucket)

Get gritty with your Friday Flashy Fiction today!

Have fun...happy writing! 

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

DAVID BOWIE

Nothing stays the same.

And when the realization hits us, we either adapt and change, or wither and die on the vine. It's time we decide instead of hiding behind the Same Old, Same Old!

Your mission is to write a piece about someone who either has decided to change the way they do things OR has resigned to give up the ship. Either way, make the change in your approach an expressive one.

The Call

 

The phone rings.  You answer it.  Your life is changed forever.  Did you get the call at work?  Home? On the go? Did it turn a lazy day crazy or bring everything to a grinding halt?  Write a little Flashy Fiction about this phone call and how it changes your life.