Relocation

We have moved the active site location for Flashy Fiction Friday to http://flashyfictionfriday.wordpress.com/.

This site will continue on as a rather extensive archive, with the added benefit of folks who find it still being able to post stories into the comments.

The move from Blogger to WordPress is being done to take advantage of some of WP's built-in posting, notification, and socializing features.  We're hoping that by moving the site, we're able to generate more interest and expand our audience and participation.

Thanks for visiting!

A Graveyard on Halloween

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

A spooky graveyard presided over by the statue of an angel.  Write a little Flashy Fiction that finds you in the graveyard on Halloween night.  Happy Halloween!

Wendigo Woods

Imagine you've gotten lost in the forest.  You're sure you've heard noises behind you.  Maybe it's an animal. Maybe something or someone else.  Maybe your imaginatoon.  You stumble across a trail, a road, that leads you to what you see above.  Aside from the electrified fence and lights, the place looks and sounds deserted.  Write a little Flashy Fiction that finishes this story.  Do you enter or turn back?

Autumn Adventures

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

I'm heading out for the weekend to enjoy the outdoors and the cool autumn weather with my family.  Today's prompt is to write a little Flashy Fiction about an outdoor adventure.  Be sure to make the setting part of the story --the beautiful colors of the autumn woods, the crispness of the air, etc. 

Dead Poets

One of the founders of Creative Bloomings' Flashy Fiction Friday, Walt Wojtanik, has just published a book of poetry, the cover of which is shown above.  In honor of this occasion, today's prompt is to take the title or a line from a favorite poem by a Dead Poet (or maybe one "Once Removed") and create a little Flashy Fiction from it.  Congrats, Walt!

Advice from a Tree

Long-lived, compared to humans, tress may see the changing of many seasons across centuries. Write a little Flashy Fiction in which your protagonist receives some advice from a tree. Or maybe, your protagonist is the tree providing the advice. The advice could be something from the picture or not.

As the sun sets

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

Sunset.  The beautiful end to sunny days.  For many kids, this weekend will be the sunset of their summer vacations.  For today's prompt, write a little Flashy Fiction about a sunset --describe a beautiful sunset scene like the one pictured above, tell us a story about something happening at sunset, about how you feel when watching a sunset, or, maybe, about the sunset of a life.

The Midas Touch

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

A great digital creation of a beautiful flower made of golden flakes is the picture prompt for today.  Write a little flashy fiction about King Midas' curse.  How does your protagonist, or antagonist, maybe, deal with her ability to turn what she touches into gold?  Does she find it a blessing or a curse?  Does the curse only happen when she touches things with her hand, a different part of her body, or any part of her body?  Has she found a way to cope, to prevent accidentally turning things to gold?  Maybe she's being exploited by someone else.

Overseer

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

Well, this site's been a tad neglected this summer.  Over a month since our last prompt.  Had we a more diligent Overseer, like the one in the picture above, maybe we'd not have missed so many weeks.  Today's prompt, then, and taking a cue from Walt's "Character Sketch" prompts, write a brief character sketch (200-250 words) detailing an overseer.  Give him/her a name and tell of their circumstance...feline companion not required.

Lillipution Invasion

 

(photo taken at one of the cake demo booths at Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Food & Wine Festival)

Imagine being washed ashore after a boating accident or simply taking a nap on the beach and waking up to these folks all around and on top of you.  You don't appear to be tied down.  Maybe, your point of view is that of one of the "Lilliputions" instead of "Gulliver."  Write a little Flashy Fiction describing what happens. 

CHARACTER SKETCH

Sketch of Indiana Jones
drawn by Dave Mottram

Let's develop some character. 

Write a brief character sketch (200 - 250 words) detailing 

a sore loser. 

Give him/her a name and tell of their circumstance.

Party Time on the Island

 

image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

The scene opens with the shot above: a semi-remote island on a three-mooned planet.  The lights at the base of the towering mountains indicate some sort of grand party.  Write a little Flashy Fiction about what we'll see when the camera zooms in and peeks through the trees.

CUB REPORTER

"CUB REPORTER" will be a recurring theme.You will be provided with a Headline.

You are the FLASHY FICTION GAZETTE's star reporter. You are to write the copy, flash fiction style!

The Headline:

"ELVIS CLONES TAKE OVER THE WORLD!"

THE HOMECOMING

You were away for a bit. On an adventure, maybe exploring other places. Perhaps you were off writing poetry for a month! You come back home to pull the covers off of the furniture and settle back into your existence. But something is just not quite right. Things are noticeably askew, and you get the feeling someone was here in your absence. Tell us who, what, when, where and how come(?). I said things were slightly askew, didn't I?

The Overturned Tricycle

Setting can be major part of making your story believable.  Sometimes, it can be a character, or very close to it.  For today's exercise at Flashy Fiction, create a setting for us that draws us into the scene, but do it succinctly...give us your version of Mr. King's overturned tricycle.

Just Poem It!

It's National Poetry Month in the United States.  As such, there are many sites hosting Poem-A-Day Challenges throughout April.  For today's writing prompt, we're going to try to work a poem into the mix.  No, you don't need to write a poem, but for those who'd like to, write a poem about anything and share it here --a poem about a poem or about creating a poem would be fantastic.  Another prompt idea:  Take a well known phrase and change it to be about poems, then write a little Flashy Fiction about it. 

Choose one of the poemed phrased below or create your own.

• A poem a day keeps the doctor away
• A poem in the hand is worth two in the bush
• A fool and his poem are soon parted
• Little Miss Goody Two-poems

The Tide Is High

Image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy

Trouble in paradise?  Is this island sinking into the sea, being flooded by the aftermath (or lead in) of a big storm, or is it maybe just a typical high tide?  Write a little Flashy Fiction that explains why the protagonist finds herself swimming or climbing trees when the ground is completely underwater.

Impending Doom

Image courtesy of Digital Blasphemy.

Whoa!  That doesn't bode well.  Write a little Flashy Fiction in which your protagonist is watching it take place?  What will they do?  Try to be a bit more creative than "Die."

HISTORY AMIDST THE COBWEBS

Ellen McHugh had finally steeled her nerve to face the task of clearing out grandmother's home after her sudden passing. Ellen found a box of letters written to her grandmother. They weren't from her grandfather. The correspondence was signed by a historic figure. Who was this person? Write a flashy piece of fiction detailing grandmother's hand in an important event!

Thaw her soul.

What would it take to make her love again?  What happened to her in the past that caused her very being to frost over and give up on love?  How does her story end?  Does she even live in this realm?

Contemplation

She sits in quiet contemplation.  Never moving.  Always pensive.  Write a little Flashy Fiction about the inspiration for this statue or about the thoughts and emotions it inspires when you look at it.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

In a little self-discovery, choose three facets of your personality. Create a character for each, giving them names and descriptions. Now place them in a Doctor's waiting room. One of the three is terminal. Write this scene.

Five Multi-colored Rings

I wanted to use the Sochi Games logo, but, as it is rather uninspired, I found a picture of the rings with some of the world flags behind them to use instead.

It's that time again.  Time for (many) of the nations of the world to come together and compete in athletic events in a spirit of fairness and peace...hopefully.  This prompt is really open other than sticking with a Winter Games theme.  Write a little Flashy Fiction about the Olympics.  It could be about training for the games, participating in them, watching them, plotting to cause destruction during them, thwarting terrorism at the games, or whatever else comes to mind.  Maybe it's a story that is only linked to the Olympics because somehow the games or someone's preparation for it affected their life.  Stretch the scope as needed, only be sure to keep winter and the Olympics in there somewhere.  Have fun!

JUST THE FACTS - 7 FEB 2014

This will be an ongoing exercise on FLASHY FICTION FRIDAY'S. You will be given a topic on which to write, a main character, a key object and a setting. And then you will be asked use all the facts to improvise your flash fiction.

TOPIC:     Desperartion

MAIN CHARACTER:     an Evangelist

KEY OBJECT:     a memo

SETTING:     a Ghost town

Stargate?

This is a piece of art that a city selected to plop down in a median between busy roads, in addition to a number of other interesting works throughout the city.  But what if this piece of art was more than it seemed?  Maybe it's an ancient Stargate, or a portal to a magical realm, or allows people to 'slide' into a parallel universe.  Or, maybe it really is just a big, costly piece of taxpayer-funded art.  Write a little Flashy Fiction about it.

ALPHA AND OMEGA

Today we think in terms of Alpha and Omega; First and Last! This is fitting, being the FIRST prompt of the new association with CREATIVE BLOOMINGS. We certainly don't plan on it being the LAST by any stretch of the imagination!

Make a list of five "firsts" in your life. Your first car. Your first child. Your first day at school...

Then make a list of five "lasts" in your life. The last time you saw..., Down to your last dime. Your last day at work...

Now choose one of these that stands out most, and write a piece of flash fiction placing your character in that situation and how they would deal with it. And you can veer from the "script" at any time! Let your imagination soar.

For a bit of a challenge combine one of your "firsts" with one of your "lasts" and write that! I bought my first car with my last dime. The first day at school was the last time I saw..., The last day at work before my first child was born. It changes the dynamic a bit.

Give it your best shot and post your story below. We all have a way of spinning a tale! Add a link to your blog. We'd like to read whatever else you've been writing! 

And remember, on FLASHY FICTION FRIDAY, everyone has a "little" story to tell!

ANNOUNCING NEWS!

What do the names RJ Clarken, Walt Wojtanik, Hannah Gosselin, Laurie Kolp, De Jackson, Rob Halpin, Aimee Halpin and the late Dyson McIllwain have in common?

They all probably first crossed paths at Poetic Asides with Robert Lee Brewer. They have been fervent contributors here at POETIC BLOOMINGS. But, what many may not know, they have all served as administrators and prompters at the flash fiction site, FLASHY FICTION.

You may notice the look here is changing and than means different routines and habits. We're willing to put up with it as long as it is positive. Rob and Aimee and I believe they are nothing but. 

Well, in keeping with this air of change,  I would like to announce that FLASHY FICTION will be joining up under our a banner to be a part of FLASHY FICTION FRIDAY over at CREATIVE BLOOMINGS. Rob Halpin and his wife Aimee, along with myself have been keeping the site (which RJ Clarken and her cohorts started back in the early days of Rock… well, not really that long ago!) on life support and I felt this would be a perfect fit for the flash fiction aficionados there at our new and improved site. Flash fiction may not be everyone’s bag of beans, but for those who do flash, it will be a haven which will be more accessible.

The three of us will alternate with a new prompt each Friday, with the last Friday being devoted to an instruction, a discussion or an exercise. You may post your efforts in the comment section and/or provide a link to your story on your blog so we can visit your other fine works.

Also in this forum we will help develop characters, backgrounds and other aspects of storytelling for those who venture into the NANOWRIMO every November. It may be a helpful tool in this regard.

I thank Rob Halpin for his outstanding work, developing the new look at FLASHY FICTION and for getting the “Newer” design of the CREATIVE BLOOMINGS’ FLASHY FICTION FRIDAY up and running so quickly. Those who regularly visit the site will have already seen a “preview” .

At FLASHY FICTION FRIDAY we have a tagline: “Everyone has a little story to tell…” Join us on Fridays and try your hand at telling yours.

Gateway to the Soul

It's been said that the eyes are the gateway to the soul.  What do you see when you look into this eye?  If you looked closely into your own eye in a mirror, what would you see?  What about your lover's?  Your child's?  Write a little Flashy Fiction about gazing into someone's eyes and finding something there.  Is it what you expected?

RESOLUTION #9

It's down on your list, but the most attainable. You've made your resolutions for the new year. Long after working out more, and losing weight, and smoking cessation, this is the one resolution at which you will succeed. In a bit of FLASHY FICTION, tell us about your plans.

Illusions

No, this amusement park isn't burning down.  The sun is simply setting in dramatic fashion, splashing the nearby clouds with it's red light.  A quick glance conveys a different story, though:  an illusion of fire.  Write a little Flashy Fiction in which something seen at a glance turns out to be something else.  Does it cause angst, panic, misplaced trust? 

ONO, WHERE'S THE AIR

Last Thursday, Yoko Ono posted this as her Facebook status:

"This is a room suffocating with no empty space. Sit in it."

Sounds like an episode of the Twilight Zone! So in keeping with the annual Twilight Zone marathon on Syfy, write this scene/fiction. Gasp for air and pen your piece.

STEPPING INTO THE UNKNOWN

The new year begins; a threshold to our hopes and dreams. Who knows what 2014 will hold.

Write you flashy fiction to explore a goal or wish you may have. Write of a disappointment you expect. Look into the immediate future and let your imagination step into the unknown. Whether you want to make it happen or hope it will, put it out there and see who's listening!