Monday, December 21, 2015

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-25 & 26




WELCOME! Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! We're going to do things differently this week. With the holiday season being a bit crazy and our time being not entirely our own, I've decided to keep this installment of FTT open for the duration of the holiday season. So, we will be live until after the new year! I hope that you will find time to fit in a story around the myriad of obligations during the next couple of weeks. You can even fit in two. We will go back to the normal schedule in January.

I have TWO first sentence prompts for you to choose from (or you can do a story for each). I also have FOUR different special challenges you can fit into one or both of your stories. You may choose to do only one of them or all four, whatever (or none, as is always an option).

I will be judging this round, BUT the winner will not be asked to judge the next round (though I reserve the right to ask for another day down the road depending on the popularity of keeping the contest open for a week). The winners of our Holiday Bash will be announced as soon as possible in January, depending on the number of entries.



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST (Dec 21 - Jan 2)
8. Only one (two) entry(ies) judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronounspunctuationtense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...


Our Judge today is Alissa Leonard. (That's ME!) Alissa is a mom of three elementary aged children. She is also a substitute teacher. In her spare time (Wait! I have spare time???) she writes. She is working on her third edit of a YA fantasy novel, and is just about finished with a first draft of a MG fantasy novel. The number of really-cool-books-she-would-like-to-write-but-hasn't-yet is painfully long, but she is determined to WRITE ALL THE WORDS!!! She reads mostly fantasy and science fiction, but enjoys books from across the spectrum of literature. She loves TONS of geeky things, but Doctor Who is her favorite, followed closely by superheroes, Star Wars, and Star Trek. She's also a huge board game fan. You are already on her blog ( ;) ) and you can follow her on twitter @lissajean7.



 Your first sentence(s) for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-25 is (are) (Pick one):



It came upon a midnight clear.


"It'll be different this [year]."




 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE(S) from the judge is (are):



Include onomatopoeia.

Include a kiss.

Include any of the following objects: star, bib, glue, thumbprint, journal, staple, platter, egg nog

Include any of the following verbs: thrust, gargle, shimmy, hurl, tiptoe, bellow, warble, lament, flounce, wallow, snicker



 
AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!






Wednesday, December 16, 2015

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-24 - RESULTS!




Thanks for coming out and sharing your stories with us. If you missed either entry, go read it here. Finished? Great! Here's what the judge had to say:



Special Challenge Champion:
Festive Spirit
by Geoff Holme

A very bad pun to end with, but I will allow ‘Walking in the Ayr’.  I think this story should also get a special award for introducing our friends across the pond to Leyton Orient.  As a child of the Midlands originally, even mentioning this name takes me back to Saturday afternoons when the Football Results were read out.  This writer really took the special challenge seriously and cleverly paved the way for incorporating them by using coincidences to generate “And to top it all, We Three Kings Of Orient Are all Driving Home For Christmas!”  There were a few other spooky coincidences for me – my Dad’s name is Alan, and his parents lived in Coventry for many, many years so again I took a slight nostalgia hit.  All I needed was for the story to be written in Black Country dialect! (Yes, I know Coventry is down a bit from Birmingham but it’s all pretty much a variation on the accent, I lived on the edge of the West Midlands in Shropshire and that could be just as bad!).
So for bad jokes – “You looked out and the pavement was covered in Black Forest gateaux and the road in sherry trifle… The street was desserted!”, corny lines incorporating Christmas songs, nostalgia and for seriously getting into the Festive Spirit, this story truly deserves the Special Challenge award.



Grand Champion:
Hearing Things
by Audrey Weinberg


A story of two halves.  Starting off with a woman, apparently being ignored by her partner and thinking she is hearing things but needs to find out if she is crazy or not.  Taking the advice of neurologist Oliver Sacks she goes for a run, testing her voice, testing her hearing.  All is normal.  Until she gets home and then we realise, as she enters the cold, dark and empty house that the Joe she mentioned at the start of the story does not exist, is not there.  But is she mad? Pulling out a missed envelope she reads the lines that tell us why her house is in its mournful state, why Joe isn’t there - a ‘tragedy’ befell her on Christmas Day; it goes some way to explaining her mental state.  Using the sound of breaking glass to symbolise her shattered life was a nice touch and the beautiful finishing lines effectively underlined the tragedy she had experienced.






Monday, December 14, 2015

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-24




Welcome back! I hope you're feeling festive this week as we're getting into the Christmas spirit early (or late, depending who you ask). For those not in a festive mood (Not to worry, I've jingle bells and candy canes to spare!), she left tons of wiggle room for you to make of it what you will. So have at it, friends! I'm excited to see the stories your mind dreams up!



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST
8. Only one entry judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronounspunctuationtense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...


Our Judge today is Steph Ellis. Read her winning tale from last week hereSteph writes flash, short stories (usually horror), poetry and has a novel lurking in the background.  She has had some stories published in various anthologies and magazines and a few more a scheduled for release this year.  She loves being part of the flash community and is proud to have been included in the upcoming Flash Dogs charity anthology, due out in the summer.  She can be found at her website My Playground and on twitter @el_Stevie.  The Flash Dogs can be found at http://theflashdogs.com/.  Check them out.



 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-24 is:



There was a clatter of [hooves] on the roof and a loud [Ho, Ho, Ho].




 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:



Include the TITLES of at least THREE well-known Christmas carols or songs.



 
AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!




Thursday, December 10, 2015

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-23 - RESULTS!




Thanks to both competitors for joining us this week and disrupting our sleep. If you missed either of the stories, go read them here. They are both excellent - and disturbing. Here's what the judge had to say:


Special Challenge Champion
Bill @bsbowens, “Tabbi's First”

This is such a sad, horrific little tale, with a whole lot of unanswered questions. It’s the best kind of horror tale, when the reader’s imagination works overtime to create and test a backstory. Tabbi’s going to need therapy for a long, long time, I suspect. Thank you for adopting the challenge, not one particularly well suited to horror.


Grand Champion
Steph Ellis @el_Stevie, “A World Away”

Steph was wise (I think) to pass on that challenge; adopting it would have probably hurt this story. Lillian got the therapy, but it didn’t “take,” on the face of things. What follows is a wild blend of Goldilocks (“and this one is just right!”) and Jame Gumb’s Woman Suit (“She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, slipping the scalped tresses over the bareness of her own skull.”) Creepy and disturbing, Steph, bravo—now please take her away to a nice, comfortably padded room.



I loved both tales, actually. (In my humble) both were excellent examples of horror.






Monday, December 7, 2015

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-23




Welcome! Welcome! We're so glad you've joined us today for the fun. I'm getting this posted late and I have a sick kiddo, so this will be even more brief than usual. Go ahead and read the prompt and write something amazing!



If you haven't read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Start with the given first sentence. (Allowable alterations listed below)
2. Up to 500 words (exclusive of title)
3. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Stories submitted must be your own work, using characters and worlds that you have created. Sorry, no fanfiction.
6. Include: Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
7. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST
8. Only one entry judged per round. If you write/post more than one story, you need to indicate which you would like judged. If you fail to indicate, it will be the first one posted.
9. Winner judges next round.



Oh, and feel free to change pronounspunctuationtense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...


Our Judge today is D.E. Park. Read his winning tale from last time here! Dave (D. E. Park) spends his spare time writing flash and micro fiction, and just attempting to get enough sleep. He’s a first-generation computer nerd (older than the internet), a lifetime devourer of SF&F (loser geek), even a comic book fan (three strikes!). He actually hasn’t been actively writing for very long (you can't tell?) He lives in Chicagoland with his wife Annie. Follow him @parkinkspot and check out his writing blog at parkinkspot.wordpress.com.



 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-23 is:


credit: Gregory Carrico
[Tabbi] had never touched anything as [soft] as the [rabbit] she held in her lap.




 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:



Include at least two embarrassing anecdotes related by your character(s).



 
AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!





Thursday, December 3, 2015

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-22 - RESULTS!




Congrats to all! Thanks for sharing your stories with us. If you missed any, go read them here. Otherwise, here's what the judge had to say:




‘Police Procedural’ by Geoff Holme
A wildly entertaining narrative in which a detective, through the use of nonsensical jargon, tries to communicate information gleaned from an informant. You made quick work of the special challenge with all the words and ten body parts cleverly interjected. My favorite: ‘DS Chapman sucked his teeth. “Any idea what those things’ll do to you? I’ve seen a forty a day blokes lungs in a forensic bowl once…black and putrid. Made me quit straight away.”’ I love it! Thanks for submitting your story! I didn’t include it because it was late; since I’m a newbie, I figured I better keep things procedural.  


Special Challenge Champion:  
‘Revenge’ by Steph Ellis
The hilarious aftermath of a foiled plot of revenge on a cheating husband. The story was active and descriptive; the “copper” smashing poor Tinker after his fall down the winding staircase was great fun for the reader— not so much for the cat! And Liz— what a character! She reminds me of my aunt— so dramatic! Great job!

You included six references to body parts and all ten of those crazy words while still managing to create a fantastic, funny story. What can I say, Steph; you are truly a master of the special challenge!


Grand Champion:  
‘Trapped’ by Dave@ParkInkSpot
A well written story about a big brother driving his “gifted” little sister through a small town to rescue a litter of orphaned kittens she’d dreamt about that morning. Dave, being from a small southern town myself, I can say your story is spot on— the speed trap where Sam escapes with a warning because his mother was the cop’s sixth grade teacher, nice! I loved that you were subtle about Emily’s physic abilities, allowing the reader to learn about her gift as the story unfolds.  At the risk of sounding like a stalker, I have to admit the story intrigued me enough to snoop out your website; I found another snippet about Sam and Emily — the spirits in the jars…FANTASTIC!

As for the special challenge; a trifecta of body parts in one sentence! ‘She squinted, crossed her eyes, and stuck out her tongue when the beam lit her tangled hair.’ In addition, I counted three special challenge words, hair, cat, and blue smoke, all masterfully incorporated— especially blue smoke! Well done!