May 2016 - 3 Flash to 1 Short Challenge - Week 3
Posted: Sun May 15, 2016 8:13 pm
Get ready... get set... go!
Ready for week #3?
Here are your options for May's month-long challenge, part 3. Pick the next portion of whichever challenge you chose last week. When you have finished each week's prompt, feel free to create a thread here in the Word Trip Monthly Writing Challenge area and keep posting each one as you go. You can post your rough drafts, finished drafts... or none at all.
Each week a new prompt of the challenge will be posted. Write a Flash Fiction piece with a total of a 100-1000 words each. These will be three separate Flash Fiction stories based on the prompt that is posted each week.
FIRST OPTION
Paragraph Prompt – Use the given paragraph as inspiration for the weekly story prompts leading to a mysterious conclusion. There will be weekly prompts to go along with the paragraph.
There wasn’t time to react the way one would react if given the opportunity to think about the entire situation. With everyone’s eyes turned with anticipation and uncertainty, there were only moments and those moments were ticking fast.
Week 1– Write a fictional story based on the above information using third person point of view. Give this story an ending but leave a hidden mystery for later.
Week 2 -Write a story from the viewpoint of another character in the first story showing a completely different version of what happened. Make this character someone unknown in any way to the main character in the first story. Give this story an ending as well and leave the mystery intact, perhaps adding more to it.
Week 3 – write a story of something happening in another part of town (or area) that involves a family member or a friend (or something to this affect) to the main character in story 1 or 2. Make it known that there is a connection, perhaps hinting to a possible solution to the mystery or not mentioning it at all. Give this story an ending as well but keep in mind there is more to come. If this does not work with what you've created so far, be even more creative.
SECOND OPTION
The Mixed Up Inspiration Challenge – a Hodge podge of prompts leading to a climatic ending!
Week 1 - Pick up a book and turn to chapter 17. Use the chapter title as inspiration to write your first story. No title to chapter 17? Use the 17th sentence instead. Add one or more of the following to your story as well…
a. “These steal toed boots are killing me!”
b. He was older than yesterday by a dozen years.
c. Jumping was the only way to save his/her life.
Week 2 - Use the following character description to write your second story. Put him into a situation that can link him to the first story.
This character is surly and aggressive and has shifty eyes. He was made to work in the family sweatshop and was educated by running errands for Vinny. He married badly and he has a chronic phobia of heights and confined spaces.
Week 3 - Use one of these plot ideas for your third story. Mention a character from one or both of your previous stories.
a. A runaway teen interviews a demoralized drug addicted outlaw.
b. A sensitive 39 year-old woman and a 74 year old-woman are at a marina. A secret recording has been made in this story of deception.
c. A routine blood tests shows two family members are not related in this story of greed.
THIRD OPTION
Journey Through Life Prompt – use the prompts to show the progression of life for a group of individuals. What is the moral of your story?
Week 1 – Use ONE of the following groups to begin your journey. The first story should end at a point in life where a new journey might begin.
a. Four boys sitting on a log near a stream throwing rocks and/or fishing
b. Three girls lying in the grass watching the clouds float into different shapes
c. A variety of young children all playing baseball or another sport
Week 2 – Use one of the following groups to continue your journey. You might want to use the one that goes along with the first story or pick another to wrap up a bigger story later.
a. Four men in their 20s heading out to the camp ground where something unusual happens causing an epiphany for one or more of them.
b. Three women in their 20s coincidentally at the same location are reminded of their friendship and decide to make some changes.
c. A variety of people in their 20s pick up where they left off as children and create a team that go on to compete in ways they never imagined.
Week 3 – use one of the following groups/situations to continue your journey. Remember, you can pick any of them but there is to be a moral to your story in the end.
a. Four men in their 40s after years of separation find themselves compelled to meet again and come to some enormous conclusions. One is going through divorce, one is experiencing health issues, one is just tired of mowing the lawn, and one has lost his parent to Alzheimer’s disease.
b. Three women in their 40s after years of living in the same neighborhood and going through many changes get together one night and have a séance.
c. A variety of people in their 40s at war with each other.
FOURTH OPTION
Roll of the Dice Poetry Challenge. Writing three poems using the weekly prompts (1 poem per week) with a final poem to bring them together.
Week 1 – Use one of the following prompts to write your 12 stanza poem (with or without rhyme). Extra challenge… roll a die to determine which one you will chose.
a. Word Prompt: time, single, burst, view, pocket, shadow, wild, sunset
b. Déjà vu… again and again
c. You took a wrong turn and ended up…
Week 2 – Use the following information to create your second poem.
Part 1) “on the porch, across the lake, down where the grass grows, where he lives”
Part 2) Roll your dice and add both number into your poem
Week 3 – use the following picture for your next poem. Use the word “dice” in your poem.

Ready for week #3?
Here are your options for May's month-long challenge, part 3. Pick the next portion of whichever challenge you chose last week. When you have finished each week's prompt, feel free to create a thread here in the Word Trip Monthly Writing Challenge area and keep posting each one as you go. You can post your rough drafts, finished drafts... or none at all.

Each week a new prompt of the challenge will be posted. Write a Flash Fiction piece with a total of a 100-1000 words each. These will be three separate Flash Fiction stories based on the prompt that is posted each week.
FIRST OPTION
Paragraph Prompt – Use the given paragraph as inspiration for the weekly story prompts leading to a mysterious conclusion. There will be weekly prompts to go along with the paragraph.
There wasn’t time to react the way one would react if given the opportunity to think about the entire situation. With everyone’s eyes turned with anticipation and uncertainty, there were only moments and those moments were ticking fast.
Week 1– Write a fictional story based on the above information using third person point of view. Give this story an ending but leave a hidden mystery for later.
Week 2 -Write a story from the viewpoint of another character in the first story showing a completely different version of what happened. Make this character someone unknown in any way to the main character in the first story. Give this story an ending as well and leave the mystery intact, perhaps adding more to it.
Week 3 – write a story of something happening in another part of town (or area) that involves a family member or a friend (or something to this affect) to the main character in story 1 or 2. Make it known that there is a connection, perhaps hinting to a possible solution to the mystery or not mentioning it at all. Give this story an ending as well but keep in mind there is more to come. If this does not work with what you've created so far, be even more creative.
SECOND OPTION
The Mixed Up Inspiration Challenge – a Hodge podge of prompts leading to a climatic ending!
Week 1 - Pick up a book and turn to chapter 17. Use the chapter title as inspiration to write your first story. No title to chapter 17? Use the 17th sentence instead. Add one or more of the following to your story as well…
a. “These steal toed boots are killing me!”
b. He was older than yesterday by a dozen years.
c. Jumping was the only way to save his/her life.
Week 2 - Use the following character description to write your second story. Put him into a situation that can link him to the first story.
This character is surly and aggressive and has shifty eyes. He was made to work in the family sweatshop and was educated by running errands for Vinny. He married badly and he has a chronic phobia of heights and confined spaces.
Week 3 - Use one of these plot ideas for your third story. Mention a character from one or both of your previous stories.
a. A runaway teen interviews a demoralized drug addicted outlaw.
b. A sensitive 39 year-old woman and a 74 year old-woman are at a marina. A secret recording has been made in this story of deception.
c. A routine blood tests shows two family members are not related in this story of greed.
THIRD OPTION
Journey Through Life Prompt – use the prompts to show the progression of life for a group of individuals. What is the moral of your story?
Week 1 – Use ONE of the following groups to begin your journey. The first story should end at a point in life where a new journey might begin.
a. Four boys sitting on a log near a stream throwing rocks and/or fishing
b. Three girls lying in the grass watching the clouds float into different shapes
c. A variety of young children all playing baseball or another sport
Week 2 – Use one of the following groups to continue your journey. You might want to use the one that goes along with the first story or pick another to wrap up a bigger story later.
a. Four men in their 20s heading out to the camp ground where something unusual happens causing an epiphany for one or more of them.
b. Three women in their 20s coincidentally at the same location are reminded of their friendship and decide to make some changes.
c. A variety of people in their 20s pick up where they left off as children and create a team that go on to compete in ways they never imagined.
Week 3 – use one of the following groups/situations to continue your journey. Remember, you can pick any of them but there is to be a moral to your story in the end.
a. Four men in their 40s after years of separation find themselves compelled to meet again and come to some enormous conclusions. One is going through divorce, one is experiencing health issues, one is just tired of mowing the lawn, and one has lost his parent to Alzheimer’s disease.
b. Three women in their 40s after years of living in the same neighborhood and going through many changes get together one night and have a séance.
c. A variety of people in their 40s at war with each other.
FOURTH OPTION
Roll of the Dice Poetry Challenge. Writing three poems using the weekly prompts (1 poem per week) with a final poem to bring them together.
Week 1 – Use one of the following prompts to write your 12 stanza poem (with or without rhyme). Extra challenge… roll a die to determine which one you will chose.
a. Word Prompt: time, single, burst, view, pocket, shadow, wild, sunset
b. Déjà vu… again and again
c. You took a wrong turn and ended up…
Week 2 – Use the following information to create your second poem.
Part 1) “on the porch, across the lake, down where the grass grows, where he lives”
Part 2) Roll your dice and add both number into your poem
Week 3 – use the following picture for your next poem. Use the word “dice” in your poem.
