FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-22

Welcome back as we jump into December with both feet! If you've just completed NaNo: CONGRATULATIONS!!!! YOU ARE FINISHED!!! Whether you're a 'WINNER' or you just wrote a few words: I'm proud of you! Words toward a goal are to be celebrated. My personal goal for the month was somewhere around 30K or when I've finished the novel. Right now I'm just under 25K for the month with a day to go and a scene and a half to write (I think...). (I've passed 50K for the novel.) So my goal is certainly within the realm of possibility. Anyway, let's keep the good writing vibes going through the month of December! Go check out today's 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 pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Catherine Custard. Read her winning tale from last week here! Find her on Twitter @cat_custard. Catherine is a mother of three teenagers who teaches English riding lessons and leads fourth graders on Civil War/Civil Rights tours in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. She’s just discovered flash fiction which is a welcome distraction from the mystery novel she’s dangerously close to finishing!

 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #3-22 is:

Officer [desperate plea], I can explain!

Desperate plea is optional; you may fill the bracket or leave it out as you see fit.

 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:

Reference 3 human body parts AND include at least 3 of the following words:

cat

blue smoke

hair

winding staircase

putrid

snout

hose

fog horn

hot chocolate

trifecta

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #20

Welcome back for week 20 of Finish That Thought! 20 weeks already! Where did the time go? I like nice, round, even numbers (sometimes), so HUZZAH! Thanks for participating! You all rock! Now go write!

NaNoers: By the end of this flash contest, you should have 31,666 words on your NaNoWriMo Novel to be 'on track'. (Ugh! I'm around 22,000! 10K behind?!?!?!) No matter where you are in relation to that number, KEEP GOING! Every word written is a word you didn't have before! Feel free to use this prompt in your WIP, or take a break and jot off a quick flash piece to rest your brain from the story...whatever will help most. Write on!



If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Mark Ethridge also known as @lurchmunster. Check out his blog here. Read his winning tale from last week here!

 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #20 is:


Daddy, why is the snow red?



 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


Use the word: rust


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #18 - RESULTS!

I LOVED you entries! Imaginary friends are so much fun...or...erm...maybe not! And the DARES!  What? Remind me to never play truth or dare with any of you! :) If you missed all the fun, go read the entries here. Otherwise, let's see what our judge had to say. (oh, she also commented on the thread, so check those out too if you missed that!)



Reviews:

drmagoo :

OH, I was so hoping he'd at least have a bungee cord. But alas, it's not to be. First time I read this my heart was pounding. Great tension. I felt right in the story, unfortunately, all the way to the end. Yikes! Great work.

Michelle:

Wow, okay I got chills at the end.
Love that you kept me guessing who was the imaginary one up until the last part. At first I thought it was Robert.
Loved this. Great job.

Pen Name: 

You put me right in your world. Loved the dialect and that he was an ogre. Really liked this character, hope you can use him again in a bigger story.
Well done.

 

Melissa:

As one whose spelling is horrid, I can see where entering a spelling bee would be dangerous. Enjoyed the story and I always have to look up discombobulated, too, but I love how it sounds. lol. Fun read.

JM MacF: 
Didn't see that coming. lol. I was confused at first, thinking she had the crush on Isaac, but I believe that's what you intended. I liked the surprise ending, but did have to reread a couple of times to understand what was going on. Perhaps showing the empty swing next to her in the beginning might have cleared that up. Loved the twist at the end.

Rebekah Postupak:
Noooo, oh, poor girl. What a great twisting of fairy tales, along with a great ending. Enjoyed this story and loved how you even twisted up the challenge in the end. Well done!



Everyone entered some great stories. I really enjoyed them all and loved that everyone even accepted both challenges. Great work all of you.

Okay, after much deliberation and arguing with Stanley who wishes everyone would write about nice imaginary friends - like, why would they do that? Geeze - We've... uh, I have made my decision. Hush Stanley!

Here goes:
 

 

 Special Challenge Runner - Up:
Rebekah Postupak - Enchanted



 

Special Challenge Champion:

Pen Name - Boys Will Be Boys

 

 

 

 

Grand Champion Runner - Up:

Michelle - Imaginary


 
Grand Champion:

drmagoo - Untitled

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #17 - RESULTS!

Wow! That was fun! I had a great time reading all the stories this week. If you missed them, go here to read them all. From the feedback you all gave me, I will be running November like every other month (since most of you aren't participating in NaNo); HOWEVER, I think I'll be allowing excerpts in addition to flash stories to accommodate NaNo participants. So, I'll see you all next week! Now, for the judging you've all been waiting for.... (thanks, Christy!)

Muses were a popular choice this week when considering the mythical creature part of the special challenge. Must be something in the air...

Also, I protest that you all made it so difficult to select winners this week – too bad I didn't have a muse to guide my way.

 

Taking Wing by penname24

I was intrigued to figure out what kind of creature the main character was – it was clear she wasn't human. Once you mentioned sparrows, I noticed a lot of the hints scattered in the story that helped guide to that conclusion.

 

Daydream Believer by Kate

Firstly, you got that song stuck in my head, thank you. I like the world set up, and would love to see the  "Daydream Believers" company in a longer work. I'm worried for Marci (and curious what the girls are going to do with her) but overall the premise seemed too large for the 500 word limit.

 

A Muse Thing by Jcastle316

A heartbroken muse learns her artist isn't acknowledging her contributions – I felt sad for her when she got to the dedication page. Good job at drawing emotions out.

 

Escaped from the Labyrinth by @patrickjstahl

A fresh take on the mythical creature, I liked the great Minotaur war that was happening. The inclusion of Christmas felt a bit forced a first, but it was tempered by the continuation of the thought – whether or not the MC's wife would put up a tree.

 

Holiday of a Lifetime by @MissieK

I like the alternate use of holiday. Definitely a case of mis-advertising going on with this trip, though, and I hope I never find myself on a holiday like this one.

 

Seeking Shelter by @CharlesWShort

An animal shelter, a love story. I like the change in the character relationship over the span of the story, and that even though they've changed, their situation hasn't.

 

Untitled by @drmagoo

A little girl's perfect room, complete with magic wands. I had a bit of trouble determining the age of the child (she seemed infant at first, but older later when the MC asks what "got her interested in all of this"). The ending felt complete, despite this being the shortest entry.

 

Muse Abuse by JM MacF

As a big fan (and long time participant of NaNo WriMo) I enjoyed seeing it make it's way into a story. The time line confused me – it read like a single letter, and it took me a second read to realize the monologue was over the course of the month. And as a WriMo, I completely empathize with having such a moody muse.

 

 

 

Special Challenge Runner Up:

 

Holiday of a Lifetime by @MissieK

 

 

 

Special Challenge Champion:

 

Escaped from the Labyrinth by @patrickjstahl

 

 

 

 

Grand Champion Runner Up:

 

Seeking Shelter by @CharlesWShort

 

 

 

Grand Champion:

 

A Muse Thing by Jcastle316

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #17

So...our last contest before NaNoWriMo begins... Let's get those fingers warmed up and those brains chugging! 

First, I need some help deciding what would be best for you all. I need to know how NaNo will affect each of you in November in terms of this flash contest. The two options I'm considering are:
1) Business as usual - including winners judging the following week.
2) Writing Prompts minus the judging - giving you the option of adding the sentence into your WIP or writing a separate flash piece for freshness. (This option would give this weeks winner judging duty the first week of December)

Please leave me a comment so I know how to proceed next week...maybe I'm the only one of us doing NaNo this year??? :)

 Anyway, we all know NaNo will be all rainbows and puppies and cupcakes with sprinkles...so I'm ready to read about something that may not be as sweet as expected. ;) GO WRITE!



If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Christy Shorey also known as @weylyn42. Read her winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #17 is:


"What, did you think it was going to be all rainbows and puppies?"

Note: the punctuation can ABSOLUTELY change as long as all the words are in the right order.


 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


Include a mythical creature and a holiday.


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #16 - RESULTS!

So sorry for the late results this week! I'm on vacation and have been MIA from the computer. I'm in the middle of packing and I'll be driving all day tomorrow, so this is going to be short. Thank you, Eric, for judging! Go check out the stories this week here. And here is what Eric had to say:



A small group this week, but still some very enjoyable reading. Thanks to those who took on the challenge and submitted a story!

Pen Name: I like the use of the 'story within the story,' although overall I found myself a little confused as to who the voices were in the story - Monster, whoever wrote the note, the character in the story. It felt like this was a story which needed a little more room to breathe.

Christy: Such a horrible life for these children, and I fear, a life that is about to come to an end. It put me in the mind of Anne Frank or a child dealing with the horrors of war and genocide. Very well constructed. I don't see anything in the story about a broken window, however, so this story doesn't qualify for the special challenge.

Sarah Aisling: When I saw the comment about the full moon, I thought we were headed for a werewolf story, but you took it another way. Nicely optimistic without being treacly, and set well in the present day.

Jeffrey Hollar: (Ineligible...by a minute) Well-constructed, atmospheric. Dark in multiple ways. Poor Coltrane, living through an apocalypse that doesn't seem to want to end...until he decides to take matters into his own hands.



Special Challenge Champion:

Sarah Aisling

A nice little real-life story, with some hope for the future.



Grand Champion:

Christy

Dark and depressing, but compelling.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #16

Our judge seems to be courting suspense with this sentence. (I could be totally wrong, but...) Are you going to give it to him (have us cowering in the corner or shaking in our boots?), or toss expectations out the window and make us laugh or cry or sigh in contentedness instead? It's up to you! How would you finish this thought???

If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Eric Martell also known as @drmagoo. Go check out his blog here. Read his winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #16 is:


The light flickered, then went out.


 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


A transformation, a broken window, and a note


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #15 - RESULTS!

WooHoo! With moons exploding all over the place (literally and figuratively), it's amazing anything else was accomplished at all! But, boy, was there other stuff happening! Go check it out here if you missed it before reading what judge Neil Solanki has to say. Thanks, everyone, for sharing your stories with us!




I really did enjoy all the pieces and it was very very hard to decide the winners!

duckglow:  I love the idea of planetary technicians!  Makes me think of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which I’m quite fond of.  Putting the moon into the big dipper was a fantastic touch!  I’m a big fan of treating the earth like “just another meaningless part of the universe”, so to speak.

mysoulstears:  The idea of exploding the moon with colors as a graffiti artist is brilliant.  I totally love the idea that the graffiti would be there for potentially thousands of years as “solar wind erodes the paints” ever so slowly.  I wish you had run with just this idea because I loved it so much.  Very well written as well.  

M L Gammella:  This was a very endearing and creative idea.  I hadn't thought about the moon being just a small model replica for a school project!  Quite cute and way to go integrating the special challenge.  Ahh, duct tape, good old duct tape...

drmagoo:  This story, though short, was too fun.  I was really impressed with how much authorial punch was packed in so few paragraphs.  The narrator’s smug, vengeful, and almost nihilistic attitude shines through the page.  Well done.

storeroomoftheheart:  Space fighters. Wormholes. Inter-galaxy travel. Utter chaos and destruction.  Complete despair.  Hunted in the night.  This yarn has it all!  What’s not to like?

 

wh1006:  Ha!  Loved it.  Hell, we’re all dead anyways, might as well make...a cheesecake!!  Still chuckling as I finish writing this comment.



Special Challenge Champion:

M L Gammella because window washers and duct tape seem to be a synergy made in heaven for some reason.


Grand Champion:

drmagoo because the authorial voice just gripped me right away and the story, while short, was packed with so many subtle emotions.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #15

I'm TOTALLY breaking the rules today! I couldn't help it. I'm making an exception. I created this to be a first sentence prompt flash fiction contest, and you only get a dependent clause today. It still has to be in the beginning, but it's not a complete sentence. You really are finishing the thought today! I can't wait to read what you come up with! 

If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words, any genre
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence. (or, you know, dependent clause...)
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Neil Solanki, also known as @NeilJSolanki. Go check out his blog here. Read his winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence(ish) for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #15 is:


When the moon exploded...


 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


Integrate a window washer from a large metropolitan area.


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #14 - RESULTS!

What a fun week! I hope you enjoyed the stories as much as I did! If you missed them, go here to catch up before reading what the judge has to say. Speaking of which, Kate Julicher has some general comments followed by the winners! Congratulations everyone!

mysoulstears: oh, you didn't start with the right sentence! I think that means auto disqualify. :( I liked the magazines. You did a great job of showing his irritation though! Yes, it was obviously inspired by the prompt sentence; but as it wasn't included, it is disqualified. :( Sorry, Mark, for not checking earlier and letting you know before the contest ended.

 

storeroomoftheheart: Loved the spy drama! And I wasn't expecting it to be his boss. Liked it. I didn't understand how he knew the manhole cover shouldn't be there. 

 

drmagoo: love the setting! Computers, moon base, totally appeals to me. I really liked the ending too.

 

neilJSolanki: wow, creepy. I never even thought of that prompt as dying words but yup, that totally worked for me. Short, sweet, to the point. Well maybe not sweet.

 

M L Gammella: Nice setting! I thought Abe was another computer at first but aliens are awesome too. And so creepy. Didn't see that twist coming.

 

Jeffrey Hollar: More SF! Awesome. I like the sabotage. Good story. I think I like the AI better than the human though :)

 

wh1006: ah, fantasy! Very atmospheric and creepy.  Wasn't completely sure what was different about tonight's rituals. Felt like the start of a bigger piece!

 

 

 

Special Challenge Champion:

 

M L Gammella, because he doesn't just have a voice in his head he's got an alien parasite mind controller, and that's awesome.

 

 

 

Grand Champion: 

 

NeilJSolanki So short, but did something I really wasn't anticipating and made the starter line really creepy.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #14

Yay! We're back! I've missed you all! We have a super fun prompt for you today and I can't wait to read how you finish this one. So get those keyboards ready and grab yourself a snack and WRITE! 

If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Kate Julicher, also known as @KateJulicher. Read her winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #14 is:


That doesn't belong there.


 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


There is a voice in the main character's head, but s/he is not crazy.


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #13 - RESULTS!

I had so much fun reading your entries this week! Thanks for coming out and playing! If you missed them, go check out the entries here. Otherwise, on to the judging! (General comments first followed by the winners!)



Thanks to all of you for entering - I've never had to set a writing challenge before and really enjoyed seeing how one line took you all in such different directions.

Kate - I had no idea what Mya was getting done until the very end, and it was a really big surprise. The use of the word "mechanic" instead of "surgeon" or "specialist" was a great idea, as was the idea of comparing her choices to those of the contestant in the show in the background (we don't have catfish steaks here in Ireland, but I'm guessing they're not the greatest food on earth).

Penname - I'm amazed at the story you came up with from the line you were given. A support group for zombie-killers? Well, of course they'd need one when you think about it. I suspect that if the story went on longer Austine and Sterling would have an interesting relationship. I really enjoyed this, it was such a zany concept.

TestBlog - some TV producer somewhere will read this and think  "Mmmm...Dodge or Die....that's actually a good idea". If they do make sure you get the royalties. It's so believable that TV game shows will eventually end up just this crazy. I liked the idea that if we got to live forever we'd start to crave the feeling of mortality - it's very probably what would happen.

wh1006 - this is a lovely story, and Amelie is such a likeable and believable character. The description of the nerves she felt is spot-on, and it was great that despite her nerves she could see the flaws in the judges, get annoyed at their questions and be self-aware enough to think "can really feel this stupid right now?". And auditions as a TV game show is another idea which will surely come along soon. 





Special Challenge Champion:

TestBlog

I asked you to mention TV game shows and you set your whole story in one, a really cleverly thought-up one.

Grand Champion:

Kate

because of the amazing idea for a story, because I was kept guessing till the very end, and because of the great last line.
 



Thanks to all of you again for entering, and to you Alissa, for hosting it all,
Tin.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #13

Is it just me, or is time set on warp drive mode??? It does not seem possible that an entire week has passed already! BUT that just means we get to read more great stories by you all! Who's ready for another week? Well, let's get to it! If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Tinman. Go check out his blog here. Read his winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #13 is:


It was something [s]he'd never done before.


 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


[Mention] TV game show[s].


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #12 - RESULTS!

It's finally here! The moment you've been waiting for...for longer than usual. Communicating with the other side of the world takes some schedule coordination that I just didn't have this week! ...Plus, someone *cough* me *cough* was offline for over 24 hours unexpectedly. Enough excuses, we're here to see what the judge has said. He made comments on each story on the original post here. If you missed them, be sure to check them out. Otherwise, here are his winners!!!




Special Challenge Runner Up:

wh1006

Dollhouse, by wh1006. I think this story could do with some fleshing out, and I think that there’s no greater compliment to give for a flash piece than to say you’d love to read a longer version, and to see more of the world the author has written. I’d love to read a longer version of this, and to see more of the characters and world you’ve created, wh1006. I think that lengthening it would let you add more suspense and terror to the piece. Mr Harvey is creepy, in an innocently evil kind of way. Although we don’t know exactly what he’s doing to his little dolls. Creepy and inventive.


Special Challenge Champion:

PenName

I’ve been trying recently to use the line the sky burned as the introduction to a story – which is why I chose it in the first place – and none of the stories I wrote carried it off properly. So it’s a line that I’ve had to cut from about six science fiction/fantasy stories. Penname’s story Delia’s Dragon, or How Delia Discovered Her Ancient Powers is the kaiju story I was trying to write. The dragon is immediate and real, “…his golden tints glimmered with every fire-blasted breath, looking every bit like a swarm of swift fireflies.” And I loved the nail-polish names in this piece, too. What a dragon!


Runner Up:

duckglow

Although duckglow’s 53 Seconds did have a couple of issues I loved the descriptive work in this story, this line in particular: "Gusts of wind ripped through the desolation and carried off pieces of men." As I said, there are a couple of things that need touching up, but I do love a good apocalypse. A story that captures that moment at Ground Zero, and it carries the weight of that moment in cleverly spartan prose, handling it matter-of-factly and making it even realer.


Grand Champion!

Tinman

It takes a certain dash or flair to make a very short story like Tinman’s untitled piece work. I love flash and micro fiction – I feel swept along when I write them, like the story carries me, rather than the story being dragged into being by my writing it. I especially liked the humour in this story, it’s hard enough to write humorous writing, let alone make it so brief. Other than the typo (and I’m sure it’s a typo, not a grammatical mistake), this story is great. I feel like it could be either shorter or longer, and that’s a good thing.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #12

We're back! Another week has flown by! I swear, they've been moving faster than normal recently! I'm really excited to see what you do with this prompt today! If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Chris White also known as @chriswhitewrite. Go check out his blog here. Read his winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #12 is:


The sky burned.


 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


Include a predator vs. prey situation


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #11 - RESULTS!

WooHoo! Splish! Splash! So much water!!! Thank you to everyone for sharing your stories! Week #11 is sunk. If you haven't yet read the entries, you can follow the link here. (There are some serious spoilers below, so go read first!) The lovely Judge Postupak has spoken, and here is what she said:

Dear writing friends: I was pleased to see that not everyone drowned this week. A rather tragic number did (technically 29%, or possibly 43%, depending on what @LurchMunster's judge decides), but since the murders (or double murders, in the case of @NickJohns999) were the delicious, summer beach reading kind, I switched from coffee to iced sweet tea and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thank you so much for coming out to share your watery creative genius. As ever, it's a privilege reading your work. Thanks!

General comments

@LurchMunster: half Romeo & Juliet, half Julius Caesar, this romantic and bloody tale of star-crossed lovers was heart-pounding in more than one way, a wonderfully dark and watery take on an old concept that felt totally fresh. What sort of bribe would it take for you to tell me the MC's fate...?

@NickJohns999. "Gazing Into the Abyss." Once again, you totally nailed plotting, this time with a relationship gone sour against a backdrop of doom--a really spectacular double whammy. I loved the unexpected poison seeping out of the story's conclusion--your title was so very apt!

Penname "Compulsion." This "inside look" at the cruelties suffered by someone with OCD was both funny and tragic. I would love to know if Gerald survives to adulthood, and if he does, what sort of life he winds up with. You've done a really wonderful job bringing this unique and memorable (mer)character to life.

@ducknado. "The Moon, 10,001 BC." OF COURSE your underwater scene took place on the moon, just as I expected. I probably would have gone though an entire box of Kleenex weeping if you hadn't. Your story with its nervous teen protagonist and silly names was such a blast to read. It reminded me of Captain Underpants, of course, and made me smile start to finish. 

Crystal Alden, "The Missing Book." Your story of a girl looking for the right sort of book who goes on an adventure and discovers she needs to write that book herself was just amazing. I liked the funny way you told her story, and how you built excitement by warning us of the coming storm. This is a truly wonderful story, well-organized with a powerful punch at the end, and I enjoyed reading it very much. You are a seriously talented young lady.

@chriswhitewrites. "Duck, Duck, Goose." Mother Goose meets Shirley Jackson! You managed to take a simple children's game and turn it into a mechanism of death. Yours is the same sort of clever mind as whoever first looked at a cheerful clown and thought, "How can I use that to terrify people?" Nice.

@drmagoo. What an effective buildup of tension in this scene! Maria's nerves practically leap off the page in terror. Why is the Commander about to call someone's name? Whose name will he call, and what will happen to them? You've taken a run-of-the-mill school assembly and injected it with a couple strong doses of adrenaline. Nicely done!

WINNERS:

Judge's Challenge: @NickJohns999. While I'm not sure why the POV switched from 3rd to 1st person midway, the abyss of deep water is pivotal to this story's central crisis and also serves as a stark metaphor of David & Emma's lethally destructive relationship. In the tradition of Stephen King, "Abyss" is utterly tragic and utterly terrifying; and it is utterly inseparable from its watery setting. It's a powerful and full-bodied use of the challenge, deserving of the challenge title.

Best Twist Winner (no, this is not technically a category, but I'm gonna let it slide this once...'cause, really, I think it's my favorite twist ever!): Crystal Alden. This story is told simply and without ornamentation or elaboration, but the restless longing at the beginning met by the conclusion's triumphant realization blew me away. It offers the best kind of "twist," one that instead of shattering the story, fulfills it. Really, really well done.

Grand Champ: @ChrisWhiteWrites. Centered on a child's game, the story itself is staccato and tornadic, an effective metaphor of style/form for what we soon learn is really going on. No sooner do we catch up to the narrator than the story ends, dramatically and with a terrible, Lord of the Flies-type finality. There isn't much going on in the plot, but there doesn't need to be. This is really well-structured and executed (pardon the pun) flash writing. Great work! 

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #11

DOH! I did it again! So sorry for not posting last night. I don't know how I spaced it. Thanks to Rebekah for asking me about it...I was asleep when she did, so you get it when I got up. We can extend the deadline if we need to. *EDIT - We will push the deadline back to 6:30am Eastern time to give everyone a full 24 hours* If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Rebekah Postupak also known as @postupak (and her contest acct @FlashFridayFic). Go check out her blog here (Where she hosts the Flash!Friday! flash fiction contest every Friday (just in case that wasn't clear...)). Read her winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #9 is:


[She] waited, trembling, for them to call [her] name.



 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:

The story must take place primarily (preferably entirely) underwater.


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!! (if a bit late...)

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #10 - RESULTS!

Week 10 has been conquered! If you haven't yet read the entries, you can find them here. Seriously, go follow that link and leave some love of your own! Comments are always appreciated. Certainty or uncertainty...that is the question. Well, one thing we ARE certain about is PenName's decision. The judge has spoken! ...And if I just stop typing you can read what he said... But I'm feeling ornery today... Are you still reading this? Are you certain? Just checking. Oh, alright! Go read what he had to say:

What a drop this week, only four. (sadness) But, I'm excited that I was allowed to judge the entries this week. Below are some of my thoughts about each of your entries. I tried to be constructive, but keep in mind that I am a very critical person, (people hate handing me their papers to read because I will usually tear them apart) so realize that I am just being my usual fault-finding self. (That was literally one of the descriptors on a personality test I took once, fault-finding! Gee thanks.)

Sorry, I've rambled. I loved reading all your stories and seeing how you took the first sentence and just ran with it. I really do consider it a pleasure to give you guys my thoughts and award a winner, so without further ceremony, here are the results.

duckglow

I really like how the characters in this story went from being vastly uncertain about what was going to happen, to being wrong and then being certain of everything. I was a little bit confused by some of the language used to describe some things - “ 20,000 years in the making” and “billions of years into the distance;” and “moments passed in an instant.” But, perhaps that was the point, giving a sense that time and space wasn't exactly what it seemed. I was not sure what was meant by “explored the very limits of our peculiar nature.” But, all in all, I loved the idea of being at the end of the world, the end of time, the end of the universe, that brink. But, now I want to know what happened in that instant, and what will happen next, you've left me thirsty for more.

jessicapwest

I don't feel that the first sentence had a lot to do with the subject matter of the story, though the story itself was certainly one we can all relate to – man, have I had those days! I was a little confused by the switching of tenses and there were a couple of times where I had to go back and reread because I didn't follow it the first time. At the end I was expecting some sort of crisis moment, where the ordeals of the day finally coalesced into some sort of drastic action or climax. They were resolved to a certain extent, but my expectation was for something a bit more. All that said, I felt the pain of Evangeline, and each moment through the day, I was rooting for her and hoping for something to get better for her character. Keep writing!

Grand Champion Runner-Up:

 

mysoulstears

 

I loved this take on the first sentence. There were some wonderful descriptors of the kitchen and I like how almost the whole time the husband just wasn't exactly sure what had gone wrong, though it had seemed that he had tried to do everything right. I also like the hint of relationship issues that were larger than the cooking incident itself. The husband's reaction said a lot about his character and the way things currently were between them.

Grand Champion and Special Challenge Winner:

Rebekah Postupak

 

This was a feast of words! The descriptors were fast and furious and the sentences long and meandering. Dense reading, but I love dense reading, so that's fine with me. I particularly liked the use of the challenge words; so natural and unforced, it fit right into the text and enhanced the flow of the story. Of course I also loved the characters and the potential story here. I was ready to read about his quest to avenge his love, and was interested in the particulars of her death. I thought this was a brilliant use of the lead sentence and a beautiful and interesting story.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #10

We've reached TEN! WooHoo! Ten weeks! We have ten fingers and ten toes and now ten weeks of #FTT! Let's make this week the best yet! If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted


Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, 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 Penname also known as Aaron White. Go check out his blog here. Read his winning tale from last week here!

Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #10 is:


[He] was uncertain, though there was plenty to be certain about.


Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


Include the words:
peculiar
impunity
empyrean

 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!