Flash fiction: A style of fictional literature marked by extreme brevity
Welcome to LitReactor's Flash Fiction Smackdown, a monthly bout of writing prowess.
How It Works
We give you inspiration in the form of a picture, poem, video, or prompt. You write a flash fiction piece using the inspiration we gave you. Put your entry in the comments section. One winner will be picked and awarded a prize.
The Rules
- 30 words, tops. No more.
- It can be any genre.
- Give it a title. Please keep it to 10 words.
- We're not exactly shy, but let's stay away from senseless racism or violence.
- One entry per person.
- Editing your entry after you submit it is permitted.
- LitReactor staffers can't win, but are encouraged to participate.
- All stories submitted on or before October 29th will be considered. We'll run the winner on October 30th.
This Month's Prize
The internet is full of mash-ups, but the bookshelves are not. Enter LitReactor's own, Joshua Chaplinsky. Somewhere in between his day job and harassing tardy columnists about getting their shit in on time, Josh had the time to re-write H.P. Lovecraft's classic horror story, Herbert West - Reanimator, starring Kanye West! No, really, HE DID. It's called—wait for it—
Of Kanye West, who was my friend in college and after he dropped out, I can speak only with extreme sadness...
So begins this epic cautionary tale of ambition and hubris. A bizarre mix of Lovecraft and hip-hop history, Kanye West—Reanimator reimagines the classic story "Herbert West—Reanimator" with everyone's favorite petulant genius cast in the titular role. In it, Kanye West attempts to reanimate a moribund hip-hop scene, only to come to the conclusion that his music is so powerful, it should be used to reanimate the dead. And who better to reanimate than those two legendary titans gone before their time—Biggie and Tupac? Hilarity and carnage ensue.
Two winners of this month's contest get a limited edition t-shirt of the modern day Narcissus bringing Hip Hop back to life, courtesy of Sam McCanna and SkurvyInk.com. Check out their website for tons of bizarro related shirts from your favorite authors. You know you want to.
Your Inspiration:
Welp, Josh gone done it: He brought Kanye West AND H.P. Lovecraft back to life. (What's that you say? Yeezus Lives? Well, I'll be darn-tootin'!) And I can't come up with anything wackier than that, so let's ride this pony all the way to the barn.
Give us your best 30-word flash fiction story that mashes up classic horror and hip hop. Josh will be the judge this time, so it'd better be good.
And the Winners Are...Joe Golden & Thuggish
[JOSH HAS SPOKEN] (imagine that is a booming God voice), and he thinks these two entrants are worthy of a KW: Reanimator shirt. I wholeheartedly agree.
Joe's Entry:
Bram Stoker's Drake-ula
I'm a monster in the bedroom;
One look from me, and you'll be doomed.
My bite will end your life so tragically,
But girl, I'll grant you immortality.
Thuggish' Entry:
Snoop Krueger, Slicin' Snooze
Rollin’ down Elm street
Woke in blood-soaked
PJs and torn up sheets
(Laaaiiiiid back)
With my mind on my murder and my murder on my mind
Congrats, guys. Wear them with pride!
About the author
Taylor Houston is a genuine Word Nerd living in Portland, OR where she works as a technical writer for an engineering firm and volunteers on the planning committee for Wordstock, a local organization dedicated to writing education.
She holds a degree in Creative Writing and Spanish from Hamilton College in Clinton, NY. In the English graduate program at Penn State, she taught college composition courses and hosted a poetry club for a group of high school writers.
While living in Seattle, Taylor started and taught a free writing class called Writer’s Cramp (see the website). She has also taught middle school Language Arts & Spanish, tutored college students, and mentored at several Seattle writing establishments such as Richard Hugo House. She’s presented on panels at Associated Writing Programs Conference and the Pennsylvania College English Conference and led writing groups in New York, Pennsylvania, and Colorado for writers of all ages & abilities. She loves to read, write, teach & debate the Oxford Comma with anyone who will stand still long enough.
