December 2012 Flash Fiction

**Slynt** · December 3rd, 2012, 07:55 AM

As the Santa drops by once a year, so do I have the honor of presenting the December flash fiction competition (I did so last year as well). Which is passing strange since I'm totally not that fond of christmas. Is it a sign?! I know the lady of the house desperately wants me to enjoy the christmas traditions she so cherishes, but as I said last year I cannot help but see through the ornamentation and jolly, to the layers of hypocrisy and religious fumbling.

Enough about that, to protest against destiny I shall this month not in any way let the time of the year influence this competition. No! It shall be worded in such a way that it goes against the very spirit of yuletide. There shall be no jolly, only sadness.

Here we go:

This month's flash fiction, with a maximum word count of 1,000 words and definitely within one or more of the genres fantasy, SF, horror, has as its theme ...

Grief.

Enjoy the holidays! All submissions should be in by December 27th, by the way.
The winner will be awarded the honorific title of Yuletide Wordsmith, stripping the title from last year's Yuletide Wordsmith, Merik7, who won with his excellent piece, A Summoning of Longnight.

**Hereford Eye** · December 3rd, 2012, 03:11 PM

Are you and Norm neighbors, facebook friends, or psychically connected? He takes the short story competition to death and, now, you take the FF competition to grief. Mayhaps the thought is that once we've killed the protag off in the short story, we'll feel bad enough about it to experience a brief spasm of genuine emotion. Pshaw, I say. Won't happen. We're so jaded that even when we want to write about grief all we get is an image of Charlie Brown moaning: 'Good Grief!" Hmmm, now there's a thought...

**norm** · December 3rd, 2012, 03:45 PM

Can't say I had any involvement in coming up with the theme, though it certainly does open up the possibility of sequel stories(or prequel stories, if you write the flash first and build a short story around it.) It does occur to me now that many of my half finished stories take place at a funeral. So coming up with a story involving grief shouldn't be too difficult.

**tmso** · December 3rd, 2012, 09:43 PM

If I ever finish this side project I am working on (not the anthology - that is coming along!), I'll submit something.

The theme is right up my alley, Slynt. I, too, am a grumpy, non-Christian, but at least so, too, is my husband. But, confession time, I love Christmas songs. Yes, I am one of those wicked people who sing the chorus to every Christmas song out there over and over and over and over...

**MrBF1V3** · December 4th, 2012, 12:31 AM

... as opposed to bad grief?

I suppose bad grief would be listening to the chorus' of Christmas songs over and over...

Actually I like the idea of Christmas, and try to put up with the fluff. (That's me, the walking contradiction- a WWJD sticker on one side of the bumper, and a "Doing my best to P*** off the religious right." sticker on the other.)

In some ways, this is a perfect topic for now. I'm still trying to finish a short story in time for that contest, but let me consider this...

B5

**Noumenon** · December 4th, 2012, 03:51 AM

Originally Posted by MrBF1V3

...a WWJD sticker on one side of the bumper, and a "Doing my best to P*** off the religious right." sticker on the other.

Looks like you have a working solution right there.

**Slynt** · December 5th, 2012, 03:32 AM

Ha, I did not realize the connection between the short and flash.

So I was sitting with a class, they are having a written exam, and so I found time to write a little myself, and this story just popped up out of nowhere.

The stylistic choices are on purpose and may not be to everyone's taste...anyway. Here it is:

Of Love and Carnage

**Aether Monkey** · December 8th, 2012, 06:34 PM

I go away for a little while, and when I come back its "greif"; oh joy! I just ripped out the first draft and I'm already disturbed and depressed.

**norm** · December 10th, 2012, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by Aether Monkey

I go away for a little while, and when I come back its "greif"; oh joy! I just ripped out the first draft and I'm already disturbed and depressed.

Aether! Welcome back.

I'm struggling a bit to come up with an idea, all I've written so far is a lose scene here or there, I don't really know what they are exactly. But something will come to me.

**Wulfen** · December 10th, 2012, 01:35 PM

Submitting mine now, before I change my mind and it all goes to crap.

The Right Fit

**Noumenon** · December 15th, 2012, 06:38 AM

Tear Drops

Merry Christmas!

**Slynt** · December 17th, 2012, 08:27 AM

Only three entries so far and one of them my own. Come on people, give us more flash to read (or just flash us!).

**norm** · December 17th, 2012, 01:29 PM

Originally Posted by Slynt

Only three entries so far and one of them my own. Come on people, give us more flash to read (or just flash us!).

I'm working on mine. Sort of. I have it thought out well enough that I haven't felt the need to really rush into it. I probably won't need more than a day to get it done, and it's due on what, the 27th?

I'll take it easy until time really dwindles down, then I'll work on it.