Browse Recent Challenges
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Still life writing
In an ideal world, we would use a large proportion of characters to describe a scene, I know I've wanted to go into more detail in some descriptions I've made. So this is your challenge; write something amazing, without anything moving. The mission is to write a beautiful descripti...
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'______' for dummies
Give me a short educative story that can finally teach me about... _·Taming a dragon·_ _·Burning a lampshade·_ _·Shaving a walrus·_ _·Cooking a turducken·_ _·Being the world's best bellybutton whistler·_ _·Making a PB&J·_ _·etc·_ But write bout whatever you want! Those are...
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Hip Hop Zebras and Lovelorn Physicists
So, I was going through a random plot generator, and it spewed out the following sentences at me: "After a disastrous safari, a hopped up zebra joins Bill Clinton's reggae band." and "Before marrying the wrong person, a nuclear physicist with a broken heart discovers the ans...
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The Rest is Silence...
Death is a hard thing to deal with, even though it happens every day. Recently I lost a friend. The challenge is to write about death, be it the lead-up, the moment or the aftershock.
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Genre Blender
Some great works have come from the blending of genres. So, your challenge is to tell a story using a blend of two genres. Bonus points for: -Humor -Seamless Blending You may enter more than once. Mature stories won't be considered.
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Write a Pulp Fiction Story!
I love pulp fiction. Maybe it's the snappy dialogue, or the to-the-point story telling. Maybe it's the brutal honesty, but the subtle character study. I don't know if I'm any good at writing pulp. On Ficly, I've been avoiding it, going for a more realistic, lice-of-life genre, but...
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Moving On
People have different views on moving, especially when you're young. Some people hate leaving all their friends and having to make new ones and all that jazz, while others enjoy moving because it gives them a chance to reinvent themselves. Whether it be a bad way to start over or a go...
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Dig That Flying Machine!
I love a good story that involves flight, whether it be huge dirigibles coasting through the sky or characters with wings or best of all, animals that can, for no apparent reason, fly, like whales or goldfish or manta rays. I freakin' love it! So here's the challenge: write a stor...
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The Write-Something-Not-in-Your-Usual-or-Preferred-Genre Challenge!
All right, guys. This one's a bit tougher. What is that genre that you just _own_, that comes to you like you were born writing it? You got it in mind? Good. Now find the polar opposite--something you're _not_ used to--and write a story like that. Have fun!
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Why Is A Raven Like A Writing Desk?
To celebrate the forthcoming release of Tim Burton's adaptation of one of the greatest works of literary nonsense in the English language - I challenge you to answer this riddle! First found in Chapter 7 of _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_, Lewis Carroll did not originally intend...
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Oh No!
The challenge is very simple. Write a story were something goes wrong. It can be any genre. You can have more then one entry if you want. P.S. Irony is loved.
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Needs More Dragons
"You know what this place needs?" Franz asked from behind the stump acting as his pulpit. The forest around him seemed to have grown into a natural amphitheater. Large willows were intertwined behind him, reflecting his voice back out towards the audience among the trees. "It needs mo...
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Lipstick, Eye-Shadow, Nail-Polish, Blush, Earrings, Necklace, then the Prom Dress.
_"Our entire 8th grade is going to have a mini-prom!"_ Announced Stacy over the loud-speakers at lunch. This is a much more free challenge. There are less parameters, and it is open to new characters...(in other classes). So write a story from the point of view of an 8th grade ...
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A New Version of History
I just finished watching Inglorious Basterds and thought of a new idea for a challenge. Write a story about a real event in history and have the fictional events or characters alter the course of history. It doesn't need to be overly dramatic but it does have to be interesting (ob...
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To speak Shakespearean!
Ok, 50 ficlies = 1 challenge, so here it is. Your mission, shouldst thee choose to accept it, is to writeth something in shakespearean. It can be about anything, as long as you keep to the oh so confusing language of shakespeare. It's not 'why are', you now say 'wherefore art', and...
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To Kill A Mockingbird
“I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” Does this sound ...
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I Give You an Ultimatum
So, I've just got back from Dublin and have decided to - as you do - write a challenge about something I learned there. Most people have heard of Joyce. Apparentally he was the most important author of the modernist movement, but frankly he's not my cup of tea. But there is one thi...
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I'm on the outside, and I'm looking in.
I'm sat here watching the USA v Canada Ice Hockey final, knowing how big the rivalry is between these teams, and knowing how much Canada needed that win on home soil . . . But I'm British, what exactly do I know?? As much as I'm enjoying it on TV, I just can't comprehend what it me...
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Cancer Stories
STORIES ABOUT CANCER. Simple. Good or Bad. Live or Die. You name it, someone's lived it. Fact or Fiction I don't mind. As long as it is good. The winning piece will be the one with the most emotion and emphasis on the FAMILY'S feelings, I mean the family of the person who has/...
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A Writer's Style - Chekhov's Gun!
_"One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it."_ - Anton Chekhov. Also known as _foreshadowing_, this technique comes from writer Anton Chekhov's belief that any object introduced in a story must be used later on, else it ought not to feature in...
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Personally....
I just read a poem by Tony Hoagland called Personal and it was just amazing. So, I want you to write a poem, short story, memoir, anything about something you or someone else takes personally. It can be funny, serious, sarcastic, sad, happy, you get the point. the more diverse the ...
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Speek Englesh Goodly!
Write in English with altered rules; for example, a) Spell based on phonetics; "Yesterday I red the noozepaper". b)Use irregular verbs in a regular manner; "I thinked for myself that beed quite unpleasant" c) Use Newspeak; "Ungood" rather than Bad. d)Use regulars in an irregula...
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Kilobyte
Okay all. Since I love the challenges I've taken part in I thought I'd create one. Only two rules for this : 1) The character count must be exactly the maximum allotted 1024 characters by Ficly. Entries without obvious padding and formatting (to make up the excess) will count for mor...
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A Letter to Myself
I don't know about you, but middle school was one of the worst times of my life. I would have benefited so much from a letter written by myself today. However, that isn't exactly possible. My challenge to you is to write a letter to yourself as a younger you, giving advice, telli...
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VD is for Everybody!
As my recent challenge series about an 8th grade classroom took flight, I realized that there are less chances for other ficliers to enter my class. So this is a similar concept of a character challenge. No strings attached. Watch this PSA about VD from the 1970's. http://www.retro...
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Living with the Music.
Memory is a funny thing. Sometimes seeing, hearing, or smelling something can bring back vivid memories of something that happened long ago. In this case, we'll be writing about music. Certain songs can send you back years. Personally, the song "If You're Gone" by Matchbox 20 call...
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Doctor, Doctor
Lately, doctors have been on my mind. Firstly, visiting them is always a pain, but necessary. Secondly, there are many types of doctors. Your job is to write a story with a doctor in it. It can be somebody visiting one, or the doctor could be a small role, or even merely discussed....
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Get Thee To A Nunnery!
Oh I love that quote. Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1. And though it doesn't have a _direct_ link to this challenge - it's writer _does_... Whether it be a modern re-telling, a historical drama or some other tale, I challenge you to write a story inspired by the Bard himself, William S...
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Why Does It Have To Be Snakes?
Slithering through the grass, hanging from a tree, poised in predatory splendor, snakes are magnificent creatures that are nature's perfect killing machines - until man enters the picture. Describe a close encounter of the scaley kind between a human and a snake. Delve into the pri...
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Pinky Promise
_Secrets-secrets are no fun,_ _Unless I am a part of one._ Welcome to the 3rd challenge of our class. In this challenge, as discussed in the comment trail on _"Good Morning Class!"_, we will be passing notes. Your character has a secret. And he/she is about to tell that secret to ...
