Hey hey writertron! Here’s your Flash Face Off prompts for the week.
This is the final set of prompts for our September ‘writing as Resistance’ festival!
Scroll to the bottom of the page and find out what we’re actually doing>>
The week’s prompts are:
EARTHLING Vs ALIEN
What I’m really scared of is believing the words society makes me speak are my own.
Sayaka Murata, Earthlings
It looks big, Earth. But there are lots of us on here (7,523,458,567 and counting) so be kind.
Oliver Jeffers
We are on Earth to take care of life. We are on Earth to take care of each other.
Xiye Bastida
If I hadn’t spent so much time studying Earthlings,” said the Tralfamadorian, “I wouldn’t have any idea what was meant by ‘free will. ‘ I’ve visited thirty-one inhabited planets in the universe, and I have studied reports on one hundred more. Only on Earth is there any talk of free will.
Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five
The only thing that scares me more than space aliens is the idea that there aren’t any space aliens. We can’t be the best that creation has to offer. I pray we’re not all there is. If so, we’re in big trouble.
Ellen DeGeneres
We all know interspecies romance is weird.
Tim Burton
If the government is covering up knowledge of aliens, they are doing a better job of it than they do at anything else.
Stephen Hawking
The Men of Earth came to Mars. They came because they were afraid or unafraid, because they were happy or unhappy, because they felt like Pilgrims or did not feel like Pilgrims. There was a reason for each man. They were leaving bad wives or bad towns; they were coming to find something or leave something or get something, to dig up something or bury something or leave something alone. They were coming with small dreams or large dreams or none at all…it was not unusual that the first men were few. The numbers grew steadily in proportion to the census of Earth Men already on Mars. There was comfort in numbers. But the first Lonely Ones had to stand by themselves.
Ray Bradbury, The Martian Chronicles
A pine cone in a pair of hands by PNW production at Pexels
A group of people silhouetted, holding their hands up to the sunset by Min An at Pexels
A sign stating ‘parking for aliens only’ by James Lee at Pexels
An astronaut emerging from a gold-lit doorway onto a strange planet by Cengiz Kudat at Pexels
A person in an alien mask reading a book in bed by Lisa Fotios at Pexels
What are these prompts for please?
Every week, we post a set of flash fiction prompts. You write a super small story (500 words or fewer), post it on our forums, give and receive feedback, and at the end of the month we pick our faves for a Friday night online open mic night. It’s pretty amazingly awesome and you should definitely join us. Yes you should.
It works like this:
Use the prompts to write in any way that inspires you. Pick a side, pick both, pick a quote or pick an image, or just go with the general aesthetic and vibe of the themes. Whatever floats your writerly hoozits. And remember—flash doesn’t have to be dark and traumatic to be effective.
Edit your writing into a beaut 500 word story and post it on the Flash Face Off forums (please submit no more than 2 stories per week thanks!)
While you’re waiting for the awesome writerly community to read your story and offer wise words and critique, read at least two other stories and give your constructive feedback.
That’s it! At the end of every month we gather all our faves and have a big ol’ open mic party. Sign up here.
NO WAIT ONE MORE THING!
Please do make good use of the workshopping forums to offer feedback to others, receive feedback on your own story, and tweak/edit as much as you like. This really is the absolute best way to develop your writing (and it’s a really nice way to be part of this
Ok now we’re really done. Go write.
