Edgar of all trades

I love reading and especially writing. Its one of the reasons I maintain two blogs. its also the reason I follow @ChiTribBooks and as many authors and literary people, like @amyguth, @ann_aguirre, @Jamie1km, etc. and aspiring (or accomplished) writers/bloggers like @zombie_joe and @worldofhiglet and @kiala. I can go on and on.

Amy Guth, while writing for ChicagoNow‘s Chicago Subtext, had some badass mini flash fiction contests. She would provide an image of some random thing and have us write a ‘complete story” in 100 words or less. I wrote about it on this blog in September.

As I said, I love writing, and as part of the Year of the Edgar movement, I need to push myself to write more. I could just sit down and do it, but I want to try something similar to the flash fiction.

I want you to help me write some short stories. Either email the requests to edgar at edgargarcia dot com or post them as a comment below. I will not be limiting myself to 100 words or less, although I will make them as brief as possible. Your rules. i only ask that you not give me inappropriate guidelines. I reserve the right to reject a request, also, whatever is given to me is assumed to be given to me as being my property for legal purposes, although just contact me if you wish to discuss legalities and such, I’m just a tiny blog anyway.

The point is, give me as much information about what you want me to write about as you want. A character, a word, an item, a genre, use certain word or words or items in a story… its endless. Again, don’t limit me to a certain number of words (like “it has to be under 100 words”). I will try to write the stories as small as I can. I may even get creative and mix multiple ideas into one story. I’d like to get at least five different sources more is better (sources means people, you can send me as many separate ideas as you like but I want a bunch of people to participate so help spread the word.) My plan is to see if I have enough story ideas that I can then post some sort of vote and see which one people want me to elaborate more on. This way you guys get more story/content for free. I may even incorporate more “throw ideas at me” to further the story.

Help me out. I want to write for you guys. What will I write? Its up to you!

Edgar

My good friend, Amy Guth, of the Leah Jones gets Edgar’d video, and all around number one Literary Maven and Literary Leader of the Midwest, sparked one of my Year of the Edgar tasks. I wanted to creatively write more.

First, check Amy’s biography for her details. She writes the local literary blog, Chicago Subtext, for the Tribune’s Chicago Now blog network. Check out my Chicago Now profile here. This is integral to my post today, though she does so much more with her time.

Amy recently blogged about a writing challenge to write flash fiction, or postcard fiction.

a micro-flash fiction story, a very, very short story, but a whole story

Please go back and read the entries, they were all very interesting. The challenge was she provided us with a picture of a bottlecap with a message inside, and we needed to somehow use it in a 100-word or less complete story.

What follows is my entry:

“This is the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.” It was the first thing that came to mind as I came to.

As the haze subsided, I took stock of my surroundings. A dark diner. Things strewn about, no windows. What happened? Kitchen’s empty, bathrooms and dining area too.

I headed towards the front door, opened it to a sunset temporarily blinding me and I looked down to see a bottlecap that had, “read Books… not Bottlecaps.”

I thought it odd as I looked up to see a burning city in front of me.

There were many good entries and I was one of four picked, then the audience made it a two-pony race, and I ultimately won.

Amy then posted a second contest. Although I lost, the best part is that I was able to continue my previous story, which was awesome:

No memory of what transpired, I took a step into the burning city. I needed to get my bearings, and fast. No telling what kind of tragedy had transpired.

My first priority was to get back home, it seemed I was several miles north. All of a sudden I remembered. Amy. I was having lunch with Amy.

I crossed street after street wondering where Amy went. Where anyone was. Slowly my memory was returning, and as I turned onto another street, I realized what happened. I saw something.

A road construction sign with the words “BEWARE! ZOMBIES AHEAD.”

Oh crap.

Thanks Amy, I look forward to continuing my story. I wonder what will happen next! Stay tuned!

Oh, by the way, please go to Amy’s posts and add your own flash fiction, using the two items creatively. The two contests are over, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t contribute your own fiction. Follow Amy @amyguth on twitter as well for the next flash fiction. Feel free to post them here as well.