Short Story Challenge

Scott Andrew Bailey

Looking at my author page www.scottandrewbailey.uk there is one gaping hole. There are no short stories.

I have written quite a few in the past but it was some time ago and they need some editing and polishing before I put together a collection. In the meantime I have decided I need to start writing some new ones.

Short stories are the form I find most challenging – and that I most want to get a grip on.

So I have decided to set myself a challenge and give myself a proverbial boot up the jacksy!

I recently joined a local online writing community and one of the members posted a list of genres – which he is trying to write a story for each. I have appropriated that list but extended it terms a bit. To each genre I have added a constraint – that will make the writing harder but hopefully spark a better creation. So for example one of the options is an action story. So my constraint for that one is to set it in a confined space.

I am posting this list here and will post links to the relevant stories if and when I write them – and its a big if one this one.

But I also thought others might like to take up the challenge. If you do I am happy to post links to your resulting works of art here beneath each section.

I am going to try to work through in the order posted but that’s optional and if I get inspired I may skip to a particular one.

Here is the list

  • Action – set in a confined space
  • Comedy – about an act of terrorism
  • Crime – Set in a police station with CCTV watching
  • Erotica – set in an un-erotic place – such as a sewer
  • Espionage – set in either MI5 headquarters or a cell
  • Fantasy – Set in a shopping centre
  • Historical – Set in the future
  • Horror – A children’s story
  • Noir – based around colours
  • Political – In a hippy commune
  • Post-Apocalypse – In a book club
  • Romance – In a divorce court
  • Sci-Fi – In neolithic times
  • Space Opera – From a droids POV
  • Superhero – In medieval times
  • Thriller – In a Cricket or bowls match
  • Western – From Native American POV
  • Whodunnit – With no apparent crime

Let’s see what happens.

16 thoughts on “Short Story Challenge”

  1. creaticabardling Wed August 12 2015 / 11:05 pm

    I love the idea and will take you up on the challenge. At least part of it. I’ll pick five of the items and then as I write each, I’ll post them and link here. Good luck to you as well!

    Like

    Reply
    • thehouseofbailey Wed August 12 2015 / 11:13 pm

      Good luck – I look forward to reading yours. Have my second one almost done in my mind but it has some tricky bits I need to do some research on

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. C.S. Wilde Mon July 20 2015 / 4:52 pm

    I will take your Fantasy set in a shopping center and will raise you a comedy about an act of terrorism (Yes, Ahmed blows himself up in the end)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Oloriel Sun July 19 2015 / 10:29 pm

    Sounds interesting! I wish you good luck and good inspiration with the challenge 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. John Eccles Sun July 19 2015 / 10:28 pm

    Wow thats some list, but I like your enthusiasm. I am get at starting stories but its getting them finished thats the hard part. I stared this one for the Blogging 101 Day five earlier this year.

    Sort of fits your Noir – based around colours.

    The Red Umbrella

    Good luck with your challenge.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
      • John Eccles Sun July 19 2015 / 11:12 pm

        Thank you, one day soon I will progress it and then maybe make a short film of it.

        Like

        Reply
  6. KasimsKorner Sun July 19 2015 / 10:13 pm

    Glad to see you appreciate a good sort story 🙂 I’m a writer myself, I write a lot of short stories (you can check them out if you’re interested, I’d recommend ‘We Were Here’ and ‘When Universes Collide’). I’ve followed, and I’m patiently waiting to see some of your work 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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