Flash Challenge: May 2017

The It's How You Play the Game Challenge


You have control of every person in the world. How did this happen? You can create a back story or it can just be accepted that you have technology in your possession to control every living person on the planet. No more free will…except for you.

Now, what are you going to do with this power.

Some options might be…

• Bring about world peace.
• Make every person on the planet serve your every whim.
• Take revenge on your defenseless enemies.
• Help people fix their problems.
• Make your spouse or lover please you endlessly.
• Start global wars to reduce the world’s population.
• Make yourself the greatest ‘whatever you want’ of all time.
• Make everything right with the world and return control back to humanity.

How long would it take for you to become unhappy with a life without variables and no resistance? What kind of world can you create with this powerful technology?

We’re about to see.


Requirements:

(1) It is hereby your challenge to write a story about your main character coming into possession of technology to rule the minds of everyone on the planet and to show what kind of life you’ve created for our readers.

(2) The story must have a word count of 1,000 words or less, counting every word being submitted, including title, author's name and the words "The End" at the end.

(3) The story must have a title with the author’s name below it.

(4) Keep it clean.

(5) All text must be the same size and font.

You can use italics in your story.

However, no colors, no bold formatting, no artwork or no embedded or external links can be used.

Leave an extra line between paragraphs.

(6) One entry per author.

(7) Everything in your story must be original fiction. Every name, setting/place, business, product, organization etc. must come from your mind and not previously exist prior to this challenge. The fun part of writing is the world building so go and build an exciting one.


Genre Selection:

Aphelion Webzine utilizes three main genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. It will be your choice which of the main genres you select for your story.

However if you like, you are given the resource of blending any of the following secondary genres into one of the main three.

They are: Comedy/Satire, Romance, Western, Drama, Crime/Detective, Suspense/Thriller, Mystery, Supernatural and Adventure.

Just as long as the story incorporates one of the main three genres.


How To Enter:

Stories must be sent to Daniel Johnson by Private Message, and not posted into the forum. Click on my name and then click on the private message button and paste your story into the text box. Then click submit.


Deadline:

The writing stage of the challenge will be from Sunday April 30, 2017 to 5 pm Sunday May 21, 2017 (Central Standard Time).

The voting stage will be from Sunday May 21, 2017 to 5 pm Sunday May 28, 2017 (Central Standard Time). Voting results will be posted thereafter.

The rules and method of voting will be announced when the stories are posted for voting.


Legal Announcement:

After this month’s challenge, all entries will be reposted in the Flash Archive with the author's names.

Note: Only Registered Members who have posted at least one message may submit a story. Without that one post, the system will not let you send a PM. flash@aphelion-webzine.com

By entering this challenge you are technically granting Aphelion Webzine perpetual electronic rights to post and archive your challenge entries on our site. Otherwise, Aphelion has no claim on any author’s works.

Great topic. Just sent mine in. Must be getting slow. It took me almost an hour to write.

The last challenge was fun. Lots of good stories.

thanks for the good work Daniel

lets get 100 submissions for this next one. nine is not enough. twenty is not enough. I am a speed reader, I need at least fifty stories to read to even make it interesting.

[Lester Curtis]

What, wait--someone just beat Sergio for first submission--?

What, wait--someone just beat Sergio for first submission--?

Eh,eh...Great!!!

By the way, I've already had an idea to be put on electronic paper, but it will be ready only tomorrow, as I open my baggage and start doing again something at home...eh,eh

My entry is in, after the usual useful suggestions/reviews, of course...

Our newest member "radagast-now" listed at the bottom of the index page is the latest contestant in our May challenge. Everyone say hey.

Welcome to the zoo 'radagast-now'. I would wish you well and good luck in entering this months challenge but I'm going to use mind control and tell you. "You are a zombie, you are not a writer. You will not enter the challenge about mind control. You will dig a hole and lay in it and think of devouring Snicker chocolate bars..."

Did it work?

Hmmm... suddenly I have the urge to dig a hole, climb in it and devour a... Ah, heck.

Anyway, welcome.

And to anyone reading this thread that has NOT yet entered, please do. Lets get at least 200 to 300 entries. Or, maybe 20.

Might as well jump into the fray. This ought to be interesting. For some reason, the topic did get me writing again, after a dry spell.

I haven't joined in since Feb '08, but I have an idea...

I haven't joined in since Feb '08, but I have an idea...

I'm glad you're here, Gareth.

Might as well jump into the fray. This ought to be interesting. For some reason, the topic did get me writing again, after a dry spell.

We're going to have some fun!

I'm joining. Looking forward to it.

I'm new around here, but I have a vague plot in mind...

Not one, but TWO pieces of fresh meat! Welcome to the zone a-d-j and Haydn.

Got to thinking, 1000 words is the max but it would be cool, great, awesome, fantastic, wonderful, nice, interesting, (I'm forgetting some words but I'm old so I have an excuse) Anyway...where was I? Oh, yes, it would be fun to see a writer submit a story with only a 100 words.

A story sorta like those hiaku thingy-ma-jig poems. Short and mind twisting use of words.

Since this theme is mind control, it might work out.

Oh, look, string... I'm like a cat, have to go play with it. Ya all have a good day and if you're reading this and have not entered a story then... Oooh look, the string is moving! Later.

So a drabble?

I'm joining. Looking forward to it.

Hi Haydn and A. D. J., I'm grateful to your father for bringing you both along.

This is going to be a very interesting series of stories in this challenge. Thank you for adding to them.

Not one, but TWO pieces of fresh meat! Welcome to the zone a-d-j and Haydn.

Got to thinking, 1000 words is the max but it would be cool, great, awesome, fantastic, wonderful, nice, interesting, (I'm forgetting some words but I'm old so I have an excuse) Anyway...where was I? Oh, yes, it would be fun to see a writer submit a story with only a 100 words.

A story sorta like those hiaku thingy-ma-jig poems. Short and mind twisting use of words.

Since this theme is mind control, it might work out.

Oh, look, string... I'm like a cat, have to go play with it. Ya all have a good day and if you're reading this and have not entered a story then... Oooh look, the string is moving! Later.

Robin and Eddie, in a few months when we have a number of new regulars, we can get together and discuss a collective new batch of games and writing exercises that you two and others can host.

Just give me some time to promote the challenges to bring in new people so those who may not want to do the challenges, can be entertained by other writing amusements.

Sounds good Daniel. Though only mentioned the 100 words stuff to fit with the '1000 words or less'. I don't and cannot speak for other writers but I know I like to get right down as close as possible to 1000 words and sometimes have to cut out stuff otherwise it'd go to 5000 with ease.

Sometime more can be said with less. This is why I mentioned it. And a couple of challenges ago I remember a writer submitted a piece with about three hundred words.

Got a good laugh when you mentioned about hosting a contest. Ha! My idea's would be banned in all but maybe three countries in this world and in those I'd face a firing squad.

Maybe a lot more people will write on this months challenge. And new writers would even be better. Looks like it's working.

Keep up the good work.

The stories go live Sunday evening!

Hi all,

Just posting so the system knows I'm not spam. Looking forward to reading all the stories.

Mike

Yes. But with computers becoming more intelligent, how do we know you're not spam? Or for that matter how do we know that you're not an apple or spark plug?

I think a blood sample or other DNA sample proving you're human is required.

Joking aside, welcome to the wacky world of fantasy and stories.

Submission sent

Nobody likes being yellow.

[kailhofer]

Nobody likes being yellow.

Really? I know someone for whom yellow is their favorite color.

In the case of our forum, it identifies one as a "Newly" Registered User, which unfortunately also means that you could be a spammer. The yellow helps us keep an eye on them. The best way to eliminate the yellow color is to post something in the open forum so that I can see you are a real human being and not a bot that slipped through the perimeter defense.

Enjoy your upgrade to Registered member.

Yellow's not a bad colour, all things considered.

Actually, I love yellow. It's just brilliant. I don't know what came over me. I think everybody should be yellow.

This many stories posted for the flash fiction this month at Aphelion will be the envy of other sites! I'll try to get one in but since a personal tragedy happened in my life, I find it very difficult to write. But I'll try to push myself. Maybe one will come!

It's great to look and see that Aphelion is one of the popular sites, and I have no doubt that with the talent on board, Aphelion will have a leading place in the future!!

I miss your writing and I await your next story. You're a good guy George, you deserve to be happy. In time, you'll be able to write again.

The deadline for this challenge was yesterday, but a new challenge will go live next Sunday, May 28.

Meanwhile, meet and greet the authors by commenting on their writing and ask them questions about their stories.

This goes for everyone. Engage the authors about their writing, ask them questions and get to know them.

This many stories posted for the flash fiction this month at Aphelion will be the envy of other sites! I'll try to get one in but since a personal tragedy happened in my life, I find it very difficult to write. But I'll try to push myself. Maybe one will come!

It's great to look and see that Aphelion is one of the popular sites, and I have no doubt that with the talent on board, Aphelion will have a leading place in the future!!

Yes, the Simpsons swear by it...being yellow I mean.

I'm glad you're here, Martin.

Actually, I love yellow. It's just brilliant. I don't know what came over me. I think everybody should be yellow.