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Interpretation of object prompt
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ZoeLou View Drop Down
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    Posted: 12 Jul 2020 at 12:20am
Hi there, this is my first time doing flash and I'm stuck on how to incorporate my object. I know it has to appear physically, but how typical does its appearance have to be? My object is a doorbell so does it literally have to be a bell hanging on a door or can I play with that interpretation and have some other object acting as a makeshift bell/alarm in the entrance?

I also have one idea that consists primarily of a sequence of flashbacks/memories - can the doorbell appear in a memory or does it have to appear in the present?

Thanks in advance!
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poplock10 View Drop Down
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Points: 307 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote poplock10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2020 at 8:06am
For last year's FF challenge my prompt was a "boat anchor".  In my head I managed to switch that to a "ship anchor", and in my story it was the anchor on a space ship (my genre was Sci-Fi).  None of the comments I got back from the judges said that I hadn't used a "boat anchor", so they seemed fine with it.

I'm guessing on your second part, but to me having the doorbell be in a flashback should count.  It's still physically there in the flashback.  I think the issue is if you just mention the word (ie "he always thought 'Doorbell' would be a good name for a dog") but don't physically have it.  An entire story could take place in a flashback, or a dream, so as long as it's a physical object, I don't think the time matters.
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Originally posted by poplock10 poplock10 wrote:

For last year's FF challenge my prompt was a "boat anchor".  In my head I managed to switch that to a "ship anchor", and in my story it was the anchor on a space ship (my genre was Sci-Fi).  None of the comments I got back from the judges said that I hadn't used a "boat anchor", so they seemed fine with it.

I'm guessing on your second part, but to me having the doorbell be in a flashback should count.  It's still physically there in the flashback.  I think the issue is if you just mention the word (ie "he always thought 'Doorbell' would be a good name for a dog") but don't physically have it.  An entire story could take place in a flashback, or a dream, so as long as it's a physical object, I don't think the time matters.


Thank you!
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Archaeo View Drop Down
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Points: 13 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Archaeo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jul 2020 at 2:03am
Hi,

It is really hard to know, there are comments on the web page about genres, objects, and locations and the writing brief.
You are supposed to use your object explicitly not just mention it.
But to me, they seem more worried about the location of the story.
This is my third year doing these and I do all the comps except screenwriting.

Last year I got an ATV, which I had one of my characters riding, and then for Round 2, I got a chocolate bar.
This round over the weekend I got a compass.
Each time, I have specifically used the object as is, except in my story last year, the chocolate bar wrapper was what I focused on and not the chocolate bar. No one said boo.

I am more concerned with how the genres are being interpreted and these seem to cause more ruckus than anything else.

Good luck!
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