Week 519 of #ThursThreads had many fantastic tales. What an amazing feat we’ve pulled off. Ten years as of next week! That’s right, next week is our TENTH ANNIVERSARY!! Keep an eye out for that. If you’ve been doing it a while, thank you for coming back each week. If you’ve just found us, welcome! You’re in good company. May you come back again and write more great flash. A thousand thanks to Miranda Kate for judging this week. Check out the #ThursThreads #flashfiction group on Facebook or the #ThursThreads Group on MeWe to keep up with news, etc.
Entries:
- Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila
- Silver James | @SilverJames_
- Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
- Eric Martell | @drmag00
- Siobhan Muir | @SiobhanMuir
- Joseph P. Garland | @JPGarlandAuthor
- Mark A. Morris
- David A. Ludwig | @DavidALudwig
Miranda says: There may only have been 7 entries for this week’s ThursThreads but it was a tough one! Some great uses of the prompt and interesting takes. This is my breakdown.
Honorable Mentions
Katheryn J. Avila | @katheryn_avila
Miranda says: I felt this story: the embarrassment, the frustration, the shame. I also liked the use of emotion producing magic in that way, it lines up with my own love of writing paranormal fantasy. Great concept.
Bill Engleson | @billmelaterplea
Miranda says: I wanted to give this an honorable mention because I liked the style. The idea of how they used to berate each other’s through the medium of writing over a century ago, and how that relates to current media and social media and how that has escalated it. To be able to do this with finesse was revered back in its day. I would have loved to known the actual topic though; what was being attacked.
winner announcement
Week 519 Winner
Miranda says: It could just be the topic, because of the current global state of the world – or sh*tshow as I like to call it – that makes this a great piece of satire, but I liked the way it was written. It was thought through, and I would have been interested to read the second chapter. Great work.
“Fascism for Dummies”
Introduction
You know you want to create an authoritarian regime that crushes your opponents and elevates you, and those you favor, above all else, so you rush right in on day one and try to take over everything. And it fails. Don’t worry – it’s a mistake many beginners make.
For your attempt to create a nationalistic or theocratic (or, for the particularly ambitious, both!) government that will allow you to codify your “just following the natural order of things” beliefs into law, backed by a police state with virtually unlimited authority, play the long game.
You will need to get your people into place in offices at all levels first. To do this, work the populist angle. People love hearing that you’re on their side against all those people who are responsible for all the bad things in their lives (because everyone’s life sucks, right?). It’s best if you can couch that blame in language that hides your true motives, at least early on. Talk about threats to the country. The good ol’ days. Lament anything that changed things from the way they used to be.
The lynchpin, however, is the judiciary. If you can get your people in place – it’s particularly fun to use the system to do this by breaking norms but not the so-called rules – you can validate or invalidate any laws or governmental policies you want. That’s when you can really go to town.
Chapter 2: When is it time to set up death camps?
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Congratulations Sixteen Time Winner Eric, and Honorable Mentions Katheryn, and Bill! Don’t forget to claim your badges and display them with pride. You certainly earned it!
Pass on the great news on Twitter, Facebook, MeWe, shiny mirrors, Morse Code, and signal flags. Check out all the original tales HERE. Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! 🙂
