Tuesday, August 30, 2011

And the winner is...

So, out of fairness, I did my best not to look at any of the query contest/writing prompt entries until all the entries were in and the deadline had passed, and wow! There were so many great, fun, really creative entries.

Before I get to the winner, I want to highlight two other entries I really liked. "Honorable mention," if you will.

First, Allan Petersen's entry for prompt #4 (the worst smell in the world): http://elderswill.blogspot.com/2011/08/worst-smell-in-world-is.html

This is a clever, compelling concept that takes the prompt in a really unusual direction; given the framing of the story (the protagonist contemplates his own death), I especially liked Allan's use of first-person here. Trust me, you'll want to know where the story goes from here.

Next up, Chelsie's response to prompt #9 (disappear without a trace): http://rosehipsredink.blogspot.com/2011/08/response-to-prompt-number-nine.html

What I like here is that the characterization is so strong. Her use of language gestures at a lot of detail that isn't technically present on the page; I feel like I know these people. Her narrator and protagonist's descriptions and turns of phrase evoke a region, an educational level, a socioeconomic status, and a religious background. This is a character who's lost everything, including her faith, and again, I want to see what she does next.

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But for this contest, at least, there can only be one winner, so without further ado, here it is. Brian Buckley's response to prompt #3 (inside the last box): http://briandbuckley.com/2011/08/25/flash-fiction-marva/

Brian's got a really economical style with the worldbuilding here; a sparseness that really underscores the bleakness of this character's life. Without inventing a lot of new terms for the various castes of his world, he gives us a good sense of the hierarchy that's critical to understanding the twist at the end of the story. The "rule of three" is a classic for a reason: it's a great way to build suspense, and was used to good effect here. Moreover, the humor that comes through in that twist ending was delightful and unexpected, and the differentiation of the voice of the Empress from the other characters was the icing on the cake for me.

Congratulations, Brian. Email me (there's a link on the Profile page) and let's talk query letters!

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Thanks again to everyone who participated. This was a real highlight of my summer, and I hope it was fun for you as well. Let's keep the writing prompts as a weekly feature, and we'll do another contest soon.

Got an idea for a contest you'd like to see? Drop me a line in the comments section.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Time's up!

Comments are closed on all the writing prompt entries-- but if you didn't get a chance to enter the contest in time, don't let that stop you from writing on any of the prompts that inspire you.

Back with contest results early next week.

Thanks for making summer extra-fun, everybody!

Friday, August 26, 2011

The final countdown!

Only a few hours left to enter the query letter/writing prompts summer contest-- see previous entries for the details!

I'll leave all of the writing prompts open until I get up tomorrow morning, and then I'll close each entry's comments as soon as I'm able.

I'll read all the entries this weekend and announce a winner early next week. Stay tuned!

Monday, August 22, 2011

Writing Prompt #10

Happy Monday!

As is my Monday tradition, I'm struggling to find my rhythm a bit today. Hope you are faring better.

Here's a new prompt for you. Don't forget that this is the last week to enter! Details below.

There is a single white athletic sock by the side of the road. How did it get there?

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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Writing Prompt #9

This time of year, everyone's heading out on vacation-- or at least wishing they could. But I hope you'll go somewhere much weirder with today's prompt than that.

No one could figure out how he'd managed to disappear without a trace.

Have a great weekend, and I'll see you back here next week.

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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Writing Prompt #8

Here's a new one for today. (These are really fun. Should we keep them as a regular/weekly feature, even after the contest is over?)

This was the first thing Anna had ever won.

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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Writing Prompt #7

I've got a bunch more prompt ideas that I'm excited about, so these will be coming a little faster these next few days. Hope you like them too.

Here's the latest:

What ELSE might you do in Reno that could land you in Folsom Prison?

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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!

Public Service Announcement

Hi all,

A kind reader brought to my attention that people with WordPress blogs had trouble leaving comments under the old comment system, so I've switched to a new comment form on the blog. So if you've had trouble commenting in the past, I hope you'll try leaving a "test comment" here.

New writing prompt is coming right up!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Writing Prompt/Query Contest Clarification

Hi folks,

I've had a question or two regarding the "rules" for this little endeavor, so let's say this: you can enter the query contest by writing a prompt response ONCE per prompt. So if there are ten prompts total, you can have as many as ten "entries," one per prompt.

Let me know if that doesn't make sense, and thanks for playing along!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Writing Prompt #6

I'm having fun with these. Hope you are too. Here's another.


Three things you'd bring with you to a deserted island. Assume food and water are not an issue, and that you will be stuck on the island, Gilligan-style, for an unknown period of time. Defend your choices.


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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Writing Prompt #5

I don't know about you, but I need a bit of a jump-start today. It was a nice laid-back weekend around here, and I need to find my rhythm and get to work. Lots to do!

Here's a new writing prompt to get you going on this Monday.

There in the morning crossword, plain as anything, was the phrase "ROGER PETERSON HAS TWO WEEKS TO LIVE."

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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Writing Prompt #4

New prompt!

(This one's for you, NYC in the summer.)

The Worst Smell in the World

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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Writing Prompt #3

Thanks for all the great entries. Keep 'em coming.

Here's another prompt. I just moved last month, so this one is close to my heart-- but I encourage you to go crazy with it. There are many more possibilities than a story about moving.

I opened the last box, and inside I found (feel free to switch to your favorite "person")

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CONTEST! Post a response (on your site, with a link in the comments section here) to any of my writing prompts between now and August 26, and I'll pick one winner whose query letter I will then critique on the blog the following week. (We can remove the identifying details, if you want; we'll figure that out later.) I'm not promising representation, but I'm not ruling it out either...

Tell your friends!