Monday, April 28, 2014

Monday's Minute Challenge: Writing Prompt Contest for Teens & Up


A quick writing challenge (and contest) to help get your creative juices flowing for the new week.


  1. The entry must be between 150 - 300 words. Otherwise, your entry will not be accepted. (In order to see how many words your entry is, write it in Microsoft Word, or you can copy and paste it here.)
  2. The deadline for the contest will be the following Friday. 
  3. You do not have to be a teen to enter the contest.
  4. The same person cannot win first place two weeks in a row. (Some exceptions may apply.)
  5. If there is at least 5 entries, the panel of judges will select a 2nd and 1st place. If there is at least 10 entries, the judges will select a 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place. However, if there is under 5 entries, the panel of judges will only select one winner.
  6. If there are at least 10 entries, there will be a few Honorable Recognitions, which are the next highest winners. They will receive a badge, as well as 3 points.
  7. The winners will receive a badge for their blog, as well as extra points (see the point system below).
  8. The winner will be chosen based on the judges's preferences, as well as the following questions: Does this entry capture my attention immediately? Does it make me want to continue reading? Is the writing clear? They will also take into consideration the writer's voice and style--not necessarily technical issues, such as grammar, punctuation, etc. 
  9. If you have entered at least 3 contests and have yet to place, send me an email and I will be happy to give you a critique of your last entry, which will include tips and suggestions.
  10. This is only for fun and to stretch your writing muscles--not necessarily to be taken too seriously. =)


Prizes:

More prizes to come!
  • 30 points: You will be able to create your own prompt that will be used in Monday's Minute Challenge!
  • 40 points: You will receive a critique based on your current week's entry.
  • 50 points: You will receive a free blog critique and helpful suggestions.
  • 70 points: You will receive an 700 word critique on your novel, short story, article, etc.
  • 80 points: You can help judge one of the contests!
  • 90 points: You will receive two weeks free in my Write Now Mentoring Program!
  • 100 points: You will receive a free ebook of PURPLE MOON. =)
  • 150 points: You will receive a personalized handmade notepad. 
Earning Points:
  • 20 points: If you sign up for a month of my Write Now Mentoring Program!
  • 5 points: If you post a review of Purple Moon on Amazon and/or Goodreads. (Let me know in the comments if you do!)
  • 5 points: If you join the Purple Moon Publicity Group on Facebook. (You will have the chance to participate in monthly giveaways!)
  • 3 points: If you cast your vote! (See the end of this post.)
  • 3 points: If you post your entry on your blog, linking back to this post
  • 2 points: If you post a tweet about Monday's Minute Challenge, with hashtag #MondaysMinute (You may tweet more than once in a week, however the points will only count for one tweet.)
  • 2 points: If you follow this blog via Google Friend Connect. (Let me know in the comments if you do!)
  • 2 points: If you "like" my Facebook page. (Let me know in the comments if you do!)
  • 2 points: If you follow my Twitter account(Let me know in the comments if you do!)
  • 2 points: Become a "fan" of me on Goodreads. (Let me know in the comments if you do!)
  • 2 points: Follow me on Pinterest. (Let me know in the comments if you do!)
  • 10 points: If you win 1st place in the writing prompt contest.
  • 7 points: If you win 2nd place in the writing prompt contest.
  • 5 points: If you win 3rd place in the writing prompt contest.
  • 3 points: You receive an Honorable Recognition. 
Points Tracker:
  • TW Wright: 92
  • Mary B: 59
  • Elisabeth: 53
  • Funto: 9
  • Benj. Evans: 30
  • S. Brightly: 12
  • Jacqueline: 59
  • Rebekah B: 38
  • Anna: 27
  • His Princess: 55
  • Tara T: 52
  • Evan: 10
  • Rcubed: 60
  • Sarah: 67
  • Jillian: 10
  • Brooke: 12
  • Kaley: 2
  • Karina: 23
  • Kaira Anne: 29
  • Katheline: 16
  • Lottie Le: 6
  • CeCe: 10
  • Marsh: 20
*Points are updated every Monday.
*When you request to use your points for a prize, the points you use will be taken away from your total. In other words, when you reach 30 points, you can claim the prize for 30 points--but it will cost you all of your points. Or you can continue to try and earn points so you can claim a bigger prize.

 


If you have entered at least 3 contests and have yet to win, please send me an email and I will be happy to give you a critique of your last entry and offer suggestions.

The judge panel chooses these winners based on a point system (not to be confused with the point system mentioned above!) 

Thanks so much to everyone who voted! It helped the judge panel tremendously.

Also, please don't get discouraged if you have yet to place (or haven't in a few weeks)! The competition is very tough, but the judges still think every one of your entries are impressive. So keep it up! =)

(Keep in mind that the judges are not aware of which entry belongs to which participant until after the judging is complete.)

The entries that the judges thought was the most intriguing (based on rule #4) is ... 


Third place winner: 

I grabbed my jacket and ran out into the rain. It was coming down so hard that it made our window look more like one of those built-in waterfalls than a pane of glass, but I didn't care. Maybe out there I would find the air I so desperately needed to breathe. 

Water blinded me as I ran, my chest heaving, side aching unbearably. I wished it were only the rain, but truthfully, tears mixed equally with raindrops on my face.
This could have happened any other time. Why today? Why not before, when I had time to hold on to my heart? But now it was gone, and I feared I could never get it back. 

Accusations rang bitterly in my head as I finally slowed to a painful walk. I should have been smarter. I should have realized the truth about Josh- even though it was a truth I couldn't imagine, not even now. How could he be capable of these things?

Why, God, why? 

It was the only prayer my broken heart could utter. 
Congratulations, S. Brightly! Click here for your badge. =)


Second place winner: 



My eyes widened and for the second time that night a scream lodged itself in my throat. Three men wearing hunting garb and carrying rifles emerged from the bushes. Two of them jumped forward and grabbed us, hauling us to our feet. “Get walking and not a word or else.” One of them hissed. I silently acquiesced, afraid of the consequences should I disobey. We marched off the road and into the thick woods surrounding. After what seemed like an eternity we came to a dilapidated shack well camouflaged with overgrown brambles. Our captures lead us roughly inside where we were tied up and made to sit in one of the dusty corners. I surveyed our surroundings with the small glow cast from the fire one of the men was starting in the fireplace. The dinky one-room building’s furnishings consisted of a table, two chairs, and an old broom stuffed in the corner opposite us. I shivered and envied the man standing by the warm fire with a jacket on since I wore only a thin sweater. On the table sat an open suitcase and by the meager amount of clothes I could see, it appeared they were traveling light. The sounds of an argument outside cause the man by the fire to look up from the embers. He uttered an oath and stormed out the rickety door. I laid my head back against the wall, glad the man was gone, when the voice at my side startled me.
“My name is Cal Gresham.” 
“Samantha Watson.” I told him. “Now will you please tell me what is going on?
“Well since you are already mixed up in this I might as well tell you.”
Finally, I would get the answers I had been dying for.
Congratulations, His Princess! Click here for your badge. =)



First place winner: 



She could do it. She knew she could. All she had to do was pack her suitcase, hop on her broom, and fly away.

Kora shivered as she tugged her thin jacket closer to her trembling body. She was freezing and sticky. Her wet, soda soaked hair clung to her face no matter how many times she tried to swipe it away. As Kora sat on the front steps of her brownstone waiting on her landlord to come unlock the door, she cursed herself for deciding to attend a college intended for Norms instead of taking her friends’ and family’s advice and attending a school back home intended for Specials. If she had just stuck with her own kind instead of running off into a world she had no business living in, this never would have happened. She wouldn't be stranded outside of her locked apartment doused in diet coke with wads of gum stuck in her blonde hair and dried spit balls littering every square inch of her outfit, with trails of mascara running down her puffy red face. She wouldn't have gotten her satchel stolen which contained her crystals, book of spells, and house key in it. And she certainly would have never met the bane of her existence, Whitney and her slew of minions. 

Oh how Kora wished she had her spell book to whip up a hex that would put Whitney in her place, but sadly, all ill spirited spells got you was a one-way ticket to see the Council and that’s the last thing she needed. She’s in enough trouble as it is since her magic materials are now in the hands of Norms. If only her biggest worries were her finals coming up next week and getting this gum out of her hair.
Congratulations, Marsh! Click here for your badge. =)


Honorable Recognitions

These winners will receive a badge, as well as 3 extra points:
  1. Jacqueline
  2. TW Wright
  3. Katheline
Congratulations! Click here for your badge. =)

Thanks so much to everyone who participated!




  • Submit your response in the comments below. 
  • Your response should range between 150 - 300 words. 
  • The deadline for the contest will be this Friday. 
  • Let me know which prompt you have chosen.
  • If you'd rather not submit your post in the comments, you may email it to me instead.


Remember:

1) Your response should range between 150 - 300 words, otherwise it will not be accepted. (Copy and paste your entry here to count the words, or you could write it on Microsoft Word.)
2) The deadline for the contest is this Friday.

Choose at least one:

Note: You can always combine the prompts into one entry.
  • Write a passage continuing your entry from last week week (or whichever week you'd prefer). If you can, try to continue it using one of the following prompts.
  • Write a passage using these items: pie, clock, and key. 
  • Write a passage based on this picture
  • Write a passage using this piece of dialogue: Today would mark the first day of the rest of my life.
Cast Your Vote!

We're going to try something new at Monday's Minute Challenge.

Since choosing the winners is such a time-consuming process for the judges, and since you already read each others responses, we have decided to give you the opportunity to take part in the judging process. =)

Here's how it works:
  • You can vote for 3 entries per week, but you may not vote for yourself.
  • You can only click "submit" once per week, so be sure to wait until you have selected your top 3 entries before casting your vote.
  • Please do not vote until at least 7 entries have been submitted. (If you do before then, your vote will not count.)
  • Only the participants of Monday's Minute Challenge may vote.
  • Voting will only take place from Monday - Thursday.
  • We will choose the 3 people with the highest amount of votes, then select another 3 or 4 that we think deserve to win as well.
  • From those 6 or 7 entries, we will then select the winners (including the Honorable Recognitions.)

You will also receive 3 points for voting. So when you are done, please post a comment below saying that you have casted your vote.  

To vote, please enter the names of the 1 - 3 writers you are voting for below (or click here instead):

Current Judge Panel:


♡ ♡ ♡


Would you like to start a Purple Moon party?!

If you get together with at least four of your friends to read my book, let me know and we can put together a Purple Moon party! 

Pin It!
For this party, I will . . .
  • Send you a free autographed book for you or your friend
  • Email you a free PDF which will instruct you on how to throw a Purple Moon party by providing certain snacks, coffee, and chocolate. It will also include fun activities you can do with your friends at the party, such as creating a prediction of how you think the rest of the series will go, creating your own dream school or coffee shop, instructions on how to make a Luna Bonita Latte and a sleeping mask, etc.!
  • ​I will also be willing to chat with you girls via Skype! In this session, we will discuss the Reader's Group Guide which can be found in the back of the book. You will then have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have.
Interested? Email me at christiswrite (at) gmail (dot) com. =)

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76 comments:

  1. Oh wow! Thanks so much! This is so exciting :) Just wanted to let you know I follow you on Pinterest with the username Marshall, and I follow you via GFC. Can't wait to read the entries this week!
    http://memandco.blogspot.com/

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  2. Congrats to the winners! Here's my entry:
    http://www.foreverchanged13.blogspot.com/2014/04/monday-minutes-challenge_28.html
    In Christ,
    Sarah

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    2. Congratulations to the winners, great job everyone! Here's mine, it's 250 words or so and using the dialogue prompt.

      Today would mark the first day of the rest of my life. Maybe the last. Every day marks the first day of the rest of my life, but today was...different. It was like a clock was ticking. Ticking the minutes away until my death. It wasn't that I expected to die soon, exactly, I could continue breathing for 40 maybe 50 more years. When I was a child life seemed long. I could live 70 years, likely longer, and that was a tiny fraction of my life so far. But now, now life on this earth seemed short, shorter than I'd ever imagined. Today I have to save my sister. Today I have to take her place in prison. Today I have to lose my memory to the awful drug prisoners are given. My sister told me right before she was taken that she would hide the Bible in the cell. I pray she did remembers that last promise and doesn't lose it to the drug. I also pray the guards don't notice that I have taken her place, we are twins, but not identical. The clock chimes loudly, time to go.
      Gasping at the entrance to the castle I pause to take my bearings, it's time for some sneaking. I smile. I'm good at sneaking. When I reach my sister's cell some time later, I call her name, "Isabelle? It's me, Johanna, you won't remember me, but you need to run" I said, and then I froze. The footsteps of a guard were approaching.

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    4. Wow, Kendra! I think this is the best you've done! You should continue it.

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    5. You did a really great job!

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    6. This is really exciting! I love the part about time.

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  4. Very good, all three of them! I enjoyed them!

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  5. I'd always been weirdly obsessed with keys. The mystery, the promise: but the one I held in my hands was like no other before. It was heavy in my hand, ancient--holding tales of worlds and lands and time.

    The old grandfather clock chimed three; a harmony to the church bells. No one would be awake. I had to go.

    Gripping the key, I tiptoed down the street, the brisk air dancing over darkened cobblestone streets. I inched my way, hugging the wall, I had to be close. The castle loomed above me, but I tried to ignore it's foreboding presence.

    I felt my way to the gate, wincing at the squeaking of the rusty iron. I ran across the courtyard, and put my key into the cell door lock.

    "Anna?" I whispered through the door.

    She ran to the door, which I unlocked, "You came!"

    "I told you I'd come." I took her hand and ran with her back to the gate.
    That was when the knife sailed over my head. I pulled Anna down, then pushed her towards the door, and stood to face my foe.

    "I knew you'd come," the laugh made the night air colder. "Your rescue mission, it's pie in the sky." Then the speaker saw the open cell door, and turned on me with a cry of rage. I ducked the knife, but didn't see the third one coming.

    Pain exploded through my chest and body, I felt myself crumpling to the ground. Then everything faded, the laugh, the terror, my own screams.

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    Replies
    1. Wow Kaira that was really good! I love it. :)

      HP

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    2. Oooh ... I'm loving the combination of the keys description, the interaction between the girls, and the pie in the sky.

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    3. Thank you :) Tara, I'd realized I'd forgotten to include pie in the prompt, so I just put that reference in. Glad it worked!

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  6. Congrats to all the winners! Here's my entry; it is 279 words.

    "Cirtia, RUN! I'll hold them off, you go ahead and I'll catch up" yelled Jaemon turning to face our pursuers. "I'm not leaving without you!" Cirtia yelled back, finishing off two of the bounty hunters. "This is no time for your tough stuff, you need to go!" insisted Jaemon looking at Cirtia. " I might need to, but that doesn't mean I'm going to," Cirtia alleged, trying to get closer to the brawl. Jaemon saw the attempt. "Cirtia, I said you have to go!" Jaemon said, forcefully pushing me down the small ravine. When Cirtia stopped rolling, she saw a doorway. She looked curiously at it, wondering if it was the place they were headed. Cirtia looked back and saw Jaemon falling to the ground with three arrows and two knifes stuck in his body. Cirtia's scream was heard within miles. Cirtia tried to run back up the hill, but slipped into the doorway, hoping that they wouldn't be able to follow. "Cirtia" she could hear the whispers all around her. "Cirtia, I've been expecting you" "Who are you? And how did you know that I was coming?" Cirtia asked glancing at the ominous stone walls around her, half expecting the stranger to whom the voice belonged to jump out from behind one of the looming boulders. "I have to." Was the short reply. "Why do you have to wait for me? And why can't I see you?" Cirtia inquired fearfully marching up to the middle the room where there was some light. "Can you see me now?" Said the voice coming up behind her. Cirtia turned around and was struck with terror upon seeing that all too familiar face.

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  7. Thanks! I loved yours too.

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  8. They were coming. And I had to run; I had to run far, far, away. “Go Catherine. Quickly!” Mother shoved me away from the ballroom, into the flood of people desperately trying to leave alive. Without hesitating, I merged into the frantic bodies of our guests. Stay with the crowd until you get to the second to last painting of the Gallery. Mother’s instructions, drilled into my memory since I was a toddler, played in my head. Turn into the dark hallway. Feel your way to the door. I heard a scream and a crash as the raiders tore through the front doors. The painting I needed to get to was on my right. I pushed against the crush and leapt into the hidden corridor. Running the palms of both my hands on the wall, I slid down the corridor. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the bright pastel colors of the ladies’ dresses and the ruffled cravats of the gentlemen. Their extravagant outfits would be ruined with blood tonight. Finally, I felt the knob of a door dig into my thigh. Pressed against the wall, I turned the knob with my hand, willing it not to make a sound. The door opened outward, towards the courtyard. Once you are through the door, run to the third brick nook on your left and hurry through until you get to the Underground. Then, follow the trolls. Whatever you do, don’t look back. I arched my back through the small doorway and emerged outside. Third nook on the left, I chanted in my head. There. Remembering Mother’s instructions, I ran through the hollow. Don’t look back, Catherine. Don’t look back. You can't ever go back.

    I chose the picture from Pintrest to write about.

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  9. Hey! Just wanted to congratulate all of the winners! Ya'll's entries are awesome!!! =)
    And I want to thank Tessa for (and the judges) for doing Monday's Minutes Challenge every week. =)
    Here is my entry:
    http://indonesiaaroundme.blogspot.com/2014/04/mondays-minutes.html

    TW Wright
    ravensandwriting.blogspot.com

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    1. Very intriguing! I'd definitely read on.

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    2. Really good! I love the idea of time travel, and time.

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    3. I love it, you should continue it!

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    4. Aww, thanks you guys!! =) I really think I want to... continue, that is. ;)

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  10. It's my eleventh MMC! I can't believe how time flies.

    http://taratherese.wordpress.com/2014/04/30/mondays-minute-challenge-10/

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  11. The voting is now open! =)

    Thanks for the entries, everyone!

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    1. I voted! Great job everyone, it was hard to vote! :D

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  12. I have just voted. And I have to say that this is a very good idea. =) I enjoyed reading everyone's entries. They are really fantastic!!! God Bless~

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  13. I've voted. =)
    Everyone's entries are wonderful!!! =D

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  14. pretty nice blog, following :)

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  15. I voted! Great job everyone on the entries this week.

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  16. Hope you enjoy reading my entry.
    http://myheartfeltreflections.blogspot.com/2014/05/mmc-52814.html

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    1. Love your entry Elizabeth. :-)

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    2. My sister and I really loved you entry! We want you to write more!!!! :) God Bless

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    3. Thanks, guys! :) It really stinks that I'm so busy right now because I keep finding out about different writing contests, like the one over at Ravens and Writing Desks, and I want to enter them all!
      I don't think I'll be able to enter any of them. :(
      Oh, well. :)

      Elisabeth Sullivan
      http://myheartfeltreflections.blogspot.com/

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  17. I voted, but I loved everyone's entries!

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  18. Here is my entry, I am SO late...... :-\

    http://mary.burroughstribe.com/2014/05/01/mondays-minutes-8/

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  19. Okay... Here's my entry. This is my first time entering this contest, we'll see how it goes :)

    My balance wavered as a young girl bumped into me, face turned upward with a worried expression.
    “I’m sorry, are you okay?” The girl bit her lip and pulled her dark cloak around her. A flash of blue protruded near her feet, but she hid it before I could ask any questions.
    “It’s fine.” I shook my head. “I’m Derrik, and you are?”
    She didn’t answer me. The girl’s attention was caught by something else as she stood on her toes, peering out into the massive crowd that was milling around the town square. Something was different about her. She seemed anxious and jittery. A terrified expression became painted on her face; she gave me one last glance before darting into an alleyway. Her cloak became unpinned with this action; it cascaded to the ground revealing an extravagant, bright blue ball dress.
    I stood frozen in place, watching her streak across alley with thudding footsteps on the stone pavement. My body finally obeying, I sprinted after her, but stopped short after I saw a strange sight. The girl had paused by a square opening in the brick alley wall. I hid in the shadows, hoping they would cover my presence. She took a step towards the tunnel, glancing behind her every so often. Her shoulder’s rose and fell with a forced breath. Shouts called out from the street before turning sharply into the alleyway. The girl turned frantically towards the direction of the yelling. Her footing slipped, sending her flying onto the stone pavement beneath her. A jagged scrape appeared on her leg, a small trickle of blood flowing from it. The girl let out a whimper before fleeing into the tunnel. Who was this girl? What was her story? Where was she going?

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  20. Here is my entry. It is 300 words exactly and I used both the pie, key, and clock prompt and the sentence prompt.

    This was taking forever. There I sat in the corner booth of Nancy’s Nook waiting for him to come and wondering if he would. I glanced at the hideous clock shaped like a geranium to find that I had been waiting for 45 minutes to see my perspective date. I sighed unhappily. I might as well face it; I was the pretty spinster aunt whom no-one wanted to marry and I would always be just that. I toyed with the piece of pie in front of me, trying to focus on the flaky crust instead of my own crumbling emotions. The pie crust was perfectly crafted but the filling had too much salt. That’s the way life always worked; there was always rain with the sunshine. Although, it seemed to me that my life had consisted of more rain than sunshine. With a huff I grabbed my keys off the table and stormed out the door leaving my half-eaten pie behind.
    I slid into the driver’s seat of my pickup and jammed the keys into the ignition, stirring the engine to life. Music from my favorite Christian radio station blared through my speakers, startling me. I wasn’t in the mood to hear anything so upbeat and yet I didn’t turn it off. I sat there while my truck idled letting the words of the song wash over me. Tears burned my eyes. I had been putting my self-worth in whether I had a date or not. My beauty didn’t come from my relationship status it came from the fact that I was created by the same hands that crafted the earth! My value wasn’t in things of this world but in God. My outlook on life had changed.
    Today would mark the first day of the rest of my life.

    HP

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    1. I needed to hear this story~It is beautiful how you put a lesson all of us need to hear in 300 words. My sister also wanted to let you know that she loved it! :) God Bless!

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    2. I like this, His Princess.

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    3. Oh, thank you all so much! :)

      Angela Beatrice: I am so glad that this story was able to touch you. Glory to God! Please thank your sister for me. :)

      HP

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  21. Using the picture prompt, and my entry is 217 words long.

    I sighed as I ran through the yard to the back of our property. I ran a little ways on the path until I came to my "secret passageway". That's where me and Clue got in to our secret hideout. Clue was my temporary brother, he wasn't adopted, and he wasn't my biological brother. We were just taking care of him for a few weeks.
    I came out the end of the cave and there was the tree, with knives sticking out, about 1/4 inch in. I walked over to the tree and grabbed one of the knives with both hands. I sighed as I started pulling it. It had taken Clue so long to get them all in. But oh well. I pulled one out and moved over to the next one when I heard a noise. I ran over to the bushes, kneeled down, and peeked through. Clue was pacing through one of the small openings by our log bench. I saw him look back, as if trying to make sure no one was there. I ducked. Then he sat down and took off his hood, for the first time since I had known him. And then I saw something that I hadn't noticed before. It was... a scar.
    And now I knew everything.

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