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 Friday after next. 
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. 
5. The winners will receive a badge for their blog, as well as extra points (see the point system below).
6. 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. 
7. 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!
• 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 via ILink, linking back to this post.
• 3 points: If your writing prompt is selected for Monday's Minute Challenge.
• 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:

• Angela: 23
• Anna: 53
• Armina: 49
• Benj. Evans: 40
• Brittney: 3
• Brooke: 15
• CeCe: 28
• Elisabeth: 101
• Emily F: 45
• Emily S: 6
• Evan: 10
• FlyGirl: 38
• Funto: 9
• His Princess: 118
• Jacqueline: 59
• Jillian: 10
• Kaira Anne: 51
• Kaity: 12
• Kaley: 2
• Karina: 23
• Katheline: 32
• Kaity: 3
• Katie Grace: 91
• Kendra: 59
• Laura: 9
• Lottie Le: 39
• Naomi: 10
• Maddie Jay: 14
• Mary B: 124
• Marsh: 20
• Michael: 26
• Mickayla: 34
• Rcubed: 72
• Rebekah B: 53
• Russian Pianist: 38
• Sarah: 126
• S. Brightly: 113
• Sofia Marie: 16
• Tara T: 104
• TW Wright: 199
• Victoria: 25

*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.

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

Remember: The more times you enter, the more chances you have of winning. 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 stand at the summit, looking down at the crimson and gold valley. This was where we had met. Any minute now he’ll come bounding up behind me telling me to “keep an even pace, won’t you Angie?” And then he’ll grin that smile that let me know I meant something to him. He’ll wrap me in a big hug and I’ll just stay there. Yes. That’s how it should be. I sit on a rock and take out a leaf of paper and a pen. Looking over the world, I pour my heart out to the one who should be here with me. The final words are “I miss you. Come back.” Is there anything more to say, are there words that can portray this better? I stand up and for a minute close my eyes. “God…” I pray. “Help me”. Then I open them, let go of the letter and let the wind carry it. There’s no need for an envelope; there’s no need for a stamp. Because war has its victims.

Congratulations, Sofia! Click here for your badge. =)

Second place winner: 

It was a lie I forced myself to believe all my life--until today.
I am not alone in my lie though. It has been religiously believed ever since the beginning of our nation. 
It’s acceptable to own men who are a different color than you are. They aren’t oppressed by protected and looked after. It is just for the superior race to mind the minorities.
If owning another is just, than is this a just war? I cannot fathom that. Maybe it is because I am a farmer’s son. If you asked me what West Point was, I couldn’t tell you. If you asked me to show you how to pitch a crude tent, I wouldn’t know what goes where. And if you instructed me to shoot at my brother just because he is wearing a different color than I and speaks with a Yankee wheeze, I don’t think I could. At least, I didn’t think I could. 
Lies change people. I am living proof of that because here I am ten feet from my brother, rifle aimed high, trigger pulled back… *click.* 
Lies are painted red. I never knew what color they were -- until today. 

Congratulations, Angela! Click here for your badge. =)

First place winner: 

Sometimes lies are wrong. Sometimes they’re needed. Sometimes they hurt.

I stood there, hands fumbling awkwardly by my side, occasionally reaching up to readjust my hat. My heart heaved and surged, turgid with mixed emotions, but one stood out, love. Of course, I knew that I lied to myself. Even so, that knowledge did not stop my breath from catching in my throat as she mounted the platform. The motley group, gathered to see her off, surged forward.

I watched with a smile as she milled among the different people, everyone thanking her with tears of joy. She had a few words of encouragement and an affectionate embrace for each one. In sooner time than I would have thought possible, she stood in front of me. My fingers twitched nervously. There was no clasp of endearment between us, no words of motivation, but as I bent over her delicate hand, oh how I wished that she knew.

It was a lie I forced myself to believe all my life – until today. We were never meant to be. Even as I straightened, my vision blurred with emotion. I dashed a hand across my eyes; I wanted my last image of her to be crystalline clear. We stood there, uncertainly, waiting for something to happen. Both of us started, as in the distance, the train’s whistle sounded. I looked into her eyes and realized then that my affection was returned. My heart leapt in my chest. I– But it could not be. In another time, another place perhaps, but not here, not now. My gaze fell.

“Do you have something you’d like to say, Robert?”

I forced myself to meet her open, trusting face.

“No.”

Sometimes lies are wrong. Sometimes they’re needed. Sometimes they hurt. This lie was all three.

Congratulations, Michael! Click here for your badge. =)

Honorable Recognitions: 

These winners will receive a badge, as well as 3 extra points:

1. His Princess
2. Kaity
3. Victoria

Congratulations! Click here for your badge. =)

Thanks so much to everyone who participated!

• Submit your response in the comments below, or post it on your blog via InLink (below -- you will receive 3 extra points!). 
• Your response should range between 150 - 300 words. 
• The deadline for the contest will be the Friday after next. 
• If you'd rather not submit your post in the comments or on your blog, 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 the Friday after next.

Choose at least one:

Note: You can always combine the prompts into one entry.

• (Optional) 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: rain, sink, lavender (submitted by Angela)
• Write a passage based on this picture (submitted by Mickayla)
• Write a passage incorporating this phrase: I flipped the knife over in my hand and took a deep breath. What other options did I have?   (NOTE: Please do not make this morbid!) (submitted by His Princess)

Post your entry on your blog!:

If you're posting your entry on your blog (+3 points), please add your link below rather than in the comments:

Submit your prompt idea!:

The prompts that are used for Monday's Minute Challenge are submitted by the participants. Here's how this works:

• You will be able to submit 3 prompts each week in the same format as above: three objects, one picture, and a piece of dialogue or phrase.
• On Mondays, I will choose 3 prompts that have been submitted by 3 different people.
• If your prompt is selected, you will receive 3 points!
• You may submit in the comments below, Monday through Sunday.

Cast Your Vote!

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:

• Tessa Emily Hall (me)
• Kate Petty