Monday's Minute Challenge: Writing prompt contest for teens & up!

A quick writing prompt challenge (and contest) for teens to get their creative juices flowing for the new week.

1. The entry must be between 150 - 300 words. (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 Thursday after next. 
3. The winners will receive a badge for their blog, as well as extra points (see the point system below).
4. 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. 
5. This is only for fun and to stretch your writing muscles--not necessarily to be taken too seriously. =)

Since the point system has caused a bit of confusion recently, I have decided to take a different approach.
From now on, I will host a monthly giveaway, and one winner will be announced every four weeks.  Keep in mind that you are in charge of your points from now on. If you win a contest, the only way that you will receive your points is by clicking the entry below. 
Also, if you have already liked my Facebook page, followed me on Twitter, etc. then make sure to click those entries as well in order to receive your points. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There will be one randomly-selected winner chosen from the above raffle each month. They will have the choice of receiving one of the following prizes:

• A critique on of one of their MMC entries
• A blog critique
• A 300 - 600 word critique on your novel, short story, blog post, etc
• The opportunity to judge one of the contests
• A free ebook of PURPLE MOON
• A special surprise sent to your mailbox (snail mail, not email)

 

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

Time for another giveaway!

This month's random giveaway winner is . . . 

Christine!

Congratulations! Be sure to respond to the email I sent to claim your prize.   

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 were the most intriguing (based on rule #4) are ... 

 (Tie)

The Lily, the Lily
On his silver chest
Bled with strength unwanted.
Beautiful, beautiful was the color,
But a life it stunted:
His own.

The sword, the sword,
In his limp grasp
Glistened with the same hue;
He had, he had slain many
Others, and had
Stained them likewise, too,
During war.

And the key, the key
Around his neck
Consoled its flower friend.
Hush, hush, it said,
He has kept his promise to her
Until the very end.
Be glad.

And the fog, the fog,
It lifted,
Just long enough
To see, to see how
These young lives had
Met an end so rough:
By men.

Her heart, her heart
Would break for those
Who shared in his same fate.
And she, she would praise
Those fallen who
Would not live to a longer date:
Their sacrifice.

They lay, they lay
There: Lily,
Key, and steel,
And aided, aided the
Fallen to obtain
A life more real
Than this.

Congratulations, Maddie! Click here for your badge, and don't forget to claim your points here. =) 

 (Tie)

The fog lifted for a moment, just long enough to see. Just long enough for us all to see. For us all to see our parents die. I wish in the moment I had know what was going to happen, so that I could have shielded my little sister from the sight. But I didn’t know, and she saw.

At first she had no idea what she had saw, but when she was older, she remembered and then she knew. There was no way that she could not understand what had happened that night. Not when it was clear that our parents had died, that they were dead.

Just like I wasn’t prepared for her to see them die, I was prepared for how she would react to realizing it.

Her mind was too young, too innocent to handle the way our parents had died. To handle the truth of it all. It was too harsh, too cold. And it hit her in the stomach knocking her down, where no one could reach her.

Especially me.

It was my fault really. I should have never admitted that it was my fault that our parents died. Even when she pushed me into telling her. I admitted it all.

I admitted that in order to save myself and her that I sold my parents over to the king, knowing that they would die.

That was the biggest mistake of my life. One that I will never forget…or stop regretting.

I would give up everything I had now, the power, the wealthy, my home…everything to have my parents back.

Congratulations, Mary B.! Click here for your badge, and don't forget to claim your points here. =) 

   A shiver crawled up his spine. Perhaps it could have been due to the frigid atmosphere, proving itself in icy wisps of what was remaining of his shallow breath. For any onlooker, it could certainly have been so, but he knew that it were the deathly silence of such a place. The only sound which could be heard was the echoing clomps of his shoes as they struck the stone-hard ground.

   He briefly glanced at the lily he had slipped into his belt in order to remind him of the outside world. Its wilting form reminded him of how long he’d been in here. It had been hours since he’d first ventured into this frosty, uninviting place.

   He drew his polished sword, as though summoning courage. A thick fog inhabited itself in the atmosphere, obscuring his vision. The fog lifted for a moment, just long enough to see. There, in view, was the door that he’d been waiting for. He hastily quickened his steps, taking advantage of his temporal sight.

   Finally reaching the heavily bolted door, he lifted a trembling hand to his side, grasping tightly the key. Lifting the key to the lock, he endeavored to unlock the latch.  Since the lock had rusted, the key did not slip into it as easily as he had hoped, though it was with an effort of endurance that he finally managed to alter the lock. The bulky chains began falling fast to the ground with a smash. His white hand clung to the door, fearing to venture forward into the unknown.

   With a firm shove, the wooden door came unloose, revealing another fog-filled room of darkness. He took several terrified steps inside. Suddenly, a terrible growl permeated the room. It was too late to turn back now.

Congratulations, Sarah T.! Click here for your badge, and don't forget to claim your points here. =)

I couldn’t remember who I was. Or why I was slumped on the ground of an ethereal throne room, my head throbbing painfully. 
A woman loomed over me, a lily-of-the-valley crown perched upon her brow, but it did nothing to soften her features. It was as if she tried to be beautiful, but beauty fled from her in fear, leaving only harshness. 
“The key, you useless girl!” She hissed. 
I scrambled frantically to stand. “Who are you?” 
“Do you think me daft?” She snarled. “Give me the key.”
My breathing quickened, and my hand tightened unconsciously around the hilt of the sword I held. I wished I could remember how to use it. I shifted nervously, and felt something sway around my neck. Reaching for it, my fingers made contact with warm silver. A key. 
If only I could regain my memories! Should I give her the key? Was it of importance? 
Was I of importance? 
I stared uneasily into the woman‘s eyes. “And what will you give me?” 
“You dare to barter with me?!” She screeched. “You insolent creature!” 
She lunged forward, fingers grasping thin air as I lurched away, gasping at the pain that filled my head. My vision flickered, and I fell, slamming against a wall. The lady lifted her arm, dagger in hand, poised to kill. 
“Wait!” I shouted. “Wait.” 
I yanked the key off my neck. “I’ll give it to you, if you will tell me who I am … and who you are.” 
The woman clicked her tongue. “Rosalynn, I should think you would recognize your own mother.” 
Seizing the key from my hand, she spoke coldly to someone I couldn‘t see. “Take her away. She is no longer of use to me.” 
A sharp pain rent my thoughts, and everything went black. 

Congratulations, Savannah P.! Click here for your badge, and don't forget to claim your points here. =)

Honorable Recognitions: 

These winners will receive a badge, as well as 2 extra points:

1. Shelby
2. Mia
3. Simi

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 2 extra points!). 
• Your response should range between 150 - 300 words. 
• The deadline for the contest will be the Thursday after next. 
• If you'd rather not submit your post in the comments or on your blog, you may email it to me instead.

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: bus, phone booth, calendar (submitted by S. Brightly)
• Write a passage based on this picture (submitted by Maddie)
• Write a passage either incorporating this phrase OR based on this phrase:  
   She was afraid of what she might see when she lifted her hand from her eyes. (submitted by Savannah P.)

*If your prompt was selected, be sure to claim your points here. 

Post your entry on your blog!:

If you're posting your entry on your blog (+2 points), please add your link below rather than in the comments. And don't forget to claim your points here!

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 2 points!
• You may submit in the comments below.