- 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.)
- The deadline for the contest will be the Thursday after next.
- The winners will receive a badge for their blog, as well as extra points (see the point system below).
- 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.
- This is only for fun and to stretch your writing muscles--not necessarily to be taken too seriously. =)
- 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!).
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 ...
Third place winner:
Shock registered on my face as I watched the soldier troop by. I don’t know I was shocked at the fact that they were soldiers. I knew they were. I think I was shocked at the darkness that surrounded them. Their clothes were dark, their hair was dark, even their eyes. Not one of them had light colored eyes. I gaped at them as they past, hoping they didn’t see us.
If they saw us the likely hood of us getting away was slim to know, and they didn’t look like their hearts would be softened towards to young girls.
My hope was long lasting, when the last soldier turned his eyes slightly and saw us. I snapped my mouth shut, swallowing hard. The soldier stepped out towards us, a spark of anger in his eyes, anger that was unexplainable, to me.
“What are you two doing here?” He snapped at us.
I blinked quickly trying to think of something to say.
“W-we are taking a break. We are k-kitchen maids.” Anna stammered quietly.
I nodded my head in agreement, hoping I look more innocent than I felt.
The man glared at us, after a quiet glance at the rest of the soldiers that were disappearing around the corner of the building.
“I don’t believe you, but you listen to this. I will be watching you two. And if I see either one of you doing anything you shouldn’t I will tell, Lady Patricia.” He snarled. Then looking to where the soldiers had disappeared, he gave us one last glance before he ran off to catch up with them.
Congratulations, Mary B! Click here for your badge, and don't forget to claim your points here. =)
Second place winner:
I could turn away now and no harm would be done, but I would be plagued all my life with curiosity. Or I could open it, and change my life forever.
“Remember Pandora’s Box.” A small dragon hisses up at me. “Terrible things happened.”
“But Hope came out, too.” Another cried in the back. “Don’t dissuade her!”
The large one, who was leaning over my shoulder smacked it with its tail. “Shut up, squeakster.”
I stared at the thin book. “I…” I touch it. It burns me, and the sparks bounce off the stone floor.
“You could have the world, darling.” It purrs again in my ear.
“The world.” The others echo, save the small one, sprawled at my feet.
The book called to me. I could feel the pull. I could have the world. I fell to my knees before the book, tears streaming down my cheeks. I wanted it. I was afraid of it. I shouldn’t take it. I must have it. It was wrong. But I would have the world.
The cavern full of dragons waited, an occasional hiss, or swish of a restless tail.
I would have the world. Dale would hate me. My sister would try to kill me. She would hate me.I rose, still staring. “I can’t.” I took a deep breath and ran out of the tunnels.
* * * * *
The large dragon raised a claw, quieting the disappointed rumbles. “She’ll come back. Sheis the one.”
Squeaster whimpered.
* * * * *
I now sat in a forest, surrounded by my small army, defeated again. My men were beginning to murmur about me being a worthless girl. Dale hates me now.
I should have taken that book. I could have had the world.
I decide quickly. I’m going back for the book. The world will be mine.
Congratulations, Rebekah B! Click here for your badge, and don't forget to claim your points here. =)
First place winner:
He was watching me. I was sure of it. The man with a tattoo of a swallow on his neck had his eyes fixed on me from the corner of the room. I’d never seen him in my life… at least, no spark of recognition was there. It was dark in the room, though. I thought that perhaps he remembered me, maybe from an event we had both attended.
Should I make conversation, or make nothing of the situation? I could turn away now and no harm would be done, but I would be plagued all my life with curiosity. Or I could open discussion, and change my life forever. I decided to try for it. My curiosity was so much.
“Hello.” I greeted him as I sat myself in the chair across from his. “I’m Meredith Daley. What’s your name?”
He looked puzzled at first, but then regained his confident composure. “Well, you are surprising. I was sure that I would have to go to you. But you’ve made it so much easier.” He smiled mysteriously. Before I had time to rethink this conversation, he began again. “My name is of no importance. You will never see me again. However, I will be seeing you.” For the first time, his hand moved from its grip on his coat and he wrote something down on a pad of paper in front of him. When he glanced up again, he smiled the same as before. “Goodbye, Miss Daley.”
By the way it was said, I assumed that he would be the one to leave. But when he kept his eyes fixed on me and made no move, I realized that I was being dismissed. As I walked away, I wondered just what this meeting meant and what was to later come.
Honorable Recognitions:
These winners will receive a badge, as well as 2 extra points:
- Sofia Marie
- Rebekah (Horse Feathers blog)
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.
- Write a passage using these items: shelf, song, laughter (submitted by Sofia Marie)
- Write a passage based on this picture (submitted by Maddie)
- Write a passage either incorporating this phrase OR based on this phrase: "Well," he says, "this is it. This is what we've been waiting for." (submitted by Maddie)
*If your prompt was selected, be sure to claim your points here.
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.
Current Judge Panel:
Wow! Third place! I didn't expect that. Thank you guys!!
ReplyDeleteHere are my prompts:
Picture: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/e3/74/f8/e374f823d0c097b3f2aaab732bb01c80.jpg
Phrase: I didn't think this happen to real people. This was suppose to happen only in books.
Object: Hammer, Book, Tree
My Prompt submissions:
ReplyDeleteObjects: Clouds, factory, calender
Sentence: And then suddenly she wasn't there anymore.
Picture: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/310678074271100512/
My prompt submission is for Objects: Sunflowers, Spoons, and Tears. My mom suggested it.
ReplyDeleteBased off of pic. prompt:
ReplyDeleteThis is everything I didn’t say.
The angry words that never stung. The brave words that never stood up for anyone. The kind words that never comforted.
This is everything no one saw.
The invisible tears. The pain that sent my insides screaming…silently. The jeering, leering faces that surrounded me day and night.
This is everything that hurt me. Tore me apart. Ripped out my soul.
Isn’t it odd to exist but be extinct? To live yet die every single, dreadful day? To be an empty shell yet crave something more?
This is everything you should know.
Take this home and listen. Listen and learn, learn to listen, listen to learn. I don’t mind repeating myself. Someone is finally listening.
This is everything that was never a part of my legacy.
Pushed down. Crushed. Broken.
That’s what I was.
Until you came along.
Until you sat down and listened.
Thank you, thank you, guys, for 1st place! It means a lot to me:)
ReplyDeleteI know that this is late. I didn't have internet yesterday so I wasn't able to post it. If you are not able to take it now, I understand. But here it is, just in case you can accept it. It's 299 words, and I continued it from last week. I used the picture and the items prompts.
Someone was watching me. It was evident: I had closed the piano cover before going to bed the night before; the coffee creamer had been to the front of the fridge; and Dad's picture on the shelf by the front door had not been tilted to the left. It hadn't been a thief, for nothing had been taken.
I sighed as I sat in the armchair, sipping my coffee as I did so. It was when I put it on the table next to me that I realized that something was indeed missing. The doily that my great aunt Judy had made me before she died was not in its place in the middle of the little table. And I had not moved it since I'd placed it there last September. It was strange. They had made off with something of no value to them.
The laughter began that night. I pulled my key out of the lock of my apartment door and looked slowly about the room, knowing that I hadn't left the T.V. on. I stepped even more slowly into the room and closed the door quietly. I made my way through the apartment, heading toward the laughter.
It was issuing from my room. I went inside and pulled my laptop from under my bed, staring at it in shock. How had they known my password? I shook my head and ejected the disk. The laughing stopped midway through. I took the disk from the tray and felt even more confused than ever when I recognized it as the one I was going to put my album on. I'd titled it “This Is Everything I Didn't Say” but I hadn't put a single song on it yet. I guess someone had found a use for it.
My prompts are:
1) Cars, cries, teardrops
2) “This,” he said, sitting straighter, “was not part of the plan.”