Do one or more of the following:
- Write a pitch/logline for a book based on the prompts (less than 100 words)
- Write a short story/flash fiction piece of less than 200 words based on the prompts
- Write a poem with a twist using the prompts as inspiration (in less than 200 words)
- Write a story/poem in five sentences, each sentence based on one of the prompts
- Write a poem/flash fiction piece (in less than 200 words) about the water pear *without* using the words “pear”, “spoon”, or “droplet”.
For added difficulty/challenge:
- Complete at least three of the above activities and tie them all together with a common theme (feel free to either state the theme in your post or leave us to guess what it might be)
- Write in a genre that is not your own
- Ask Challenge entrants to critique your writing. After the Challenge closes, you may wish to re-post your revised piece(s), and I’ll include a Linky List at the bottom of this post for those wishing more feedback on their revisions (note: revised entries will not be judged, so please label clearly your original post and your revisions. Please do not offer critique unless someone asks for it, as per the usual blogging conventions. If you do ask for critique, make sure you ask for it clearly so people know you want it, and please be prepared to receive feedback that may not be 100% glowing. If you are a critiquer, please be tactful and courteous, and remember to provide positives as well as negatives.)
As for critiques, I’ve received some very tough ones, and the only comments that are hard to take are criticisms with no suggestions for a better way to achieve the right impact. So please tell me how to fix whatever you think I did wrong.
Here are the writing prompts I must use:
Prompt 1:
Two people are sitting together under the remains of a concrete bridge. Their backs are against a rusted bridge support. One person’s leg is cut. The other person has wet hair.
Prompt 2:
Prompt 3
Prompt 4
Prompt 5
Now here are my responses. This poem is for challenges 3 and 4, combined in one five sentence poem with a twist:
Under the bridge, two homeless men sprawl.
A well-dressed child above kicks a ball.
Rich photographer shoots water’s fall,
Blind to the waifs with nothing at all.
Who sees the light when darkness may call?*
White knuckled, Joe gripped a foot-long bolt he’d pulled from the water after it cut him. Shoddy bridge workmanship—he ought to sue. Feeling the cold metal against his back, he glanced at the last whole concrete span above. “What’s that awful thumping?”
Susan shifted beside him. “Some kid playing with a ball.” Bending over, she wiped blood from the gash on his thigh.
He gritted his teeth as her wet hair dripped. Through his tears, the drops coalesced into a pear shape, the art of never-ending pain. He slid down onto the sand, for the rusted bridge support was anchored near the water’s edge.
When thumping awoke him again, fog had rolled in. He wondered how long he’d slept.
Where was Susan?
Childish voices floated through the fog—along with the incessant thumping. As Joe glimpsed street urchins squatting in the storm drain garbage nearby, his bile rose from the stench.
He closed his eyes, remembering. One leg useless, he’d fought the riptide, swimming through inky blackness lit by wispy multi-hued—jellyfish?
The thumping stopped. Though surprised, Joe couldn’t open his eyes. The light strands, brighter now, drew him upward while paramedics put his body into a bag.
Sequel to Meet Joe Black:
Susan leans against the rusty support of some bridge remains. Crying, she wipes Joe White’s leg with her wet hair. They talk, their lives presented in flashbacks as his consciousness fades in and out.
At her father’s party, Joe’s photos preserve fireworks as streaks. Later, they marry and travel as he photographs everything from starving children to water art—until their son chases a ball into the ocean. Distraught, they also attempt drowning, except Joe gets cut.
If you liked my entries, please vote “like” for #57, here. Whoever you vote for, it counts as an entry for a book prize if you fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Now here’s the form!
Oh, wait. If you’re a judge, please email me at sherahart @ gmail dot com or ask Rachael so you can judge the real pitch ending. By April 2 or 3, I will post the real ending and winners so everyone can see this wasn’t an April Fool’s joke. Thanks!
Now you can go hopping to other book giveaways featured by Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer.
The poem was great. And you have a good voice for fiction. Both are good efforts.
Your writing is so good. Congratulations btw on being a finalist in the first challenge (if I remember correctly you were one of them).
Nice pieces and well written. Good job.
Sher, I love your poem and your posts!
And I’ve tagged you on my blog. 🙂
You got a vote from me because I loved your poem. Great job! (#30)
You are starting to get addictive 🙂
Oh, I fell in love with that poem.
I liked how you used the prompts and I particularly liked the twist at the end of the second piece.
I agree, You used the prompts seamlessly and I liked the twist at the end of the second. Good job. I didn’t guess the ending. My brain’s not working.
Ack! Now that was a twist ending. Great work, Sher!
Nice writing. Loved the imagery and the twists.
Melissa Maygrove #14
Excellent writing!
I’m in Lithuania.
I liked the second answer, flash-fiction, the best.
I loved them all, especially the poem! #103
Great job on all of them!!
I like the poem the best(:
Your poem is nice :]!
I liked your second piece, the flash fiction at 90 words. I was surprised by the ending! GFC Amy S. USA
I love in the US I like the first the best!
krystlekouture at yahoo dot com
I like the poem.
I”m in canada. So not eligible for US prize. But can use amazon. Thanks.
jennifer k