| Writing Forum Conversation about the art and business of writing. Feel free to share original work here as well. |  | 
01-28-2006, 12:30 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
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| | The annual Writers Weekly 24 Hour Short Story Contest begins in half an hour.  | 
01-28-2006, 12:56 PM
|  | Premium Member | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Michigan
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| | GOOD LUCK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | 
01-28-2006, 01:07 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
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| | ok, I missed the CENTRAL TIME part, so I have a bit of a repreive before I stress out..... lol | 
01-28-2006, 01:18 PM
|  | Hot and Juicy | | Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: off campus
Posts: 46,308
| | Good! Gives me the time to wish you good luck!!! Come back and tell us all about it!! | 
01-28-2006, 01:56 PM
|  | Insert witty comment here | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alabama
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| | Good luck! And most importantly, have fun! 
__________________ Melanie  | 
01-28-2006, 01:57 PM
|  | Forum Code Administrator | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: PA
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| | What Em said 
__________________ Salt makes mistakes taste great. | 
01-28-2006, 01:58 PM
|  | Mistress of Mayhem | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: New York
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| | Good luck!
__________________ Stress: What happens when your gut says no and your mouth says, "Of course, I'd be glad to." | 
01-28-2006, 03:20 PM
|  | Hot and Juicy | | Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: off campus
Posts: 46,308
| | So.....I wonder how she's doing? I think I can smell creative juices.  | 
01-28-2006, 03:20 PM
|  | In Spanish, I'm Marijuana | | Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Lawn-Guy-Land, NY
Posts: 28,768
| | Have fun!!!
__________________ MJ It's extraordinary to me that the United States can find $700 billion to save Wall Street and the entire G8 can't find $25 billion dollars to save 25,000 children who die every day from preventable diseases.~ Bono | 
01-28-2006, 05:02 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
Posts: 10,466
| | Well, the chosen topic was a good one, and a story just popped right in my head. I just submitted it  | 
01-28-2006, 05:05 PM
|  | Insert witty comment here | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alabama
Posts: 18,575
| | Wow, congrats! 
__________________ Melanie  | 
01-28-2006, 05:06 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
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| | Now it is hurry up and wait - winners aren't announced for 3 weeks. They have to read all 500 or so entries, narrow them down, read them again, etc. | 
01-28-2006, 05:11 PM
|  | Mistress of Mayhem | | Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: New York
Posts: 16,982
| | Wow! That was fast.
__________________ Stress: What happens when your gut says no and your mouth says, "Of course, I'd be glad to." | 
01-28-2006, 05:16 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Central California
Posts: 6,236
| | Wow. Good luck to last for the next three weeks!
__________________ Think, think, think... | 
01-28-2006, 05:21 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
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| | Quote: | taurusmoon said
Wow! That was fast. |
I know! I love to write, but sometimes when someone else gives you your topic the ideas are sluggish. Not today! Saw the topic, then whammo! knew the story.
I won't post the topic here until after the contest ends tomorrow, but I will tomorrow afternoon so y'all can play around with it also.
You got the topic paragraph, an 1100 word limit, and 24 hours. You do not have to stick precisely to the topic paragraph or use it word for word (although you can if you wish) as long as the general idea is somehow incorporated into your story. You also have to give your story a title (entries over 1100 words, late for any reason or without title are disqualified) | 
01-28-2006, 06:24 PM
|  | Hot and Juicy | | Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: off campus
Posts: 46,308
| | Wow! I knew I heard those juices flowing! that was fast! Hope you win!  | 
01-28-2006, 06:48 PM
|  | I'm Sparkly in Real Life | | Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: It's not heaven, it's Iowa
Posts: 23,990
| | Do we get to read your entry?
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Take the pledge. Just say no to | 
01-28-2006, 07:30 PM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
Posts: 10,466
| | I'm building my new web site this weekend, so it will most likely get added to it as a Flash document after the contest deadline has passed. When it does I'll post a link.  | 
01-28-2006, 07:49 PM
|  | A Has Been | | Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Farmersville, TX
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| | Good luck! | 
03-07-2006, 10:52 AM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
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| | Well, I did not win, but I had fun trying to write a cohesive 1100 word short story in 24 hours. I also got a nice note from the judges telling me what killed my story was my dialogue. I am not consistently strong on dialogue (one reason why I don't write screenplays), especially when writing children and the elderly. I seem to be fine writing dialogue within my own age range (about 21 - 41 ish).
Anyway, give me a second to find my file and I'll post the story here and y'all can critique the crap out of it. | 
03-07-2006, 10:58 AM
|  | Hot and Juicy | | Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: off campus
Posts: 46,308
| | That was nice that they sent you a note saying why you didn't win! You must have been a contender! Can't wait to read it!!! | 
03-07-2006, 10:58 AM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
Posts: 10,466
| | Quote:
TOPIC OF THIS CONTEST WAS: She shivered and wrapped her arm more tightly around her little brother. The grocery cart that held their tattered possessions was now full of cans and they steered the rusty contraption toward the local recycling shack. Suddenly, a man in a black coat and hat stepped into their path, thrust a piece of paper into her brother's bare fist, and hurried away. The two children looked at each other and then at the piece of paper...
Entries must touch on the topic in some way to qualify.
| I really enjoyed reading the top three entries and seeing how very different the directions they took with this topic were. The one closest to mine in theme was the second place winner, but the one I enjoyed most for its slightly creepy undertone was the third place winner. I thought the first place winner was technically good and an intriguing take on the story, but I actually didn't enjoy reading it all that much. You can read the winners here: http://writersweekly.com/contest/winter06winners.html
I've already signed up for the Spring Contest. | 
03-07-2006, 11:00 AM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
Posts: 10,466
| | Quote: | theworm said
That was nice that they sent you a note saying why you didn't win! You must have been a contender! Can't wait to read it!!! | I'm fairly certain I only got the note because I belong to two writers groups with one of the judges. It would be nice to think I was a contender, but I think it had more to do with familiarity and just being considerate for a 'net buddy than anything else, since as far as I know most contestants did not get communication (so far I've only heard of two others who did not win getting a comment, and they also belong to one or both of the writer's groups). | 
03-07-2006, 11:10 AM
|  | Epinions Members | | Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Granite State
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