Writing Prompt, November 30, 2013

The last day of the month. We are officially diving into December. This picture was taken at a church, and in scripture, God is known as the alpha and the omega. The beginning and the end; therefore, we are using it at the end of the month, even as December marks the beginning of the holiday season.

This stained-glass window was meant, of course, to represent the idea of the Trinity, hence the triangle and the interwoven rings.

Therefore, for this flash fiction writing prompt, write a story about three peoples' lives which, whether by job, family or circumstance, are completely intertwined. If you can, show what happens when one or all attempt to pull away.

Three characters is a lot for flash fiction; feel free to go as long as you need to, in order to get the story just right!

Good luck!

Contests Ending in December or Thereabouts

I've compiled some contests that are ending soon. I'm sure there are more, but since I just started this blog last week, this is all I've had time to cull together! I'm hoping to make this a monthly thing, towards the end of each month. It should give you just enough time to experience the panic that is associated with completing deadline-driven tasks, but also enough time to possibly complete these tasks.

I endorse none of these contests. Nor do I gain anything by you clicking on them. You are strictly left to your own judgement regarding the goodness and worthwhile-ness of each of these contests. I have enough time to inform, but unfortunately not enough time to investigate.

That being said, if you run across a particularly nasty person and/or company, let me know and I'll look into it.

Good luck! If I find more, I'll update this post for now, and post a notice on Twitter @FlashFicStories.

Contests ending 11/30!

Women On Writing (WOW) Fall Contest
Between 250-750 words
Open Prompt!
Entry Fee: $10.00
First Prize: $350.00 + $25 Amazon Gift Certificate + Entry published on WOW site + Interview on WOW site

Fish Short Story Contest
Under 5,000 words
Open Prompt!
Entry Fee: Online entry,  €20.00 for the first entry, €10.00 for subsequent entries
First Prize: €3,000 - (€1,000 of which is for travel expenses to the launch of the Anthology

Contests ending 12/15

Musings of Mistress of the Dark Path
Up to 2,500 words
Holiday theme and other stipulations (see site)
No Entry Fee
First Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Certificate

Virginia B. Ball Creative Writing Competition
Eligibility: Students who are in grade 8-11 during the 2012-2013 academic year
Poetry: 3-5 poems
Prose: Fewer than 5,000 words. Personal essay or short story, or combination thereof.
First Prize: $30,000 Creative Writing Scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy Boarding High School for the 2013-2014 academic year and publication in the Interlochen Review.

Contests ending 12/17

Writer's Digest 13th Annual Short Short Story Competition
Up to 1,500 words
Open Prompt
Entry Fee: $20.00
First Prize: $3,000, publication in Writer's Digest, paid trip to NYC Writer's Digest conference, and other publications.

Contests closing 12/31

Flash 500 Competition
500-word limit
Open Prompt
Entry Fee: £5 for one story, £8 for two stories (payable by Paypal)
First Prize: £300 plus publication in Words with JAM

Writing Prompt, November 29, 2012

I was in New York having tea at a wonderful place called "Tea and Sympathy". And yes, this is a tea cup with a picture of the Queen. A good friend and I were working out all the world's problems, as is our custom, while (ironically?) drinking tea with, no, from, the Queen. There was a matching tea pot.
For this flash fiction writing prompt, write a story about two characters having a serious conversation in an unusual, ironic or incongruent context.

Writing Prompt, November 28, 2013

This picture was taken in August in Point Pleasant, New Jersey. But now it's November, it's not a beautiful warm day today, and in fact much of that area was badly affected by Hurricane Sandy.

For today's flash fiction writing prompt, write about something that was a certain way, but then changed drastically. You can either be influenced by time, as with the change of seasons, by an actual disaster, or by something totally different.

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Writing Prompt, November 27, 2012

This is a photo I took outside of some kind of second-hand store in Greenwich Village. The collection of items intrigued me. A skull? Three individual shoes that look to be for only the right foot? A military cap? I found the arrangement fascinating.
For today's story writing prompt, use two items from this picture to define someone's job or predominant situation. Will you choose to write a piece of military flash fiction using the cap and a tie tack, or will you write about an unconventional osteopath, with perhaps the skull and a pair of wacky shades? Good luck and happy Tuesday!

Writing Prompt, November 26, 2012

A stick bug is, as you may expect, a bug that looks like a stick. It hangs around on trees, hoping to blend in and not be noticed, at least by predators.

For today's flash fiction writing prompt, write a story about a character who's trying to blend in.

Writing Prompt, November 23, 2013

Sometimes rivers flow as a powerful, raging whole; sometimes smaller, gentler tributaries split off from the main river. Write a story about a character that is split in two different directions, either spiritually, emotionally or in physical demands on their time or presence.

Writing Prompt: November 20, 2012

I'm doing "Today in History" for a while to inform my writing prompts. Seems as good as anything else. So...

Today in history, New Jersey was the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.

Write a story about someone who has a right violated, or someone in another country that doesn't have one of these rights. For your convenience...the Bill of Rights:

Writing Prompt, November 19, 2012

On this day in 1988, Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of the Artist Without Beard sold at auction for $71.5 million.

Write a short story about an artist who just sold (or is in the process of selling) her first painting. Write for 15 minutes as a prompt, or 500 words to get a good story going. Ok...Go!