You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘writing contests’ category.
I cannot believe it! I had no idea I won for a second time over at the Writer Mama’s September Giveaway. I am thrilled and feel like walking on sunshine. Winning isn’t everything but surely it’s a mood lifter. I won what I am sure will be a great book by Hallie Ephron titled 1001 Books for Every Mood. That’s not all, I also won a fabulous Writer Mama tote.
I hope you find time to stop by the Writer Mama’s Blog and leave a comment. It may be your lucky day.
Head on over to the Writing White Papers blog and nominate Christina Katz for best writing blog.
I have some cloudy days but today I am walking on sunshine and it’s time to feel good.
My friends can vouch for me, when I am happy I shout Woo Woo Woo! It’s something that just spits out of my mouth without any thought. Today, I am shouting Woo Woo Woo! I just found out that I won a great gift from The Writer Mama’s giveaway.
Just for commenting on her blog I won a book titled The Shy Writer by C. Hope Clark. I am super excited to read this book and love that the author’s name is Hope. I also won a super cool door tag from ninth moon that I will be putting to good use.
You can win too by stopping by her blog and leaving a comment.
Thanks Christina for the September Giveaway.
Good things happen in September, I just love this month and am proud to say I am a Virgo!
Woo Woo Woo!
For those of you who love to write, you are not going to want to miss Christina Katz’s back-to-school September giveaway. It’s a month full of fun! Last year I participated and won two great books.
Each day she posts a question. All you have to do is leave a comment with your answer and the rest is up to fate. If you are one of the lucky few, you will win a fabulous prize. Head on over to her blog and check out the great prizes she is offering this year.
Hope you win, heck I hope I win!
Today, I am looking for inspiration. I am busy working on an assignment and putting together a portfolio for an editor at my local newspaper. To top it off, my kids are out of school early, so Mommy duty is in full force.
How am I looking to get inspired? By hearing of your first time published stories. What was your reaction? How were you informed? Did you feel like it was a long time coming?
So, go-ahead fellow writers inspire me. Sometimes we need to hear other’s successes to believe that we can do it too.
Leave a comment and inspire a fellow writer 🙂
Each month The Writer’s Digest holds a short story contest. They give you a prompt and a 750 word count, and then the rest, is yours to write. Last month’s prompt was to write a short story about the Strong Man and Bearded Lady, experiencing life as a newly married couple.
I thought I would try my hand at a sci-fi type/mystery short story. After I realized I did not win the contest I tried submitting it to the Alfred Hitchcock magazine and it was rejected. I have decided to post it on my blog because I’m not sure where else it would fit in. Its’ title is SHAVING MY PURPOSE.
I really believed Sam when he told me married life would be different. It was something about his chocolate browns that made me trust every word that came out of his mouth. “Del,” he would say, “Once we’re married you can shave that silly beard and I can stop weight lifting so much.” I had visions of us walking into a restaurant like a normal husband and wife. There would be no awkward glances or long disgusted stares. My facial hair would be gone. Maybe I would see myself as he did, pretty. I was excited when I bought my first pack of disposable razors. I was shaving the ugly beard for my man, the man who looked past my beastly features. The man who told me I was beautiful and that together we could do anything. No more freak shows, no more annoying kids, and best of all, no more traveling. I believed this man. I married this man. I loved everything about him. His muscles were rippled and his smile was captivating. I couldn’t wait for the night we shaved my beard. He promised it would be unforgettable. I wanted to make sure the night would be just as perfect as our wedding. More perfect, I should say, we got hitched at a Vegas chapel. It wasn’t the wedding I always dreamed of. Beard shaving night would be better than my dreams. I purchased all sorts of romantic scents. I spent too much money on body oils and even splurged on a very expensive edible shaving cream. He walked through the front door and called out my name. I adjusted the belt of my silk robe, making sure it wasn’t too tight. I ran a quick brush through my hair, squirted his favorite perfume on the back of my neck, cleared my throat and called out seductively “I’m upstairs, waiting for you.” My heart skipped with each step he took. I still couldn’t believe that I, the bearded lady was married to the most handsome man on earth. I was like a school girl waiting for the cute boy to come onto the playground.The only exception was the boy was coming to see me. In school that never happened. The cute boys made fun of me. They were the first one’s to call me a freak. My mother told me she saw stubble within days of my birth. Her crazy witchdoctor advised her that if she was to shave it I would lose my purpose in life. My mother wasn’t all there. She believed that I was born with a beard for a reason. She scared me and told me never to shave it. As crazy as she was, I should have listened. Sam walked in the bathroom holding a half dozen of roses. He greeted me with a long kiss. “Last kiss before we shave that circus hair.” I started to feel like something wasn’t right. I couldn’t understand then, but now I know, it was intuition. My stomach flipped and my hands dripped with sweat. “Trust me,” he whispered. I handed him the razor and edible shaving cream took a deep breath and closed my eyes. He gently lathered the cream over my cheeks and chin. He licked a bit off of my lip and commented on how good it tasted. I expected him to take his time but instead he was rushing. It was not how I pictured the evening to be. If I had any sense I would have got up and ran. A sinister look spread through his chocolate browns. It wasn’t my Sam. A mad chuckle released from his lips the moment he finished the last stroke. “I did it!” He screamed. I became paralyzed with fear as I watched his muscles expand bigger and his chest pump up two sizes. I grabbed onto my head. It was shrinking. The witchdoctor’s words barreled through my mind. I was losing my purpose. He stole my purpose to strengthen his strength. I’m back at the carnival freak show, where I will stay for the remainder of my life as the Tiny Head Woman. The last I heard he married The Fat Lady. I wonder what he wants with her voice.
Everyone has something that unwinds them. It can be anything from meditation, to doing a crossword puzzle or simply lounging. Writing is how I unwind. Up until tonight, I don’t think I ever paid much attention to the effect it has on my body. Writing is what soothes me. Shortly after I begin tapping away at the keys, I can feel my muscles begin settling back to their appropriate spots. My mind is meditating and searching for creativity. When the right words are strung together properly a melody is composed. It’s the same thing as a musician hearing the tune he’s been waiting to hear and then singing along. A writer’s words are their music. When a sentence conveys what we wanted and exactly how we intended our hearts sing a little song. The Writer’s music is loud at times, too many words are begging to be heard and it’s hard to figure out which ones sound the best. So we fine tune our minds and tinker with our perception until we get it right. Humming the tune of the sentence we know is somewhere to be found. And when all the chosen words merge together befittingly a writer’s spirit sways to the tune of their rhapsody.
Hey my fellow writing mother’s. Don’t forget to stop by Christina Katz blog The Writer Mama. There are only thirteen days left to her September Giveaway. The contest is going strong and she is getting lots of comments each day. If you love to write or if you dream of writing whiz by her blog and answer the question of the day and you may be a winner. Be sure to let me know if you win. You can click on her site through my blogroll.
Last week I wrote about how I didn’t win the Writer Mama’s writing contest. I was boo-hooing for a bit and feeling rejected. But today I am woo-hooing it and feeling excited. I just found out I won the September 4th give-away from commenting on the Writer Mama’s blog. I am super-super psyched. The books I won will be of great help and be put to good use, just in time for my birthday. So see, life has a way of turning bad days into good. And today is certainly a good one. Be sure to stop by her blog and maybe you will be the next winner. Let me know how it goes. Thank you to Peggy for commenting and letting me know I won. Keep on Writing, Reading, and doing whatever it is that brings a smile to your face. I will be walking around with my smile. I hear it’s the latest trend. :):):)
Hello everyone. Today I would like to direct anyone who loves to write over to the Writer Mama’s blog. You could get there simply by clicking her site from my blogroll. She is giving away great prizes for the month of September to some lucky Writer Mama’s/Papa’s. I am hoping to be one of the lucky few. I hope you all are too.
I would love to hear about what made you start writing. Whether it was a blog, journal,book,short story. I love to hear other people’s stories. Please share it will be fun!
Make sure you visit the Writer Mama for some great tips on writing.
I have heard the song Loser by Beck repeatedly over the last few days. It’s a catchy tune with a rhythmic beat and it’s repeated lyric was stuck in my head. The lyric that serenaded my thoughts were… I’m a loser baby so why don’t you kill me. It’s a bit morbid but catchy. Today I was excited to see the new Writer’s Digest nestled inside my mailbox. My mood quickly changed when I came to page eighteen. I wasn’t expecting to see the announcement of the Writer Mama’s contest so soon. I didn’t think it was going to be announced until October but then realized The Writer’s Digest I was reading was the October issue. Needless to say I did not win or even place for that matter. I am not bitter and truly offer my sincerest congratulations to the winner Kristin Carlson whose article was perfectly written. I am bummed out simply because rejection is a hard pill to swallow. We send our literary masterpieces (as we would like to think of them) out into the sea of boundless words and hope they will be returned with a gold star. We wait for days, weeks even months holding onto the cliff of our mind called wishful thinking. When it is confirmed we weren’t even close to the brass ring disappointment rushes through our soul and we question why we tried in the first place. I have chosen to accept rejections as progress. The fact that we are being rejected means we are putting ourselves out there. And that’s better than having a desk full of manuscripts never sent. I have decided I will wait patiently for my gold star. I will take other’s accomplishments and make them my own. Because if someone else can do it so can I. I may have not won the Writer Mama’s Contest but I did have a fun time writing down my moment of when parenting and writing collide. I have decided to share it with you. Though I was a loser this time around I still feel confident that one day I will be the winner.
WHEN PARENTING AND WRITINGCOLLIDE
When you are a parent the sound of silence is both soothing and suspicious. I have spent a great deal of time deciphering which one I should take it as. Doing so has caused many interruptions in my writing career. I check on the kids. The boys are in my son’s room playing X-box. My daughter is sleeping beautifully on my TV room’s couch. Excitement floods through me. I gather my slippers, journal, pen and thoughts. Sink down into my comfy leather chair, turn on a little music and prepare myself to create a piece of literature; I am sure will be a masterpiece. Before my pen could graze the paper I am presented with the first disruption. Standing before me is my four-year-old nephew. His days are spent at my house while his mother works.
“Aunt Mar,” he says smirking. My stomach twists a bit, Already, I think. “My bud needs you,” he states. By bud he means my son. “What does he need?” I ask. A twinkle of embarrassment illuminates his giant blue eyes. “For you to wipe him.” I jump from my chair and trudge upstairs to my one and only bathroom. Hunched in front of the toilet is my blonde curly haired little man bent over. His bare dirty butt is greeting me. I grab some toilet paper and continue doing what we Mothers do. After washing my hands and escorting them back to his room. I race back down the stairs. Hoping my thoughts can still be retrieved. After all I didn’t have time to write them down. I let out a deep breath and plop back into my chair. It gladdens me that most of my original thoughts are still fresh in my mind. But, this time I will be better prepared for the next hindrance. I grab my pen and journal and furiously jot down my vision of words. A stampede of heavy footsteps can now be heard above me. I pause and listen. It is obvious the x-box game has been abandoned. Maybe they will go in and watch the movie that is still playing from their last trip downstairs. I am thrilled when I peek in and see them sprawled across the floor intently watching the movie they begged me to buy. At last, I can finally start writing. I scribble down the clever title I came up with. Oh, this is sweet; I visualize myself drafting, escaping, creating, and then… reality hits. The whaling of my two-year-old daughter is my wake-up call. So, once again I vacate my cushy chair and enter back into the world that inspires the very thing I write about.
MOMENTS AND MEMORIES 