A hearty thank you to all those of you who participated in and tweeted about the debut #WeekendWritercize competition! The stories are a wonderful way to kick off the weekly contest.
Once again, here was the prompt:
writercize: Enough with "they lived happily ever after" fairy tale endings. Pick a familiar fairy tale, throw out the happily ever after, and tell us what really happened!
You guys really know how to throw in a twist or two, and I am so very impressed by every one of the entries. It was not an easy decision, but I've narrowed the playing field to one winner.
(Please note that I did consider each and every entry. The bit about profanity and violence is more of a courtesy than a rule, and a link to your website if you're doubtful of the nature of your post is the perfect solution. I do appreciate how cognizant everyone was of the request.)
Congratulations to:
WINNER
SARAH AISLING (
@SarahAisling) with her alternative ending to The Little Mermaid, "And To The Sea Return." I chose Sarah's story as the winner because I am in love with the lyrical rhythm of her writing and the depth of her character development, slightly reminiscent of Kate Chopin.
Here is one of the final paragraphs from her entry:
"Her tears mixed with the salt of the sea as she lamented over her lost love. Worse than seeing his body come back wrapped in silk and carried on the shoulders of his men was having had to watch as the life had been gradually extinguished from his sparkling dark eyes. His exuberance, sense of humor, and desire for a better future all doused, the flame of hope snuffed out, never to burn again."
Sarah, please pick up your badge below, and congratulations! I look forward to reading more of your work. Message me your address (alanagwrites (at) gmail (dot) com) with a mailing address and your Target gift card will be on its way!
Honorable Mentions
"One Last Kiss"
I love the twist, both literal and figurative, of the case of mistaken identity in this alternative ending to the romance of Snow White with her Prince Charming.
"Belle and The Enchanted Castle"
This story is like the dark twin of Shrek, with fairy tale characters galore, connected in the most creative ways. There are talking frogs, vampires, witches, wolves, unbearable giants, teen angst and more. It's definite YA meets the Brothers Grimm, and I was intrigued to turn every corner.
Untitled
I selected this untitled story about a shoemaker as an honorable mention because of its relationship to current events in its parallel to the Occupy movement taking place in cities across the country. I am a big fan of relating news and current events to fictional stories.
I'll work up an honorable mention badge to award three contestants each week and tweet you all when it is ready!
Again, well done and congratulations to all the participants.
Spread the word and I'd love to see you all here next weekend!