#WeekendWritercize 2 Winner - Catherine Noble

Wow! What a group of entries!  I was floored last Monday poring over the entries, and am once again impressed by the quality and creativity that everyone exhibited.  You guys make me want to start the writing week off with a bang.

Before I move on to why I chose this week's winner, here was the challenge:

writercize: Put two people who you would not expect to see together in a room and see what happens. Write about where they are, their dialogue and body language.

See all the results here.

We ended up with quite the cast of characters and they were all so fun to read. 

Congratulations to the #WeekendWritercize 2 Winner:

Catherine Noble (@Catherine_Noble)

Paris Hilton and the Dalai Lama

I chose this story because outlandish as the pairing was, the dialogue and circumstances felt very natural and true to their characters. I really enjoyed the humor and the light-hearted exchange.

Just look at the following dialogue between Paris' personal assistant and financial advisor.

Paris scowled at Meredith. She would try and change Daddy's mind about firing her when she got back.

“Never mind Mere-bitch,” François hissed, “I happen to know 100% that he performs miracles. There's absolutely nothing he cannot do. Face it honey,” he placed a hand on his hip, “do you think we'd even know who he was if he couldn't?”

Catherine, please pick up your badge below, and congratulations!  I look forward to reading more of your work.

Honorable Mention:

Rossandra White (@RossandraWhite)

Taylor Swift and Rooney Mara

I selected Rossandra's entry as this week's honorable mention because her entry read so smoothly that I could picture the scene immediately in my head. If the format were altered just slightly, I would be reading a play or movie script, and the actors and director would have an easy job interpreting the scene. I also appreciate how the tension builds up and then gives way to mutual adoration in the end.

(Note: We had a couple fewer entries this week than last, so I have decided to vary the number of honorable mentions weekly, depending on the number of entries and other variables. I could hardly leave only one out or award everyone ... though you all deserve recognition for your hard work!)

Participants:

Nicole (@MadlabPost) - Amy Chua and Jada Pinkett-Smith - I love how you interpret the ferocity of Amy and grace of Jada, both very powerful mothers who ultimately want the best for their children. I also found myself wondering who else might have been at that casting call!

Aurora Lee (@AuroraLee) - This entry is just a lot of fun! I like the nod to the partnership between Scully and Mulder that might have more than a few secrets hiding away, and Buffy's casual responses to being chased and faced with a weapon.

Christopher H Mitchell - Charles Dickens and Harry Chapin - I like the time travel element as a literary master meets a musician in a scene reminiscent of Midnight in Paris. My favorite line: He took the hand and squeezed it. It was surprisingly warm for a dead man. 

Thanks to all who played and read this second edition of #WeekendWritercize! Come again next week, and bring your friends! 

#WeekendWritercize 2: Different Folks

Welcome to the second edition of #WeekendWritercize! 

Join in and spread the word to friends and family!

writercize: Put two people who you would not expect to see together in a room and see what happens. Write about where they are, their dialogue and body language.

(examples: P Diddy and the Pope, Newt Gingrich and RuPaul, Lady Gaga and Mother Theresa, Andy Warhol and Betty Crocker)

To enter the competition, leave your entry as a comment below. Be sure to include your Twitter handle and link to your blog or website. Tweet and Facebook fellow entries using the hashtag #WeekendWritercize.

Since this blog is used by teachers and students, I kindly request that you abstain from profanity and gratuitous violence. (In other words, keep it PG-13.) If your story can't be told without, just provide a link to your post on your own website along with a disclaimer.

Competition closes at 11:59 p.m. Sunday night (Pacific time) - no entries accepted after that. Winner announced Monday.

This week's winner and honorable mention(s) will receive a #WeekendWritercize Winner badge to proudly display on their website.

Thanks and good luck!

Etta James Poetic Mash-Up - writercize #154

One of my absolute favorite singers, Etta James, died today. (photo courtesy wikipedia) She had one of those voices filled with soul and spirit that is just low enough a normal person can still hum along in the kitchen without feeling too self-conscious, and I could always count on her to put me in the writing mood.

Her life may not have been an easy one, born to fourteen year old mother, running away when she herself was fourteen, and falling into the trap of drugs and addiction, but somehow she was able to transcend everything with her music. Through her songs, she reached out and touched the hearts of people of all ages, socio-economic status and ethnicities, not only in the United States but throughout the world. Her vocal chords had the power to build bridges between humans.

In her honor, I am asking you to create a writercize poetry mash-up of her songs.

writercize: Incorporating words from at least three of the Etta James song titles below, create an original piece of poetry. 

It does not need to be a tribute; you can move words around and add as many of your own as you like. Any style of poetry is ok!

(song titles from album "My Greatest Songs" released 1992 by MCA)

• "Something's Got a Hold On Me
• "Sunday Kind of Love
• "Pushover"
• "Miss Pitiful"
• "Trust in Me"
• "Spoonful"
• "Tell Mama"
• "At Last"
• "Payback"
• "Security"
• "I'd Rather Go Blind"
• "I Just Want to Make Love to You"
• "Stop the Wedding"
• "Two Sides (To Every Story)"
• "I Found Love"
• "It's All Right"

Leave your take on the writercize as a comment or share a link to the answer in your blog!

Please click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

Six Word Debate Question - writercize #153

We are just days away from the third Republican primary in South Carolina, and debate season continues as the five remaining candidates vie for a chance to run for President of the United States. The Republican debates started a good year ago (ok, so it's only been since May - at any rate, almost long enough to have a baby), and at this point, it looks as though they could run on for another couple of months, at which time the nominee will begin a series of debates against incumbent President Obama and whatever third party candidates decide to duke it out as well.

In a few if the debates, as with a Presidential Town Hall meeting late last year, interested parties could submit their questions via Twitter, limiting any question to 140 letters. Rather than stick with the Twitter method, I am curious to match debate questions up with the Six Words method of expressing a thought hosted by Smith Mag.

writercize: Use exactly six words to phrase a presidential debate question on a matter that is important to you (or representative of the American people).

Please leave your response as a comment or link to your website post - I love to see your work!

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response.

26 Words - writercize #152

In honor of my guest post over at the April 2012 A to Z Challenge website today, which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest community experiences to hit the blogging world, I have the alphabet on my mind.

A few months ago, I invited readers to create a list of words A through Z within the theme of emotions, weather or colors, which was good for word play and expanding vocabulary, but tonight I have a slightly different challenge for you using the 26 letters of the alphabet, one in which you will use the letters to create a story that makes sense.

writercize: Write a 26 word glimpse of a story or poem in which each word begins with a different letter if the alphabet, in alphabetical order, from A through Z. 

Feel free to use the dictionary, thesaurus, foreign languages and an occasional Seussical invented word to assist you.

Leave your attempt as a comment, or link to your blog so I can see it!

Click "read more" for writercizer sample response about crocodiles and fairies.

#WeekendWritercize One Winner - Sarah Aisling

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

Cara Michaels (@CaraMichaels)

"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.

Jezri (@Jezri1)

"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.

LupusAnthropos (@LupusAnthropos)

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!

Guest Post at A to Z

Good morning writercizers!  

An early post today.  I'm guest posting over at the A to Z Challenge home page with some tips and tricks for the annual blogging challenge coming up in April.  Sign-ups begin January 30, and host Arlee Bird has been posting insight from previous years' participants since the beginning of December.  

If you are familiar with the challenge, I look forward to blogging with you again this year!  If you are not familiar with the challenge, try it out.

I'm posting the writercize from the guest post below; for the full entry and background visit the Challenge site today!

writercize:  Write down the letters A through Z in a notebook.  Fill in an idea for a word or image for each letter.