Prompts

Looking for a Contest Specific to Your Genre?

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

Reedsy Curated Contest Site

We all come across open themed or prompt contest, but what about contest specific to your genre?  Well, the search is over. Reedsy is an excellent resource for finding the perfect contest for you.

What’s even better, is it’s free! I Reedsy is one of those jewels you come across within writing communities. It is resource stocked with free courses on writing resources, editing and publishing.

In the meantime, here are  few to get you started.

    1. Reedsy’s weekly writing prompt – Deadline: December 21st, 2018 • Genre: Fiction, Short Story; Entry Fee : Free. Top prize $50.
    2. Remember in November Contest for Creative Nonfiction: Hippocampus Magazine; Memoir excerpts and personal essays up to 4,000 words; no theme. Deadline: July 15th, 2018 • Entry fee 💰: $12. Genre: Memoir, Non-fiction. Top prize –  $1000.
    3. Nowhere Magazine Spring 2018 Travel Writing Contest. Travel-specific pieces; Deadline: July 1st, 2018 • Entry fee 💰: $20. Genre: Fiction, Non-fiction. Top prize-$1000.

    4. Emerging Writer’s contest – Ploughshares. Authors are considered “emerging” if they haven’t published or self-published a book. Deadline: May 15th, 2018 (Expired) • Entry fee 💰: $24. Genre: Essay, Fiction, Non-fiction, Poetry, Short Story. Top prize – $2,000 for each genre and publication in the literary journal.

    5. Jim Martin Memorial Story contest – Arizona Mystery Writers. Open to anyone. Deadline: June 1st, 2018 • Entry fee 💰: $15. Genre: Crime, Short Story. Top prize – $200.

With more than 256 contests, you have lots to choose from to stretch those writing muscles. So, check out their contest site, pick one from your genre, and jump in!

 

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story. I’m all ears and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

 

Looks Like a Princess to Me

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / Leave a comment

This was a draft from an old prompt. Don’t remember why I didn’t get around to posting this, but here it is. Enjoy.

Panicked, the man ran from rack to rack.

“Can I help you, Sir?” The clerk asked.

“I only looked away for a minute.”

“You’ve lost something?”

The man frantically wiped aside clothes on the nearby racks, looking underneath one. “Jackson!”

The clerk’s hands fluttered against her chest. “Oh my; shall I call security?”

“Jackson, I swear to God, when I get my hands on you.”

“I’m sure he’s close by, but threatening him won’t make him come out of hiding,” the clerk said, in a strained, high voice.

“Him?”

A look of confusion crossed the clerk’s face. “You said, Jackson. Aren’t we looking for your son?”

The man rolled his eyes. “It’s a gender neutral name,” he said, moving to the next rack.  “Haven’t you heard the latest, gender terms are offensive.”

“Offensive?” The clerk moved with him, scanning the area for a wandering child.  “To whom?”

“Not to me,” he said, stopping abruptly, “It’s a family name.” A smile spread across his face. The clerk followed his gaze.

The child stood on the dressing stage in front of a large mirror. Tiny hands clutched her frilly pink dress, and dark brown curls bounced with each twirl.

“She looks like a princess to me; all girl,” he said.
images

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

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Are you searching for the right words?

/ Jean M. Cogdell / 4 Comments

A big thanks to Sheila for letting me jump into her Cow Pasture and share in her absence. 

coffeeEach morning with a strong cup of coffee, I open my gmail. As I wade through the good, bad and crazy stuff in my inbox, one email never fails to generate a smile.

Word of the day from Dictionary.com.

I read the word aloud, before reading the definition. My husband and I have a bit of fun guessing the meaning. He almost always gets it right.

Why am I telling you about this silly little morning ritual?

Not because I’m becoming a great wordsmith. No, most days I’ve forgotten the new word before my second cup of coffee. However, it reminds me to not limit my writing to the same old tired adjectives.

I’m quite sure I’ll never or at least rarely use any of the obscure words selected by Dictionary.com. Come on, I doubt I’ll ever use soliloquize in a sentence. Although I often go around the house talking to myself. 

But, I hope reading these types of little prompts will act as a reminder to search for more creative ways to express myself. To step away from the mundane and ordinary, reaching for the unusual.

What about you, do you find yourself reaching, searching for a better word?

How do you find just the right word?

I’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment or click the “write me” tab or look for me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter  peeps and Facebook fans.

Keep reading more great posts on how to be creative!

101 Words to Use Instead of “Amazing”

Synonyms for the 96 most commonly used words in English

317 Power Words That’ll Instantly Make You a Better Writer

 

 

Best Laid Plans

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 12 Comments

add-headin-2100 Word Challenge for Grown Ups! The Prompt: ….why does the world fight back when….

Sun streaked across Nicole’s face, and her eyes popped open like a marionette’s. The new suit and heels, she couldn’t afford, mocked her from across the room. Shit! Her first interview in more than a year and she’d overslept.

Shit, Shit, shit! Why does the world fight back when you’re doing your damnedest? She twisted her long locks into a chignon, swiped mascara across thick lashes, threw on the suit, grabbed her purse, and ran for the door.

Three minutes to spare! Nicole sprang from the cab, let out a yelp, and stared in disbelief as her bare feet sank into the snow. Well, hell’s bells.

Words: 106 

I’d love to hear your comments. Talk to me. Tell me your story and look for me on Facebook at SheilaMGood,  Pinterest,  Bloglovin, Twitter@sheilamgood, Contently, and Instagram. You can follow my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.