Not being one of the winners in a writing contest is akin to receiving a rejection letter from a magazine you’ve submitted a story to – the disappointment is keen, but it simply provides the stimulation and the motivation to try again. The “Midnight Road” contest winners were announced this past Friday evening, and I extend congratulations to the winners! All the entries were well-done, and it was intriguing to see the different perspectives generated from the photograph. If you haven’t gone to read them yet, run over to Clarity of Night and read down through the 50+ entries submitted. And keep the site in mind; a new contest will be starting in August, complete with feedback from author Anne Frasier. So, stay tuned!
Tags: jason-evans, the-clarity-of-night, Writing, writing-contests
My entry for Jason’s contest is now posted. Go take a gander and lemme know what you think of it.
I must say that I love the 250-word limitation. It forces an economy of words to set up and provide a snapshot of a scene. But I think what is most enjoyable about writing it is the art of leaving it your readers to fill in the gaps from their own imaginations. As much information as I provide, I often aim to raise even more questions.
I’d be curious to know – after reading my story, what are some of the questions that the story raises in your mind? Share them here; I’d love to hear them.
Tags: flash-fiction, jason-evans, the-clarity-of-night, Writing, writing-contests
I’m late posting this announcement since I was out sick yesterday, but Jason Evans has opened another writing contest called “Midnight Road”. It’s very much his recent Two Lights contest except with a fresh photo. Go to his contest rules page for more information, especially if you’re interested in submitting a piece to the contest. I know I’ll be writing mine tonight (Lord willing) and submitting it ASAP. I highly encourage you to do the same. It’s a great opportunity to work on your writing, network a little with other writers, and possibly earn a prize. Does writing get any more fun than that?
Tags: flash-fiction, jason-evans, the-clarity-of-night, Writing, writing-contests
The writing contest over at Clarity of Night has come to end, and sadly, yours truly did not even rate an honorable mention. It was a highly enjoyable contest, however, and I’m already looking forward to Jason’s next contest. I am also eagerly anticipating his comments on each story, which should be available a bit later on today. I think perhaps the most rewarding aspect of this contest for me were the comments on my entry indicating a high level of interest in seeing it developed into a longer story. Fortunately, I’ve already added it to my list of writing projects, so I hope to produce a longer work using this 250-word story as my foundation.
I’ve also developed part of another storyline involving what is, I think, a unique view of time travel. The idea was inspired by a recent news story that had come across my desk that got me thinking. And it wasn’t until I was sitting in the grass the other day, bouncing stones across the driveway, that one possible speculative solution to the news story came to mind. I’m hoping to find some time in the near future to get the draft of that story started.
Too many ideas to write about; too little time to write them all down in. Lord willing, some of the hectic scheduling in my life will break soon, allowing me to get back to the business of writing.
Tags: jason-evans, the-clarity-of-night, Writing, writing-contests
Jason Evans is running a very interesting story contest right now. Start with a photograph of two lamps, and in 250 words or less, create a work of fiction. The contest ends Thursday night at 8:00 PM (EDT), so if anyone’s interested, there’s still time to write something and submit it.
You can find my entry here.
Tags: jason-evans, the-clarity-of-night, Writing, writing-contests
