55 Word Challenge
Week Thirty-Five
Welcome back to #55WordChallenge. The artist this week is Larisa Koshkina, whose amazing talent I found on PublicDomainPictures.Net. The judge is my husband, Jeffrey Hollar. His book, Keldane the Cursed, a YA fantasy book, has just been released today so todays prompts will be geared towards the magical side.
For those that are uninitiated, the 55 Word Challenge is a contest to write a story in 55 words or less. Not an easy task, but fun and I have been blown away by some of the entries. See for yourself, all the past contests can be found here.
The challenge begins at noon Eastern time every Wednesday and ends at noon Thursday. The story is based on one of three photo prompts and can be written in any genre you choose. My only request is no porn. I don't want to hear graphic details. If it is erotic, make it titillating, not obscene. I know that can be done and done well.
The story is to be posted in the comment section below, along with your twitter handle or email address, so I can contact you if you are the winner. If you don't want to list your email address, send it to me at jezri@writing.com. I promise I won't distribute it, but if you are the winner I need a way to notify you and to send you your prize.
And what does the winner get? This purty badge for one. For two, a gift card for $5.00 from Amazon. The prize will be rewarded within about week or so, (sometimes I run a bit behind) and sent to your email. Also up today is a Kindle Edition of Keldane the Cursed.
I will be offering a monthly prize to the story I liked the best between the winners. That will be announced at the end of the month who gets this.If you are an artist that would like to have your work featured, let me know!
Photo Prompts:
Jeffrey Hollar was born in Lima Ohio. Developing a love for reading in his early life, Jeff read anything and everything he could get his hands on. Graduating from Lima Sr. High in 1980, he joined the army where he found a career in communications. Jeffrey remained in the army for 14 years, traveling the world to places like Germany, Turkey and England.
Jeffrey moved around the United States as well, living in Arizona, Iowa and Missouri before moving back to Lima where he met his wife. Jeffrey works in the security field during the day and writes by night. He also has a love for cooking and practices his culinary skills on his family. You can follow him on twitter
Shameless Plug:
Did you ever wish you had the ability to use magic and cast spells to do anything you wanted to? Well, so does Keldane. Unfortunately, just being the son of the most powerful magic user the world has ever known doesn’t come with any guarantees. It’s not without very good cause he’s known to his classmates as Keldane the Cursed.
It was different than I remembered. I was expecting many maze-like roads made up of my victim’s carcasses; each of their hands ready to pull me down and hold me there for eternity, never to reach my destination, the underworld. Looks can be deceiving it couldn’t just be a bridge, could it?
ReplyDelete52words
@theglitterlady
The stairway glowed, calling his name, but Brennan knew it was lying. His was not a destiny towards heaven. His very real existence belonged with his soul, forever trapped and tormented in hell. His eyes tried to see beyond the light, catch sight of the figures he sold his soul for, his wife and child.
ReplyDelete55 words
@writesidemama
War's Chill
ReplyDeleteIt was not the way of The Peoples to do battle so. No challenge had been offered, no terms discussed, no quarter given. Whether by custom or not, war had come to the land.
He surveyed the frozen devastation the intruders left in their wake, sensing the taint of magic on the frigid morning air.
55 thoroughly ineligible words @klingorengi
Blue eyes veiled with thin sheets of ice,
ReplyDeleteSmall violet lips wore such winsome smile,
Droplets of white water quivered on her pale, luminous skin
"I’ll take care of you,"
She promised sweetly.
The laid-back town called Silkwaters
Lost another one of their men
Crimes were rare here;
The main cause of death
Was drowning.
55 words / source of inspiration: last photo
@annaban
Dragon
ReplyDeleteFrom the watery depths of her prison she watched seasons change: cursed warm springs and autumns, and blazing, scale-singing summers. Only winter whispered hints of icy relief.
Seething, she bruted multifaceted schemes and waited. It was all she could do for now, wait for true cold to creep back into the world and free her.
55 words excl title
@postupak
For the second picture:
ReplyDelete-----
They were wrong. I know. I've been there and I've gotten farther.
My journey began as many had: a car, ice and a jackknifed semi.
There WAS light and something around me, but I could see my surroundings.
That's why I am able to tell you that it is NOT a tunnel: it's a bridge.
55 words
@LupusAnthropos
He heard the exultant shouts when they saw the blue sky promise of the forest’s edge. Ambling onto the path, he smiled in greeting, canines glistening in the late afternoon sun, shaggy bulk blocking their escape. The two legged fools ran back into the bowels of the forest – and the hungry jaws of the pack.
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55 words / @bullishink
Hope:
ReplyDeleteClio stood in the sunlit forest as the metal object clasped in her hands chilled her skin. Breathing deeply, she stilled her fluttering thoughts, and raised clasped hands to her lips, blowing gently, warming the jumble of cogs and wires.
As Clio released her grip metal transformed, and a golden dragon took to the air.
55 words
@tollykit
Steampunk in a fantastical forest. AWESOME.
DeleteThanks Rebekah. :)
DeleteThe tiled floor was enticingly cold on her bare feet and she smiled, knowing what she would find. Slowly, carefully, she opened the curtains and saw the trees dressed in white, the lake veiled in a transparent cloak of ice. Winter was here at last and the Snow Queen was ready for her first outing.
ReplyDelete55 Words
@SJIHolliday
This is from Lori Lopez. It's not considered late because she contacted me before the close of the contest. She was having trouble posting so she sent it to my email.
ReplyDeleteI never planned to die like this, alone, beside the lake in the dead of winter, but plans like rules are made to be broken. Amy wanted my companionship, I wanted to be free. As I slipped from from my perch she leesed an arrow rathering I die than escape her wretched love.
Word 53
@fetterslopez