Winner 55 Word Challenge: Week Eighty-Four

 

 

Okay, the results are in and this is the ruling of our judge, Keira Marti. So without further ado...

 

Honorable Mentions:

aspiritofsimplicity and

@JMnumber6

 

Winner and Overachiever:

@writesidemama... Here is her excellent story:

 

Run children, run! The alien invasion that began in the cemetery will not be stopped. The woman in black warned you to beware the cat people. They are peeking in your windows, hiding under your steps, flocking on the street corners. They hunt with reckless abandon, nine lives searching for your soul. Run, children, run!

 

The winners may contact me with an email address if they would be interested in receiving a copy of Blood Under The Mistletoe.

 

 

Ok, do to Christmas, there will be no challenge this week. #55WordChallenge will return in January. See you next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

55 Word Challenge: Week Eighty-Four

 

 

Welcome back to #55WordChallenge! Hopefully you had a nice month with Nano and are ready to keep the flow going. Also, welcome to guest judge, Keira Marti from Reelwitch Pictures: Real to Reel Magic Stop by her blog and say hi, because she's awesome!

 

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, 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. 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.

And what does the winner get? Besides bragging rights? This badge, which can proudly be displayed on your blog or website. You can even have it tattooed onto your body, but that might be a little weird.  

 I have also added 2 new badges. An Honorable Mention badge and an Overachiever badge. To be eligible for the Overachiever Badge, you need to use all 3 prompts.

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone is interested in contributing a prize, a book, cover art, whatever you want, let me know and we will work something out. If you are an artist that would like to have your work featured, let me know!
 

 And here we go...

Photo Prompt:

 

Cat 

Cemetary



We're outa here!
 

Winner 55 Word Challenge: Week Eighty-Three

 

 

Okay, the results are in! Actually they were in a few days ago, but as usual... I got sidetracked. Either that, or I'm just plain evil.

 

So this is what James says:

 

Great writing, folks! I'm always surprised at how much emotional impact you can punch into 55 words, but you writing mavens make it look effortless. Creepy, sad, funny, weird, and mysterious; you hit all the high points in my reading wheelhouse. Now, without further delay, here are the winners:

Overachiever:

 @PurpleQueenNL for her brilliant use of all three photo prompts. She made the desperation ooze through the screen. Simple but heartbreaking.

Honorable Mention:

@by_wjhoward for her gruesome tale of turning one woman tragedy into another woman's bounty. Sick, sick, sick...and I love it.

Winner:

@nickjohns999 for his clever use of all three prompts to string together a horrifying man-trap. Curiosity will kill more than the cat when this guy's lurking in the dark corners.

Man Hunter

Carefully placing the bike, I stepped back to survey the overall effect.
Scattered abandoned debris would attract adventurous scavengers. Open windows and doorways hinted at shelter or unlooted treasures.
Settling into the shadowy hide, checking fields of fire, I quieted my grumbling belly. My boiled bone soup would soon be replaced by something fresher.
There!

55 words
@nickjohns999

 

 

 

Great job, everyone!

Winners can contact Lisa with their email address if they'd like a free copy of Dead Sea Games: Adrift on Kindle.

#55WordChallenge: Week Eighty-Three

 

 

Welcome back to #55WordChallenge! Hopefully you had a nice month with Nano and are ready to keep the flow going. Also, welcome to guest judge, James Hazzard, author of the Dead Sea Games series. Check out episode 3, Dead Sea Games: Kidnapped. 

 

 

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, 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. 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.

And what does the winner get? Besides bragging rights? This badge, which can proudly be displayed on your blog or website. You can even have it tattooed onto your body, but that might be a little weird.  

 I have also added 2 new badges. An Honorable Mention badge and an Overachiever badge. To be eligible for the Overachiever Badge, you need to use all 3 prompts.

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone is interested in contributing a prize, a book, cover art, whatever you want, let me know and we will work something out. If you are an artist that would like to have your work featured, let me know!
 

 And here we go...

Photo Prompt:

 

 

Winner 55 Word Challenge: Week Eighty-Two

 

 

Blaze McRob was the judge this past week and this is what he had to say...

 

I read all the stories and liked all of them. The one from Scribbling pencil is my favorite, but Siobhan Muir's is also great. Can we have a tie? Miranda Kate's is an Overachiever. This is tough to judge when you like all of them and want to make all of them winners. :(

 

Ok, so here it is then:

 

Honorable Mention:

 

@klingorengi : Just because it is such a sad tale.

Overachiever:

 

@PurpleQueenNL: Great job placing all 3 pictures in the story. Not an easy task.

Winners:

It is a tie with  @solimond and @SiobhanMuir

 

 

Here are their stories. I don't blame Blaze for having a hard time choosing.

Stone claws dug into the stone ledge as the gargoyle looked down on the buildings the fleshlings took shelter in at night.

The night was life. The night was when he thrived. Stone ground against stone. He was getting hungry and they were so very delicate. It would be night soon.

Reason to be afraid.

 

***

 

 

 

Sunrise hit the buildings like a physical thing, all light and color. But the road below faded in and out of focus. He’d be safe if he reached the end. They’d promised. He could hear them, doggedly following. Laughing when he stumbled, they converged on him, their grinning faces his last point of focus.

Collect you badges here.

 

 

See you back tomorrow for the next #55WordChallenge

 

#55WordChallenge: Week Eighty-Two

 

 

Welcome back to #55WordChallenge! Hopefully you had a nice month with Nano and are ready to keep the flow going. Also, welcome to guest judge, Blaze McRob.  Blaze is a great friend and President of Visionary Press Cooperative. He is also one of the authors in Blood Under The Mistletoe, along with Jeff and myself. 

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, 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. 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.

And what does the winner get? Besides bragging rights? This badge, which can proudly be displayed on your blog or website. You can even have it tattooed onto your body, but that might be a little weird.  

 I have also added 2 new badges. An Honorable Mention badge and an Overachiever badge. To be eligible for the Overachiever Badge, you need to use all 3 prompts.

 

 

 

 

 

If anyone is interested in contributing a prize, a book, cover art, whatever you want, let me know and we will work something out. If you are an artist that would like to have your work featured, let me know!
 

 And here we go...

Photo Prompt:

 

Reflections

The Road

Apartment Building

 

Winner 55 Word Challenge: Week Eighty-One

Ok, last #55WordChallenge was at the end of October and then we took November off. I forgot to announce the winner… but we only had 2 entries and it is difficult to pick one over the other, especially because I liked them both. However it is now time for the challenge to resume, (tomorrow,) which means it is also time for me to suck it up. So the winner is….

@DavidALudwig

 

Today is a beautiful day, sunny with just the right level of tension melting warmth. Clouds encroach more like snug blankets than funeral shrouds.

All across town machines have gone blissfully silent. So why am I following this numbskull around looking for the people?

Yes, Rex, I’m sure they’ll be at the backdoor this time.

Ok, so now hopefully you all aren’t too worn out from Nano and are ready to do some writing, or at least 55 words. I have some fun pictures lined up for tomorrow, and a guest judge, Blaze McRob. Blaze is a great friend and President of Visionary Press Cooperative. He is also one of the authors in Blood Under The Mistletoe, along with Jeff and myself. I'm really excited to have him judging.

 

Winners: #ZombieRun2013

Zombie Run Winners

 

Please don’t shoot me in the head, but I am so behind on announcing the winners of #ZombieRun2013. It’s not as though I have the excuse that the dead have been chasing me and I’ve been holed up in a prison, fighting them off.  Nope, just not good at multitasking. However I now have my picks.

1^st Place:  Treehouseby Adam Ickes. This one was gory, creepy and had the humor effect that I love in zombie tales… at least I laughed, especially at the zombie squirrel.  Perhaps it’s just me.

 

2^nd Place: Necroambulists; A Story Of Discriminating Tastes by Lori Fetters Lopez. The story pulled me in. I loved the interaction between the girl that had lived in the world with zombies and the boy that never had, and the ending… perfect.

 

3^rd Place: Evolution by Casi Nerina. I think this one caught me by surprise the most, I didn’t see the ending coming. I love the evolution of the zombie. Scary if this were to ever happen.

 

I will need mailing addresses so I can send out the magnets. It will be a while, I still need to order them. I will contact each of you as soon as I have them in my hand and get your address at that time.

 

How does everyone feel about putting the stories in a small anthology?  It wouldn’t be paying, but I would have to set a price on Amazon if we did that. We could choose a charity to send the royalties too. Or we could split the royalties. Thoughts?