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69 Contest!

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23rd Apr 2006 | 02:15 pm
location: Brooklyn, New York
disposition: calm calm
diversion: The Sopranos

I recently participated in a couple of online contests based on a simple premise: write a complete story in 69 words. Not only was it fun, it was a nifty exercise designed to remind the writer to appreciate the value of every single word (a practice all of us should take to heart).

Since my previous post on writer's block seems to have struck a chord (I should have known from experience that, just as misery loves company, blocked writers enjoy nothing more than reading about other blocked writers), and since the aforementioned exercise is a great tool for getting past being blocked, I'm pleased to announce a new 69 contest.

Again, write a complete story in 69 words. No more, no less. As simple as that -- it's up to you what to write about. Just submit your 69-word masterpieces as a comment to this post.

The fine writer Ron Carlson used to tell his students, "You want a reason to write? I'll give you a deadline." So, in that spirit, all entries must be received by Friday, 28 April 2006, at noon (EDT).

The prize? A new copy of Harlan Ellison's Edgeworks, Vol. 1, containing his short-story collection Over the Edge and An Edge in My Voice, a stunning collection of essays.



If you didn't have one before, now you have a reason to write. Tell your friends. And yes, you can enter as many times as you'd like. I'll announce the best entry next weekend.

Tags:

Link | Care to Comment? | Add to Memories | Tell a Friend

Comments {34}

Don

(no subject)

from: [info]drderanged
date: 23rd Apr 2006 07:06 pm (UTC)
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I can barely get a title under 69 words. ;)

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chidder

(no subject)

from: [info]chidder
date: 24th Apr 2006 10:50 pm (UTC)
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Perhaps you've happened upon a new art form: stories whose titles tell the whole story -- thus rendering anything more than the title obsolete.

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(no subject)

from: [info]zikko
date: 23rd Apr 2006 08:47 pm (UTC)
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I figured it would be a polite thing for me to do, so I am letting you know I added you to my friends list. Is that alright with you?

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chidder

(no subject)

from: [info]chidder
date: 24th Apr 2006 12:51 am (UTC)
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It most certainly is. Thanks for your interest.

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NY Deborah

Well, this might be cheating, but here goes.

from: [info]nydeborah
date: 24th Apr 2006 03:32 am (UTC)
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This was written and submitted to Konrath's site when he had a similar contest. Thought I'd post it here to help kick things off:

************************************************
She'd never seen so much blood.
Watching the life force pulse with each heartbeat, the guilt overwhelmed her.
Fuck.
As bullet left chamber she realized her mistake.
She'd planned for months but this, the reality, was different.
Her mind raced.
What to do?
Yanking off her belt, she improvised a tourniquet.
She swore never to hunt again as she carefully approached
the wounded deer.
But, that smell... Mmmmmmm..... venison.


*************************************************

Took 4 minutes to write, 3 minutes to edit. I enjoyed this, it reminded me of writing poetry. The economy of words and profundity of meaning.

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angulimala

(no subject)

from: [info]angulimala
date: 24th Apr 2006 11:24 am (UTC)
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I'm not a prolific writer, so this exercise is perfect for me. I always lose interest at word 70.

---------------------------------------------------------------
Nuclear bombs always knock out the cable. Distilled in the electric blue glow of my television, I lie in bed and listen to the world end amidst a raging cacophony of rumbles, waiting to die. But death is a sudden, cathartic silence, impugned by a wet patter. I realize that I am a fool. The rain chills me, because I’ve lost the ability to distinguish between bombs and thunder.

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magentaelephant

(no subject)

from: [info]magentaelephant
date: 24th Apr 2006 02:43 pm (UTC)
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Found this via amateurnovelist. I'll try, but there's very little chance I can manage to write a story so short. Seriously. Once I was given an assignment to write a story solely in one-syllable words, and my brain nearly exploded.

Should be fun to try, though.

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chidder

(no subject)

from: [info]chidder
date: 24th Apr 2006 10:55 pm (UTC)
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All these exploding heads. I'm looking forward to your entry.

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tomt2

69

from: [info]tomt2
date: 24th Apr 2006 03:14 pm (UTC)
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I can see why as an erotic writer the number would appeal to you. If you don't mind, I won't participate this time. I can barely get the cap off the pen with 69 words. I realize that's the point, but sometimes it's more fun to take more time and pages to tell a story.

About Ellison, whose Asimov screenplay I'm still waiting to see turned into a movie, I think he knows what he speaks of when he talks of ego. His analogy about a builder is a good one. Writing is for other people to use. Hopefully a story will be around a long time and be used by people all over the world. I remember that Ellison once wrote a story in a shop window for some charitable event. Perhaps if this contest is successful, you should up the stakes and have people writing in public places, under scrutiny for money.

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az_tashtego

(no subject)

from: [info]az_tashtego
date: 24th Apr 2006 09:01 pm (UTC)
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Leaning back he watched his nieces run past. 'Never to be, never to be'. His half-smile held as his eyes moved across the lawn, settling on his wife’s empty chair. One aluminum leg slightly bent, straps frayed for years. Before they would have been in charge of the hamburgers, but not anymore. 'A beer, a beer'. Not any more. 'Can they see me? No shadows today'. Not any more.

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wr1tem0re

Hmmm.

from: [info]wr1tem0re
date: 24th Apr 2006 10:05 pm (UTC)
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Thanks for the idea. I'm going to work on it.
For the record, I did start the assignment from "Writer's Block," I just haven't posted it.

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chidder

Re: Hmmm.

from: [info]chidder
date: 24th Apr 2006 10:56 pm (UTC)
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I'm eagerly anticipating your entry.

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so_theo

(no subject)

from: [info]so_theo
date: 25th Apr 2006 06:22 pm (UTC)
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Snakes molt. Cicadas leave husks. She and I took a road trip. Our dried exteriors rubbed off that cool afternoon in Bisbee, Arizona. We’d dated for a month. After lunch we borrowed a stranger’s blanket and napped in an empty baseball field. “Just throw it in my truck when you’re done,” he’d said. Months later, she married me. Now, when my skin is thick, only she sees through it.

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elinara

(no subject)

from: [info]elinara
date: 26th Apr 2006 02:16 am (UTC)
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That was wonderful!

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so_theo

(no subject)

from: [info]so_theo
date: 26th Apr 2006 04:27 am (UTC)
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Thank you so much!

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Jude The Not So Obscure

(no subject)

from: [info]sacredchao23
date: 25th Apr 2006 08:11 pm (UTC)
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He walks with the lost girl away from blank black sea, proceeding down cobblestone paths as he smokes. She asked him to take her home, she’s afraid to go alone. She leads him by the hand. She’s lost her stuffed rabbit. He’s lost something too. They approach the flashing lights of police vehicles. A car accident. On the ground, spilling red, his companion’s mirror image. “Thank you” she says.

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Jude The Not So Obscure

(no subject)

from: [info]sacredchao23
date: 25th Apr 2006 08:18 pm (UTC)
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And I wanted to mention that I friended you. I've been enjoying perusing the blog.

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chidder

(no subject)

from: [info]chidder
date: 26th Apr 2006 02:44 pm (UTC)
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Thanks for your submission -- and your interest. I'm friending you back, as well.

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Lady Lazarus

(no subject)

from: [info]cagedwriter61
date: 25th Apr 2006 09:02 pm (UTC)
Link

Followed the link in [info]fictionwriters. Interesting prompt.


-----------------------------------------


He had not grown accustomed to the narrow-minded questioning others posed in regards to his friendship with Kay, but he was growing more and more comfortable with sharing the new apartment not with one more ill-fated girlfriend but with someone who had always made him laugh. He didn’t know why he had never thought of the arrangement before; no other had ever made him happier. Funny it was friendship.

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(no subject)

from: [info]slippraypeople
date: 25th Apr 2006 11:53 pm (UTC)
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I followed the fictionwriters link

Here it is:


The cogs turned; the machine cranked and creaked and squeaked. The sound of that god damned machine twisted the thoughts in my head until I couldn’t stand it anymore. The watch on my wrist spoke to me, “4 more minutes,” it said. I grabbed my things and walked away from the factory.
Explosion.
The bastards inside never saw it coming. I guess I wasn’t the quiet one after all.

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teague_43

(no subject)

from: [info]teague_43
date: 26th Apr 2006 05:35 am (UTC)
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I followed the fictionwriter’s link. lovely idea; couldn’t help myself. please excuse the subject matter; again, I couldn’t help myself!

***

Cool hand inside wet cunt.
With her fist, she is forming a sentence for me to recite as I come upon her slick limb. Between now and then, however, there is a veritable silence except for the volumes her luminescent eyes contain and the squelching of my pussy as she opens up my soul.
Then she hits the button and I sing her words verbatim; begging her for more.

TLC. 2006.

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chidder

(no subject)

from: [info]chidder
date: 26th Apr 2006 02:23 pm (UTC)
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No need to apologize -- especially if this gave you reason to write.

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teague_43

(no subject)

from: [info]teague_43
date: 27th Apr 2006 02:40 am (UTC)
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it did actually; got me flowing onto a poem that has grand potential - so cheers!

*grin*

T

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Moonfire

(no subject)

from: [info]unicorn_
date: 26th Apr 2006 05:58 am (UTC)
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Got here from [info]booktrash. Thanks for the prompt, this is the first thing I've written in months.

Desire always hangs in the air on a chilly, damp summer night. The girl sat on a park bench, shivering slightly and smelling the oncoming rain. Moisture pierced through her top. She felt like damaged goods. Wondered if spiritual redemption truly came in the form of a cliched book, or if a glorious fuck in the wet grass would serve just as well. Eyes closed, she prayed for footsteps.

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chidder

(no subject)

from: [info]chidder
date: 26th Apr 2006 02:14 pm (UTC)
Link

You're welcome. Glad to hear this was of some help.

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limmenel

(no subject)

from: [info]limmenel
date: 27th Apr 2006 02:24 am (UTC)
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Why not? It's not nearly as fantastic as some of the ones I've read so far, but the challenge is one I can't resist, especially since I'm used to writing 50,000 words in a single month. It was tough, cramming this into only 69 words, but here's what I've got:

She’s beautiful when she smiles, perfect even. Her eyes sparkle and he can see their blueness even in the nighttime. She doesn’t look around, just walks, like an angel, arms wrapped around her waist against the breeze, and he can smell her perfume.

She doesn’t notice the shadow break off from the trees behind her or the cold glint of steel that will take her money and her life.

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jess

(no subject)

from: [info]inabsolutekarma
date: 27th Apr 2006 04:52 am (UTC)
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Found my way here from [info]badwriters and thought I'd give this a try. It took me a minute, but I finally have this at exactly 69 words.

---


The morning air is biting—sharp. Standing, one hand tightly gripping the bench; the other holding her phone close to her heart—Ring, she wills it silently, ring.

Nothing breaks through the silence—they don’t care, she repeats over, knuckles turning white.

The bell sounds; the bus is here. She waits—hesitates—for that last call.

Finally, the phone falls to the ground. She walks away.

It never rings.

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Case File # 347632A727-BD-2396

(no subject)

from: [info]jahura
date: 27th Apr 2006 10:24 am (UTC)
Link

Okay - I'll give this a try.

He sat at the window drinking his coffee.
Thoughts of the day's events to come buzzed through his head - the chaos, the sirens, the voice in the megaphone...he had seen it on television, but this time would be different. This time, he was the hero. People desparately needed that money. They were counting on him to help.

His gaze remained fixed on the bank across the street.

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(no subject)

from: [info]le_show_de_joe
date: 27th Apr 2006 03:32 pm (UTC)
Link

The excitement kept me going back. I kept the same routine for weeks. In through the back... sneak down the stairs...stay an hour or so...eat and drink as much as necessary, hoping they wouldn't catch me. Often I'd bring something back for my family, without divulging my "secret spot". This past Wednesday, without warning, it all ended with a SNAP!, as did my life as a mouse.

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AK47

Blaaaaargh

from: [info]boundandchained
date: 27th Apr 2006 09:37 pm (UTC)
Link

Not very good, but I was somewhat inspired on the bus, feeling mopey... Why couldn't it have been seventy-nine words? That's how long it was in (what I thought of as) its best form. But this is decent enough to post, so have at.

Drops roll down the window, streaking her reflection. Head against the window, her skin pulls down, as if taken by the same weariness as her mind. The world slithers past, one blurred object. The window rattles, jarring her, but the head is stuck fast. The world shifts to the right and, seemingly cued, her torso straightens. She gathers her things, stands, and walks down the narrow aisle and steps to the pavement.

...au weh... Not as good as it looked in the delirium that follows a state required standardized test. *le sigh*

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AK47

Re: Blaaaaargh

from: [info]boundandchained
date: 27th Apr 2006 09:43 pm (UTC)
Link

Oh, snap. Apparently I didn't count right. >.<; Okay, here we go, with the help of Word's word count. *sorries*

Drops roll down windows, streaking her reflection. Head against the window, her skin pulls down, as if taken by the same weariness as her mind. The world slithers past, one blurred object. The window rattles, jarring her, but the head is stuck fast. The world shifts to the right and, seemingly cued, her torso straightens. She gathers her things, and walks down the aisle and steps to the pavement.

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AK47

Re: Blaaaaargh

from: [info]boundandchained
date: 27th Apr 2006 09:46 pm (UTC)
Link

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I'm really pessimistic... perfectionistic... whatev. Please scratch the previous two, I won't post it again, promise.

Drops roll down the window, streaking her reflection. Head against the window, her skin pulls down, as if taken by the same weariness as her mind. The world slithers past, one blurred object. The window rattles, jarring her, but the head is stuck fast. The world shifts to the right and, seemingly cued, her torso straightens. She gathers her things, walks down the aisle and steps to the pavement.

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69 Words Contest

from: anonymous
date: 27th Apr 2006 09:57 pm (UTC)
Link

No word from Yousuf. Hagar paces and wrings her hands. She prays softly, insh'Allah, insh'Allah, and finds no respite in taking care of her other children. Shells falling in Shija'iya make her stomach drop. Finally the knock comes, and she is relieved. She can now pray in gratitude or in mourning, but no more wondering. Any reality is better than worry. Nobly, she lets the news into her home. -flood.vax@gmail.com

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chidder

This Contest Is Over

from: [info]chidder
date: 28th Apr 2006 04:30 pm (UTC)
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Thanks to everyone who entered -- and check back regularly for new contests.

The winner will be announced later this weekend.

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