Check it out at Throwing Up Words
(see below for story/voting poll links)
Project Writeway Details
Middle Grade and Young Adult writing/writers
There are two groups of writers, those that made the first cut The Project Writeway Season 1 Episode 2, first 14 and those that are in the PS1E2 - Play at Home group.
There will be 2 winners, the grand Episode 12 winner and, one from the remaining Play at Home group.
Each Monday we get an assignment. We submit our work--anonymously, under a
pseudonym and we are not allowed to tell anyone who we are--and then there is the weekly voting. A popularity vote and a judges vote. Writers cannot vote for themselves.
Vote for your top 3 in each category
The first 14 http://throwingupwords.wordpress.com/project-writeway-season-1-episode-2/
Play at Home category http://throwingupwords.wordpress.com/pws1e2-playhome/
This week's requirements were to use the words, or variation of the words:
jam
plant
squirt
bulldozer
cookies
simplicity
With a twist–someone in the scene has to get slapped
All within 200 words
As you read, look for the following things:
1. Do they follow the rules?
2. Do the required words work into the scene well? Do they stick out?
3. Do you connect to the characters?
4. Do you want to keep reading?
5. Did you laugh?
6. Were you surprised?
7. Which entry stayed with you after you were done reading.
--------
Poll is at the bottom of the list of entries
Have fun - and hey, even if you are not competing, use the prompts, it's great skill-building!
_______
EDIT: (After the voting was closed)
Don't know why I am being brave enough to come out with my entry - it will haunt me. I'll console myself with the fact that, after all, this is a blog post, no one ever comes in here and actually reads any of this and I can always edit it if I agonize too much...
My Entry
All's Fair in Love and Thumb Wars
“Its unnatural. Humans don't just up and go for a fly.”
“Not fly, flight.”
“Fight you for it. Rock, Paper, Scissors. Loser takes first watch.”
Silence.
“Don't tell me. You’ve never heard of it. Ditto for Thumb War?”
This time a glare.
Uh-oh. You don't bring up Em's lack of cultural education. The menacing bite out of that cookie an ominous threat.
I focused on squirting mustard onto my hotdog. The color reminding me of the bulldozer we'd inadvertently commandeered earlier.
“Seriously?” I hinted, “One, two, three, four. . . Come on, it's simplicity in itself. Easy.”
I held out my hand, “Truce?” She slapped it away.
But she couldn't hold in the sly grin.
“Come on, I'll show you,” I took her hand, ”Ouch!” I eyed the bleeding crescents, “ You can't go jamming your fingernails in!”
She was getting the idea, but I was faster. “Em, you're not paying attention.”
“Jake?”
“You giving up?”
“Look.”
Apparently flying is as easy as forgetting to hold onto the earth.
“Crap.”
Falling is even easier.
Face plant.
That’s gonna leave a mark.
___________
I started with almost 600 words. Winnowing it down to 200 was hard. There is so much I wanted to convey. Not unlike George Bernard Shaw, I start out with a lot of words and it takes time and work to bring it under control.
I also had to take a bit of a time leap after the first attempt at Thumb War - but then my 'Jake' character (unbeknownst to our readers in this snippet) does have a healing advantage over us mere unmodified humans.
No comments:
Post a Comment