The WNI Six-Word Story Contest: We have our winners!

After careful deliberation, the judges have made their choices of the top winners of our Six-Word Story Contest.

First place goes to Heather Lynn Atwood of Mesa, Arizona. In a Writing North Idaho first, Heather, actually tied with herself for first place with two entries:

I swapped stilettos for a minivan.

and

A wounded veteran. Not bleeding. Empty.


Our second place winner is Nancy J. Wood of Canada, who wrote:

Guests gathered. Bride waits. Exits alone.

Third place goes to Kerri Thoresen of Post Falls, Idaho, with:

Battered and bruised but still standing.

The judges looked for fresh themes, a lack of cliches, clever language, vivid imagery, and above all, a story. What makes a six-word story, versus a sentence or a statement?

The best stories tell a tale, evoke an emotion, create a vivid picture, and open the mind to deeper reflection. They move forward from beginning to end.

In Ernest Hemingway's famous example, "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn," we see the clear image of the baby shoes. "For sale" tells us they are no longer needed, for whatever reason. So far it sounds like any typical classified ad or Craigslist posting.

"Never worn" is the heart of the story, the part that raises deeper questions. It tells us that the baby simply didn't outgrow them. What happened to the baby? Did he or she die? Was he or she given away, or taken away? Was there no baby to begin with? Did someone buy baby shoes in anticipation of a baby, but something happened--infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, a broken marriage--to crush that dream? Our minds move from the beginning--the basic fact of shoes for sale--to the end--something happened to that baby, and we want to know what it was. Clearly, "For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn" tells a story in a way that, say, "For sale. Baby shoes. Size two" does not, even though both contain six words.

Many thanks to all who entered. We hope you had fun and felt challenged, and will enter the next Writing North Idaho contest, which will be announced in November. In the meantime, feel free to send feedback about the contest or ideas for future contests to wnicontest (at) writingnorthidaho (dot) com.

Happy writing!
from your friends at Writing North Idaho

Six-Word Story Contest ends July 15!

Just a couple more days left in the Six-Word Story contest! Send your entries by midnight on July 15, 2014 to wnicontest (at) gmail (dot) com! For details visit our Contests page.

Six-Word Story Tips & Tricks

by Jennifer Lamont Leo

Entries to Writing North Idaho's Six-Word Story Contest have been pouring in. You still have until July 15 to enter, so set your pens to scratchin' or your keyboard a-tappin'.

Here's an inspiring video I stumbled across that will help you write the best six-word story ever. Although the video specifically deals with six-word memoir, and we're letting you write any kind of story (memoirs are certainly welcome), it will give you some inspiration and useful tips, such as:

* Make it personal
* See the six-word limit as a challenge to your creativity instead of an obstacle
* Find inspiration in reading other writers' six-word stories
* Revise, revise, revise
* Submit it!

Get all the goodness here.

WNI Summer 2014 Writing Contest: The Six-Word Story

It’s time for another Writing North Idaho Writing Contest!

This summer’s challenge: to write a story or memoir using only six words.

Ernest Hemingway rose to this challenge when he wrote, “For Sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

Dave Eggers wrote: “Fifteen years since last professional haircut.”

From Aimee Mann: “Couldn’t cope so I wrote songs.”

From Stephen Colbert: “Well I thought it was funny.”

(For further inspiration, check out Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Famous & Obscure Writers by Larry Smith and Rachel Fershleiser.)

Now it’s your turn! Tell us a story or memoir in exactly six words--no more, no less. Send your entry/ies (up to 3 entries per person), either in the body of an e-mail or as an attachment, to wnicontest (at) gmail (dot) com between June 1 and July 15.

For complete contest rules, visit our Contests page. Questions? Shoot an e-mail to wnicontest (at) gmail (dot) com.

Good luck!

New writing contest: My Best/Worst/Most Memorable New Year's Resolution

Welcome to the latest challenging contest from Writing North Idaho! As we drift toward December 31, we want to hear about your best, worst, or most memorable New Year's resolution.

Think back over all the January firsts of your life--all those inspiring sunrises (or times when your eyes flew open at the crack of noon), all those fresh starts, those clean unsmudged calendar pages, and those post-revelry determinations that This Year Will Be Better.

What was the best New Year's resolution you ever made? Was it to complete your first novel, and by December 31 you'd typed "The End"? Was it to lose weight, and soon you were sliding your high-school jeans over your hips? To get a new job, and by June you were shaking the hiring manager's hand? Did you aim to get married, and while you didn't quite make it to the altar in 365 days, you did take some steps in the right direction toward forming a lasting, healthy relationship?

On the flip side: What was the worst New Year's resolution you ever made? Was it the year you decided to start running to get in shape, and on Day Three you fell and broke your femur and wound up in even worse shape because you couldn't exercise at all? Or the year you swore off sugar, until the day your willpower cracked and you downed an entire bag of fun-size Snickers in a single sitting? Or the year you bragged to all your coworkers that you were giving up cigarettes, only to sneak out of the office for a quick puff and find yourself locked out of the building during the Storm of the Century?

For this contest, choose your most memorable New Year's resolution and write an anecdote about it. It can be true or fictional. It can be pinpoint-accurate or the tallest of tall tales. It can make the judges laugh or cry or snort or wheeze (but it should make them feel something . . . engaging your reader is the essence of good writing.)

And if you've sworn off making New Year's resolutions forever, you could write about that decision, too.

This contest opens today, and the entry deadline is midnight on December 2. Full instructions can be found on our contest page.

Best of luck! If you have questions, send them to wnicontest@gmail.com.

WNI Writing Contest: Tips on Writing From a Photograph

Photo source: Pixabay.com

The photograph at the top of this page is the launching point for the current Writing North Idaho writing contest, called "A Picture is Worth 500 Words." (Go here for details about the contest.)

Recently Jennifer Rova gave some great tips on how to write a short, short story. Today I'll talk about some ways to brainstorm story ideas, starting with a photograph.

First, study the photograph and jot down all of your sensory impressions:

*Notice the details of the house. The peeling pain, the sagging porch, the broken windows . . . what do these tell you about this house? How might it have gotten in this condition?

*What kind of people are the current owners? Are there any current owners? If not, why not?

*Think about the house when it was newly built. Who lived in it then? What happened to that person or family? Do the current owners have any connection to the original owners? If so, what is that connection?

*How old is the house? What was happening in the world at the time it was built? What has happened in the world since then? What changes have taken place: politically, economically, societally, culturally? How might those events have affected the people living in the house?

*Where in the world is this house located? How might the geographic location have influenced how the house got in this condition?

*Who are the neighbors? What are they like? What are their houses like? If you knock on their doors to ask about this house, what is their reaction? Are they welcoming and chatty, full of information? Do they shut the door in your face?

*How did you come upon this house? Did a real-estate agent show it to you? Were you driving past and just happened to notice it? What captured your attention?

*On the other hand, did you purposely seek out this house? If so, why? Was it difficult to find? Did you have to ask someone for directions? If so, what did they say about it--or not say about it?

*Imagine yourself walking up to this house. What do you smell?

*What does the air around you feel like?

*What do you hear?

*Does walking up to the house bring up any particular emotion(s)?

*Are you going to walk up the front steps to the porch? Why or why not?

*Are you going to go inside the house? Why or why not?

*Are you going to explore the grounds, the backyard, the garage or outbuildings? Why or why not?

*Are you going to turn right around and get back in your car? Why or why not?

*As you explore the house and grounds, do you encounter anyone? Who? What might they say to you?

You get the point. After fully immersing yourself in the photograph and letting your imagination roam free, your next step is to draft a fictional story based on what you've experienced. Not an essay, not an article, but a work of fiction, using the details brought out on your imagination's journey.

Your third step is to revise and polish the story and winnow it down to 500 words or fewer.

And your final step is to e-mail your story to wnicontest@gmail.com, adhering to the contest rules.

See? It's not so daunting to write a story. Any questions? Post a comment below, or contact us at wnicontest@gmail.com. Also feel free to post any additional suggestions you may have for turning a photograph into a story.

Good luck!

New Contest! A Picture is Worth Five Hundred Words

Hello, scribes! We're thrilled to announce a brand-new writing contest, starting today and running through June 21.

A PICTURE IS WORTH FIVE HUNDRED WORDS
Simply look at the photo below and write a story about it in 500 words or less. Then e-mail your entry by midnight on June 21 to wnicontest@gmail.com.

New this contest: Not only will entering put you in the running for a cash prize and posting of prizewinning entries on Writing North Idaho, but all entrants will receive copies of the judges' comments--a WNI first! So whether or not you win a prize, you'll receive valuable and thoughtful feedback on your writing from experienced, published writers.

As always, this WNI contest is free to enter. Check out the complete contest rules here, and start scribbling!

Here is the photo that you are to write about:

Photo source: Pixabay.com

If you have questions, post in the comments or send an e-mail to wnicontest@gmail.com. We look forward to reading your stories!

Judging Writing Contests Can Improve Your Writing

Recently I volunteered to help judge a portion of the Utah Writers League state writing contest. Tim, somewhere in Utah, asked the president of the Coeur d’Alene chapter of Idaho Writers League president, Faye Higbee, for assistance. I answered the call. What I received in return for my volunteerism and 14 hours of work was a gift to my own writing.

This past April, I volunteered for the fifth year to help judge the Coeur d’Alene Public Library’s annual writing contest. This contest has many entries in its nonfiction and fiction categories drawing participants from second grade to 19+ years of age. Again, the rewards were multiple. I helped my community, encouraged the development of writing skills, received an invitation to a community volunteer thank you breakfast and garnered a gift to my own writing.

Writing North Idaho has sponsored three writing contest: one on first best short story line, a short story contest using the winning line from that contest and a haiku contest. I was a judge in two of the contests and a coordinator for the third. In all contests, my rewards were in multiples. I again encouraged writing among strangers by helping offer a contest where prizes were available (always an extra incentive), helped spread the joy of writing and improved my own writing skills.

I had a score sheet as a guide for these contests and using my own knowledge of writing, I was able to ascertain different levels of writing abilities where writers had entered their best work. Through the training of writing classes, reading many books about how to write, writing posts for this blog for three years and writing a book of my own, I was able to draw on those aspects of my writing skills to look objectively at others’ writing. I was surprised at how quickly some poor writing stood out----incorrect grammar, poor proof reading (mea culpa), uneven flow, unbalanced structure, and lack of focus.

On the other hand, I saw signs where authors had used an outline to help them pace and define their stories. I could discern good research and which writers had an excellent grasp of the rules of grammar. A good author limits the number of adverbs he uses, has a “hook” at the story’s beginning, uses the active voice and gives the reader a satisfying conclusion. These were evident in winning entries. I took mental notes as well as physical ones.

Judging all of the points in the preceding two paragraphs helps me to be a better writer because I can remember stories where there were good examples and bad examples. I am able to apply what is stored in my brain to make my writing better. I will always remember the pathos used by a writer who won our short story contest. It was about a Serengeti baby gazelle who had tripped while being pursed by a predator. This author, Lila Bolme of Post Falls, ID, skillfully built the tension from the first line, “Her long journey through pain was almost over” through the first gamboling steps of this carefree baby to her joyful exploration of her new world next to her mama, to the terror and innate sense she used to flee this dark thing following her, to her tripping and finally death. Ms Bolme had written it so skillfully that I was engrossed throughout and her writing ability made the story stick in my mind, hopefully forever. I learned the valuable lesson of how tension can help the story and I plan to I apply it to my stories.

In two stories I judged this week, the subject was about the legend that the Aztec chief, Montezuma, had secretly dispatched members of his tribe to stockpile hordes of gold from the Conquistadores after they imprisoned him. The folklore is that these runners transported and hid gold jewelry, icons, and decorative wear in the Uinta Mountains of Utah. What a great story to tell on many different levels. Unfortunately, neither of these writers was able to centralized his thoughts, use a time line or hone in on one or two aspects of the story, Both wandered off telling a little of this, nothing of that and avoiding what should have been the top theme throughout each story. I learned from reading those stories because I had a judge’s sheet to track “theme identified,” “clarity of subject,” and “satisfying conclusion.” In one instance, the hook came three paragraphs into the story which was by then already blurred. In the other story, the hook came where it should, at the beginning, but then the story wandered all over the chronological calendar with tidbits and unfinished tales of people looking for this hiding place or not looking for it. One story went on to tell of a man who found parts of these hidden treasures, melted them down and became wildly rich. However, the author failed to follow through on where this hiding place was and if people can visit it now, or if people continue to search for more treasure. In other words, there was no satisfying conclusion. I learned through their examples.

In another well written and highly graded story, I read about a simile between the millions of bats in India comparing them to the millions of Indians and their multiple levels of various living situations. The theme was all tinged with how wonderful diversity is. Another story adroitly told the benefits of hiring seniors and not just for the “Want fries with that?” type jobs. From scoring those stories, I learned how to set up a story, how to write back up facts interestingly and what were important things to say, how to write those points and how to write a satisfying conclusion.

I encourage you to find several different examples of score sheets for writing contests, either online or from actual contests. Use them as a guideline to critique your own writings. You will find it hones your writing ability and makes you a better writer.

Announcing the Haiku contest winners!

Our heartiest congratulations to the winners of the 2012 "Can You Haiku?" haiku contest!

We received entries from all over the United States and some from overseas. The entries were judged anonymously by five published writers in a blind judging process. The judges did not know the poets' identities, nor did they discuss the entries with each other. Each judge voted for his or her top picks, and then the final results were tallied. And here are the results!

FIRST PLACE WINNING ENTRY:

Struggling skyward,
With nectar lipstick ready,
Flower seeks a bee.

by Thomas Leo of Cocolalla, Idaho

SECOND PLACE WINNING ENTRY:

early morning spring--
tree to tree a woodpecker
plays the xylophone

by Minh-Triêt Pham of Paris, France

THIRD PLACE WINNING ENTRY:

Rolling golden hills.
Clouds and shadows play at chase,
Red barn stands alone.

by G. Elizabeth Law of Austin, Texas

Congratulations, winners! You will be contacted shortly concerning your prizes, and your poems will be posted on the "Writer Showcase" section of Writing North Idaho.


Thank you to everyone who entered the contest. It was a delight to read all of your entries and a tough decision to select the winners. Stay tuned to Writing North Idaho for news of our next contest!

Can You Haiku? Announcing a new WNI writing contest

We've had so much fun with our first two writing contests, First Line and Short Story, that we're kicking off a new one. Poetry writers, this is your moment to shine! (And we encourage non-poets to have a go at it, too--who knows what latent poet within you is just waiting to come out?)

Japanese in origin,  a haiku is "a short poem that uses imagistic language to convey the essence of an experience of nature or the season intuitively linked to the human condition," according to hsa-haiku.org. The most common form of haiku is a poem of seventeen syllables: five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third, like this:

An old silent pond...
A frog jumps into the pond,
splash! Silence again. (Basho Matsuo)

and this: 

Whitecaps on the bay:
A broken signboard banging
In the April wind. (Richard Wright)

Traditionally  haiku has a focus on nature and the seasons. For this contest, you are free to write on the topic of your choice, as long as you follow the three-line pattern of five syllables-seven syllables-five syllables. You may enter up to 3 haiku in the contest.

The "Can you Haiku?" contest opens on Tuesday, May 1, and entries will be accepted through June 15. Winners will be announced July 1. The first-place winner will receive $30 cash, and second- and third-place winners receive a prize as well. Check the complete rules and instructions here.

As always, this contest is FREE to enter. So fire up your keyboards and show us what you've got! Best of luck, everybody.

The Winners of Writing North Idaho's Short Story Contest Are......

Writing North Idaho wishes to thank all of you who entered our short story contest using as a first line, the winning entry of our "First Line of Short Story" contest..."Her long journey through pain was almost over." We enjoyed your efforts in creative writing and appreciate your interest in our blog. Congratulations to our winners!

FIRST PLACE ($30): The Golden Veil, Lila Bolme

SECOND PLACE (Starbucks gift card): The Marriage Price, Laura Johnson

THIRD PLACE (Starbucks gift card): Without Thinking of Tomorrow,

Jack Robert Staff

TWO WRITING CONTESTS---JUST FOR YOU!

CONTEST ONE: WRITING NORTH IDAHO’S FIRST ANNUAL SHORT STORY WRITING CONTEST. DEADLINE IS MARCH 30, 2012.

WNI Free Short Story Contest

Contest begins: February 15. Contest ends: March 30. Winners announced: April 15, 2012.

Write a 1,000 word short story that begins with this first line:

“Her long journey through pain was almost over.”

$30 CASH PRIZE TO FIRST PLACE WINNER; 2nd & 3rd Place Prizes

NO COST TO ENTER!

Winning entries will be posted on our website at WritingNorthIdaho.com. See our Contest page (access through information in upper left hand corner side bar.

Contest Rules

1. Write a 1,000-word short story opening with the line, “Her long journey through pain was almost over.” Entries over 1,000 words will be disqualified.

2. This contest is open to all writers and readers except those associated with WritingNorthIdaho.blogspot.com. (Writers who have written guest-posts for WNI are eligible.)

3. The contest will end on March 30. Winners will be posted on April 15.

4. The story must be your original work.

5. You may submit up to 2 entries.

6. Send entries to wnicontest@gmail.com. Your entry must include your name and location. You will be notified that we have received your entry.

_ * _ * _ * _ * _* _ * _ * _ * _ *_ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _ * _

CONTEST TWO and CALL FOR JUDGES:

The Coeur d’Alene Public Library hosts and annual story writing contest for children through adults. The deadline is March 31, 2012. www.cdalibrary.org for details.

Here is an appeal for volunteer judges from David Townsend, Contest Coordinator at the library.

“This is my annual request for judges for the Writers Competition at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. You have been contacted because you are a regional writer, editor, published author or educator. The Writers Competition is for fiction and nonfiction prose up to 2,000 words. In order to have each of the entries reviewed by at least three judges I will need at least 27 judges. Ages categories are 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-18 and 19-plus. (The fiction and nonfiction categories in the 6-8 age group are normally combined because there are normally the least number of entries at that age level.) This is my annual request for judges for the Writers Competition at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library. You have been contacted because you are a regional writer, editor, published author or educator. The Writers Competition is for fiction and nonfiction prose up to 2,000 words. In order to have each of the entries reviewed by at least three judges I will need at least 27 judges. Ages categories are 6-8, 9-11, 12-14, 15-18 and 19-plus. (The fiction and nonfiction categories in the 6-8 age group are normally combined because there are normally the least number of entries at that age level.)

If you can be a judge, please respond with your choice of age group and category (fiction or nonfiction). Please let me know if you prefer to pick up your packet or to have it mailed. Even if you are picking up a packet at the library please send me your mailing address. If there is a group of judges in one building – a newspaper, for example – packets will be hand delivered.

You may enter the contest and be a judge. Let me know in which adult categories you are entering and I will assign you a different category. See www.cdalibrary.org for entry rules.

Thank you for considering this request. Let me know if I can answer any questions.

DAVID TOWNSEND, Coeur d’Alene Public Library

208) 762-2315, ext. 426, DTOWNSEND@CDALIBRARY.ORG

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

I have both entered and judged the public library contest. Judging is simple. There is a form to follow and the reading is fascinating. David allows plenty of time to read and score the competitions. I have judged all age groups and categories except for 19+ nonfiction (the category I usually enter) and always find some excellent writers in all categories which is exciting.

JENNIFER ROVA

More contest news, The Moral Premise, and going the last mile

Good news! The entry deadline for the Writing North Idaho Short Story Contest has been extended to Friday, March 30. That's an extra couple of weeks to write your story, so warm up that keyboard and get your creative motor running. Details here.

The Inland Northwest Christian Writers Conference in Spokane Valley and the Idahope Writers Conference in Boise are taking place this weekend. Who's planning to attend one of these? (Waving! I'll be at INCWC. Hope to see some of you there.) I understand that both conferences still have a few spaces available for walk-ins, if you haven't registered but find that you're able to attend. Check the websites for details.

I'm finally getting around to reading a book that's been on my nightstand since last fall, and now I'm sorry I didn't pick it up sooner. It's The Moral Premise: Harnessing Virtue & Vice for Box Office Success by Stanley D. Williams, Ph.D. The author, a veteran filmmaker, directs his attention primarily to filmwriters, but his insights into elements like story structure, cause-and-effect, and character motivation will prove useful for storytellers of all genres. Peppered throughout with examples from familiar movies, this is an eye-opening book for novelists, playwrights, short-story writers, and other yarn-spinners, in addition to screenwriters.

What's on my desk today: I'm in the home stretch of my novel, a romantic comedy set in 1920s Chicago. I had set a personal goal of finishing it before attending the Inland Northwest Christian Writers Conference, which starts in--oh, let's see--two days. Yikes! I don't know if I'll make it all the way to "The End" by Friday, but I'll be awfully close--much closer than I'd be if I didn't have a deadline to work toward. Between now and then, caffeine is my friend and Facebook is my enemy!

What's on YOUR desk?

Film Festival Magic

In an effort to support a couple of local screenwriters I know, I attended the Sandpoint Film Festival, held at the Panida Little Theater in Sandpoint early in November. I found the film festival, my first, captivating from the minute the lights dimmed.

I was treated to four hours of entertaining short films on every conceivable subject. A few were funny, a couple were charming, several were informative documentaries, one asked us to believe in the existence of faeries, and one (think sitting down at Olive Garden with a room full of Zombies) was downright scary.

Sandpoint Film Festival First Place Winner

Il Remore Della Neve (The Noise of Snow), a beautifully filmed and touching tale about a man who cannot bear the noise of today's society, by Andrea Marini of Italy, took first place. This 9-minute short captured other awards this year, including Best Foreign Film at the California International Shorts Festival in Los Angeles.

First the facts
Short films, often called "shorts" are productions that screen in 40 minutes and under. Films over 40 minutes are considered to be feature films. Contest entries for the Sandpoint festival were required to be 20 minutes and under, and the majority of entries fell in the under 10-minute category.

Filmmakers make shorts to showcase their skills, to inform, to entertain, or to introduce a longer production. Called "trailers" these introduction shorts are the previews of "coming attractions" that you see at movie theaters or on television.

Then the entertainment
The Sandpoint Film Festival premiered 32 films during their day-long event. I attended the afternoon and evening "blocks" of movies, consisting of 18 short films made by many local filmmakers and others from places as far away as Minnesota and Italy. Budding filmmakers of every age entered the contest: teenagers, church groups, music groups, computer animators, retired folks, and many others who just wanted to share their "story."

Before each showing, festival organizer Janice Jarzabek spent a few minutes interviewing representatives of the film, including producers, actors, cameramen, and/or writers. She often asked what the "inspiration" was for the film, or questions about the production. Hearing the motivation behind the films both fascinated and inspired me.

I found the varied subjects the filmmakers had chosen to write about fascinating: suicide prevention; a spoof on serving the waiter's hands to a diner in a turn-of-the-century melodrama; an alcoholic finding redemption; kids who get sucked into a television to join a violent video game; a free spirit dancing in a park; a music video dedicated to those who've lost a loved one; a lambast on women's lib (women playing baseball is sacrilegious); and short documentaries about a women tugboat captain, a chief of police with a cleft palate, and a 50-year old woman who took up ice-climbing.

Juliette Johnson, Sandpoint, created a 2-minute computer-generated animation that offered a humorous look at Idaho stereotypes. "Idaho" won the audience choice award for lines like: "Would you like a free gun with that latte?"

A second entry that tickled everyone's funny bone was "Caffeinated" by Dan Walden, a comedy about a guy who can't get his morning coffee-fix due to a series of unfortunate mishaps. Shot around Sandpoint, this 8-minute film won both an audience choice award and the third-place festival prize.

Sandpoint Film Festival 2nd Place Winner

Ana's Playground

An electrifying tale about children living in a war zone, "Ana's Playground," written and directed by Eric Howell, took second. During the past year, this powerfully written film has won film festivals and awards across the nation and rumor has it that the film is on the short list for an Academy Award in 2012.

The film is an allegory about the moment when a child is forced to choose between ideology and humanity while living and playing in a dangerous war environment. - Eric Howell

Info from Ana's Playground website: Production of this 20-minute film was made possible entirely through charitable donations, and the producers are offering the film as a fundraising and publicity tool free of charge to non-governmental organizations working to improve the lives of war-affected children. The film’s promotional materials and screening events are intended to provide exposure opportunities for these groups. Click here to learn more about Ana's Playground.

Now for the magic

Entertainment magically became inspiration. I attended the film festival in support of others, but, in some mysterious way, I received a gift while watching their cinematic creations. The inspiring, funny, serious, irreverent and touching films shown at the Sandpoint Film Festival revitalized my writing spirit. On the way home I thought of several story ideas that could be made into short films. Probably pie in the sky, but what the heck, watching those amazing and imaginative films got my creative juices flowing again. And, as Martha would say, "That's a good thing."

Check out all the 2011 Sandpoint Film Festival entries.

IWL Book Sale

The Coeur d'Alene Chapter of the Idaho Writer's League annual Christmas Book Fair is coming up on December 15th from 10:00 am - 3:30 pm. It's a great place to look for unique Christmas gifts and support local writers and authors at the same time. I want to add Anna Goodwin's first psychological thriller, "Justice Forbidden," to my collection of books by local authors, so I'll be going. See you there.

Brilliant Beginnings Contest: We have a winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered our Brilliant Beginnings First Line Contest, and to our five hardworking judges, who had some tough choices to make. It was a very close contest. Each judge individually ranked the entries according to his or her preference, and then the points were tallied to declare the winners, which are:

First Place ($30): "Her long journey through pain was almost over." (Robert Norwicke)

Second Place (Starbucks gift card): "So much for life and liberty." (Jessie Gunderson)

Third Place (Starbucks gift card): "I knew this man would change my life; I could see my future in his eyes." (Jane Bettany)

Congratulations, winners! You will each be contacted individually to arrange for receiving your prize.

Great job, everybody! We've got another fun contest in the works, so keep reading Writing North Idaho for the details.

Brilliant Beginnings contest draws to a close

Our "Brilliant Beginnings" First-Line Contest is now closed, and the judges are busy scoring and tallying the many excellent entries we received. Thank you to everyone who participated! We'll post the winner as soon as all the votes are in.

In the meantime, do you have any suggestions you'd like to see for future contests?

Writing Contests For Fun & Profit

WNI Believe it or Not*

Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet as an entry for a Romance Contest.

Like Shakespeare, if you want to be a writer, you have to write; and entering a contest every now and then stimulates your mind and improves your writing skills. Just today I learned fellow blogger Jennifer Rova won a short story contest sponsored by Idaho Writer’s League. Far out, JR!

In fact most of us (WNI bloggers) enter a contest every now and then. Last year Jennifer and I entered a Folgers Coffee Commercial Contest. We were bummed when we learned we didn’t win, but we both spent a few creative hours thinking of a scenario, writing dialogue, and fine-tuning our entries; which was much more productive than watching another "Law & Order" rerun.  No contest for Folgers this year, but you might check out the Fish Publishing International Short Memoir Contest.

Fellow blogger Nancy Owens Barnes won the Zola Award from the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association a couple of years ago. She entered three poems and won, like $100,000. Hmm, on second thought, it might have been a little bit less than that (more like $700), but she did win First Place and I’m sure probably took a trip to the ocean on her winnings. (At least that’s what I would have done.)  If you write poetry, check out their 2012 contest!

And lest we forget, the short screenplay I wrote that was a LOSER, was later chosen for production by the sponsoring organization. Lesson learned: good things can happen when you enter a contest even when you aren’t the big WINNER.  2012 Short Screenplay Contest info can be found on the kNIFVES (Northwest Independent Film & Video Entertainment Society) website in November.   

So, if you’re not protesting at Zuccotti Park this weekend, jump online, Google “writing contests” and have some fun. The Internet is fairly bursting at the seams with contests of every size, shape and genre. 

Just to get you started, how about entering our FREE Brilliant Beginnings First Line Contest? It doesn’t get any easier than a one-line contest, and think of spending all that loot if you’re the BIG winner. You can party like a rockstar!

Writer’s Digest sponsors dozens of contests year-round. Check them out. I’m sure you’ll find one that sparks your creative

Are you a winning writer? Find out by entering one of the Writer’s Digest Writing Competitions! Writer’s Digest hosts fiction writing contests, poetry writing contests, short story contests, screenwriting competitions, self-publishing competitions and more. You could win up to $3,000, as well as the opportunity to see your name in Writer’s Digest Magazine, opportunities to meet with editors and agents and more! Prizes vary between writing competitions.

Your Story Competition
Every other month, Writer’s Digest will provide a short, open-ended prompt. Submit a short story of 750 words or fewer based on that prompt. The winner will receive publication in an upcoming issue of Writer’s Digest.

Writer’s Digest Crime Competition
We are now accepting entries for the Writer’s Digest Crime Competition.
Win over $1,000 in cash and prizes and be featured in Writer’s Digest Magazine.
Entry Deadline: October 22, 2011

Writer’s Digest Horror Competition
We are now accepting entries for the Writer’s Digest Horror Competition.
Win over $1,000 in cash and prizes and be featured in Writer’s Digest Magazine.
Entry Deadline: October 31, 2011

Short Short Story Writing Competition
We are now accepting entries for the Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Writing Competition. Win over $3,000 in cash and prizes and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City. The top 10 winners will also be featured the July/August 2012 issue of Writer’s Digest Magazine.
Entry Deadline: November. 15th, 2011

Writer’s Digest Poetry Awards Competition
We are now accepting entries in the 7th Annual WD Poetry Awards. Win over $500 in cash and prizes and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City. The top 10 winners will also be featured in the July/August 2012 issue of Writer’s Digest Magazine.

Find more great contests online at Freelance Writing.

*WNI Believe It or Not Answer
Although it's possible Shakespeare did write Romeo & Juliet as an entry for a Romance Contest, it's not probable. I doubt he would have won anyway; who wants to read a romance that ends with death?  On second thought, he probably entered his R & J manuscript in the psychological thriller category.