Remember that contest I told you about a while back? You know, the one with writing prompts? Well, the results are in, and I am pleased to announce the winners!
I had a super fun time helping to judge this contest along with Cassandra Hamm. The lovely lady who hosted the contest. We met at the Realm Makers conference a few months ago, and bonded over deep conversations and pizza. She is a great writer, and I loved judging the contest alongside her!
Cassandra Hamm is a writer who has always been fascinated by the inner workings of the human mind. She received her B.S. in psychology and continues to apply her knowledge to her characters. In case the reader is wondering, no, she does not psychoanalyze everyone she meets. One of her passions is helping other writers, and she does so through her work as a Community Assistant for the Young Writers Workshop and a teacher for Young Writer Lessons, both of which are affiliated with The Young Writer. She can be found online at https://cassandrahamm.com, where she posts prompt-based stories meant to entertain, encourage, and inspire; on Instagram at @cassandrahammwrites; and on Facebook as Cassandra Hamm, Author.
In fact, this contest was to celebrate the fact that one of her own stories got second place in a Story Embers writing contest! Check out ‘The Will of the Sky’ here! It is pretty awesome! *nudge nudge*
It was so cool to see how each person came up with a completely different story for the prompts! No two stories were alike, and I was blown away by the creativity. Let me tell you, it was so hard to choose a winner! Everyone’s stories were so amazing. Decisions decisions…
But we did come to a conclusion, but before I reveal the winners, here are the prompts if you want to go read all the entries for yourself!
The Instagram entries:
The Facebook entries:
And now, for the prompts winners. Drum roll please…
Prompt #1
Our Instagram winner was…
‘The tormenting heat of the sun beats against the barren kingdom. Thin gusts of wind sweep over the sand of ancient stones, bones of the dead peeking into sulfurous air. The faint thrust of his leathery wings and the shifting of his every bone echoes over the muteness of the ghosts. Slit eyes bore into the souls of every dark crevice, ripping exotic shadows of the past into the foreboding silence of the present. For in the heart of the reapers’ kingdom, memories of life bow to the carcass of death. ‘
~Kaylee Clay
This beautiful entry by Kaylee (@kk_the_bookdragon) is full of scary mystery. I love the descriptions in this story. It pulls you in and doesn’t let go until the end.
Our Facebook winner was…
‘It had been just another noise in the desert, probably a creature dying in unfamiliar, hostile surroundings. But after the bone beast had flown over, no one could unhear that desperate, aching sound. It echoed in the mind, raising memories of sorrows and lost dreams, like spectres called from the beyond. So the towns fled to the deep subterranean caverns in an attempt to dampen the cries and to bury themselves from hauntings created in their heads.
Only little Keili understood the cry, understood why the beast screamed as it flew. It wanted to die but couldn’t.’
~Ariel Jackson
Wow, what a story! Ariel Jackson spins a tale of heartache. A creature who is seeking something it can not find. Death eludes him, and the bone beast’s cry brings others into it’s despair.
Prompt #2
Our Instagram winner was…
‘ “It’s the center of the universe,” the sage had whispered to me, as he indicated a tattered map of the desert.
Not the literal center, of course. The gravity at the center of one galaxy would instantly crush my frail, mortal body.
Then again, the villagers in this area didn’t understand gravity. They didn’t even understand what it truly was: the place where all worlds converged. From there, I could go anywhere. Find anyone. Find HER.
“It’s the center of the universe,” he had said.
“Perhaps,” I whisper, with a strained, hopeful smile, “it can find the center of mine.” ‘
~Carrie-Anne Thomas
Excuse me while I go blow my nose. How did Carrie-Anne (carrie_anne.thomas) create such sadness in only one hundred words? Even though it is heart breaking, I love this story and the tiny bit of hope at the end. I truly hope that he is able to find the woman he is searching for.
Our Facebook winner was…
‘She could see nothing.
Well, that wasn’t quite true. There was dust. There was wind.
There was more dust.
Senra clutched the gauzy veil closer, her parched breathing shallow through the thin material.
Somewhere, the green lands still existed. Water and grass and men with glittering swords and greedy eyes.
She turned her back to the wind. A slight veiled figure clutched their cave entrance. “M-mother?”
Senra wrapped her daughter in an embrace. “You’re safe here.”
“But…”
“Hush.” She buried her face in her daughter’s hair. /You’re the center of everything. And I won’t let them touch you./’
~Hope Ann Schmidt
Such a beautiful depiction of motherly love! This mother will do literally anything for her child, even cross the world to a place where they can be safe. Congrats Hope Ann, this is a lovely story!
Prompt #3
Our Instagram winner was…
‘Some say it means dire things for any who walk beneath its shadow.
Some say that signs can be read in the cracks of its sun-brittled bones.
Some say it is a gateway to the spirit lands.
But it is none of these; only the lonely remains of a great earth-shaker who lay down and died before my father’s fathers were born. I have seen more like it, in the clefts of the great mountains, and fed them with my hands. Their lips are gentle.
So I listen to the foreigner ramble on and on beside me, and I smile.’
~ Verity A. Buchanan
Verity (@verityb.writes) wrote a vivid tale that leaves me wanting to know more! Earth shakers, legends, and foreigners all come together to create a story world that I would be happy to get lost in! I hope I can learn more about it someday!
Our Facebook winner was…
“Yo yo, gangsta.”
“Yo, wassup.”
“Been a few hundred years. Felt a breeze lately?”
“Nah, this sand hasn’t moved in weeks.”
“You can still see?”
“Sure!”
“Sure. Tell me what’s over the horizon, then.”
“An old man.”
“Out here?”
“Don’t scoff. I see an old man walking in the lightning.”
“Sure, that checks out.”
“Don’t believe me, then.”
“… What else is happening?”
“The bones are shaking off the sand.”
“Ressurectin’?
“‘Course.”
“What about us?”
“We’ll fly again. No more stone birds perched on an old man’s spine.”
~ Hannah Brown
From the first word, this story made me laugh. Hannah did such a great job with the characters voices. The bounce right off the page and into your ears. Those familiar with the Bible may recognize an allusion to Ezekial 37 and the story of dry bones.
Weren’t those stories awesome? This contest was so much fun! If you would like to join in the fun, I am pretty sure Cassie is planning another contest for November 6th-ish. Keep an eye out for that! I hope to see your story!
Shaina Merrick
The Beauty of a Story 