The themes for these anthologies/websites/magazines include stories on LGBTQ lives, the invisible world, corporate shadows (inspired by the net neutrality rulings), anthropomorphic fiction, holiday crime and crime by bumbling sidekicks, work and play, deadly bargains, curiosity and the curious, addiction, and talking to strangers. Some of these also accept nonfiction and poetry. Many of them pay writers. Also see this list for some more deadlines coming up.
The New West Writers Photo Prompt is a twice-monthly challenge for writers of all genres. It’s easy to participate — and we encourage everyone to do so. Just spend a moment with the image below and write whatever comes to mind. A couple of lines, or a couple thousand words. Prose, non-fiction, poetry, even a six word story, if you like.
Dancing With Vertigo
There are no winners (we’re all writers sharing our words) and no rules. Well, one — be respectful with your words.
You can announce your post with a link in a comment below, or if you link to this page from your post, we’ll publish the trackback link in the comment section of this page. Add an “nww photo prompt” tag to your post and we’ll also provide a link to your response in the next challenge. This post outlines these few simple steps.
To get you going, one of our writing group’s members will have the first go at the prompt. Base your post on theirs or go a completely different way.
A click sounds deep in my skull
I am the pivotal point of a carousel – trapped
The room is lit by a candelabra. The teacher has a surprising German accent for one teaching Argentine Tango. “Walk backwards like you’re descending a spar. Lean in.”
Blurred things fly off the edge
Speed unmanaged – unmanageable
Claus, or as we should call him, Claudio yells so that his voice is heard over the bandoneon, “Control, no ballroom-head, shoulders down, head haughty.”
Bricks fly past
Whooshing in the ears – roaring
“Feel the rhythm. No looking at your feet. Listen to the music.”
I grab at a shiny object, what was it
No memory – panic
“Form a triangle with your partner. Basura – throw away her foot with yours – rubbish.”
Back against the wall – solid.
Slowing, slowing, slowing – nausea
We lean against the wall, stretching our stiff necks. Changing out of our soft shoes into street boots, we laugh. Nervous and embarrassed, because adults don’t usually give a stranger consent to shout at them. “Practice, learn to walk with control,” says Claudio not quite ready to release us.. “Bien hecho. Until next week.”
This post is a response to Ermilia Blog’s weekly Picture it & Write! challenge. The blog mistresses provide an image (this week’s is to the right). You write a very short story or poem using the image as a prompt.
OK, so this is not a very short story. In fact, it’s become a #longreads, over 1,500 words. Ooops! But, sometimes, you just gotta go with the flow of the words. ;)
Oh, and I’ve set the Workshop category, so please, critique away in your ruthlessly gentle ways! :)
This museum in England has been collecting the used candles of the rich and famous for 20 years. The proprietor, Anne Wickham, started the museum in 1994 after a Women’s Institute meeting where she found that all her fellow members found it difficult to throw away their used candles as they were like dear, old friends.
Anne decided to keep those candles and to turn them into a tableau, which she entitled “Growing Old” drawing parallels between the ageing of the WI members and the way the wax had melted and formed wrinkles on the surface of the candles.
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