Fairy Tale Writing Contest

Attention Fellow Writers! I'm excited to share with ya'll an incredible opportunity and an exciting challenge. Without further ado...

Rooglewood Press is delighted to introduce their third fairy tale novella contest—

Five Magic Spindles

a collection of “Sleeping Beauty” stories

The challenge is to write a retelling of the beloved fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Sleeping Beauty,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!

Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the Five Magic Spindles collection, which will be packaged up with the phenomenal cover you see here. Maybe your name will be one of the five listed?

All the contest rules and information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the Rooglewood Press website. Just click HERE and you will go right to the page.

Rooglewood Press’s first collection, Five Glass Slippers is available for purchase, and our second collection, Five Enchanted Roses is scheduled to launch on July 27, and is currently available for pre-order. Be certain to get a copy of each and see what previous winners did with their wonderful retellings.

This cover illustration was rendered by Julia Popova, “ForestGirl.” You can find out more about this gifted artist on her website: www.forestgirl.ru 

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Well, I'm in. I have to say, this may be the most beautiful cover design for these contests yet. Anyone want to join me? Help us spread the word. If you're a blogger, feel free to grab the blog button and include the link to the contest details. 

http://www.rooglewoodpress.com/#!writing-contest/c22i6

Story Starter Saturday - February

Ready to give your imagination a workout? Whether you consider yourself a writer or not give today’s story starter a try and see where it takes you.

How does it work? Write a poem, a story, a list, a dialogue, a description, or a song. Draw a picture. Play the word association game. Set the timer for 10 minutes and do a free write. Create a new character or put yourself in a new situation.  See where the words and images take you. You never know what may happen. Even if an idea isn’t going anywhere to begin with, you may be able to use it some other time. Create a notebook and keep your story starters and scraps of inspiration for later reference. See last month's Story Starter here. 

Places have stories just like people do. 

What story do you see hiding in this picture?

  

Via Pinterest

What stands out to you? Does it remind you of a place you have been or imagined? What does the picture not show? Notice the contrast. Focus on a single detail. Explore. There are innumerable stories to discover.

Have fun! Share your first line or what approach you took in the comments below!

Introducing: Story Starter Saturdays

Today I am excited to announce a new feature here at A Curious Thrill! 

Story Starter Saturdays will take place one Saturday a month. They may be in the form of a picture or an opening sentence, a setting or a sound. Anything! These story starters are intended for everyone, writers and non-writers alike. We can all benefit from stretching our imaginations and our writerly muscles.

Write a poem, a story, a list, a dialogue, a description, or a song. Play the word association game. Set the timer for 10 minutes and do a free write. Create a new character or put yourself in a new situation.  See where the words and images take you. You never know what may happen. Even if an idea isn’t going anywhere to begin with, you may be able to use it some other time. Create a notebook and keep your story starters and scraps of inspiration for later reference.

Now, without further ado, here’s your first prompt:

NOW GO!

Need some help?

Take some time to really study the picture. Search out those tiny details that you missed the first time. What do they tell you? What don’t they tell you?

Where did this bottle come from? Where is it now? Who sent it? Who received it?

What does the paper inside say? What do you notice about the water, the sand, the bottle?

Have fun! Share your first line or what approach you took in the comments below!