Visual Dare 35: Conference

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!

This is our last challenge for the 2012 year! It is, however, certainly NOT the end of our weekly challenge. The Visual Dare challenge will continue into 2013, with only slight tweaks to the rules and guidelines. For anyone worried that I'm tampering too much with a good thing - don't fret; the changes are SMALL and, I think, will be appreciated.
(HINT: Think "expanded word count.")

More on that later; but for now - a last cozy photo to wrap up this festive season of the year. 

What do you think this little posse is up to? 100 word limit! See where this takes you....!

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Visual Dare 34: The Kiss

WOW. Our next-to-last Visual Dare for 2012!! 

Time has flown.....

....and meanwhile, the mannequins at Hobby Lobby have been having fun.

A lot of fun, apparently.

EXPLANATION: 

Usually I post photos that I find elsewhere on the internet for 

your writing pleasure. But last week, as I was Christmas shopping for the nephews, 

I found this display in an odd corner of Hobby Lobby - and it fired my imagination on the spot.

What do you think? 

What would spark a couple styrofoam mannequins on a Hobby Lobby shelf? 

(Not exceeding a PG-13 rating, of course. 

Please don't traumatize my students who frequent this blog.) 

;-)

Can't wait to see everyone's take on this one! (Reminder about entry guidelines below.)

Caught them making out by the party supplies in Hobby Lobby. How ironic.

RULES:

Study the photo.....let the imagination wander....

Then tell the story in 100 words...or less.

Use the link interface below to link this page directly to your story post OR

post your 100-words-or-less entry in the comments below (if you don't have a blog).

This prompt will be up until next Tuesday midnight EST. Then we'll do it again...!

Visual Dare 33: Timing

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!!

RULES:

Study the photo.....let the imagination wander....

Then tell the story in 100 words...or less.

Use the link interface below to link this page directly to your story post OR

post your 100-words-or-less entry in the comments below (if you don't have a blog).

This prompt will be up until next Tuesday midnight EST. Then we'll do it again...!

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Visual Dare 32: Disobey

After a lovely month of Triple Visual Dares for NaNoWriMo, 

we are back to the standard format.

But that's okay...because a lot of times, simple is more challenging than complex.

RULES:

Study the photo.....let the imagination wander....

Then tell the story in 100 words...or less.

Use the link interface below to link this page directly to your story post OR

post your 100-words-or-less entry in the comments below (if you don't have a blog).

This prompt will be up until next Tuesday midnight EST. Then we'll do it again...!

I put this photo with the prompt "disobey" because the look

in the little girl's eyes seems to have all sorts of mischievous

meaning. Wonder what she's up to...?

Triple Visual Dare #4

IT'S THE LAST WEEK OF NANOWRIMO!! ....and I still have 5000 words to write. And I'm sick. And it's been a wild week already.

BUT. I did get the last of the special-this-month-only Visual Dare up.

And since so many of my regular VisDare people are such smartypantsers, nailing all three photos in one short story EACH TIME......I decided to raise the challenge just a little bit.

Let's see you put all three of THESE photos into one tale. Double dog dare you! (Jeff Hollar, are you listening?)

But of course....we must review the rules.....

I have posted THREE black and white photographs. Your mission is to:

     * Pick the one that grabs you the most.
     * Use it to write a story in 100 words OR LESS. (I'm counting this month!! Mind!!)
     * BONUS POINTS: Make your entry an excerpt from your current NaNoWriMo story.
     * BONUS BONUS POINTS: Use all three photographs (somehow!) in your entry!
     * Add your entry via the cool linky thing below. Be sure to link directly to your Visual Dare post, and not your home page. (You want everyone to see your amazingness straight away!)

Got it?

Ready? Then on your mark.....get set.....WRITE!!!!!

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Can't wait to see what everyone does for this one.....!!!

Good luck!

Triple Visual Dare #3

Welcome back!! It's time for another NaNoWriMo Edition of the Visual Dare!! 

I think the trio this week fits more neatly into a single story than the previous two challenges -- hopefully this will create a massive boost for someone's NaNoWriMo tale during the mid-month slump! (If it's you, let me know!)

ANYWAY. I have posted THREE black and white photographs. Your mission is to:

     * Pick the one that grabs you the most.
     * Use it to write a story in 100 words OR LESS. (I'm counting this month!! Mind!!)
     * BONUS POINTS: Make your entry an excerpt from your current NaNoWriMo story.
     * BONUS BONUS POINTS: Use all three photographs (somehow!) in your entry!
     * Add your entry via the cool linky thing below. Be sure to link directly to your Visual Dare post, and not your home page. (You want everyone to see your amazingness straight away!)

Got it?

Ready? Then on your mark.....get set.....WRITE!!!!!

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Triple Visual Dare #2

Welcome back!! It's time for another NaNoWriMo Edition of the Visual Dare!!

I have posted three - count them, THREE - black and white photographs. Your mission is to:

     * Pick the one that grabs you the most.
     * Use it to write a story in 100 words OR LESS. (I'm counting this month!! Mind!!)
     * BONUS POINTS: Make your entry an excerpt from your current NaNoWriMo story.
     * BONUS BONUS POINTS: Use all three photographs (somehow!) in your entry!
     * Add your entry via the cool linky thing below. Be sure to link directly to your Visual Dare post, and not your home page. (You want everyone to see your amazingness straight away!)

Got it?

Ready? Then on your mark.....get set.....WRITE!!!!!

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Triple Visual Dare #1

IT'S NANOWRIMO!! So of course everyone's keyboards (or notebooks, or papyrus scrolls, or small napping children) are in full swing with the wordmongering. YAY. So excited.

This month I am resurrecting the original Visual Dare format that I used when I first debuted this writing challenge during last year's NaNoWriMo spree. Every Wednesday through November 28th will have the following format:

I have posted three - count them, THREE - black and white photographs. Your mission is to:

     * Pick the one that grabs you the most.
     * Use it to write a story in 100 words OR LESS. (I'm counting this month!! Mind!!)
     * BONUS POINTS: Make your entry an excerpt from your current NaNoWriMo story.
     * BONUS BONUS POINTS: Use all three photographs (somehow!) in your entry!
     * Add your entry via the cool linky thing below. Be sure to link directly to your Visual Dare post, and not your home page. (You want everyone to see your amazingness straight away!)

So......everyone clear on the rules?

Are you ready? Do you dare?? Then on your mark.....get set.....WRITE!!!!!

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Visual Dare (With a Twist)

Hello Friends!! I am currently down to the wire with a couple paying jobs this week, not to mention trying to catch up on some desperately needed sleep. (Four hours a night will only get you so far. Just so you know.)

Hence, this means that this week's Visual Dare is a rather unorthodox one.

No - no hiatus. Seriously. But a little different. I think you'll like this, so hear me out.

Fact: There's not a "new" dare posted this week. Yes, I know it doesn't take a lot of effort to post one photo. But it does take a LOT of time to give the proper attention to each entry submitted. I fell a bit behind on that this past week, and I don't like doing that to my participants.

Your entries matter to me. YOU matter to me.

With my multiple jobs, I've GOT to make the remaining days of October work for me, especially if I want even the faintest chance of doing NaNoWriMo this year. This means limited time at the computer. More so than usual.

Result: My "usual" approach to Visual Dares will return in November to coincide with NaNoWriMo. Moreover, they will have a special anniversary twist, since it was NaNo of last year during which I first debuted the Visual Dare.

What are you going to do until November 7th, you ask? So glad you asked!!!!

If you'd like a look at the sort of thing to expect, you can whet your appetite with last year's challenges. Try out the original Visual Dares....

     - HERE -

                              - HERE -

                                                      - OR HERE -

OR you can check out the official VisDare archives.

Just for fun, I've added the usual InLinkz widget below, so people can easily visit each other's entries.

This widget will be open for two weeks.

Don't forget to post the photo and name of the challenge you decided to use
when you post your entry to your blog!!

I obviously can't promise to respond to each one. But I will visit them all.
It just won't be in the next two weeks. I hope you understand.

JUST KEEP WRITING!!!

Visual Dare 26: Up

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!

You know the drill.....

Study the photo.....let the imagination wander....

Then tell the story in 100 words...or less.

This prompt will be up until next Tuesday midnight EST. Then we'll do it again...!

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Visual Dare 26: Eclipse

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!

Below is another photo prompt, with all sorts of curious possibilities.

I know my regular VisDare cohorts like their photos quirky, so of course I had to use this one.

So that takes us to the big question....where does this take you?

What story grabs you by the imagination?

You know the drill.....tell the story in 100 words...or less.

This prompt will be up until next Tuesday midnight EST. Then we'll do it again...!

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Can't wait to see what people come up with for this one!

Visual Dare 25: Forgotten?

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!

Below is another photo prompt, courtesy of Donna McNicol. 

I know where my mind instantly jumped when I saw this photo....what about you? 

What story do you see inside?

You know the drill.....tell the story in 100 words...or less.

This prompt will be up until next Tuesday midnight EST. Then we'll do it again...!

Visual Dare 24: Frustrated.

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!

Yes, I decided to go on a more whimsical bent with this one. I found the below photo on Pinterest (original source has been removed) and it was just too funny to ignore the story possibilities.

Seriously: There has GOT to be a good story behind this one.

What's your take?

You know the drill.....tell the story in 100 words...or less.

This prompt will be up until next Tuesday midnight EST. Then we'll do it again. Savvy?

Visual Dare 23: Peeking

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!

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Use this image in one of two ways:

     * incorporate it into your current Work In Progress - literally, or figuratively

     * use it as a 100 word flash fiction to get the brain going in a different creative direction.

Post your flash fiction, using the link tool below!

Happy writing!

Visual Dare 22: Scattered

TIME FOR ANOTHER VISUAL DARE!

Below is this week's Visual Dare!

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Use this image in one of two ways:

     * incorporate it into your current Work In Progress - literally, or figuratively

     * use it as a 100 word flash fiction to get the brain going in a different creative direction.

Post your flash fiction, using the link tool below!

Happy writing!

5SF: Memories

Good Grief!!! How did I let another Five Sentence Fiction prompt sneak up on me?!? It's been up a few days already and I just learned that the prompt is MEMORIES.

At the risk of sounding insane - because, you know, I'm already hip-deep in a couple other WIPs already - I used this prompt to play around with yet another story idea that's been rattling in the back of my head. It's still very much a shot in the dark...so many details to sort out...but here goes:

MEMORIES

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She stared beyond the blazing fire pit into dusk-blue waters beyond, and thought back to when her world wasn’t inverted, or her family missing (she refused to think them dead).

Behind her, The Portolan House throbbed with life: full of curious rooms and half-told secrets, odd people and stranger inventions, and the impossible rituals that bound them all together.

I’m too young to feel this old. Absently she twisted the octopus ring on her finger, her mind racing back to the moment they’d brought her here – an accident, Brock said; but Meggie wasn’t so sure.

Nothing happens by accident, she told herself; but the hunger for what she’d left behind was too painful to ignore, despite the assurances of the Portolan staff that she would – eventually – fit in and leave her past behind.

Don't know about Lillie McFerrin's Five Sentence Fiction? You should check it out here.

Then go and add your own "memories" flash fiction to the line-up!! 

(I promise, we looooove fresh blood joining in the fun!!) 

As always, comments and observations are appreciated!!

Thanks for reading!!