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Writing Challenge

1,000 Words

We blog for a million reasons, but in the end we’re all storytellers. Creative Writing Challenges help you push your…

Photo by Michelle Weber.

We blog for a million reasons, but in the end we’re all storytellers. Creative Writing Challenges help you push your writing boundaries and explore new ideas, subjects, and writing styles.

To participate, tag your post with DPchallenge and include a link to this post to generate a pingback. Please make sure your post has been specifically written in response to this challenge. We’ll highlight some of our favorites on Freshly Pressed on Friday and in our monthly newsletter.
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Maybe this is a selfish challenge — we love reading what you come up with for “A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words” challenges. But you love writing them as much as we love reading them, so let’s go for another round!

This week, write a post based on this image:

Photo by Michelle Weber.

Photo by Michelle Weber.

A fictional story based on the photo would be great (Who is this little girl? Where is she? What is she waiting for? Where is her family?), but we also look forward to non-fiction posts inspired by the photo. How does the image make you feel? Does the girl remind you of anyone in your life, or of yourself? Are you as scared of the unidentifiable green creature as we are, and is that a nose or a beak?

The challenge is called “1,000 Words” after the famous phrase, but don’t feel that you need to write that much (or that little) — however many words your story requires is the right number of words. Feel free to include the image in your post, with a link back here.

Get writing! We’ll tell the real story behind the photo in this month’s newsletter.

Get the creative juices flowing by checking out past “1,000 Words” challenges:

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      1. I am really struggling with this too. I keep thinking I have sussed it, and links seem to appear on these big forum sites – but I NEVER get a response to any of my queries, despite the fact that I am, as far as I can see, following exactly the same format as any other human being! I genuinely do not know what I am doing wrong. It feels as if my writing is just falling into some kind of Bermuda Triangle. WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?! HELP!!!!!

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      2. Seems I’m all over the place and just when I think I know what I’m doing, BOOM, I’m lost again. I wrote something for the 1000 word challenge, but I have a hard time getting to it when I want too! Everyone just keep blogging because writing for the sake of writing is still fun!

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    1. Copy the link to this post. When writing your post you can either paste the link into your post or highlight a word and click the little button that looks like a chain and enter it there. That way, when you click on the word it goes to this post.

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  5. Thank you for a moment of comedic brilliance –> ‘Are you as scared of the unidentifiable green creature as we are…’. It may take me a while to recover from this bout of sudden and joyful mirth before I decide if I have anything to say about this image. Really, I think your words encompass it all! Brilliant!

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    1. I just read your short story and GOOD GRIEF! I’m so relieved at the ending. I read it as fast as I could with a feeling or urgency to know what happened and dread in case it ended differently. Wow! Powerful talent you have there.

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  7. Reblogged this on Joyce Veheary Does and commented:
    Weekly writing challenge accepted. So that’s aprox 200 words per day. I can do that, I say about 37 words when someone sneezes. I feel I need to cover myself when in the presence of a sneeze, like bestowing them with my blessings acts like a Vicks First Defence shot, when really I am just covered in the atomised sputem of their nose. You’ll be even more blessed if you’re a multiple sneezer, some people do three; cute, some two, then a third and fourth hesitantly a few moments later, Lovely. There are even those who can do six or seven, that’s just greedy. Told you, that’s 46 words and you didn’t even need to sneeze once. Bless you.

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    2. Great story! Never thought it would end the way it did, but felt true to life! Keep writing! I wrote a short story on this also, but I’m having problems on how to put a tag on things! Can you help me out?

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    1. This is a really inspiring post. Many, when faced with a catastrophe, would succumb their lives to fate and simply give up. Instead, we should learn from this grandpa and treasure the remaining time to enjoy what’s left for us. I’m glad you shared 🙂

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  12. Although won’t be participating in the challenge [couldn’t get the 1,000 words – too bad!], loved the inspiration, and used it as a ‘springboard’ for some of my random thoughts. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  18. Looking for a Good Samaritan.
    Could someone explain EXACTLY HOW to INCLUDE A LINK TO THIS POST.
    I presume I do this through the Post Editor, but I’m confused about what information goes in each of the boxes on the Add a New Link form.
    I tried finding directions from WordPress.com.

    You guys all figured this out on your own.
    I’m so impressed and depressed.

    Thanks,
    Kelly

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    1. Hi Kelly – I am the world’s worst on technological matters, but I shall try and explain! It took me three weeks to learn this! Okay, so, you go to the original Weekly Writing Challenge page and then copy and paste the info up on the dashboard. You paste it onto your post, either at the top or the bottom. That way, when you send your ‘baby’ out into the big wide world, it’ll appear with all the others in the metaphorical WordPress ‘creche’. Do hope I haven’t confused you even more. Good luck! Alienora

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      1. Thank you, thank you.
        My post is scheduled for tomorrow morning. I can’t wait to see if this worked.
        The http: for this Writing Challenge shows up on my post, so I have hope.
        Your generosity is much appreciated.
        Like Blanche Dubois, I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.

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      2. My pleasure; I shall look forward to reading yours. I think mine is already up there – it is called ‘Raspberries’ – but, knowing me, it may well have been sent to another planet! Alienora

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    2. Kelly, I cannot figure this out either. Everyone says it’s so easy; just follow directions. I think the problem is the directions assume the reader has knowledge of the “blog language”, which I don’t and so I don’t get it at all! BUT….. I am confident we will figure it out! Good luck. If I figure it out in English, I will share it with you!

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110 Responses While this challenge is closed to new entries, we encourage you to visit the Reader to find other avid bloggers.