Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #122

Posted: February 28, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | 117 Comments

John E. McIntyre, mild-mannered editor for The Baltimore Sun, chose the words for our writing prompt challenge. Show him you will have the last laugh with these most challenging of words.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Botulism – A severe, sometimes fatal food poisoning
  2. Bouillabaisse – (by-bs) A highly seasoned stew made of several kinds of fish and shellfish; A combination of various different, often incongruous elements
  3. Bougainvillea – (bgn-vl–) South American woody shrubs or vines
  4. Boulevard 
  5. Bouffant – Puffed-out; full
  6. Boudoir – a woman’s bedroom or private sitting room
  7. Boulangerie -[boo-lanzh- uh-ree] a bakery that specializes in baking and selling bread.
  8. Boondocks
  9. Bosun – a petty officer on a merchant ship who controls the work of other seamen
  10. Bosom – The chest of a human; A woman’s breast or breasts.

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there

Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #121

Posted: February 24, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Copy Challenges | 131 Comments

Today we have  Justin Germino of the Wanderer Thoughts Poetry blog choosing the words for our writing prompt challenge. Show him how you rise to his 2nd challenge.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Flagship
  2. Stellar – consisting of stars 
  3. Cosmic
  4. Corona – a white or colored circle or set of concentric circles of light seen around a luminous body, especially around the sun or moon.
  5. Gleaming
  6. Vacuum
  7. Gaseous
  8. Milky
  9. Indigenous – originating in and characteristic of a particular region or country
  10. Meteor

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there

Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #120

Posted: February 21, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Copy Challenges | 187 Comments

Mitchell Allen is choosing our words today. Mitchell says, “This weird list comes by way of an awesome interview of a weird author by a weird writer. Bobby Revell was one of my favorites. He wrote graphic fiction. And I do mean graphic. He interviewed Jeremy Shipp here.” Thanks Mitchell.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Vaudevillian – One, especially a performer, who works in vaudeville.
  2. Snapping turtle 
  3. Spork
  4. Wielding – To handle (a weapon or tool, for example) with skill and ease.
  5. Ninja
  6. Monkey
  7. Yard
  8. Belly button
  9. Lint
  10. Festival

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there

Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #119

Posted: February 17, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Copy Challenges | 243 Comments

Today we have, Camille Gooderham Campbell, choosing our words. Camille is the Managing Editor of Every Day Fiction, a magazine that specializes in bringing you fine fiction in bite-sized doses. Every day, EDF publishes a new flash fiction story that can be read during your lunch hour, on transit, or even over breakfast – you can read the daily story online or subscribe by email or RSS feed.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Coral – A rock-like deposit consisting of the calcareous skeletons
  2. Soul 
  3. Glitter
  4. Vile – Loathsome; disgusting
  5. Absinthe – A green liqueur having a bitter anise or licorice flavor and a high alcohol content
  6. Whip
  7. Passion
  8. Fail
  9. Report
  10. Shield

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there

Sad Story #1

Posted: February 15, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Random Stuff | 12 Comments

I’m having one of those days today.

Where everything goes wrong, everything seems to suck, and I’m apparently paying back Carma debt I owe for somehow being a dick in my past.

So I’m walking down the road barely able to keep it together when I see a boy across the street with his father trailing close behind him. The kid’s maybe  eight years old and suffering from what looks like Cerebral Palsy as he doggedly directs his wheeled walking-assistant apparatus.

I instantly said to myself, “Okay, God. I get your message. It could be worse. Thank you for the reminder.”

I began to feel better, but only for a split second, because it did get worse.

That father told his son, “You’re not going straight because you’re draggin’ your foot.”

He said it in what appeared to me a frustrated tone, and it left me feeling a sadness unmatched in many years.

I know dealing with kids with special needs as hard as hell, but here’s this kid, just trying to walk and do whatever is expected of him, probably just trying to make daddy happy, and frustration from his hero is what I’m certain he heard too.

F#ck! Today is a great day after all…for me.

Thank you kid. You may not walk straight enough, but you sure straighten me out.

Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #118

Posted: February 14, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Copy Challenges | 208 Comments

Our own, Kelly Erickson, of Maximum Customer Experience and VisionPoints, The Experience Designers, is picking our words today. Show her what you’re made of.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Moonless night
  2. Tack 
  3. Cramming
  4. Appointed
  5. Granite
  6. Crooned – To hum or sing softly.
  7. Acid
  8. Rubberized
  9. Caramel
  10. A low shriek

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there

Writing Prompts – Creative Copy Challenge #117

Posted: February 10, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Copy Challenges | 169 Comments

Julie Duffy is picking our words today. Julie is a writer and the host of the Story A Day in May Extreme Writing Challenge (Write a story a day, you guessed it, in May.) She is also the author of several ebooks and workshops for writers. Show her how creative you are.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Frozen
  2. Monstrous 
  3. Runt
  4. Basin
  5. Spoon
  6. Hundred
  7. Delicious
  8. Babble
  9. Clutch
  10. Roaring

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there

Creative Copy Challenge #116

Posted: February 7, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Copy Challenges | 150 Comments

Today we have CCC regular, Ann Wayman, of About Freelance Writing choosing the words for today’s writing prompt. Show her some love and crush the challenge. Now on to the show.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Queen
  2. Jaw 
  3. Overalls
  4. Peach
  5. Long johns – also a type of doughnut in St. Louis area.
  6. Boil
  7. Ipil – a small town in the Philippines
  8. Villain
  9. Senses
  10. Wok

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

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Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there

Creative Copy Challenge #115

Posted: February 3, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Copy Challenges | 142 Comments

Today we have Heather Allard choosing the words for today’s writing prompt. Heather is a mother of three kids, Hope, Grace & Brendan — and one big dog, The Dude. She’s also the founder of TheMogulMom.com, a website for moms who run a business, raise a family and rock both. You can find her on Twitter at @heathALL. Now on to the show.

Writing prompts cure writer’s block. Take the 10 random words below and, in the comments, crush writer’s block by creating a cohesive, creative short story tying them together! And remember: after (if) you finish, highlight your words and click the bold button to make them stand out and help you determine if you forgot any words. (If you’ve missed previous writing prompts, do those too.)

  1. Radiance
  2. Serendipity – The faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident.
  3. Ubiquitous – being present everywhere at once; ever-present; pervasive
  4. Manifest – Clearly apparent; To show or demonstrate plainly; a list of cargo or passengers
  5. Motley – made up of elements of varying type
  6. Glisten
  7. heather – A low-growing Eurasian shrub with bell-shaped pinkish-purple flowers
  8. Raven
  9. Grace
  10. Clever

NOTE: Don’t copy and paste from MS Word. Use a program like notepad that removes formatting or just type in the comment field itself. Also, finish your submission, THEN bold the words. Thanks. (And don’t forget to tweet this and share it with your friends.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resources you should check out:
Thesis: Best Damn Theme on the Web
Collective Ink Well: Personalize Your Thesis Theme
Third Tribe Marketing: Marketing done the right way
Story Structure Demystified: Best damn writing book out there