Writing challenge - test run! April 20, 2017 - May 11

Question

Over on this post, it was discussed whether or not we should have writing challenges on Meta. The result: we give it a try, and see how it works. That's the point of this post!

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Here's how this will work:

The plan was for there to be a (optional, I think) prompt, to help inspire you to write. We're not doing a prompt for this test run, mainly because there isn't (yet) a way to decide on them. You're free to use the example one on the proposal page, although that was a 3-second example.

So to enter the challenge, you simply write something, and post it below. It can be a work in progress, and continue working on it while receiving feedback, or it can be a finished work - anything goes.

You can submit your entries until the end of the three weeks - we'll see how that period of time works. After three weeks, we'll choose the next prompt and put up a new post. After this trial run, however, we'll be seeing how well it worked, what could be done better, etc.

You can either post the whole thing here, or, if you usually post your writing somewhere else, you can put a link here - although I'd advise putting something in to get people interested.

Remember: this is not a contest. This is merely for fun, and for some practice writing. There will (hopefully) be writers of all different skill levels posting - I'm certainly not super good.

You're welcome to provide feedback, but please make sure that it's constructive. And remember: Be Nice.

Remember that the age limit for the site is 13 - I'm only 14 myself - so please avoid excessive graphic content or strong language.

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This is a test run, with several committed users who are going to try it. If you weren't one of them - join anyway! The more the merrier!

Have fun!

Answer 1

The carpet came spiraling out of the sky, heading towards the busy street below, a scream following in its wake like an aural contrail. The rider clung desperately to the front fringes with one hand, gesturing wildly with the other in an attempt to regain control. The street was far too close for comfort.

Focus! Level out or you're gonna go splat! Gritting his teeth, he grasped the other front corner with his free hand, then pulled up sharply on both corners as he sat up. To his relief and more than a little astonishment, he slowed his dive. He just might make it home in one piece after all.

Steady now. And get off the street! That's nothing but trouble! He veered to the right, over the houses lining the street toward the park beyond. Just what he needed -- a place away from people to recover. With luck he could fly home nonchalantly and his parents would never find out about this wild ride. What had he been thinking, testing the limits of his ratty old rug like that?

A glance over his shoulder shattered his hopes. Dammit, I was so close to safety! Two riders sped toward him. Those were high-end rugs, too -- he'd never outrun those. Ahead he saw two more closing in on him.

Doomed. Well, let's not make it any more painful than it needs to be. He sighed, found a clear grassy spot, and set down. He let go of the front of the carpet, sat back, and waited.

Three of the riders landed in a circle, surrounding him. The fourth flew straight at him and hovered in his face, a few inches off the ground.

"License and registration, now!" the officer growled.

Answer 2

CHALLENGE: In honor of our underage topic-starter, clean up something naughty.

There once was a man from Nantucket
Who constantly ran out of luck. It
Puzzled him quite,
So just out of spite
He kept all his cash in a bucket.

Why not put the cash in a bank?
He thought that the tellers all stank
of corruption and weeds,
so for money needs
He paid with coins fished from a tank.

Answer 3

There once was a woman named Nan
Who schemed up a devious plan
She sailed out of Worcester
Where they all but cursed her
And sought out a simple, rich man.

Nan settled on the man that first her
Eyes fell on since sailing from Worcester.
That man with a bucket
Whose pitiful luck it
Would soon go from bad, worse, to worster.

Nan married that man from Nantucket
Who one day discovered his bucket
As bare as the heart
Of that Worcester tart
For all of his money, Nan tuck 'et.

Answer 4

Hope this passes as appropriate for 13 year olds:

Sad hummingbird

Sad hummingbird,

Born in the rain, all alone.

Your nest was poisoned years ago.

Everyone you touch is dead.

But I'll stay by you,

Sad hummingbird.

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You've lost so much

And you've got no home

But you've got me, as you can see

And snacks to eat together.

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Don't mind the blood. Don't mind the death.

Everything'll be all right

As long as you're with me...

Friends forever.

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Goodnight dear sad hummingbird.

Answer 5

Gone

Bury the remains in the dark,

the dreams, that are lost on me.

Do not wander in the night,

for the stars have faded away.

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Your footsteps will be erased,

forgotten, leave the memories,

the heart - all that’s been hurt,

for what it is; dead and cold.

Answer 6

The Vampire Tale

There sat a vampire on the tree
Outside the window where she couldn't see
Relaxing on the branch as in a reclining chair
Even with the twisted branches and leaves everywhere.

The girl I'll now talk about
Just could not stay inside the house
She stepped out into the dark night
Unaware of the dangers lurking outside
She strolled in the garden and laid down
Watched the stars and flies blinking around
Then her eyes caught something dark on the tree
Something darker than the night if it could be
It was too unreal to be real and too dead to be alive
Yet not to be scared out of her wits, she was a naive
She stood up amused, wondering what it could be
A large bird, an animal or was she just being silly

All of a sudden there was a movement up there
And suddenly she gasped for the air
A branch crackled and the creature swerved
Maybe realised that it was being observed
Out of the dark tree appeared a shadow
Why she still stood there she did not know
She was curious but her heartbeat gaining pace
The shadow looked like of a human without a face.

It was pitch dark but she knew it was a man up there
But what was he doing didn't he get to sleep elsewhere
Both of them scanned each other
But she had two things to bother
She didn't have a face to look at
And the man jumped off the tree as swiftly as a cat
Jumping from a great height with a perfect landing
Awestruck! She knew she shouldn't be there standing.

Finally struck by sense she rushed to get inside
But as soon as she thought of it he was at her side
This sudden gush of wind came out of nowhere
But she found him standing just right there
Hurriedly she blinked through the wind to look at him
And now she saw his face even when the lights were dim
He dressed in black and his face as white as snow
How could she not see a white face with such a glow?
His eyes as black as the night itself
His lips with perfect curves were so blood red
As she said he was too unreal to be true
So she finally asked him, ''What are you?''

--- The saga continues....(if allowed ;-)

Answer 7

**The Rhythm of my own Song**


They want me silent
They want me controlled
They need me to fit
their perfect mould
To walk and talk
like a lady
to cook and clean
and be a heliolatry
To be the one
who's easily defined
not too rugged
but can sail through every grind.

But in my head, stuck
there is a song
it is not too loud
but it has been there all along
Its speaks of a place
I want to see
It speaks of the people
who wish, just like me
It sings the verses
of brave knights
of battles and wins
here, I can only dream at night
It tells about
the women whose will be free
not tamed or labelled
very unlike me
The women who have been
strong and brave
dancing to the
wish of their hearts
and not follow someone
like a slave.

So I step out
into the blazing Sun
a my tune which feels
right and fun
breaking the chains
doing what I like
nor hurting anyone
neither a spike
the land of joy
that I had so yearned
I saw it materialize
the moment I churned
For I was free
and this was my chance
that now I had finally
taken my stance
Happiness engulfed me
this was where I belong
Open, free and wild
dancing to
The Rhythm of my own Song.