Category: Writing prompts and practices.

Looking for inspiration to put words on paper? Then this is the part of the blog you want to explore :)

The quill pot writing contest #1

On By Enette VenterIn The Quill Pot1 Comment

All right guys, so I want to try something new/ retry something old.

Quill POt

A long time ago, when I was a new and enthusiastic writer, I started a writing contest that I held bi-weekly. In the end, it crashed and burned because I honestly just couldn’t keep up with writing, school, and life all at the same time.
I was overwhelmed and I lost interest.

It’s about three years later and I want to give this another shot for multiple reasons.
1. I really love reading other people’s writing.
2. I really love prompts
3. I want to get reacquainted with my community.

It’s no secret that I have been MIA for a long time – with sporadic and sparse content here and there for the past couple of years. I have my reasons, which I might properly get into another time but for now the basic is this – I want to blog again. I want to follow that passion that drove me when I was 15 again.

So with this background info given, it’s time to reveal my true intentions of today.
I want to start a new writing contest on here!

It will be called ‘The Quil Pot Writing Contest.’

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Okay, so this new contest will work as follows.

I’m going to give a prompt each week along with a maximum word goal. (I don’t mind short things I just don’t have the time to read long things)

Then you get to write something based on this prompt.
I want to see creativity. I want to see the passion. I want to see skill.

You can get your entry to me in two ways.
  1. If you have your own blog, you can make it a post and link it to me – making sure that I can find it.
  2. The second method would be to simply send it to me through this box.

I’m going to read through all the entries and at the end of the week, I’ll pick a favorite.
If you win, your response will be made a post on my blog – for the world to see. I’ll be sure to give you all the credit as I share it across my platforms.

So what are we waiting for? Let’s start.

Today’s prompt is:

Twisted fairy tale
Choose your favorite fairy tale and write a piece about the villain’s point of view.

Do they see themselves as the hero of their own story, or do they know they’re the villain?
Could there be an ulterior motive behind their actions?
The word limit is… 2 000

You can make it shorter but you can’t make it longer. You can do flash fiction or poetry. I love both so I won’t mind to see it.

Good luck writing!

Xoxo

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The writing practice- The invisible helper

On By Enette VenterIn Writing prompts and practices.1 Comment

The writing Practice #2

I haven’t put up a writing practice in what feels like forever. (Around 6 months)
This means that a lot of my newer followers don’t even know what my writing Practices are.
The writing Practice is a challenge… to writers… to write something.
I know a lot of the time we writers forget to make time to write. We have work and school and families and so forth that steal up all out time.

So this is to challenge you to take just a momment out of your busy life to write something.

This is how the writing practice works

  •  You can write a blog post on the topic of the prompt I will give. Then you link it back here.
    If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put a link to your blog the next “Writing Practice Post”
  • The second way to enter is by simply writing your answer to the prompt in the comments.
    If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put up your entry in the same post. (No link to your blog)

Remember that if you choose the first way to put the # The Writing Practice among your tags.

Here is this week’s prompt.
Write about a character that is helping the typical hero character. This character doesn’t get any of the glory and hardly anyone even notices them. I want you to play with this invisible character. Perhaps they live in the hero’s shadow or perhaps they are invisible in a more literal way and can’t be seen.
Put this character in a scene where attention is drawn to them and write how they react to the sudden spotlight. Are they nervous? Afraid? Or even smug?

 

Good luck and get writing.

(also I promise not to let there be a 6 month gap between this post and the next “Writing practice.”)

The writing practice challenge

On By Enette VenterIn Writing prompts and practices.2 Comments

Between work, school, blogging and general internet surfing a lot of us hardly have time for The writing Practice #2writing itself.
So the writing practice is about taking time to write even if all you have to spare is five minutes.

 

So for last week‘s prompt I got this great entry from a blog called distilling experience and what I really love about the entry is how it builds up the battle. To give you the picture of what the person is going through with comparison is a fine art, and while a little over done it worked well for this particular flash.

The two ways of entering.
1. Writing a blog post on the topic of the prompt and linking it back here.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put a link to your blog in a post next week.
2. The second way to enter is by simply writing your answer to the prompt in the comments.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put up your entry in the same post. (No link to your blog)

Remember that if you choose the first way to put the #WritingPractice among your tags.

The prompt

We connect smells with emotion. Tell me what does betrayal smell like to either you or your character?

The writing practice challenge.

On By Enette VenterIn Writing prompts and practices.4 Comments

Between work, school, blogging and general internet surfing a lot of us hardly have time for writing itself.The writing Practice #2
So the writing practice is about taking time to write even if all you have to spare is five minutes.

The two ways of entering.
1. Writing a blog post on the topic of the prompt and linking it back here.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put a link to your blog in a post next week.
2. The second way to enter is by simply writing your answer to the prompt in the comments.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put up your entry in the same post. (No link to your blog)

Remember that if you choose the first way to put the #WritingPractice among your tags.

The prompt

This is my war, and I’m not sure which side I’m on.

I know it’s a little different from my normal prompts but it inspired my earlier this week so I figured you could use it as well.

The writing practice challenge.

On By Enette VenterIn Writing prompts and practices.Leave a comment

Between work, holiday’s, blogging and general internet surfing a lot of us hardly have time for writing itself.the writing practice
So the writing practice is about taking time to write even if all you have to spare is five minutes.

For my last prompt John ad start you fiction wrote this post.
What I really love about his entry is that in the second last paragraph you can really see how he switched from telling to showing. When writing in first person he had told us that Kalphor was wallowing in self pity. When he rewrote the scene in third person he showed it to me.

So now let’s go to this week.
The two ways of entering.
1. Writing a blog post on the topic of the prompt and linking it back here.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put a link to your blog in a post next week.
2. The second way to enter is by simply writing your answer to the prompt in the comments.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put up your entry in the same post. (No link to your blog)

Remember that if you choose the first way to put the #WritingPractice among your tags.

The prompt

Write about someone in one state of mind putting on some kind of uniform. As they put on the uniform their state of mind change so it’s something different at the end of the scene.

Perhaps someone can start out a complete mess and as they put on their “uniform” they pull themselves together?
Or perhaps it can be the other way around, going from hopeful to depressed?

The writing practice challenge

On By Enette VenterIn Writing prompts and practices.6 Comments

Between work, holidays, blogging and general internet surfing a lot of us hardly have time for writing itself.the writing practice
So the writing practice is about taking time to write even if all you have to spare is five minutes.

 

So last week I got two wonderful entries.

One from Katy at A Beatific Gray. Katy put a little spin on the challenge and wrote a beautiful piece that shows clearly how wonderful the person she is describing is and it feels to me like it even gives a little insight into Katy herself. All in all, a great job and a beautiful piece of writing.

 

The second one is from Jon at Start Your Fiction who wrote a fantastic in depth description that definitely brought the character to life. The thing I love about his entry is that while he does describe how the character looks he manages to give you the feel of the character as well. This is how I believe a description should be done.

 

Now let’s get on to this week.

The two ways of entering.

1. Writing a blog post on the topic of the prompt and linking it back here.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put a link to your blog in a post next week.
2. The second way to enter is by simply writing your answer to the prompt in the comments.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put up your entry in the same post. (No link to your blog)

Remember that if you choose the first way to put the #WritingPractice among your tags

 

The prompt.

Write a few paragraphs in first person point of view as a character goes through the traumatic event of watching someone they love die. Now write the same scene but in third person point of view.

The point of this exercise isn’t to show you the difference between the two styles but to let you practice describing emotions in two different ways a because while in first person you can tell how the character feels in third person you have to show it.

 

 

Thank you everyone who has been giving me positive feedback on the writing practice. I can’t wait to see what you have to write for me.

 

 

The writing practice challenge.

On By Enette VenterIn Writing prompts and practices.7 Comments

The writing practice, back up and running. the writing practice
Between work, holidays, blogging and general internet surfing a lot of us hardly have time for writing itself.
So the writing practice is about taking time to write even if all you have to spare is five minutes.

The two ways of entering.

1. Writing a blog post on the topic of the prompt and linking it back here.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put a link to your blog in a post next week.
2. The second way to enter is by simply writing your answer to the prompt in the comments.
If you do this and I like what you wrote I will put up your entry in the same post. (No link to your blog)

Remember that if you choose the first way to put the #WritingPractice among your tags.

The prompt

Pick either a person you know or simply a made up character and describe them. I’m not talking your usual, description of she had blue eyes and brown hair. I want you to tell me how this person walks and how this person laughs. Tell me about the small overlooked bits of this person and make them come alive to me.

Thank you everyone who has been patiently waiting for the writing practice to return I can’t wait to see your entries.