Creative Nonfiction in The Ink Well Prompt #142
Welcome to The Ink Well's weekly creative nonfiction prompt!
In this post, we'll announce the winners from last month's contest and provide the prompt for the coming week.
Before You Write Your Creative Nonfiction Post...
We ask that you read our Creative Nonfiction Tips post to learn about the creative nonfiction genre and review our guidelines.
Important notes:
- Creative nonfiction stories are based on your real-life experiences.
- We are looking for real short stories! Not advice columns, reports on crime or corruption in your city, observations on nature, recipes, religion, politics, or any other nonfiction content. Just real-life short stories.
- Ideal story length is between 750 and 1500 words, but your story must be at least 350 words, at a minimum to be curated.
- Please focus on quality content. Read and edit for errors! Use a grammar checker before you post your story.
- We expect everyone who posts in The Ink Well to read and comment on at least two other stories for each one published.
- Do not post stories featuring physical abuse, graphic violence, erotica or NSFW content.
Last Week's entrants
Thank you to all who participated in last week's prompt : Weak excuse.
Last week's participants
| @venom2951 | @marriot5464 | @ubani |
| @mbiatabasi | @oyebolu | @rare-gem |
| @delightedpen | @ellizy | @zerah |
| @edith-4angelseu | @lareaiyela | @lareaiyela |
| @jazclassic | @nancybriti1 | @marynn |
| @rammargarita | @jennyzee1 | @young-tari |
| @lara-bee | @treasuree | @princessbusayo |
| @zain-ab001 | @bisolamih | @fashtioluwa |
| @goshen | @daeze-winnie | @kilvnrex |
| @glorydee | @rukkie | @offia66 |
| @beckyroyal | @stone4 | @farahikram |
| @abojode | @abigail04 | @borderline.babe |
Winner (20 Hive): May
Highlighting @happy080, with the winning story:
Karma
Apparently, someone (I suspect our quiet office cleaner; she is kind of close to the boss's wife) had messaged her about the coffee and food incident. She came in like thunder, wearing a scarf tied with war.
Curator's comment :
Happy080 writes a fun CNF packed with humor. The story of how she turned her boss from a wicked, selfish boar into an ordinary, humble human being is hilarious, perfectly paced and thoroughly entertaining.
---Featured
Highlighting @offia66, with the story:
Gratitude: Whatever you do, whether good or bad, comes back to you
We got to the car, he bought some fruits, and we headed to his house, and on the way to his house, he told me everything about how my dad was his saving grace, a story my dad never shared with us for reasons best known to him.
Curator's comment :
offia66 writes a nicely rounded and well told CNF about an act of kindness. It's so nice when a writer takes the time to fully explore a topic, and paint a full picture. Nicely done!
---Featured
Highlighting @lareaiyela, with the story:
No Filter For Betrayal
The bookings had stopped coming in. My rent was long overdue. A major wedding client ghosted me after I spent hours in the blazing sun capturing every moment of their big day. I climbed chairs, squatted in tight spaces, shot like my life depended on it. They posted my photos online with tacky filters and never even mentioned my name. I texted. I called. I emailed. Silence
Curator's comment :
lareaiyela writes a crisp, energetic CNF piece about karma. His sentences are efficient, spare in description, powerful in effect. He writes of having his professional skills hijacked by an acolyte. In the end, both the acolyte and a photographic subject get their comeuppance. Their poor character and duplicity are revealed through their behavior with others. Their careers tank. An excellent piece.
---Featured
Highlighting @lailawrites, with the story:
That Day At The Market
When you're pinching every naira, everybody moves in slow motion, takes up more space. I was playing the game where you pretend to be window shopping when really your head is doing calculations: 800 to go home, 1,500 for garri and ingredients to prepare a soup, 500 to get data so that I can keep applying for jobs online. I was left with 2,200 for??.. I didn't know what. I couldn't remember what I'd planned to do with the rest.
Curator's comment :
But here's the thing. The writing is fantastic. Lailawrites fills his story with details and humor that bring this age old tale to life.
---Featured
Highlighting @marriot5464, with the story:
Papa's Silence
I remember dropping my passion for painting and drawing to please him at the early stage of my life. Even though I was so good at it. I just couldn't stand the look of disgust on his face whenever he saw me drawing with stained fingertips. In fact, the first payment I ever got in my life from rendering a service was from my drawings. When Papa got to know of it, he ordered me to stop and seek something better to do with my life.
Curator's comment :
Marriot5464 gives us insight into the complex relationship that developed between him and his father. This story is both a tribute to his father's ambition for his children, and a explanation for how that ambition can be at odds with a child's best interest. The story is well constructed and eloquent. It is beautiful to read.
---
This Week's Prompt 142
When pigs fly
Meaning:
is used to express that something is impossible or very unlikely to happen. It's a sarcastic way of saying that something is very improbable based on current truths.
We've all witnessed events occurring that we thought would never come to pass in a million years. Use this prompt to tell us a story about unlikely events coming to pass.
Tell us about it! And remember to integrate storytelling elements like characters, scene setting, dialogue and action to bring your story to life!
Have fun and good luck! We look forward to reading your stories.
Rules
- You have 6 days to write your story from the date of this prompt post. Be sure to check the deadline countdown.
- Write a real-life story with the creative elements of fiction, like characters, dialogue, scene setting and a story conflict.
- Post your story in The Ink Well Community.
- Please use the tags #creativenonfiction and #inkwellprompt on these posts. Other possible tags: #writing #inkwellprompt #nonfiction
- Stories must be written in English. If you've translated the post, it's best to add the original version below the translation. Do not write mixed language paragraphs.
- Read and comment on at least two stories in the community. Add a link to your story as a comment on this post.
And be sure to remember to join The Ink Well community!
Prize
A prize of 20 Hive will be awarded to one submission every four weeks.
Procedure
Two or three stories will be featured every week. One of the featured stories will win the grand prize every four weeks.
The winner will be featured in a special announcement post.
Interested in joining our community? Start by joining Hive!
Join here at Hive Onboard.
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Questions? Ask The Ink Well on Discord .
We invite lovers of creative writing to visit The Ink Well, a Hive community started by @raj808 and @stormlight24 and run by @jayna, @yaziris, @samsmith1971, @gracielaacevedo and @itsostylish.How to Follow Our Curation Trail
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