Contests are back!

Contests are back everyone! If I could have some more entries and help with choosing prompts then I can keep them going every week. :) I also got a new voting system, yea! Thanks for help with that, Tessa. :) 
If you have any prompt ideas you can either email them to me or for pictures pin it on my 'writing contests' board. (If you would like to pin at the board shoot me an email at the email under 'about us' and I will invite you to join the fun) 

  Rules

1. Entries must be 250-600 words

2. They must be left in the comments by the following Wednesday at 11:30AM

3. Followers of TWS will be the judges, they must vote by Saturday

4. The voting link will be open from 12PM on Wednesday to Saturday night

5. Non-Followers of TWS are allowed to place an entry, but not vote

6. Entries with foul language or scenes that are too inappropriately graphic will be discarded

7. You may choose one or more of the prompts to put into your 'one' entry

8. Voters are not allowed to vote for themselves


Prizes (There will only be two winners for now, until we get more entries)
1st: Your button on my sidebar, and a copy of my tips on writing prompts
2nd: Your button on my sidebar, or a follow at your website








                                                              Vote Here!




                                                    Writing Prompts

You may continue a past story if it includes one of these prompts

1. Include this phrase in your prompt: "Once upon a time."

2. Use this picture:

Small words are nice, but...

Everyone loves Anne Shirley. But most people disagree with the way she writes. Why use big words when you can use little words?

But I ask, why use little words when you can add some spice to your story using the occasional big word?

Oh my gosh. I just asked you to oppose everything you've read on writing. Using big words is forbidden though, Brooke!

But really, what's the matter with using a mammoth word here or there? The pros tell you to find your characters voice. But then they tell you not to use big words. What then for the geeks, the English majors, the exaggerators? Are they going to be made dull because they aren't allowed to speak the way they normally would?

Also, do we want the future generation to grow up knowing next to nothing? We need to give people a challenge here or there. I dare you to add one big word to every chapter for a week. Then the next week put one on every page. Then if you're really crazy like I am, find a small word, then look up the synonyms and use one of those big ones that you've never either heard of or used.If you don't like it, go back to the small and easy words.

But don't go overboard. I do agree that Anne had a few too many big words. ;) Hide them, make them little gems that only the true readers will find. :)

Do you agree that there should be more big words in our novels? Or maybe you're going to yell at me for filling everyone heads with nonsense?

Brookie

Who am I and what am I doing here?

Or what we're going to address, who is my character and what are they doing in that book?

I like to talk about the MC, but today we'll talk about that character who doesn't know what they're doing.

                                                        

I have one of those right now. Her name is Sadie, and she's going to marry the MC's brother. But other than that... well, right now she's useless. I will figure it out as soon as November comes. NaNaWriMo people! My first year of the 50,000 word goal. :)

So let's talk about Sadie, and whoever is in your book that needs a job. Let's first ask the question; Do you love them? Do they absolutely have to stay?

No. Then cut them out.

"The moment you write a character who doesn't add to the story, you've written one too many." W. G. James

Yes. Keep reading.

If you can't find the heart to get rid of them then it means work, just to warn you. Give them a bit of a background, it doesn't have to go deep. But what are they passionate about, why and how do they know the MC? Ask yourself the basics, you don't have to go really deep unless... well we'll discus that in a moment. What do they do for a living? Are they going to help or oppose your MC? This is one of the biggies.

Now, can you give them a bit of a twist? What if originally they're the MC's friend, but then towards the end they betray them. Maybe it's not even because they are evil, but they thought doing it this way was best. Or maybe they've got a deep background, what happened before they met the MC? Were they famous? Bullied? An alcoholic? In a gang? What if their past comes to bite them and in the process trips up the MC?

Or do they have something important to share with the MC? Did they get into a similar situation in the past, maybe they have some advice. Use your imagination, it's not just for little kids you know. Now that you're older you can harness it and use it to do what you love, write. :)

What do you think? Anything you'd like to share? Or maybe share an instance where you had a character who at the beginning was a nobody, then turned out to be really important to the story?

P.S. I did get the title from my worldview curriculum if you were wondering. 

Brookie