Author / Farmer / Daughter of the King of Kings
We’re back for another Caption Challenge! I was so pleased with how the last one went, and I can’t wait to see what you guys come up with for this one.
Remember, your entry in the comments can be a six-word story or flash fiction (50 words or less) based on the picture. No more than two entries, please.
This round is going to run for TWO weeks instead of one, so winners will be announced on August 14th.
And now . . . the picture.
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Have fun and get creative! đ
I stole this tag from Chelsea because it looked so fun. So without further ado . . .
What is your favorite genre of fiction to write?
Fantasy. (Just get used to me saying fantasy a lot.) It’s my all-time favorite genre.
What genre would you NEVER get caught writing? . . .EVER.
Horror. Like, if you ever see me publish anything under the horror umbrella, assume it was my evil twin and send a fire-breathing dragon to incinerate it.
Yup.
What fictional genre feels most like home to you?
Um, fantasy? No, definitely fantasy. It’s my comfort zone. A safe place to create worlds, characters, and address issues I never would in any other genre.
If you could transform your real life into any genre of your choosing, which would it be?
Okay, I’m going to be more specific with this one. Portal fantasy. Like, seriously, send me to a different time in history (or Narnia. I’m okay with that) and I’ll be quite happy.
What genre does your real life most resemble at the moment?
Yikes. Hmm . . . some crossover between paranormal (think, mythical canine creatures taking over all life) and epic quest fantasy (don’t ask).
Whatâs a genre youâre interested in writing, even though youâve never written it before?
Just one?
Historical fiction, historical fantasy, sci-fi, urban fantasy, paranormal, dark fantasy, Arthurian fantasy . . . Need I go on?
What genre is your most recent plot bunny, and where did it come from?
Oh, glad you asked. đ
I have this idea that is a total plot bunny in, like, a contemporary mystery genre . . . or supernatural, or something like that. The idea came from the TV series The Chosen and it started with a question (which is unusual for this die-hard character-first writer): “How much would you sacrifice to see God?”
We shall see if that goes anywhere . . .
How many genres have you written thus far in your writing journey?
I feel called out . . .
Portal fantasy, other fantasy, other other fantasy, some contemporary short stories, one attempt at an EMP thriller (actually finished it, but we won’t go there).
I’m a little stuck on the whole fantasy deal. đ
Your turn! Answer a couple of these in the comments or steal the tag for yourself.
Folks, we have a winner for last week’s Caption Challenge!
The picture was:
You all submitted some terrific six-word stories and flash fiction pieces. And I’m pleased to say we have a winner in EACH category!
The six-word story winner is:
At twilight, the water nymphs danced.
Six-word story
And the flash-fiction winner is:
Abundant water in a dry and weary land, refreshment for our souls.
Hope for the dying heart.
Wellsprings of life that never cease.
How blessed are we who shall never thirst.
Flash fiction
Well done to all and congrats to the winners! I’ve decided to run this contest on Saturdays instead of Sundays, so our next Caption Challenge will be announced next weekend. Stay tuned. đ
Well . . . we ran our first ever Caption Contest last week, and I said I would announce the winner today . . .
But that presents a problem, you see. It seems that I cannot announce a winner, because . . .
Well, there were no entries. đ¤ˇââď¸
But I’m determined to keep this series going, so we’re just going to go ahead and start our new contest for this week. A quick reminder of the rules:
Look at the picture on this page and come up with either a six-word story or a bit of flash fiction (no longer than fifty words) to go with it.
And now . . . the picture of the week.
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Let your imagination have fun with that one. đ
Comment with your entry for this cool image! I can’t wait to see what you all come up with.
Reminder: You only have TWO more days to enter the Caption Contest! Don’t miss out – let your imagination have fun.
Dream big. The world tells us to dream big. Imagine how far you could go, how much you could achieve. This mantra comes as something of a problem when you realize the dream that lives inside your heart is, well . . . small.
As a senior in high school, I was sucked into the pressure of pursuing a “normal” career. In fact, I was just days away from committing to a college education. So, what stopped me?
Well, a lot of things, actually. One of which was the fact that God was slowly drawing me back to something I had left behind years ago – a different dream, one I was never meant to give up on.
But . . . it was a small dream. So much smaller than attending college, becoming somebody. And even though the desires I had for life after college were merely produced to supplant what I used to want out of life, the emotional pressure was still very real. When I closed the door to “normal”, there were repercussions.
I became hyper-aware of what people thought of me. Whether I was right or wrong, I don’t know, but I began to be very self-conscious of my “small” dream, and convinced that people thought less of me because I’d chosen that path. To be fair, I’d always been lonely in a crowd and often ignored by my peers, but the self-awareness that my new plan had stirred up in me made it seem all the worse – as though everyone’s opinion of me had changed, negatively.
I thought I was proud of my new direction, but . . . Is it possible to feel apologetic for something you’re actually proud of?  đ¤ˇââď¸ #psychologyquestion #ireallywanttoknow Anyway, my life post-high school consisted of innumerable explanations of why I wasn’t going to college (not even kidding, people I didn’t even know were asking me) and trying to fit into my youth group again when everyone else was moving on (that totally failed). I resented new social settings with people my own age because . . . well, I’d have to explain. And people always think my dream is small.
I had to mourn the loss of college. This really sounds strange to say, now that I’m way on the other side and ETERNALLY grateful I’m not in college. đ¤Śââď¸ But yes, I did have to go through a grieving process in which I gradually (very, very gradually) let go. But in the letting go, I also had to reclaim that former dream, that small dream, that dream which God gave back to me and it slowly took root in my heart. It was a gradual rebirth, one that took over a year for its completion.
But from the process, there was victory. From the pain, there emerged beauty. I was never meant to go to college. I was never meant to “fit in”. God had a different path for me – one that was infinitely better than the plan I had for myself. But our society’s message to fit in, be normal, and dream big, was initially overpowering. I had to give myself permission to dream small.
Maybe today, you need to do the same. â¤
And watch out, world, ’cause you need to get used to different.
Credit to The Chosen TV series for that now-iconic line. đ
I want to try something new on the blog today. I’m going to show you all an image, and you’re going to come up with a caption to accompany it. Now, by caption I mean one of two things: A six-word story that uses the picture as a guideline, or a bit of flash fiction no longer than fifty words. If I receive enough entries, then next week (the contest will run for seven days) I’ll feature two winners, one from each category.
Quick ground rules:
Okay, we ready?
The picture for our new Caption Contest is . . .
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All right – now let your imagination go wild! Comment your six-word story or your flash fiction below. đ Good luck!
Being a writer means accepting certain life distractions that can interfere with the creative process. But when life gets especially busy, it can get harder and harder to stay creative.
This time of year, for me, is crazy busy – the goats, the garden, the dogs . . . Yeah. Busy. At the same time, I’m currently editing the first draft of Fate of a Prince, writing the first draft of the sequel, writing grant proposals for the farm, editing videos . . . Aanndd the list goes on.
So I’m learning how to balance all of this with a healthy creative routine while still *cough* trying *cough* to get everything done in a timely manner. I should mention, I’m not on a specific deadline with anything but the grant proposals and video editing, so I’m free to work out a schedule (spoken like I actually have a schedule). đ
If you struggle to balance life and writing, maybe a few of these tips can help!
Remember, safeguarding your creativity is so important to the long haul of writing. So pace yourself. Take breaks. And, if you can help it, don’t get pulled down into the undertow of stress. Give yourself permission to stop and breathe. â¤
What tips do you have for staying creative and safeguarding your work? Let’s chat!
If you know me, you know that ending a book is . . . well, not easy. For me, anyway. I didn’t have a problem with the ending for the first draft of Fate of a Prince, but Promised Land? One Light Shining (unpublished)? Oh yeah.
The reason the ending of Fate was easy to figure out is because I knew right from the start what the climax would look like, and the climax came at the end. The whole book built up to that point. But when I was writing Promised Land, I kept working and reworking the last several chapters. (I didn’t outline that book nearly as well as I outlined Fate.)
If you struggle with writing endings as well, here are a few tidbits I’ve learned from the trenches of writing endings. đ
Let me know how YOU work out endings for your book. Do they come naturally or do you spend hours staring at a blank screen? #thestruggleisreal
Let’s chat!
I’m so happy to welcome Lily Keith to the blog today with this great guest post. Make sure to check out her blog at the end.  Â
One day, I started editing the first draft of my WIP. Something didnât feel right, but I wasnât sure why. So my alpha reader read the first several chapters. Later on, she said, âItâs well-written. But itâs boring.â
What happened? The beginning failed to hook the reader.
So today, I want to share a few tips I learned since then on where and how to start your story.
First off, donât worry about your first draft. Give yourself permission to be terrible and messy! You just need to get that story out on paper (or on screen). Afterward, you can focus on fine-tuning your story.
Tip #1: Make a âLateâ Entrance
The problem with my first WIP was that I started too early in the story. For example, I wrote about what happened to my main character three weeks before the real action and conflict began. The opening chapters had no purpose; anything important beforehand could be summed up in a paragraph of backstory.
Many readers have a short-attention span. And they wonât stick around to read irrelevant details that donât move the plot forward (like what my MC was eating yesterday morning.) But if you begin your story in the middle of the action (or at least, very close to the main conflict), then readers are more likely to keep reading.
For example, The False Prince, by Jennifer Nielsen, hits the ground running in just the opening paragraph:
If I had to do it all over again, I would have not chosen this life. Then again, Iâm not sure I ever had a choice.
These were my thoughts as I raced away from the market, with a stolen roast tucked under my arm.
Is there a way to thrust your protagonist into the main conflict sooner?
Tip #2: Try Starting When Things Go Wrong
My writing teachers suggested starting a story on the day when things go wrong for your characters (or at least when things start changing). This is where foreshadowing can come into play. You can hint at the potential danger and build up to the main conflict (just donât string out the suspense unnecessarily!)
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis is a great example of how a story starts on the day everything is different for the main character.
Here we go again. We were all standing in line waiting for breakfast when one of the caseworkers came in and tap-tap-tapped down the line. Uh-oh, this meant bad news, either theyâd found a foster home for somebody or somebody was about to get paddled.
âŚ. âBoys, good news! Now that the school year has ended, you both have been accepted in new temporary-care homes starting this afternoon!â
Can you pinpoint the scene in your story where the characterâs world starts changing (or something goes terribly wrong for them?) What happens if you start your story there?
Tip #3: Expect the Unexpected Line
Has a storyâs opening line ever startled you? Iâve come across a few thatâve surprised me!
The first line is the bait. Readers look at it and then make the decision to either keep reading, or keep browsing. A strong opening sentence piques the readerâs interest. Nowâs the time to make a good impression on the reader.
Consider this opening line from The Heroâs Guide To Saving Your Kingdom, by Christopher Healy:
Prince Charming is afraid of old ladies. Didnât know that, did you?
No, actually I didnât. Why is he afraid of old ladies? What else donât I know about him? Now I want to know! And so will the reader.
As you look over your WIP, ask yourself if thereâs a way you can grab readers with a strong line, unusual statement, or intriguing question. Will it align with your storyâs tone, your MCâs personality, and your overall plot? If not, donât worry! Itâs best not to force an unusual opening line if it doesnât fit.
Tip #4: Study Other Books
Studying the opening paragraphs of my favorite books has been super helpful for me (as openings arenât my strong suit). I usually write them down in a notebook and then compare them.
How did your favorite authors start their story? Each genre has a different style and tone. How do mystery writers open their stories? Fantasy authors? Sci-fi thrillers? Do they use one or all of the tips above? By studying other writers, we can sharpen our own skills and improve our stories.
Wrap Up
So, as youâre preparing to edit your storyâs beginning, consider how you could introduce your character and their problem, either by starting out in the middle of the action; beginning on the day everything changes for your main character; or settling for a strong opening line. Or you could combine these different tips if it works for your story. Itâs up to you!
Beginnings arenât easy. And they take a lot of work. But I believe you can do it! Pray for strength and perseverance. A solid beginning will draw in readers and keep them turning pages; itâs definitely worth the effort.
Happy Writing!
Lily Keith never grew out of her love for childrenâs literature. She has been telling stories all her life, first to her dolls and then to her family, and hopefully to more kids in the future. Aside from writing, youâll often find her feeding wild rabbits, arguing with spell check on Google Docs, or talking with her imaginary frie- *ahem* story characters. You can connect with her via her childrenâs blog (well, technically she co-owns it with her sister!) at: https://thepencilsisters.com
Do you have something you want to share with the blogging world? Do you have writing tips or experience? Something inspirational? A book review? (I’m open to suggestions.)
I am currently accepting guest post submissions for my blog. They are not paid, but they do provide a unique opportunity to generate more traffic to your blog.
Guidelines:
Have questions? Ready to submit? Just use the contact form! Looking forward to reading your post.
