Winner Announcement and Creative Nonfiction in The Ink Well Prompt #69
Welcome to The Ink Well's weekly creative nonfiction prompt!
In this post, we'll announce the winners from last week'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 Clean
Last week's participants
Featured
Highlighting @rammargarita, with the story:
From a Quinta or Hacienda to a big City
"Excuse me, to err is human. If you wait ten minutes, I'll wash the piece that got dirty and dry it with the iron". That way the dress where it was stained, was clean and white as a snowflake. After canceling, the owner left very happy.
Curator's comment :
At its heart, the story tells the saga of a family that begins in abject poverty. Dirt floor. Leaky roof. Clean water at times inaccessible. Eventually the family's circumstance improves. The streets are asphalt, the floor no longer dirt and water is delivered by pipe into the home. One aspect of the arc that helps to define it: the author's sister looks at a piece of property and muses as a young woman that the place should be 'urbanized'. She fantasizes that one day she, the sister, will live in that new building. The story concludes with the sister and her family buying an apartment the very same building she imagined.
Highlighting @lightpen, with the story:
My triumph against corruption
I collected the document and went through it. I realized that the total amount to be paid in total was about 7 million naira. Reducing the numbers of beneficiaries by half meant that we would pay about 3.5 million naira and share the balance of 3.5 million naira in the ratio she mentioned.
Curator's comment :
@lightpen describes in his CNF the dirty way in which, through corrupt mechanisms, university students in his country are denied financial aid that could help them to complete their studies. He was drawn into the corruption scheme, but he acted courageously in exposing the culprits and recovering the money for the students. The story is well told and reads with interest.
Featured
Highlighting @rukkie, with the story:
Having A Clean Conscience
I was about to walk past them when a figure caught my eye, you guessed right, I saw Wale among them. I couldn't believe my eyes because he is known to be very calm and gentle. I couldn't believe I would see him in that kind of group when he was supposed to be in his WAEC class.
Curator's comment :
rukkie writes a cohesive CNF piece in response to the prompt *Clean*. She tells of a time when she saw a neighbor's son hanging out with a rough bunch. The boy swears her to secrecy. However, rukkie realizes she has a greater responsibility than keeping a secret. She has to act in the boy's best interest, so she tells his parents. They change his schedule and address the issue with him. The buildup to this conflict is gradual and well described.
Featured
Highlighting @zyzymena, with the story:
The Unforseen Turn
Outside her office, I eagerly opened the file and glimpsed at her scribbled note, which simply read "approved." Excitement surged through me, prompting a little dance. I headed to the administration department to process my leave pass. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a thirty-day escape to Kwara State, away from the early morning rush and office stress, to spend precious time with my parents.
Curator's comment :
zyzymema is a polished writer. She turns in another well-crafted CNF piece in response to the prompt 'clean'. She tells of an episode in her office when she displeased her supervisor. The supervisor subsequently accused the author of inappropriate behavior and had her transferred. Eventually, the supervisor herself is found to have behaved badly and zyzymena is restored to her previous job. Clear prose. Great arc. Excellent character development.
This month's creative nonfiction winners are :
@zyzymena and @rammargarita, who tie for first place and win 10 Hive each.See the stories below as examples of Zyzymena's excellent work :
The Unforseen Turn
Pages of Mischief
See the stories below as examples of Rammargarita's excellent work :
From forgetfulness to reality
From a Quinta or Hacienda to a big City
This Week's Prompt 69:
"Nerve or Nervous"
The words "nerve or nervous" could bring to mind a host of ideas to write a creative nonfiction story. For instance:
- You thought that a friend had the nerve to suggest that you'd participated in an illegal act you had no part in.
- Perhaps you had a debilitating experience that made you nervous to drive, swim, attempt an act, or participate in an event ever again.
- "Butterflies" have a nasty way of rising and fluttering uncontrollably in your tummy when you're nervous.
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.
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