Winner!
Congratulations to A.M. Baker for her winning entry to the ORW 100-Words Contest. Here is her short, short story:
The Deserted Road
In eighth-grade, Sara got knocked up by Kenny Watts. That’s a lie: it wasn’t Kenny. Her mother’s boyfriend finally left too much evidence behind, so Sara destroyed the evidence; I went with her.
We met before sunrise at the crossroads of Tipton and the highway. We walked until my mouth was dusty, and smells of Balsam River were caught in my hand-me-downs. We were hitchhikers that day. A woman who smelled like apples and pig shit pulled over and we drove mostly in silence. Finally, she said “girls could get in trouble walking on the roads alone like this.”
Creative Writing Prompt #10
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Instead of an original prompt, this week’s prompt comes from literary journal The First Line.
Waiting for change always seems to take longer than you would expect.
Be sure to visit The First Line site to learn more about their submission process. Submissions (opening with the above first line, of course) are accepted until November 1, 2009.
Thank you to all who entered the ORW 100-words contest. The winner will be announced soon!
Creative Writing Prompt #9
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
First line of a scene: She heard the thunk of the lock.
There is still time to enter the Open Road Writing 100-Words Contest! Submit your entry by Sunday, September 20th for a chance to win a free manuscript review (up to 20 pages).
Creative Writing Prompt #8
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
What is your character’s favorite way to travel? Write a scene in third person p.o.v. in which your character is taking a journey via a favorite mode (car, plane, train, horseback, etc.) that s/he has anticipated with delight . Unfortunately, a fellow traveler is intruding on the pleasures of the journey for your character. What happens?
There is still time to enter the Open Road Writing 100-Words Contest! Submit your entry by Sunday, September 20th for a chance to win a free manuscript review (up to 20 pages).
Creative Writing Prompt #7
Each week, ORW will feature a new writing prompt meant to spark your creative juices. Use it to generate new fiction, creative non-fiction or poetry, or apply the prompt to a current project. Even if you don’t create a scene that fits with your project, you may find that you’ve learned more about your story.
Consider setting this week. Write a scene with only two characters, third-person point of view. Your characters are visiting the house in which one of them grew up. Go overboard with description. Use all senses: what does the air smell like? What sounds do the characters hear? How do things feel? Does the tap water have a particular taste? Re-write the same scene from the first-person point of view of each character. How does the description differ between the character who lived there and the one who did not? What details does each notice? What details are not noticed by each character?
I study and practice the craft of writing for multiple audiences and purposes. Through my experience in public relations, grant writing, and academia, I have acquired the ability to create text that garners results. I hold a MA in English literature and a MFA in Creative Writing. Having taught nearly 900 students in classes ranging from business writing to creative writing, I believe in writer-centered instruction as the most effective way to empower my clients. 
