Writing Challenge #1 (Results)

 

Below are the responses/chosen entries from our two guest judges, Tamara Leigh & Rosemary Hines. I am honored that they were willing to take the time out of their busy lives to participate in this writing challenge! What a blessing!  I'm sure you will enjoy their insight! Thank you to all who participated. Stay tuned to Ritty's Writing Challenges for the next photo challenge! Click HERE and go to the comment section to read all the entries for this writing challenge.

From Rosemary: 

Although I was impressed by all the entries, my selection for this week's winner is Christina Banks and "Trouble in Tranquility." 

In addition to the catchy title, I loved the succinct opening phrases:  

A missing girl
A murdered man
A mysterious clue

They immediately caught my attention and drew me into the story idea. Christina did a brilliant job of giving just enough information to compel me to read the story without giving details that I would prefer to read in the novel itself. The genre was clear, the plot intriguing, and the characters captured my heart in one short paragraph. I found myself caring about Detective Reed and his daughter, eager to open the book and find out what would happen. 

 

What a great writing exercise, Rhonda! As her prize for being a winner, I'd like to offer Christina a free ebook of the first novel in my Sandy Cove series, Out of a Dream. If she has already read it, I'm happy to give her an ebook of Through the Tears or Into Magnolia ~ her choice!

 

Blessings,

Rosemary Hines

www.rosemaryhines.com

https://www.facebook.com/RosemaryHinesAuthorPage

 

 

From Tamara: 

 

Hi Glynis,

Congratulations on being chosen as a winning entry of Ritty’s Writing Challenges.  Your book blurb caught my eye and made me itch to have the novel in my hands. Send your email address to tamaraleigh@comcast.net to claim your prize of a choice of any one of the following ebooks:

1) Stealing Adda
2) Dreamspell: A Medieval Time Travel Romance
3) The Unveiling: Book One in the Age of Faith series

And now for a little feedback via editing and comments for, "A Perfect Peace" (Note: suggestions only; take what works for you, toss out what doesn’t):

Gone are the carefree days of youth when Lacey Dobbs and James Hanson ran barefoot through the grass and spent hours together on Silver Lake (I think you should insert the name up front), dreaming about the perfect lives that lay ahead of them.

Fifteen years later, Lacey, a divorced and single mother, returns to her hometown. Disappointed in herself and needing the strength of her family, she discovers they are more intent on displaying perfection to the outside world than fixing the broken people inside.

James has never left the shores of Silver Lake, convinced he doesn't need anyone or anything except his secrets and dreams. (“secrets” is a great hook, but I would expand this a bit more to include, perhaps, a mention of Lacey; i.e.: But then Lacey returns and…).

Thrown together by circumstance and unable to forget their dreams of the life they should have shared, is this finally their time for love? Or are they destined to drift along Silver Lake—separate, missing the crucial pieces that would bring them a perfect peace and the realization of their dreams?

Why did I like your blurb?
 
1) Well written
2) Concise
3) The set up: brief back story, the heroine today, the hero today, and the possibility of a future together providing they can overcome the conflict that’s keeping them apart.

Congratulations, Glynis!
 

Writing Challenge #1: Two Boats

Photo credit: Rhonda (aka Ritty)

Photo (Inspiration) Challenge

Entries must be presented in the form of a "blurb", which you would find on the inside or back cover of a book. Imagine the photo above is the cover photo for the front of your book. Ask yourself: What story is begging to be told through this picture? What title would match this cover photo? 

"There are many reasons for choosing a book, but most involve a summary of the story that draws you in. It turns out that the inside jacket cover may be the most important piece of writing that an author produces. Once the book is in hands, it's often those few paragraphs that decide whether or not the reader will commit. It's the first impression; the not so subtle flirt that seduces us into the story. It must deliver enough character, setting and story to cause us to beg for more." 

(quote from Austin Partners in Education: The Jacket Cover Synopsis)

Rules: 

• Think! Any entries/comments deemed inappropriate by the author of this blog will be deleted. Please use common sense and courtesy for other readers before posting.

• Remember! Grammar, spelling and punctuation count.  
• Suggestion: Ask a friend to edit your "blurb" before submitting it as your final entry. 

• Winners! The top two winners will be announced the day after the contest ends. This will be part of a special blog post, in which their winning entry will be highlighted.

• Surprise! There will be a panel of judges (consisting of published authors), evaluating and deciding upon the top two winning entries. The judges will also be preparing a surprise gift for those in the top two & sharing words of advice during the special blog post.   

Say, "Hello!" to our judges by clicking on their names below!

Rosemary Hines

Tamara Leigh 

• Share! Feel free to share a link to your blog, especially if you have expanded the "blurb" into a full story. 

• Deadline!! ALL ENTRIES must be submitted in the comment area OR by "linking up" at the bottom of this post by Friday, June 28th, 2013 ~ MIDNIGHT ~ EST in order to be considered by the judges.  
• *You're more than welcome to share an entry you come up with at a later time in the comment area, but any posted after the deadline will not be considered as a part of this contest.
  

Make sure to share this writing opportunity with all your writing friends! 

 

Now, let's have some fun!