Creative Nonfiction Prompt #132

Creative Nonfiction in The Ink Well Prompt #132

Welcome to The Ink Well's weekly creative nonfiction prompt!

In this post, we'll announce the winners from last month'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.

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Last Week's entrants

Thank you to all who participated in last week's prompt : Magic

Last week's participants

@grailent.kerb	@mbiatabasi	@faithwellington
@ellizy	@zerah	@perfect20
@bisolamih	@oyebolu	@fashtioluwa
@marriot5464	@coolbabe88	@nancybriti1
@popurri	@sherah	@demmybabs
@emreal	@abdul-qudus	@glorydee
@trexane	@edith-4angelseu	@offia66
@bipolar95	@consistency

Winner for the month of March

@zerah, with the story:

Kind Wind

"Oh yes. It whispers. It is that tiny voice within us that tells us to be kind to others. Then when we are kind, it carries this kindness along. Distributing it to others, making the world a better place."

Curator's comment :

Zerah masterfully threads this story together, using a good balance of show and tell, as she invites us into the world of mama Chinnedu again. Delightful, evocative, heartwarming.

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Highlighting @fashtioluwa, with the story:

The Prayer Experiment That Works Like Magic

went to the bus stop, and just like the day before, a friend covered my transport fare. At school, I mentioned to Itunu that I hadn't eaten, and she immediately dragged me to the bukka, insisting she owed me for lending her my notes.

Curator's comment :

Fashtioluwa offers an interesting, realistic example of ordinary "magic" that might affect one's everyday life. F prayed for simple things like lunch and transport money, which were provided. F thought it was God listening to his personal pleas, but his sister put him to rights, explaining that it's the "aura" of good that God spreads rather than a personal gift. Really sweet and well written.

Featured

Highlighting @marriot5464, with the story:

The Rain That Listens

The sky looked gloomy, thick grey clouds. It kept rumbling like an angry deity. I just stepped out of the office and everywhere smelled of damp earth. A weird smell I loved inhaling. I kept sniffing the weird scent in the air as I quickened my step. Uyo weather was unpredictable. One minute, it was sunny, and the next, it was as if the heavens were letting down its wrath on the surface of the earth.

Curator's comment :

@marriot5464 writes a very nice story of creative non-fiction. Under a heavy threat of rain he leaves his work while everyone around him is running because of the imminent threat. A lady is worried and he assures her, to calm her down, that it will not rain at this time. Talking, they arrive near their respective houses. They are neighbors. A minute after they are safe, the storm hits. A very well told story that we finish reading with a smile on our faces.

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Highlighting @nancybriti1, with the story:

The magic of "Sana, sana, colita de rana"

Grandma also knew prayers, ones that cured tiredness, fatigue or worms. She only said them on Tuesdays or Fridays and depending on the moon.

Curator's comment :

That grandmothers have a special magic is a universally acknowledged truth. It is this truth that nancybriti1 describes in her story,*Sana, Sana,Colita de Rana*. The author's grandmother would recite this phrase when the children were hurt. Without fail, healing would commence. One time, the author fell from a tree. The author's sister recited the words, but no magic healing ensued. Only when grandmother arrived and recited the incantation did healing begin. This story is lovely. It has the charm of innocence and the magic of love.

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Highlighting @popurri, with the story:

They herald the rains

The arrival of the rains brought with it all the good things: the fresh air, the smell of wet earth, playing in the street with my sisters, barefoot, getting wet in front of my house, jumping over every little puddle of water, making little paper boats and throwing them into the canal to watch them sail until they slowly sank under the weight of the water, which faded the drawings I had colored on the paper.

Curator's comment :

This story by popurri is wonderfully lyrical and rich in descriptive nuances. The writing literally carries one away into similar memories, which we all have but are not as eloquent as P is in sharing. P is particularly good at showcasing the powerful feelings and joy that very simple experiences can evoke. The story focuses on the excitement and childish wonder the cicadas caused our author every time they appeared to herald the rain. So sweet!

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This Week's Prompt 132

Let the cat out of the bag

Means:

To reveal a secret by mistake or without considering the consequences.

We've all had the experience of someone exposing something we would have preferred to keep hidden.

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!

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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.

Interested in joining our community? Start by joining Hive!

Join here at Hive Onboard.

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We invite lovers of creative writing to visit The Ink Well, a Hive community started by @raj808 and @stormlight24 and run by @jayna, @yaziris, @samsmith1971, @gracielaacevedo and @itsostylish.

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