Dear community:
Welcome to Prompt #24 in our creative nonfiction initiative. Thank you to everyone who contributed a nonfiction story last week.
Here's a quick overview of how it works:
Each week, we provide a creative nonfiction prompt. You are also welcome to post other creative nonfiction pieces that are not based on the prompt. See the guidelines below.
To be curated, your content should follow our guidelines, be at least 350 words (but ideally 750 -1500 words), be written in English, or another language as well as the English translation, and — as much as possible — free of errors. We also expect everyone who posts stories in The Ink Well to read and comment on the work of at least two other community members for each story published. (Thank you!)
What Is Creative Nonfiction?
There are many guides and resources online for getting to know this wonderful genre. It is truly about storytelling. The simple difference between creative nonfiction and fictional stories is that the story is not made up.
We like this definition from an article on creativenonfiction.org:
Simply put: Creative nonfiction is true stories, well told.
With creative nonfiction, you are using the literary and storytelling tools of a fiction writer to craft stories from real life experiences. Set the scene. Give the details. Profile the characters. Give us the dialog, as best you can remember it.
Ideas and inspiration:
Creative nonfiction stories can be snippets from your life autobiography — moments in time you want to capture in words, whether they were frightening, enlightening, bittersweet, or life-altering. They can be observations about life, about a time you connected at a profound level with a perfect stranger, or something you have learned along the way that made you a better person.
Do you love podcasts? One of the greatest sources of creative nonfiction is The Moth Radio Hour. Listen to a few of the stories from The Moth, and we guarantee you will be inspired.
Here are some additional resources for learning more about the creative nonfiction genre:
-- Reedsy blog: What is Creative Nonfiction? The Unputdownable Truth
-- Writers.com: Understanding Creating Nonfiction: What It Is and How to Write ItCheck out this list of creative nonfiction stories. For example, one of the stories is about a funeral for a lizard named Rango.
We hope you are inspired!
Guidelines for Creative Nonfiction Articles in The Ink Well
- Write creative nonfiction stories about real life, memories, or experiences.
- As with our fiction guidelines, we ask that articles be at least 350 words in length. Optimal length is 750-1500 words.
- Please read and edit your content before posting. It makes a big difference in how we reward work published in The Ink Well. (And we have some great guidelines for improving your grammar and fixing errors before you post in this article.)
- Please post directly in The Ink Well community, and post your link in a comment on this post.
- Please use the tag #creativenonfiction on these posts.
Here are some examples of what we are looking for:
- Explore an idea that interests you, such as how childhood experiences shape us as adults.
- Write about the study of dreams and what they mean, along with your own experience.
- Tell about an experience from your life that profoundly changed you.
- Write about a teacher who inspired you.
In other words, tell a story from real life. And illustrate the ideas you share with real world experiences, memories and observations.
Here’s what we are NOT looking for:
- A picture of a flower or other posts focused on photography
- A few paragraphs about what you ate for lunch
- Recipes and how-to articles
- Life lessons or advice
- Essays about religion or politics
- Poetry
What will be muted:
- Spam posts or plagiarism
- Graphic violence
- Lectures or proselytizing about religion, politics or morality
Last Week's Creative Nonfiction Winners
Thank you to all who participated in last week's prompt: "The biggest surprise of my life." We enjoyed reading how our writers reacted to this announcement. There was fantastic writing!
Writers who joined in the fun:
@princessbusayo
@princess-dara
@marynn
@jetta.amaya
@inessita
@amiableamara
@mmenyene
@dianelson
@faitz007
@abdul-qudus
@hazmat
@mrenglish
@jessicaossom
@lightpen
@stellageorge
@reasuree
@marilour
@funshee
@royaldiadem
@amiegeoffrey
@rukkie
@jjmusa2004
@kemmyb
@jhymi
@rammargarita
@lrscarmen
@dapomolaaaa
@timix648
@jjmusa2004
@Minhajulmredol
@Royaldiadem
@riverflows
@onyema-norbert
@gracielaacevedo
Honorable Mentions of the Week
Our honorable mentions for last week's prompt are:
Third Place: Wins 2 Hive
Our third place winner is @rammargarita, with her story Reminiscences of my primary education.
That was my first moment of happiness. When the classical music started and the curtains of that auditorium opened, I greeted the audience, then I closed my eyes, I felt my heart beating so hard that I could perceive its beats, even with the noise of the audience. I began to dance to the sound of that waltz, inside me I imagined that I was the Cuban dancer Alicia Alonso. When I was finishing the waltz I heard the shouts and applause that filled me with satisfaction. (...)The other moment of happiness in my life was the celebration of my fifteenth birthday, when I danced the waltz "The Blue Danube" with all my family and friends. At that moment I had a flashback as I felt the same emotional sensation I experienced as a 9 year old girl.
Second Place: Wins 3 Hive
Our second place winner is @faitz007, with the story When I Decided Not To Give Up Yet.
My body impulses stopped for a moment, my eyes unblinking at my laptop screen. In the announcement, it was written that I had won second place in the competition. ecstatic hormones suddenly filled all the restless feelings that I had previously experienced. I really didn't expect that there would be a surprise that was completely out of my expectations like this. I was expecting to be ranked 50th, but it turned out to be my lucky day. I suddenly announce this happy announcement to my entire family and they reaction toward me was speechless because this information just all by sudden happen
First Place: Wins 5 Hive
Our first place winner is, @kemmyb, with her story An Unpleasant Surprise At The Bus Stop.
Then I got a shock —my back pockets were empty!
I stood up instantly, patted my back pockets and looked at the passengers behind me like they just took the money from me. I exclaimed, "my money!" and kept patting my pockets. Then the bus conductor urged everyone to have their money close by as the journey was about to begin.
"No, wait please. My money. I can't find my money!" I explained in confusion. I turned around, willing the culprit to reveal himself or herself with my money. Some passengers laughed while some stared at me pitifully.
Congratulations @kemmyb, @faitz007, @rammargarita
The Ink Well Creative Nonfiction Writing Prompt #24:
"When one door closes, another door opens".
Sometimes we are in dire need of closing cycles. Some people become so attached to their daily lives that they suffer until they understand that they have other good options.
Closing cycles is a good way to renew life.
This week we ask you to write about the moment when you opened yourself to a new way of living life.
For this theme there are several possible approaches. For example:
You came to understand that some people remained in your past.
You are announced a dismissal and shortly after you receive an interesting proposal.
Are you one of those people who always see opportunities where others see obstacles?
Have you had the need to reinvent yourself, taking on new challenges or a new way of living?
Tell us about it!
Have fun and good luck! We look forward to reading your stories.
Please use the tags #creativenonfiction and #inkwellprompt on these posts. And please remember to add your post link to a comment on this post!
NOTE: Please refrain from providing advice, guidance, or suggestions to others about their life choices in your post. Creative nonfiction is about storytelling.
Prizes!
- The top creative nonfiction story of the week will receive 5 Hive
- The second place story will receive 3 Hive
- Third place will receive 2 Hive
Deadline
You have SIX DAYS to write for the prompt. We are now adding countdown timers to our contest posts so the contest ends one day before the new one is posted. This will give us more time to read all contest stories.
Interested in joining our community? Start by joining Hive!
We invite lovers of creative writing to visit The Ink Well, a Hive community started by @raj808 and @stormlight24 and run by @jayna, @gracielaacevedo, @yaziris, @itsostylish, @millycf1976 and @grindan.
You can follow our curation trail by going to our hive.vote curation trail page and clicking the follow button.
We welcome delegations! These support our community in many ways, including helping us to provide support to quality content creators through curation and contests.
@jayna, @felt.buzz, @zeurich, @marcybetancourt, @agmoore, @marlyncabrera, @stormcharmer, @generikat, @iamraincrystal, @preparedwombat, @gracielaacevedo, @chocolatescorpi, @samsmith1971, @grindan, @jackdeathblack, @josemalavem, @riverflows, @itsostylish, @stuartcturnbull, @morey-lezama, @evagavilan2, @popurri, and @mrenglish.
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