March 2012 – Yearning for Wonderland

Once Upon a Time Writing Contest: Timetable!

No, I have not forgotten you all. I promise! I have been working hard, like a good little contest mouse, on developing further details.

So without further torture (which I seem to do so very well), I share with you the following video to give you the opening/closing dates and further whet your appetites to share those unexpected fairy tales inside you.

Note: I would recommend either watching it on YouTube or turning off the music before watching (found in the bottom right-hand corner, the pretty lady in white is the music player).

You can go here to read more about the theme.

We’re international this year, so the first place winner of this contest will have their story posted on the National Flash Fiction Day website on May 16th. It will also be loudly heralded on Yearning for Wonderland and SJIHolliday.com.

More lovely prizes and updates to come…after I tease you more, of course, my lovelies! Comment away.

Once Upon a Time Writing Contest: Theme!

If you are here, you are wondering about the #tweetofdoom, also known as Once Upon a Time Flash Fiction Writing Contest (tag #ouatwriting on Twitter). That, or you stumbled onto my blog due to the surplus of John William Waterhouse paintings.

There are only two general types of people who visit Yearning for Wonderland: writers/those who love good writing and art thieves. For those who are the latter, please help yourself to the lovely Waterhouse sketch below (only kidding, totally ganked this from the Wikipedia page). I do encourage you art thieves to stay and read on a bit, however. Especially if you also write.

A Female Study, John William Waterhouse

So today’s post (not to completely digress) regards the super secret extra exciting announcement of the wondrous theme of the Once Upon a Time Writing Contest. *cue bombastic music with lots of cymbals clashing and soaring horns*

…

Oh, you wanted to know the theme! The theme for the Once Upon a Time Writing Contest is:

UNEXPECTED FAIRY TALES

Take that as you will. Perhaps it is a fairy tale set in an unexpected place, like a gas station. Perhaps it is a fractured fairytale, a fairy tale turned on its head, a fairy tale that isn’t one till the end. There are fairy tales all around us, should we only care to look.

Given the awesome breadth of the Fairy Ring Contest, I have every confidence that our unexpected fairy tales will be equal parts lovely, charming, terrifying, inspiring, and daunting. Plus, this contest is now international and co-sponsored by the lovely British flash fiction writer, Susi Holliday (@SJIHolliday on Twitter), so you know there will be twists even I cannot foresee.


copyright Ulrika Kestere

The photos are by the talented Ulrika Kestere, described as: “a woman whose drying laundry is taken by a sudden storm, and as she travels the countryside discovers her clothing has taken an unexpected form.” You can see her work here.

More details to come, be sure to add #ouatwriting on Twitter. Ask me, if you don’t know how to do a tag search and be sure to use it when sharing about the contest.

As the theme is unexpected fairy tales, please try to honor that. You do not have to use the words “Once Upon a Time” in your story. The title is not included in the word count. If you have other questions, feel free to comment, tweet or email me. Please no erotica or slasher fiction.

So go forth, my fictionlings, and ponder this unexpected magic. I expect great things from you!

In Search of the Creative: #22Things

My lovely friend and fellow NoInkling, Angie Richmond (@write_me_happy on Twitter), has issued a wonderful creative challenge on her blog.

In this challenge, you choose 22 small goals, 22 stepping stones to achieve some of the big hopes and dreams of your creative life.

I love this idea and have been practicing this in one form or another for years. I have my BIG HOPES & Impossible Dreams list, which contains a surprising number of items that I have actually achieved.

So, I strongly encourage you to go to her blog and sign up for this Creative Challenge.

Without further ado, my 22 things:

1) Complete my long-suffering novella.

2) Revive Slowtime, in whatever form it wishes to be.

3) Finish editing NaNoNovel [Working Title] and send it to editor.

4) Resume singing lessons (find mezzo specialist).

5) Ditto dance lessons.

6) Resume horseback riding regularly.

7) Star in a show (musical or play).

8) Return to my yoga practice, 2x week.

9) Develop NMP.

10) Redevelop my regular writing habit.

11) Go dancing periodically.

12) Create opportunities that allow me time to pursue my passions.

13) Create a library/reading room/writing room, a Room of My Own.

14) Plant a tree.

15) Reduce sodas and junk food intake.

16) Resume playing piano.

17) Document beauty in all of its forms at Yearning for Wonderland.

18) Develop my professional connections and social media relationships.

19) Star in an indie film.

20) Continue to develop SSSG.

21) Redevelop friendships at home that have drifted.

22) Love without judgement.

Please pardon my cryptic abbreviations, but I have a superstitious nature about unfinished creative projects: sometimes if I talk about them too much, they never manifest.