Tag: NFFD

Once Upon A Time Writing Contest: Prizes and All Manner of Glories

YES! The post you have been waiting for that announces, in painstaking detail, the amazing and wondrous prizes for the Once Upon a Time Writing Contest! I think that calls for a ‘Huzzah’!

HUZZAH!

So in case the glory of being the BEST IN THE WORLD is insufficient, here are the prizes.

GRAND PRIZE

* Your winning story, posted on the National Flash Fiction Day Website for the world to enjoy

* Inclusion in the National Flash Fiction Day Winner Anthology

* Stunning free OUATWRITING cotton t-shirt (CLICK HERE NOW TO SEE AWESOME T-SHIRT)

* 10 pg edit of your manuscript of choice from Anna, Fairy Queen

* All manner of glories which we shall reserve the right to bestow upon thee

AWAKE PRIZE PACKAGE

* Inclusion in National Flash Fiction Day Winner Anthology

* Stunning free OUATWRITING cotton t-shirt (CLICK HERE NOW TO SEE AWESOME T-SHIRT)

* 5 pg edit of your manuscript of choice by Susi, Dark Fairy Queen

* Your very own paperback copy of AWAKE by Jessica Grey (@_jessicagrey) Thanks Jess!

TWIXT PRIZE PACKAGE

* Inclusion in National Flash Fiction Day Winner Anthology

* Stunning free OUATWRITING cotton t-shirt (CLICK HERE NOW TO SEE AWESOME T-SHIRT)

* 5 pg edit by Susi, Dark Fairy Queen

* Your very own paperback copy of TWIXT by Diane Reed (@TWIXTbook) Thanks Diane!

Note: Despite what the images says, winners actually get a paperback edition of these books, thanks to the generosity of Jess and Diane.

Now go forth and WRITE!

Once Upon a Time Writing Contest: Cameron Lawton

Here is our first guest entry on Yearning for Wonderland for the Once Upon a Time Flash Fiction Contest, by Cameron Lawton. As always, feedback is appreciated.

Remember, if you don’t have your own blog just email me. I will be happy to post your entry on Yearning for Wonderland.
Otter becomes a Bard
All her life, Otter had wanted to be a bard. She knew that being a fishmonger was a good trade,   but she wanted to be a Bard, she wanted to sing and tell stories to enchant others.
Sometimes she would hide in the reeds of the riverbank and harmonise with the birds that lived alongside – they were not the greatest of songsters, the ducks, herons, woodpeckers and jays but they sat of an evening and made music for their own entertainment.
A bard, however, must know history – so Otter sat under the trees and listened to them talking, she dived into the river and let the water talk in her ears. Rather than just swimming through the water, she let it tell her of its life, the mountain snows where it had come from and the sea where it was going.

But the wise ones, the owls, clever creatures, all hooted with laughter and told her that bards were not fishmongers.
One night, the animals gathered together for the solstice, each to their own stone, in a circle, facing the centre where the moonlight shone and the Spirit made herself known. Something moved the otter to stand on her hind legs.  She sang – sang the song of her river, the trees who had stood for hundreds of years, the stones under which she made her holt.
 As she sang, each creature joined in, until all life offered up one song – birds, insects, mammals, the stones and trees, all of creation offered up one song of Solstice to the Spirit and a ribbon of multicoloured hue rose from the earth to the sky to tie them together. And in that moment the clouds covered the face of the Moon apart from one beam that shone on the otter to make a circlet on her head – the gold of a grateful Queen to her Bard.
Standing on her hind legs, her forepaws clasped to her chest and her eyes closed, the otter swayed to the music and knew that she WAS a bard.

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.