Figment Fable Writing Contest

I came across a contest the other day. It's on a writing website called Figment. The contest calls for a 1200 word fable (story with a moral) that takes place the night before a major (think: apocalyptic) battle. THE battle, if you will. The one that determines the course of history for the groups involved.

The cool part comes with the judging, though. Once entries are posted, people have the opportunity to heart (sort of like "liking" something on Facebook) them for a certain period of time. Paulo Coehlo, the author of The Alchemist, will be judging the most popular entries. The winner will receive $1,000. I read a few of the early entries, and they were full of typos. I'm just sayin'.

Now, if you know me very well, I might have confided in you that I am secretly writing a novel. OK, not so secretly anymore. And if you are one of about 10 people, you might even have access to the document where I do my writing.

For all the rest of you, I'm writing a novel. It begins just before THE battle. The opening scene is about 1200 words.

So...I might spend the next week editing and then submit it to the contest!

I also have another idea wriggling around that could also work. So we shall see.

26 - How They Met by David Levithan

I loved the format of this book! Each year for Valentine's Day, David Levithan writes a "story about love" for his friends as a gift. This tradition began when he was in high school physics class, looking for anything to distract him from the lecture. He began perusing his textbook for anything remotely romantic and weaving it all into a story.

The collection includes stories about all types of loves: straight, gay, lesbian, unrequited, undeclared, brand-new, and forever.

My favorite was the story of the gay boy whose little brother stood up for him in a surprisingly courageous way.

The Feeling of Power by Isaac Asimov

I stumbled across this short sci-fi story in a blog I read. I want to share it with my kiddies! It would be a great way for math teachers to incorporate literature in their classrooms as well.

It's a futuristic story about a civilization where it is unthinkable that people would be able to do simple mathematical computations in their heads; everyone simply uses their portable, hand-held computer to do things as basic as 7x3. The story discusses how the discovery of a lowly Technician who can do these kinds of calculations in his head affects the military, the government, and his own life.