Tag Archives: trifextra weekend challenge

Clueless (for Trifextra)


Thanks, Trifecta, for the 3rd place nod in your regular contest this past week. I had so much fun writing Waterproof that I just might actually expand on it a bit. (See! That’s the good thing you do for people like me, Trifecta.)

But now it’s time for the Trifextra Weekend Challenge. Here are this weekend’s rules: Entrants must write a horror story in 33 words exactly, without the words blood, scream, died, death, knife, gun or kill. CurrentlyI’m playing with a few ideas.

Oh, look! Here comes one now …

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Trifextra Entry – Clueless

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“Wait! Miss Scarlett … with a rope … in the conservator—“

She lunged and tightened the rope around his neck until he slumped to the floor.

SO close,” she said, walking out of the library.

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How Bad Could He Be? (For Trifextra)


Trifextra Weekend Challenge

Rules: Trifectra gives the first 33 words and we supply the last 33.

Voting: This week is open the public! Visit this link starting at 8pm EST on 3/25/12 to pick your top 3.

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Trifextra Entry #3 – How Bad Could He Be?

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“Seriously, what the hell’s wrong with you? That beast would eat our kid in one bite.”

“Aww, Stephen. He’s a St. Bernard. They’re trained to rescue people. And Tad really wants a dog.”

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Milo could take Cujo any day of the week.

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Good Kitty.

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The Fight on the Way Home in the Limo (For Trifextra)


It’s Trifextra Weekend Challenge time and this one’s up for a public vote. The polls open for 12 hours starting on Sunday, March 25 at 8pm EST. Click here to view all the entries and pick your top three. The submissions are short so it doesn’t take long to get through them.  I’d love your vote … but it’s just not in my nature to tell you want to do. I am not the boss of you!
Rules this Week: Trifecta provides the first 33 words and entrants need to complete the story in only 33 additional words. The words provided by Trifecta are in bold and my entry follows.

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Trifextra Entry –

The Fight on the Way Home in the Limo

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“There’s nothing cute about it,” he said. The register of his voice indicated decision more so than discussion.

She disagreed heartily and privately, staring past Brad’s head and out the window behind him.

“Damn it, Angie. The blood vials, making out with James and now this freaky leg thing. You know it’s got its own Twitter page? We’ve got six kids now. Chill the hell out.”

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One more LOST entry for Trifecta


Trifextra Weekend Challenge – Entry Number Three, written and posted from the road with my mother this weekend. (Thanks for the encouragement, Mom.)

Rules: All entries must total exactly 33 words and they must include the word ‘Lost’ in the title but not in the story itself.

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Trifextra Entry #3 – Lost

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“Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

The nurse silenced the machine. The room went quiet. He watched her chest rise and fall eleven times. One for each month since the accident. And she was gone.

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And the requisite smart ass entry for the weekend


Trifextra Weekend Challenge – Entry Number Two … from the ODNT Smart Ass Collection.

Rules: All entries must total exactly 33 words and they must include the word ‘Lost’ in the title but not in the story itself.

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Trifextra Entry #2 – Lost

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“I need to write about it?”

“Yes.”

“But I can’t say it?”

“That’s right.”

“What the … ? Who am I , Lou Costello?”

“Sorry. I don’t get it. That reference is completely … wasted on me.”

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Thanks for the inspiration, Mr. Costello.

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Getting LOST in my writing


It’s Trifextra Weekend Challenge time. And this one proved to be hard! All entries must total exactly 33 words and they must include the word ‘Lost’ in the title but not in the story itself.

As soon as I read that word, my mom-liness kicked in … and here’s what I did with it.

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Trifextra Entry – Lost

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When she turned, he was gone. “Duncan?” she shouted, scanning the room. Her pulse hastened. Her chest tightened. Now trembling, she called again and heard him, giggling from his hiding spot. “Hi, Mama!”

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Hang on to your babies. It only takes a second. God, what a terrible feeling …

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I wonder who’ll be hosting the after parties tonight …


We won the Trifextra Weekend Writing Challenge! (Click here for the full write-up.) Of course, submitting THREE entries (all posted on Friday, 3/9) probably helped our odds a little.  In the end, our third and final submission (remember The Audition, the one about Jack Nicholson?) was selected as this weekend’s winner.  We should all be very flattered as there were a great number of very talented people involved in this round.

I’m very excited … for all of us … and I think we should all start shopping immediately for our evening gowns.

Thanks, Trifecta. You rock!

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And another (more grievous) entry for the weekend challenge


Like last weekend, I had to write just one more, diametrically opposed entry for Trifextra’s Weekend Challenge. The only rules here are that the submission needs to be 33 words exactly and it should best demonstrate (of all entries) the proper use for an exclamation point. So, without further ado, I give you entry two for the weekend … entitled A Bullet Not Dodged.

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It was the morning after the storm.  The hotel had already started handing out champagne when he entered and tried to speak over the revelry. Fighting inevitable tears, he bellowed, “The levees broke!”

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A special NOTE from ODNT … I think I might have bent the rules a little with this submission.  I’m new to the challenge but I believe all of the writers are submitting works of fiction, which this one is not. My family of four (along with my extended family and all of our friends) were pushed out of New Orleans almost seven years ago by Hurricane Katrina.  Our home was located in one of the many neighborhoods completely destroyed by the storm.  I am lucky that my kids were babies at the time, 5 and 3, and thus have little memory of everything.  I wish I could say the same, though I usually remember everything as though it was someone else’s story.  My family is just fine now, living in a new home (never before flooded) only 2.96 miles from my old front door. I have written about the experience a bit over the years (even had some of it published) but have never mentioned much here on the blog.  One day, I’m sure I will.

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33 Words of Snarky, Punctuating Banter


So, we didn’t win the last writing contest we entered. It’s no wonder really given the amount of impressive writers we were up against. Still, I was pretty proud of our submission. (It’s okay that I’m saying that, right? I’m really not a braggart.) Anyway … it’s time to get back up on that old proverbial horse (I sure seem to have to use that phrase a lot) and try again with the shorter assignment given in the Trifextra Weekend Challenge.

This week’s rules are a little different. All entries must total exactly 33 words and they must include “a justified exclamation point. Make us believe that your exclamation point simply needs to be in your story. The writer with the most believable exclamation wins.”

Oh, boy. (cough, sputter) I mean … oh, boy!!! (Where’s e e cummings when I need him?) Here’s our entry this weekend … entitled Punctuating Banter.

“What’s the assignment this week?”

“We have to do something with an exclamation point.”

“What the hell?”

“That’s a question mark.”

“I know that’s a question mark, you asshole! There’s your exclamation point.”

Check out the other entrants here … or submit one of your own and throw your hat in the ring!!! (Gratuitous exclamation points.)

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One more entry for the Trifecta contest … I couldn’t resist


Dave and my mother have since written their own entries for this weekly contest. It’s calorie-free fun and, since I refuse to download the Words with Friends app, please indulge me with my little writing games.  After all, it is National Grammar Day!

Remember the Rules: Everyone starts with the same 5 words and must turn it into his or her own story in only 33 words. The 5 introductory words are NOT to be counted in the 33 words. This week’s five words: “The phone rang at 4am.”

Here’s our second entry this week … entitled Following the Directions

The phone rang at 4am.

“Why the hell are you calling me this early?”

“Don’t blame me. Trifecta’s the one who said it had to be 4am.”

“What? That’s ridiculous. You should’ve just waited ’til the next contest.”

Don’t forget to go vote for your favorite!

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