Prompted: #1
February Challenge (unofficial)
PROMPTED: INTRODUCTION
I'm new here, but I'm a fan of writing prompts (I have a few things to say about them HERE) and I'm a fan of creating community and uplifting other writers. So, I thought I'd attempt to host a writing challenge (unofficial). If it gets enough interest, I hope to make this a regular monthly exercise. I welcome your feedback and encourage you to join in the fun.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE PROMPT
The February Challenge will be to write a poem of any length, style, or form. The catch is that you must use 6 of the following 7 words in your poem. Feel free to use all 7 words, but to qualify for a prize you must use at least 6 of them.
These are your 7 words:
- Whisper
- Serenade
- Cascade
- Velvet
- Ethereal
- Enigma
- Labyrinth
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE RULES
The rules are simple.
Follow the instructions above for using the prompt. You may post your poem in any community you choose, but you must provide the link to your poem in the comments below. Only those entries that follow these instructions correctly will be considered for a prize.
Entries will be accepted from the time the challenge is publicly posted until 11:59 PM (US Central Time) on February 15, 2024. Winners of the challenge will be announced on, or before, February 20, 2024. You may enter as many times as you wish, but each entry must be in its own, separate post.
It is not required that you link back to this post for your entry to be valid, but it would be appreciated if you help spread the word by doing so. To reiterate, though, you must post a link to your entry in the comments below.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE PRIZES
Winners will be chosen by me, at my sole discretion. Prizes will be distributed on Vocal as Tips. The awards will be as follows:
1st Place: $20.00
2nd Place: $15.00
3rd Place: $10.00
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keep track of this and future prompts by hitting the "subscribe" button on my profile.
Questions or feedback? Let me know in the comments. Good luck!
- Randy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE ENTRIES
"Decoherence" by Celia in Underland
"Beautiful Liar" by Kelli Sheckler-Amsden
"Postcard from the Grave" by Cathy Holmes
"Seeking" by Matthew Fromm
"Secret Treasures" by Tressa Rose
"Sonnet 8" by Steven Christopher McKnight
"Soul Song" by Pamela Walsh-Holte
"Wildfire" by Paul Levinson
"Only Emily" by D.J. Reddall
"She...her...me...us" by Heather Zieffle
"Xanthous" by Eloise Robertson
"My Beautiful Enigma" by Paul Stewart
"1 + 1 = 0" by Naomi Gold
"To the Girl Next Door" by Verso de Medianoche
"Labyrinth of Dreams" by Krishan Mubashar
"Waves" by sleepy drafts
"Moss on a Log" by Marysol Ramos
"Hold on My Heart" by Judey Kalchik
"Twisted Labyrinth" by Chloe Gilholy
"Bitter/Sweet" by S.A. Crawford
"Enigma Love Story" by Bashirah Abdulaziz
"Camouflage" by Hayley Matto
"Sing, Cicada. Serenade!" by Salomé Saffiri
"Trophy Wife" by Rachel Deeming
"Enticement" by Novel Allen
"Labyrinth of Love" by Jennifer Cooley
"LOVE" by Mother Combs
"Nyx" by Kelli Sheckler-Amsden
"Good Old Holidays" by Anna
"The Labryinth" by Dana Crandell
"Apocalypse Ending" by Silver Serpent Books
"Ethereal Enigma" by Shelby Hagood
"Mountain Vistas" by Andrea Corwin
"Pearson" by Bonnie Bowerman
"This Love" by Emos Sibu Poriei
"The Monster of Aneh-ta" by Donna Fox
"Masked Muse Unveiling" by Kalina Bethany
About the Creator
Randy Baker
Poet, author, essayist.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Randy Baker and writers in Writers and other communities.
The Power of Prompts
Introduction The blank page is a canvas of endless possibilities, waiting for a writer to paint a picture with words: a doodle, a masterpiece, or something in between. There are so many possibilities, that the most seasoned creative writer can be intimidated by the blank page.
By Randy Baker4 months ago in Writers
The Bird Nest
Downy tufts puff out, Warmth inside a house of hair, Drowsiness abounds. A/N: I sometimes imagine what it would be like to sleep in a bird nest, provided I can be bird-sized in the fantasy of course. I think it would be cosy! More longer stories to come! -TWW
By ThatWriterWoman3 days ago in Poets
Comments (66)
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED
What an exciting use of prompts to challenge us! This took over a week to think up - hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it :) Cheers: https://vocal.media/poets/masked-muse-unveiling
Thank you for hosting this challenge, here is my entry! https://vocal.media/poets/the-monster-of-aneh-ta
Thanks for the challenge. Here's mine: https://vocal.media/poets/this-love-wg6d10y1x
Thanks for doing this. https://vocal.media/poets/pearson
Here is mine 😀. https://vocal.media/poets/mountain-vistas
https://vocal.media/poets/ethereal-enigma
This was so much fun to do and a great challenge! Can't believe how many other entries there are. I'm going to be busy reading! Here's my entry: https://vocal.media/poets/apocalypse-ending
Great challenge, Randy. Here's an attempt: https://vocal.media/poets/the-labyrinth-mu1oq0y88
Here's my attempt for this challenge: https://vocal.media/poets/good-old-holidays
Here is a second attempt. Thanks for such a fun prompt https://vocal.media/poets/nyx-5vj50i8i
https://vocal.media/authors/sahib-ali-sn4o70trs
Omg, there are so many entries😭😭
https://vocal.media/poets/love-ua2nb0hlv
You've done gone started something great here Randy! Welcome to Vocal by the way! I'm thinking with the great group of us that are out here regularly that our online community of love for writing and the beautiful reminder that WE ARE NOT ALONE, WE ALL HAVE EACH OTHER.... that this will lead to stronger bonding and stronger community just between us on Vocal! I'm LOVING IT and looking forward to a GREAT MANY YEARS MORE OF IT!! WOOT, WOOT, EVERYONE, Let's Bring It ON! :D
Hi! Here is my submission to this wonderful monthly writing Prompt idea between members! I am all in! :-) I'm going to go read some of the work the rest of you have written now! Cheers! https://vocal.media/poets/labyrinth-of-love
Another one for the garden of lovely poems, here is my attempt #1. Good luck. https://vocal.media/poets/enticement
https://vocal.media/poets/trophy-wife-xb5gd0878 My entry. Thanks, Randy. You are going to be doing some serious reading!
The moment I glanced at the words offered, The One, who needed to be written about began whispering the rhymes :) https://vocal.media/poets/sing-cicada-serenade
This sat in drafts for weeks! Wasn’t sure how to move the story along until I stumbled in this prompt! Thanks so much for doing this!! Was such a fun way to connect and keep inspo flowing! <3 https://vocal.media/psyche/camouflage-wvfn303rd
I'm so happy about this challenge, it's a new way of finding one potential and I appreciate you organizing this challenge, below is the link for my entry https://vocal.media/poets/enigma-love-story I hope you will like it.
Wow! What an overwhelming response, this poetry thing is always a winner. I will seek guidance from brain to come up with a worthy entry. You really knocked this one out the ballpark. Congrats.
I LOVE poetry challenges! Thanks for sharing this one; the open ended brief really got me thinking and I couldn't help but try to use all the words :D I'm looking forward to reading through the other entries! https://vocal.media/poets/bitter-sweet-0p34w08xl
All the ones I’ve read have been great. I just finished mine: https://vocal.media/poets/twisted-labyrinth
OK Randy- this is what happened! https://vocal.media/poets/hold-on-my-heart