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Looking Back, Growing Forward
We all are one, yet so different from each other.
Our present is shaped based on our past, and our choices shape today. Memories keep us company on dull days. They can either choose to make us edgy or excite us.
All individuals have a story to tell. This story could be a laugh-out-loud incident or a tear-jerker one or inspire the listener.
Either way, it’s unique since your emotions are entwined around it.
Why don’t we give ourselves some ‘me-time’ and pen it down?
Aah! the things writing can do!
- Overcoming Trauma
- Discovering your inner self: Dialogues with the Soul
- Journaling into a creative story
Overcoming Trauma
We are such intelligent souls that we faced the brunt when life threw lemons at us. Many of us got bruised along the way.
No doubt, we got hit by the lemons, but eventually, we learned to make lemonade out of it and fought our battles.
This applies to going back in memory lane and penning down our journey where we overcame a physical, mental or emotional trauma. Now, our fight could inspire many out there. So, with that mindset, suit up and go back into those dark, grimy lanes, which can make you nauseous. Surprisingly, when you pen down those details, you too will heal from it. Writing has such magical power that it can outlive a magic wand.
“You learn more from failure than from success. Don’t let it stop you. Failure builds character.” — Unknown.
Discovering your inner self: Dialogues with the Soul
The title was inspired by the poem, A Dialogue Between the Soul and the Body by Andrew Marvell. Here the poet describes the conflict between the human body and the human Soul. Each attributes its troubles and sufferings to the other.
Now, I don’t want to highlight the exchange of words between the enslaved Soul versus the bolts of bones.
Instead, let’s ponder the exchange of dialogues between our minds and the intellect when we deal with emotional, mental, or physical pain.
Our mind is known as the pirate, which can cause turbulence within ourselves. Thank heavens’ our intellect takes over and helps with the reasoning for the latter to curb its thoughts.
There must have been junctures in our lives where our intellect has had dialogues with the Soul. The consciousness then signals the body to act accordingly. And those are the turning points in our lives.
Pen them!
“Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today.” — Will Rogers.
Journaling into a creative story
Every story has a sweet and a sour element to it. After all, it’s the life that all humans are living.
You have been brave enough to dig up all your past’s emotional and mental debris. You can either choose to add a fictional character or give it your name.
Give it wings and let it fly.
Life has given us the tools to achieve wellness within and around us; however, it’s up to every individual how they can piece it together.
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou
About the Author
Ruchira Khanna is an indie author and an energy healer. She draws inspiration from the issues that stalk our minds and she addresses them through her tales of fiction. Her characters undergo a contemplative arc she hopes her readers will, which is why they classify each of her novels as, “one that will make you ponder.”
http://explorereikiworld.com/
https://www.instagram.com/ruchira.khanna/
https://www.facebook.com/RuchiraKhanna01/
The Sue Vincent Rodeo Classic
by H.R.R. Gorman
Here at the Carrot Ranch, we take the business of 99-word literary art seriously. Those who participate in the Ranch prompts or yearly Rodeo saddle up to TUFF (The Ultimate Flash Fiction) it out and train new Rough Riders as we go. Now, the Ranch is hosting a new event to sharpen minds, welcome new hands, and celebrate one of our own the best way we know how: our first ever Rodeo Classic.
In this Rodeo Classic, we’re here to celebrate a stalwart center of many blogging corners, Sue Vincent. Sue has variously contributed to the community here at the Carrot Ranch, through communication with many other bloggers, and run her own famous #writephoto weekly blog prompt. You can (and should!) follow her on her blogs, The Daily Echo and the shared blog France & Vincent. She has inspired us to become better writers and shown us the power of mystery and myth. We also suggest taking a perusal at her book corral and Amazon pages!
The Rodeo and Prizes
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the Sue Vincent Rodeo Classic serves as a special challenge. Riders will have to condense the following photo into a story of 99 words (or, if you prefer, a poem of 99 syllables). Writing 99 words has never seemed TUFFer!
Each story needs to have a beginning, middle and end. Poems must have distinctive theme, movement, and rhythm; no rhyme scheme is necessary, but neither will rhyme be punished. Go where the prompt leads you – any genre is acceptable, but keep it family friendly and related to the photo. If you haven’t wrangled here at the Carrot Ranch before, you can find some prize-winning 99-word flash from the 2020 Rodeo or the 2019 Rodeo at these links. Don’t cheat with 98 or 100 words or syllables! We’ll only accept 99 word stories or 99 syllable poems written in English! (We’ll be using https://wordcounter.net/ to count words and https://syllablecounter.net/ to count syllables so everyone has the same standard). Only write 99 word stories. Do not write 99 word poems – we want 99 syllable poems.
For this rodeo, we’re offering a $100 grand prize. Five runners up will each receive one paperback from Sue Vincent’s collection of published books (those who live in a region where the paperback is unavailable may receive an e-book instead). No fee necessary to enter but this is a fundraiser so we kindly ask for a suggested donation of $5 per entry (no more than two entries allowed per writer). The contest will close at midnight on Friday, February 19th, 2021. Winning entries will be announced and read at CarrotRanch.com/blog on March 22, 2021. Top entries published at Carrot Ranch. We will not accept entries previously published (even if published on your own blog), so keep them tucked away for now.
Judges: Geoff Le Pard, Anne Goodwin, and Charli Mills. First-Pass readers: H.R.R. Gorman, Sue Spitulnik, D. Avery, and Sherri Matthews. List of judges and readers will update as needs may change depending on the volume of entries and continued judge availability. Entries will be anonymized prior to judging.
$5 suggested donation to enter. You may enter no more than twice. You are welcome to donate more than the suggested entry fee. All proceeds go directly to Sue Vincent and Family. Use this link to donate:
At the announcement that Sue had succumbed to her disease, we removed the donation link. Because the money went directly to Sue, we thought this the best course in order to preserve her family’s privacy. She got to live to see the winners of the contest, and for that we’re eternally grateful. If you’d still like to help out, we’re sure she’d appreciate you reading one of her books or perusing her blog!
THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED AND WE’VE REMOVED THE ENTRY FORM
The Sue Vincent Rodeo Classic Parade
All Rodeos need a parade, just as the Carrot Ranch yearly rodeo has done. The Rodeo Classic parade will be a parade like no other – and we don’t need to wait until the end of the contest or announcement of winners to do so. It’s time to celebrate with gusto and march down the main street of Carrot Ranch central.
As mentioned above, Sue Vincent is a poet who has acted as glue for the community for over a decade now. She has honed her poetry and prose to a beautiful finish, and her adventures through ruins and the English countryside have inspired many of us throughout our blogging journeys. Recently, Sue has run into a spot of trouble with a bit of small cell lung cancer. With Covid complicating all medical procedures and the ability to speak with others (especially for those with respiratory illnesses), some of the best comfort can come from online interactions. You can read more about Sue’s situation on the series of posts beginning here.
The Parade, however, will march on through many different avenues. Sue’s literary art will be on full display throughout the month of February. Here’s some ways you can help participate in the parade and make the Rodeo Classic even better!
- Advertise the Rodeo. Advertise this rodeo on your own blog, tweet it, forward on Instagram, post on Facebook, wherever you can! The graphic at the top of this page can be used freely as part of the campaign. The more participants, the merrier. We’d like to advertise the contest to people who may not already be familiar with our or Sue’s literary community, so put up the posters far and wide!
- Reblog a post from Sue’s blogs. Go to The Daily Echo and/or France & Vincent and take a gander at some of the things there. Choose a post, or two, or seven, and reblog it with a comment on why you did so. Feel free to advertise the contest when you do.
- Purchase one of her books. You can find a link to Sue’s books here and choose the Amazon page appropriate for your region.
- Review that purchased book! Read the book and post a review. There’s many places to put it, but we suggest Amazon, Goodreads, and your blog as a start.
- Comment or like her posts. Comments brighten anyone’s day, and Sue’s blog is filled with posts ripe for commenting. The Rodeo Organization Team will be reblogging some of her posts, so keep an eye out for those if you want some suggestions!
We look forward to seeing you in the stands, on the back of a bull, or maybe even clowning about.
Sincerely,
The Rodeo Organization Team
TUFF Winner Announced
Everything about the TUFF Rodeo contest was difficult.
TUFF is an acronym for The Ultimate Flash Fiction. The contest challenges writers to revise their original 99-word draft through a series of word reductions. It gives writers the chance to think differently about their original draft.
To make the contest harder, each week of the four-part contest gave writers a new craft twist. When TUFF writers had to reduce their draft to 59 words, they also had to craft two different 59-word points of view. Next, writers had to craft three different 9-word taglines for their story. Finally, writers had to revise their original 99-words and add an eerily out of place prop.
Judges considered each entry’s process as much as the final result. They expected an original final 99-word story that incorporated the western and romance themes with an out of the place prop. They wanted to see raw ideas and writing in the original draft, not the final one.
Judging was hard. Two entries considered for first prize fell short. One had a confusing typo and another omitted the prop. We discussed originality, surprise, and cultural sensitivity versus realism. The judges had a hard time deciding and even talked about the subjectivity of judging.
It’s at this point I want to introduce you to the TUFFest judges around. Laura Smyth and Cynthia Drake. Both use the TUFF format in their professions (TUFF is a tool). Laura is a college professor and published poet who also designs books for publishers, including a 2021 memoir by Mary Gauthier. She has used TUFF in her classroom. Cynthia is a life coach, Quaker youth leader, and a grief counselor. She has used TUFF with her clients and at workshops for visioning.
Both women understand what the process is meant to achieve. TUFF transforms.
Many entries were seriously considered but it was difficult to find consensus. This is a hard contest to enter and to judge. In the end, Entry 6 proved to be surprising and transformative. Not only did it tick the boxes, provide an error-free final story, and create unexpected humor by dropping an out-of-place character as the prop into the last line, but the story also demonstrated that a western romance could be speculative fiction.
Congratulations to this year’s hard won TUFF winner: Liz Husebye Hartmann.
ENTRY 6
Original 99-word Draft: UNTITLED
Anton shrugged out of his jacket, kicking off his boots, and with them, the urban muck of cow shit and cheap whiskey. Padding into the foothills in bare feet, he wrinkled his nose, drawing his lips back from canines that glinted moonlight.
His departure had been delayed. Had she already left?
Trees morphed to low brush as he climbed higher, tearing buttons from his shirt, slipping off his jeans, to reveal his sinewy, tawny body. He panted, called to her, low in his throat.
Pausing, his hope faltered.
Startled, joyful, he rolled, as her canines grabbed his careless neck.
TUFF PART Two: 59-word Story with Original POV
Anton abandoned the mining town, shucking jacket, boots, shirt, finally slithering out of his jeans. He wrinkled his nose, padding across stone, toward the foothills; the town’s stink still clung to his tawny, sinewy body.
He hoped the smell wouldn’t drive her away. Had she already left? He growled, heart breaking.
She landed on him, canines at his neck.
TUFF PART Two: 59-word Story with Different POV
Audra watched his dark shape slink to the foothills, shrubbery shaking with his ascent. He’d much to learn in his new skinwalker form, but what a fine form it was. She could wait.
He called, deep and low, anxiety unmasked, still stinking of the mines.
Audra bunched her shoulders, canines bared. She was ready to pounce, ready to fuck.
TUFF PART Three: Three 9-word Taglines for Your Story
- Skinwalker flees western filth, finds love in the foothills.
- New to skinwalker world, he seeks his kindred soul.
- The body is willing, Can he survive the love?
TUFF PART Four: Final Revised 99-word Story with Prop
Anton abandoned the mining town, shucking Stetson, boots, and shirt, finally slithering out of his jeans. He wrinkled his nose, padding across stone, toward the foothills; the town’s stink of cheap whisky clung to his sinewy body.
Audra watched his dark shape slink to the foothills, shrubbery shaking with his ascent. He’d much to learn as a new skinwalker, but he intrigued her. She could wait.
He called, deep and low, anxiety unmasked. Had she already left?
Audra bunched her shoulders, canines bared. She prepared to pounce.
The time-traveling photojournalist followed at a distance, then lowered his camera, blushing.
🥕🥕🥕
Thank you to the 18 writers who braved the TUFF Rodeo Contest. Due to the length and complexity of the entries, we won’t be publishing all the stories on the 2020 Rodeo page. But we do want to give a special call-out to the writers who wrote the TUFFEST:
- Down that Lonely Trail by Bill Engleson
- Untitled by Frank Hubney
- Winning Ways in the West by JulesPaige
- Untitled by Ellen Best
- Untitled by FloridaBorne
- Untitled by Liz Husebye Hartmann
- Untitled by Jeff Gard
- Too Busy to Date by Marsha Ingrao
- Untitled by Doug Jacquier
- Destiny’s Gifts by Saifun Hassam
- The Cat and the Fiddle by D. Avery
- Marriage Material by Sue Spitulnik
- The Problem with Rookies by Eleanor Colquitt
- Untitled by Hugh Roberts
- Untitled by MJ Mallon
- Untitled by Norah Colvin
- Untitled by Sascha Darlington
- How to Calm a Wandering Mind by Anne Goodwin
I’d also like to thank all of this year’s Rodeo Leaders — Kerry E.B. Black, Colleen Chesebro, Marsha Ingrao, and Sam “Goldie” Kirk. All of our judges did their best to be thoughtful and fair. Those who stepped up to judge can attest to how difficult of a task it is. And thank you to everyone in the writing community who persevere through tough times in 2020.
We’ll see you back next year for the Rodeo and hope to see you at the weekly challenges. Thank you!
AND The 2020 Carrot Ranch Writing Rodeo’s Third Event Winner Is:
Masha Ingrao announces the winners of the third Flash Fiction Rodeo and Carrot Ranch trips over the reblog! Go here to read the full details: https://tchistorygal.net/2020/11/17/and-the-2020-carrot-ranch-writing-rodeos-third-event-winner-is/
(Writing Contest) Rodeo #4: “Wanted Alive”
And here it is, Rodeo Writers — the final flash fiction contest of the season! Have fun with the prompt!
TUFF Flash Fiction Contest Part Four
Did you stay in the saddle for the full ride? Or are you here to slide under the fence, last minute? Either way, Rodeo Writers, you’ve TUFFed it out and we have arrived at our final challenge.
TUFF (The Ultimate Flash Fiction) is a progressive form that takes you from draft to revision through several word reductions — 99, 59, 9, 99. Each step has had a twist along the way as the TUFF contest has unfolded:
- TUFF Part One (99-word draft)
- TUFF Part Two (59-word reduction)
- TUFF Part Three (9-word reduction)
The final twist in the contest involves an additional trope. The first draft included the tropes for western and romance. Tropes are elements that define a genre or theme. In this contest, we have used tropes as themes. Now, we will add a final trope as a prop.
PART FOUR TWIST
A prop can be gold in your character’s hand. It’s a ring they fidget with that tells the readers they’re nervous. It’s the lariat they toss in boredom, the wooden spoon they waggle at someone with aggression, the leather wallet with a mysterious photo they won’t explain.
A prop can set a scene. It’s an empty glass on the saloon counter, the abandoned doll along a cattle trail, a slip of satin ribbon caught in a branch, an old saddle in the trunk of a sports car.
By now, you should have revised your first draft with insights gained through earlier twists and word reductions. Your final TUFF task is to add a prop without changing your revised story. Make the prop fit your story and set a scene or convey an emotion. Don’t change the story because of the prop. Instead, use the prop to better express the tone or emotion of your story.
An, of course, it’s not just any ol’ prop. You are to use the trope for an “eerily out of place object.” For those of you who like speculative fiction, now is your chance to add an alien spacecraft to the horse pasture. It can also be a small, ironic item such as a circuit pastor using a Crown Royal booze bag to carry his sermon notes.
Big or small, add it to your story without rewriting to accommodate or explain the item. Let it linger mysteriously. Better yet, use it to deepen characterization, create emotion or set a scene’s tone.
That’s it! This is when you will turn in all your work. Just like math class. Your first draft should be your first draft — unaltered! Your final draft should be the one you have tinkered and tweaked, editing and polishing.
CONTEST NOW CLOSED. WINNER ANNOUNCED DECEMBER 1, 2020.
Please read the rules thoroughly. And join us tomorrow for Marsha Ingrao’s Rodeo Contest when it goes live.
CRITERIA:
- Your story must include western romance themes or tropes. See TVTropes.org for ideas wild west and romance to see how much fun you can have with this combination.
- Even though the story calls for you to mix two tropes, you are free to add more tropes or write in your genre of choice.
- You will submit one story, retold through varying word counts: 99 words, 59 words, 9 words, and 99 words.
- You must turn in TWO 59-word count reductions of your story (one in the original POV, and one in a different POV).
- You must turn in three 9-word count reductions of your story into three different taglines.
- Add an eerily out of place prop to your final draft.
- Your second 99-word story should show transformation through revision. How is it different? How is it improved? Did the TUFF process offer new insights for the final version?
- The story can be fiction or BOTS (based on a true story).
- Make the judges remember your story long after reading it.
CONTEST RULES:
- Every entry must meet the word count requirements exactly. You can have a title outside that limit. Check your word count using the wordcounter.net. Entries that aren’t 99-59-9-99 words will be disqualified.
- Enter this contest only once. If you enter more than once, only your first entry will count.
- Do your best to submit an error-free entry. Apply English grammar and spelling according to your country of origin style. As long as the judges can understand the language, it is the originality of the story that matters most. However, we want to see a raw draft in the first 99-words, and a polished, edited draft in the second 99-words.
- If you do not receive an acknowledgment by email WITHIN 3 DAYS, contact Charli at wordsforpeople@gmail.com.
- Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on November 1, 2020 (entry form posted October 26).
- Refrain from posting your contest entry until after the winner is announced on December 1, 2020.
- Use the entry form posted on part four of this contest Monday, October 26, 2020.
JUDGING
Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo at Carrot Ranch, will collect stories, omitting names to send to the judges. Because we are committed to blind judging, please refrain from posting your contest entry on your blog until after winners are announced. TUFF judges are familiar with this format. Life Coach and Grief Counselor, Cynthia Drake, uses TUFF with her clients. Poet, Editor, and College Professor, Laura Smyth, uses TUFF in her classroom. Both are returning judges and will be looking for transformative writing that results in a memorable story using western romance tropes. The top winner in each contest will receive a virtual badge and $25 (PayPal, check, Amazon gift card, or donation). The winner announced on December 1, 2020.
Join Goldie for our final Rodeo Contest — Wanted Alive! Contest goes live Tuesday, October 27.
Kid and Pal return to the Saddle Up Saloon next Monday. Be sure to catch their latest interview. Winners for the Rodeo Contests, including TUFF, announced successively every Tuesday through December 1.
Thank you to all who joined in the contests. A special shout out to our Rodeo Leaders, Kerry, Colleen, Marsha, and Goldie. Thank you to all the judges.
Git Along an’ Start Writin’
Seep yourself in rich western history, then gather up your doggies and enter this free writing contest, number three in the Rodeo lineup!
TUFF Flash Fiction Contest Part Three
How are you doing TUFF rodeo writers?
You should be familiar with your 99-word story by now (Part One), and hopefully, you have spent some time exploring your story from different points of view (Part Two). TUFF is The Ultimate Flash Fiction and those of you daring enough to enter this progressive contest are spending a month on a single story taking it from draft to revision.
Part Three is your final tool in the process. It’s the tightest word reduction of your story: 9 words. That’s not a typo. The word count isn’t missing a double-digit. It’s nine words that you can count on your hands, presuming you didn’t lose any fingers riding bulls at your last rodeo.
Why so few words? This is a tool to arrive at the heart of your story. It’s the hook to interest a reader. Think of taglines from movies:
- In space, no one can hear you scream. (Alien)
- 3.7 trillion fish in the ocean. They’re looking for one. (Finding Nemo)
- One dream. Four Jamaicans. Twenty below zero. (Cool Runnings)
Novels have taglines, too. Often they stand out as a quote above a book blurb on a cover. It can be the hook for a query letter or a zinger for promotional materials.
- Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free. (An Ember in the Ashes)
- Winning will make you famous. Losing means certain death. (The Hunger Games)
- She had six husbands, money, and one lover too many. (The Long Goodbye)
If you are writing a book, a tagline becomes your guide. You can print it off and tape it to your computer monitor, reminding you what your book is about.
Like with TUFF Part Two, this step is meant to be a tool to help you get to the heart of your story. And, yes, there is a twist.
THE PART THREE TWIST
Write THREE 9-word taglines that capture the heart of your story:
- Pick the strongest aspects of your story and write it in 9-words.
- Next, pick the aspects you left out, and write another 9-words.
- Write a final 9-words that summarizes the conflict or tension.
You will have one more TUFF step after this one. It will be your revision, the reason you are given tools to rethink your original story. You will submit all steps, using the submission form in Part Four by November 1 (11:59 p.m. EST).
We are not accepting challenges, only contest entries. Weekly challenges continue every Friday at CarrotRanch.com/blog.
Please read the rules thoroughly. And join us tomorrow for Marsha Ingrao’s Rodeo Contest when it goes live.
CRITERIA:
- Your story must include western romance themes or tropes. See TVTropes.org for ideas wild west and romance to see how much fun you can have with this combination.
- Even though the story calls for you to mix two tropes, you are free to add more tropes or write in your genre of choice.
- You will submit one story, retold through varying word counts: 99 words, 59 words, 9 words, and 99 words.
- You must turn in TWO 59-word count reductions of your story (one in the original POV, and one in a different POV).
- You must turn in three 9-word count reductions of your story into three different taglines.
- Your second 99-word story should show transformation through revision. How is it different? How is it improved? Did the TUFF process offer new insights for the final version?
- The story can be fiction or BOTS (based on a true story).
- Make the judges remember your story long after reading it.
CONTEST RULES:
- Every entry must meet the word count requirements exactly. You can have a title outside that limit. Check your word count using the wordcounter.net. Entries that aren’t 99-59-9-99 words will be disqualified.
- Enter this contest only once. If you enter more than once, only your first entry will count.
- Do your best to submit an error-free entry. Apply English grammar and spelling according to your country of origin style. As long as the judges can understand the language, it is the originality of the story that matters most. However, we want to see a raw draft in the first 99-words, and a polished, edited draft in the second 99-words.
- If you do not receive an acknowledgment by email WITHIN 3 DAYS, contact Charli at wordsforpeople@gmail.com.
- Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on November 1, 2020 (entry form posted October 26).
- Refrain from posting your contest entry until after the winner is announced on December 1, 2020.
- Use the entry form posted on part four of this contest Monday, October 26, 2020.
JUDGING
Charli Mills, Lead Buckaroo at Carrot Ranch, will collect stories, omitting names to send to the judges. Because we are committed to blind judging, please refrain from posting your contest entry on your blog until after winners are announced. TUFF judges are familiar with this format. Life Coach and Grief Counselor, Cynthia Drake, uses TUFF with her clients. Poet, Editor, and College Professor, Laura Smyth, uses TUFF in her classroom. Both are returning judges and will be looking for transformative writing that results in a memorable story using western romance tropes. The top winner in each contest will receive a virtual badge and $25 (PayPal, check, Amazon gift card, or donation).
Carrot RODEO #2: DOUBLE ENNEAD SYLLABIC POETRY
Free Writing Contest!
Introducing a new form from the Cattle Queen of Syllabic Wrangling, Colleen Chesebro! Gather up your syllables and get to counting!