Greetings fellow wordsmiths,

If, like me, you're eager to have reason to write on a regular basis, but are lacking the required stimulus to start your fingers tapping away at the keyboard, then maybe the Story Pix Challenge is for you. The aim of this ongoing monthly challenge is to compose a short story based on a given picture. At the end of each month, votes will be cast and the winner will lead the following month's challenge with a picture of their own choosing. Featured pictures can be of any (tasteful) subject and of any medium: e.g. digital art, photograph, painting, pencil sketch, whatever you like. There will be no restriction on story length, be it long or short; just have fun exploring your imagination and let those creative juices flow.

Please post your completed story into your own gallery and provide a link to it in this thread.

So without further ado, let the first challenge commence.
The deadline will be: 10pm Saturday 30th September (Renderosity server time).
It'll be fascinating to see how a single image can spark a myriad of possibility.

Story Picture for September:

:unsure:

Hi,

Is there a limit to how many words in a story?

Hanna

The limits that I've used in the past for short story submissions has been 1000 words, so how about using that as the story size limit. =)

David L.
Writer's Forum Moderator

It's a fun idea...I just wish I had a story to go along with the wicked little house. 

Outstanding picture... it will make a good children's story!  Going to try, not sure if 1000 words will be enough!  

Hanna           

:b_cool:

WiseHanna,
Any amount of words is fine; how ever many it takes to effectively tell your story.

It's great to see people showing such enthusiasm. I'm looking forward to reading everyone's entries.

The challenge for me will be the word cap. I have a hard enough time keeping a short story within a 1500 word cap.. ......LOL!  I look forward to this one.. Michelle

Gardening is good for the brain. While out gardening today, the story suddenly popped into my head. Now I just have to write it.

~jon

I'm smiling looking at your theme, Drekinn. :D

It'll be quite a treat to read something that uses the pic, but turns out totally unexpected.

I really hope I can make time to write with all the travel and pressing demands of work that have been harassing me. :(

I envy Jon and his gardening...

Attached Link: Cat House

~jon

Curious.......hmm.....think I should change my name to George! LOL!  I'm still working on my story, but do we post it right here or in our gallery and link it here.
PS I don't know how successful I'm going to be following the 1000 word cap but will try my best.

Well, Drekinn started the challenge and he says, "Any amount of words is fine; how ever many it takes to effectively tell your story." So there is no real limit. Keep in mind, the longer it is, the less likely some folks will finish reading it. My own story is over 1000 words.

As to where to post, again, according to Drekinn, "Please post your completed story into your own gallery and provide a link to it in this thread." I took a some liberty, and posted mine in my Blog and provided a link. Hope that's OK.

It's an informal challenge. There are no prizes. I think the idea is to just have fun and see what the image inspires.

~jon

Thank you Jon,  I read your story. It's great. Great flow, easy to follow , held my attention from begining to end. I loved the movement, how your character changed insidiously. Very clever I might add. Me thinks I'll be reading much more of your work!!
~Michelle~

jstro,
It's certainly ok to post your story into your Blog; there's no need to stick it in your gallery as I suggested, just as long as it's out there somewhere for us all to read. I myself am considering submitting my entry on a custom-designed web page, to better hold intact its formatting styles and meticulous layout.

• Keep in mind, the longer it is, the less likely some folks will finish reading it.

My epic is currently teetering at just over 3500 words, and I haven't yet reached the main part  - eep. :blink:

See you all at the finish line (I'll be the late-comer, staggering breathlessly into the stadium).

Hey gang,

Well, the deadline has come and gone but only one entry has since been posted; no doubt you are all still beavering away madly putting the final touches to your masterpieces and will submit them as soon as you can.
This actually comes as welcome relief on my part, due to a delightfully unexpected (and immensely satisfying) self-willed determination to complete my own epic story (currently clocking 6500 on the word count); it's nearing the climax but I'd like more time to perform a thorough edit from start to finish before I'm ready to post.

To better accommodate all participants I've decided to push the deadline forwards:
The new deadline will be: 10pm Tuesday 3rd October (Renderosity server time).
I hope this is sufficient time for everyone to present their tantalising tales (myself included) so we can commence the voting process.

Please remember not to post your story directly into this thread, but instead to provide a link to it.

Hope to see your entries streaming in over the next few days [polishes reading glasses].

The room is small and sparsly furnished. The veiw is almost that of being in an off off broadway theatre. A directional lamp looms over the back  of her sitting in big comfy chair in a little corner of the room. Papers strewn about the floor, her look intense, glasses hang on her nose as if they are about to fall off the edge of a cliff. A finger gently pushing them back up as if to give one a leg up then back to the job at hand. Her hand can be seen writing furiously,  she's on a roll. Oblivious to the sounds of life in or outside her walls. A young girl enters the room "Mom,...MOM!!!" Without looking up, "huh, yeah what do you need." The young voice calls back, "Mom did you see what Joey did?"  "go ahead, you can have a snack!"...A foot stomps on the floor, eyes roll up in the young girls head as she turns to walk away she mutters "Freddy Kruger could be ripping me apart and you wouldn't know!"  "leave your shirt out, I'll sew it up when I'm done." A door slams, she mutters outloud, "I hate teenagers!".....without looking up another page written she putts it carefully on the neat pile directly in front of her on the floor. Without looking she reaches for her cup of now cold coffee....leans back in her chair, looks up at the clock on the wall and sees it's 10pm.. She mutters, "%$#&, I"m no where finished. Oh well , well now I'll have more time to finish and fine tune. "

ROTHFLMAO!!! you're too funny!! Short story teeters on edge of novelette!! I don't feel so bad, here i'm stressing over the knowledge that I don't have a short story that is under 1500.....thanks for the extra time!

Argh, I can't believe I overshot even the second deadline!

Sorry all for the delay, but after many weary nights tapping (slowly) away at my keyboard I've finally completed my story (coming in at a painful 9500 words - ouch). Inspired by the spooky nature of the challenge picture the theme I chose was horror/comedy, and it's my first semi-serious attempt at story writing.
Warning: For those game enough to read it, make sure you have a strong stomach, as it gets rather gory by the end.

You can read my story here: Till Death Do Us Part

Enjoy!

For participants who have yet to post their stories, please do so as soon as possible, as the voting process has now commenced, and will continue over the next five days or so.

Voting rules:

• The 3-2-1 voting system will be used. That is, give 3 points to the author of your most favourite story, 2 points for your second favourite, and 1 point for your third favourite.

Example:
3 - AuthorA
2 - AuthorB
1 - AuthorC

(Three votes may not be possible if the number of participants is low)

• You cannot vote for yourself.
• Feel free to give feedback on any of the stories entered (be it constructive criticism or praise!)

Hope to see more stories coming in very soon.

PS. If you are intending to submit a story but are still crafting it together, please let me know ASAP so that the voting period can be extended if necessary.

heartnsoul: hehe.. nice prologue - better get your entry in quick!

Oh dear, I guess nobody else is going to submit a story (and there seemed such enthusiasm from the beginning); time has dragged on though and it's time to continue with the next challenge.

jstro,
I read your story - a finely crafted and engaging tale with an delightful twist. I admire your effective use of words and succinct and emotive imagery. Having not read your story before finishing my own, what surprised me most were the striking parallels between the two of them: the car troubles, main character name, and various other details. Spooky!

Considering it's just you and me as finalists, you of course can choose the picture for the October challenge (a short one, there being only two weeks remaining).
I've already begun the new thread (here), so please post a pic there at your earliest convenience. I'll be sure to submit a short story this time around.