As a winner you are invited to make a comment with the post reply button. Others are encouraged to comment on the articles and tell the winners what you think of their work.
And the winners for the FaithWriters blog contest are -
1st place and two paid writing assignments worth $150 goes to -
What to Do with Your Amazing Stories by Jennifer Suchey
Hovering discreetly, the two figures draped their legs over the banister rail. Below them they observed the antics of two women around a kitchen island.
* * *
“Are you kidding me? Give me that.” Renee grabbed the can of whipped cream and crafted an impressive mound atop her fudge sundae.
Sophie gaped at the concoction. “How do you stay so thin?”
“Well,” Renee’s words were muffled by the massive bite she had just shoved in her mouth, “I burn a lot of energy trying to figure out how to get you to write.”
Renee rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you, you’re the only one who actually wants to read my writing. I don’t even know why I let you read that story.”
“Umm . . . maybe because it was amazing? And maybe because you know you need someone to kick you in the booTAY?”
Renee licked her spoon and eyed her friend. “BooTAY?”
“Yes, booTAY. It’s that skinny thing you need to sit on while you think up more amazing stories.”
“Mm hmm . . . and just what do you suggest I do with these amazing stories?”
Renee shrugged. “Enter a writing contest?”
* * *
Zeke bumped the figure beside him, nearly toppling him over the rail. “This is your cue.”
“Cue for what?” Gus regained his balance and rubbed his arm.
“Don’t be a doofus. You know the reason the Father sent us here was to point Renee to FaithWriters.com.”
“Yeah? Well? So, why do I have to do it?”
“Because your the angel in training, not me. I direct. You do . . . so go . . . do.”
“Alright fine. I’ll just go tell her to check out FaithWriters.com. How hard could it be?”
Zeke concealed a smirk as his feathered friend hopped off the rail, swooped into the kitchen and nestled himself on the counter between the two women. He looked Sophie in the eye and clearly enunciated the words, “Faith Writers."
Renee scraped the fudge off the sides of her goblet. “Maybe there’s a website where you can post your Christian writing and get your writing critiqued.”
Gus twisted his head toward Renee. “Yeah. Hellooo. I just said it. FaithWriters. Go toFaithWriters.com.”
Sophie put the lid on the ice cream. “That would be great. I think I’d feel safer in a Christian environment. I wonder if there’s a site that offers Christian writing courses . . . maybe even opportunities for paid writing assignments.
Gus peered at Zeke.“What up? Clearly they’re not paying attention.”
Zeke smiled. “Yes, but it’s very entertaining from up here.” He moved his gaze to the laptop in front of Gus.
Gus eyed the open device. “What? You want me to . . .? Ohhh!”
He flashed a gander at Sophie and then Renee, still gabbing with spoons in hand.
Tipping forward, he studied the keys on the computer. With his two index fingers he managed to locate the “F” key, and then the “A”. One by one he found all the letters that make up faithwriters.com.
He grinned at his accomplishment and eyed his mentor above. Zeke just shook his head in bewilderment. “How does he not know how to type?”
Looking back at the keyboard, Gus hit the enter key and then jumped off the counter with triumphal expectancy.
His radiant smile vanished, however, as the women began to clean up their mess.
“I’ll put the whipped cream away,” Renee smirked before squirting a glob in her mouth.
“You’re hopeless.” Sophie wiped the counter near the laptop and paused.
“Hey, let’s do a Google search.”
“Okay.”
Sophie took a look at the screen and squinted. “What’s this?”
“Tah dah!” Gus raised his hands in jubilation.
Jennifer Suchey
Member ID# 54251
http://theauthorwithin.wordpress.com/20 ... c5f8104cee
http://jennifersuchey.wordpress.com/201 ... g-stories/
http://www.facebook.com/JiffChick?ref=profile
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-det ... ?id=150360
2nd Place and one paid writing assignment worth $75 goes to
The Beginning by Lori Othouse
His words assaulted her like a series of jabs and uppercuts. She often thought that physical blows would be easier to take. And even though she should have gotten used to it by now, she never really did.
“Did you work out today? Don’t you ever want to look good?”
“What are you wearing? Don’t embarrass me.”
“You look like a freakin’ __________!” (insert derogatory comparison here - homeless person, old lady, boring mom, etc.)
Is this really how Christian husbands were? And it wasn’t only about looks. When, wanting to serve, she took a huge step of faith to be a Sunday School teacher, she was met with, “You’re not qualified; you’re not a teacher!”
She tried hard not to listen, but the constant, careless words sank deep into her soul, regularly beating her down and leaving her confused, hurting, tired and broken. She struggled daily to try to be the good wife and mother, while her love for him died a slow, painful death.
It had been another brutal night as she sat at the computer, aimlessly scrolling through emails, fighting back the tears. A familiar name popped up in her inbox - FaithWriters .com. She always loved writing and participated in their weekly writing challenge several times, but lately inspiration seemed very far away. Still, she remembered how she enjoyed the site and clicked the link to see what was new.
There were Christian articles of every kind on every subject, from Jesus and the gospel to poetry to world affairs. As she browsed around, there was a stirring inside, that spark of creativity almost snuffed out by the struggle of her daily life. It felt so good, this almost forgotten part of her awakening again. She remembered the dreams she once had of writing, especially to help or instruct others.
Suddenly, the moment was broken. An insidious voice hissed in her ear, ‘you’re not qualified; you’re not a teacher!’ The self-doubt she struggled with about her appearance, her abilities and her attitudes spilled over now into her aspirations. What was she thinking? She couldn’t even help herself right now and she wanted to try to help others?
Embarrassed at getting so caught up, she quickly logged in to remove her email from the list. Why be reminded of another inadequacy? Once in her account, she saw the list of her posted writings . She knew them well, but it seemed like they were written a lifetime ago. Then she saw it - the area where she submitted to have her writing critiqued .
Slowly, she read the words of her fellow FaithWriters :
“You have a gift.”
“This blessed me so much.”
“Don’t ever stop writing!”
The tears she had been holding back began to flow. How had she forgotten this? This community of Christian writers was there to support her, even when others were not. They understood the power of words and used them to help her, not hurt her. Maybe she really was more capable than she had been told all this time. The spark inside her began to ignite.
Words had all but ruined her self-worth, but perhaps they could now be a rescue. Although she had no idea what was to come, she no longer felt alone. And for the first time in a very long time, she had hope, which is the beginning of faith, which is the beginning of everything.
Lori Othouse
Member ID # 8826
http://infyouz.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/the-beginning/
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-det ... ?id=150332
https://contributor.yahoo.com/library/
3rd Place and $25 goes to -
Out of the Past, Into the Furure by Deborah Engle
A face from generations past, anonymous, yet somehow familiar, loomed above me. No words were spoken, but the image appeared to be waiting, expecting me to act. The unsettling dream had me sitting up in bed, my heart pounding. In the darkness, a sense of urgency overwhelmed me. I had to find a way.
When Angie picked me up that morning, she knew with one glance something was up. “So, are you going to tell me now, or are you going to tell me later?” was all she said, but I was happy to share with her.
After relating the events of the night, I added, “You know I’ve been immersed in my genealogy lately. Having 16 generations of names, dates and places has brought it all to life for me, but it’s also raised more questions. I mean, come on . . . medieval England? What kind of life did they have? What work did they do? What kind of people were they? But the biggest question is the one that is getting to me. Did they love the Lord?”
Angie looked puzzled. “I don’t think you’ll ever be able to . . . “
“I know. I’ll never know their hearts, but it’s more than that. It’s almost like I need to step up somehow, to ensure that future generations of Cooper’s will have the opportunity to hear about Jesus and the Gospel.”
“Wow, Jen, that’s a tall order. How could you accomplish something like that?”
“That’s the thing. I think I know.”
Angie looked at me sideways, waiting.
“After that dream, I spent the rest of the night praying. By the time I got up, I was confident that God is directing me to write.”
“Write? Really? You could probably do that. You wrote that poem for the Christmas party last year.”
I stared at Angie, considering her words. “Well, sure, I’ve done some things for my own amusement, but I don’t think I’m ready for all my descendents to be judging my results.”
“So, what can you do?”
I couldn’t keep the wonder from my face. “This is the really cool part. Last week I was surfing the web, and I came across a Christian writers’ site. It’s called Faithwriters. I took the time to explore and was very impressed.”
“First, writers sign up. Once you do that, you can post your Christian writing. There’s another place you can get your writing critiqued. That’s a good idea, especially for a beginner like me.”
“I didn’t know there were sites like that. But what if their critiques say you’re no good?”
“I don’t think that’s how it works. I think they tell you how to improve your writing. But I saw something else on the homepage. They have twelve Christian writing courses. And interactive writing forums, so I would be able to ‘talk’ to experienced writers.”
“This site sounds quite comprehensive.”
“I haven’t even told you half of it. There’s a writing challenge. That looked like a pretty big deal. I guess you write to a prompt, and there’s a deadline and a word limit . . . and something about little gold boxes, but I haven’t figured it all out yet. Doesn’t that seem like a good way to practice and improve? Oh, and they sponsor a Christian Writer’s Conference.”
Angie grinned. “You know Jen, it appears you have already decided to try this out. If you really believe you need to write, I agree that Faithwriters may be the place for you to start. Let me know how it goes.”
http://www.faithwriters.com/article-det ... ?id=150249
http://debbiege.blogspot.com/2012/07/ou ... re_86.html
Deborah Engle #29095
VERY GOOD and so close to the top 3 is -
Trim and Fit by Lois Farrow
Autumn leaves crunched under foot as Lisa and Joanne jogged through the park. Soon the crisp frosts of winter would be here, but today the cool air was refreshing and invigorating.
“How’s your writing going, then?” asked Joanne, steamy breaths billowing as she ran.
“Hopeless. I seem to be in a rut, and I’m going nowhere.” Lisa was grateful for her friend with whom she could be honest. With most people she said fine, fine, when asked the same question. It was easier than getting into complicated explanations.
“I need help,” she continued.
“Well, you’ve come a long way already,” Joanne encouraged her. “I’ll tell you what helped me most when I was at your stage; I joined FaithWriters. Membership gave a new boost to my writing, helped me to focus my stories and think about what I was doing. It’s also great to have an outlet that is openly Christian and have fun sharing your faith.”
“Sounds great, tell me more.”
“I started with the weekly writing challenge. Every week they give you a topic with a tight word count, between 150 and 750 words, and you write a short piece on that topic.”
“Sounds intriguing.”
“It is, and the best thing is that in the following week other people comment on your article, and you can read what others have written and comment on their pieces for them. You learn such a lot from seeing how other people treat the topic.”
“Wow.” The women jogged steadily while the swish of passing cyclists and the hum of nearby traffic accompanied them.
“It’s just like our jogging,” Joanne suddenly broke their reverie. “Remember we started this because we wanted to trim down a bit? It’s the same in our writing. It can be very flabby using all sorts of unnecessary words, and the writing challenge helps us to get our writing trim and fit.”
“I’m definitely interested,” said Lisa. “Is that all there is?”
“Oh no, there is a lot more. Through the FaithWriters
website you have access to Christian writing courses, forums and conversations about various writing topics, Christian articles, and you can post your Christian writing on their website. Also if you have a problem you have access to helpful people who will answer your questions.”
“Wow, it sounds wonderful. How do I join?”
“Go to the website, http://www.faithwriters.com, and follow the instructions, it tells you what to do. It does cost a bit, but I think it’s worth it because it helps so much. They also have writing contests with cash prizes, so you might even earn some of your money back.”
“Make my fortune, eh, that’s just what I want.”
“Well, maybe not a fortune, but it’s great to think your work is worth something.”
They kicked the autumn leaves aside as they reached the bus stop.
“You’ll be glad if you do it,” said Joanne. “It’s really easy, and the feedback from other people is so encouraging.”
Lois Farrow # 44742
Posted to:
http://www.faithwriters.com/myaccount/submit.php
http://www.margo19.blogspot.co.nz
viewtopic.php?f=92&t=35527
Judging
This contest is designed to replicate your submission to a potential publisher. Faithwriters staff may narrow down the choices but the ministry we are promoting makes the final decision just like in the real world.
The most weight in this contest and others to come is on content. Remember these articles are like mini ads for a ministry and are most valuable when someone reads them and clicks through to the website. Does the article catch and hold attention? Does the article flow smoothly including where the links were placed? Is the content appropriate? Articles narrowed down to this point undergo further scrutiny based on the rules. Tie breaker decisions could be based on word count, spelling, is there a title, etc.
There were some great entries and some that might have made it were disqualified or lost in a tie with another article based on the contest rules. Here are some of the rules that were applied when judging.
Word Count maximum was 600.
Links had to work in the postings and in this forum.
There must be a title.
Actual Contest started here
FaithWriters Writing Contest #3 Actually $315.00 in prizes. 7-27-12 Deadline
We have outside ministries who are very interested in this program. We would like to see more involvement in these contests so we have held back an interested outside ministry to do a live practice contest. This is a win- win situation as we all get to work together to refine this program while promoting FaithWriters and your articles. The program itself puts your writing out into the real world competing for real paid opportunities and great exposure. The potential client picks the winner just like in real life. We hope to be offering at least two of these contests per month. If you are not familiar with these contests you should read here first -
http://www.faithwriters.com/Boards/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=35283
This blog, let’s call it writing contest so no one gets scared off, will be focused on the FaithWriters website. Your mission is to build a storyline around the list of keywords/keyword phrases. I urge you to take notice of the style of writing from the winners of the PTL contest.
http://www.faithwriters.com/Boards/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=35372
In them you will see what we want for FaithWriters articles too. You can see how much fun they had and how they caught our attention. We are looking for unique, edgy and engaging articles where the keywords below can be utilized. We are not looking for a straight review. We want to see your creativity come alive. In these contests you are trying to impress upon the ministry in question, your writing ability. How you can engage the reader and get them to click through on one of your links. There is so much information out there you need to be unique for someone to pay attention. Have fun with it, take some risks and go for it. As long as the keywords are used in the context of your article you are all set. I am really excited to see what you come up with.
Prizes
Any member can enter these contests but the ability to win the paid writing assignment is restricted to Gold or Platinum members. The paid writing assignment will go to the highest ranked Gold or Platinum member. If you want to eligible to win the paid writing assignment for this contest you must upgrade before you submit your entry.
Silver members will be judged separately for this contest and the first place Silver winner will receive a one year paid Gold membership. They will then be able to win writing assignments for future contests under their newly upgraded membership. This rule can be altered or modified at the discretion of the owners of FaithWriters.
Gold and Platinum Prizes
First place = Two paid writing assignments for FaithWriters - $75 per article.
Second Place = One paid writing assignment for FaithWriters -$75
Third place = $25
New Additional Annual Prize starts with this contest and going forward to every contest.
Annual Prize Drawing –Starting with this contest, $50 or more will be placed in a fund for an annual contest of contests for this forum. Seventy Five Percent of the total in this fund at the end of the 1st year will go to the top three winning entries and be divided like this -( 1st = 30%, 2nd = 25%, 3rd = 20%)
Example - $1200 total for year in fund. (75% of $1,200 = $900 to the top three winners = 1st = $270.00, 2nd = $225.00 3rd = $180.00)
Twenty Five percent or in this example $300 will be divided equally and go to the top three random picks from all entries. For each time you enter one of these contests you will have your member ID number entered into this drawing. The more you enter the higher your chance at winning this prize. If you enter one contest you have one chance. If you enter 20 you have 20 chances. You could be chosen and win one of the top three article picks plus win one of the random picks. You could be a Silver member and win one of the random picks. A member may only win one time as a random pick winner.
Contest Rules
600 words or less
7-27-12 Deadline at 10AM New York Time
You must have a title.
Post article 3 places minimum - You must post the article in our regular articles, this forum and one other location. If you have other locations the judges will look favorably upon your efforts.
In your article post in this forum you must list the other locations you posted in.
You must list your name and FaithWriters member ID number at the bottom of your submission to this forum. To find your ID number go to your profile page. If you then look at the URL for your profile page in the browser window, you will see your member number listed at the end of the URL.
You must use at least 6 of the keywords/keyword phrases listed below.
Your links must work. There is a simple explanation below next.
Instructions for submissions to our regular articles.
Easiest way to explain how to insert contextual links. When preparing your article simply type out the article like any normal article using at least 6 of the Keywords/Keyword phrases below. Here is an example where I use two–
I had searched all over trying to find a (Chrisitan writer). Then I found (FaithWriters).
When your article was done you would exchange the keywords/keyword phrases with the links below exactly as they are typed. Copy and paste them into the article so no mistake is made. You can modify the keywords themselves for capitalization and such to fit into your article. So the sentence above would be changed by you to this before you submitted it to our regular articles.All that has been done is replacing the keyword with the matching code below.
I had searched all over trying to <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/publishers-tour.php" > find a Christian Writer.</a> Then I found <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/index.php">FaithWriters</a>.
Here are the Keywords/Keyword phrases to use in your article. You can adjust the keywords if you desire. For example on number two I have “writer sign up” You could use just the word “writer” instead. You can change them as long as the change fits the page it is linked to. If you feel brave you can create some of your own keywords or keyword phrases that better fit your storyline. Just make sure you link them to pages or articles within our site that match the context of the keyword. If you are newer at this you might just want to stay with the Keywords exactly as listed below and build around them. Pick six out first and then start writing.
1) <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/index.php">FaithWriters</a>
2) <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/finish-signup.php" >writer sign up</a>
3) <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/publishers-tour.php" > find a Christian Writer</a>
4) <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/newest-articles.php">Christian articles</a>
5) <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/project-post.php"> post a writing project</a>
6)<a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/writing-challenge-intro.php"> writing challenge</a>
7)<a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/critique-circle.php"> writing critiqued</a>
8 )<a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/index.php"> post your Christian writing</a>
9) <a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/writing-cou ... mplete.php " > Christian writing courses</a>
10)<a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/page-turner.php"> writing contests with cash prizes</a>
11)<a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/article-det ... ?id=148028"> free contextual back links for Christian sites</a>
12)<a href=" http://www.faithwriters.com/article-det ... ?id=148028"> Christian website backlinks</a>
13) <a href=" http://faithwritersjesuspage.weebly.com/ ">Jesus and the gospel</a>
14) <a href=" viewforum.php?f=92 ">paid writing assignments</a>
Instructions for submission to this forum.
To create a contextual link in our forums you need to do it like this
[url=TheURLHere]post your Christian writing[/url] This is the exact format you need to use. Note there are four brackets [ , one equal sign = and one back slash / . If I built the actual links in this forum as you need to build them, you would not be able to see how they were created. You would only see the finished product. Therefore where it says TheURLHere you insert the web address for the corresponding keyword. For example if number eight above ‘post your Christian writing” was the keyword phrase in question, in place of TheURLHere you would insert http://www.faithwriters.com/index.php as shown in number eight. You do this for each Keyword.
Instructions to create a contextual link in the third location you post your article.
This will depend on the blog or forum where you post the article. Most are extremely easy and you need to follow their directions.
Please do not post questions below this posting. This forum is specifically for entries for this contest. Anything else will be removed. If you have a question check the question forums under “Blogging for Paid Writing Opportunities’ is here - http://www.faithwriters.com/Boards/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=35289. Your answer may be there already. If it is not submit your question. Myself or a knowledgeable member will help you.
Now Get writing and win this thing!
