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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: The Critique/Review (for writers) (05/06/10)

TITLE: Never in Vain
By Marlene Bonney
05/12/10


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A short rejection letter
Laid opened on the bed;
She wanted to write better,
But ‘twas getting worse, instead.

“SKETCHY PLOT—DISCONNECTED—
UNDERDEVELOPED THEME!”
Chastened and unrespected,
Her damaged self-esteem.

Frustration and confusion
Made mincemeat of her dreams.
Praying for a solution,
She muzzled pent-up screams.

“IT’S TOO LONG—IT’S TOO SHORT--
THERE IS NO HARMONY!
METAPHORS WITHOUT SUPPORT—
DISJOINTED SYMMETRY!”

Writing was her inborn gift,
She struggled to believe,
Letters forming to uplift,
Comforting those who grieve.

“THERE’S NOT ENOUGH DESCRIPTION—
YOUR RHYTHM IS VERY POOR;
YOUR DISORDERED TRANSITIONS
IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE!”

She took up her pen again,
Praying for God’s guidance;
After a hasty ‘Amen’,
She claimed poetic license.

(Writers have a gift from God
That others may not see.
It’s as if He gives His nod
Of blessing, pure and free.)

“SENTENCE STRUCTURE IS SLOPPY!”
“NO IMAGINATION!”
“YOUR PARAGRAPHS TOO CHOPPY
FOR CONSIDERATION!”

“I’ll show them a thing or two,”
She muttered as she wrote,
“A blended alphabet stew
They will finally quote.”

“YOU HAVE TALENT, WE CONCEDE,
BUT IT NEEDS MUCH GROOMING:
BUY OUR TOOLS AND YOU’LL SUCCEED,
A GRAND FUTURE LOOMING.”

She took required classes
And seminars galore;
Joined groups along with masses,
But her ‘gift’ was ignored.

“KEEP ON WRITING EVERY DAY—
EXPERIENCE IS KEY!
SEND US HAND-WRITTEN ESSAYS
WITH THE STANDARDIZED FEE.”

Every morning she awoke
To practice yet again;
Writing with pure masterstrokes
And trusty fountain pen.

“SENTENCE STRUCTURE TOO UNFORMED,
AND YOUR ENDING’S LACKING!
YOU MUST GO BEYOND YOUR NORM
IF YOU WANT OUR BACKING!”

Disappointed and rebuffed,
She packed her works away.
“Mayhap ‘diamonds in the rough’
Revered another day.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Forty years have come and gone,
The author long deceased.
Then a grandchild comes upon
Her journals--piece by piece.

Publishers are excited
To send her works to press;
Historians delighted
With her dated finesse.

Readers become avid fans,
Encouraged by her words.
Exchanging books hand to hand,
Her messages now heard.

God’s impeccable timing
For things coming to pass
Is a consummate rhyming
Of present with the past.


The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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This article has been read 351 times
Member Comments
Member Date
Mona Purvis05/13/10
Great story-telling in rhyme. On topic and a pleasure to read.

Mona
Linda Wright05/13/10
I truly enjoyed this story in rhyme. It had a great ending and the last verse summed it up beautifully. God often does continue blessing after the death of his children. I have heard many testimonies of grandchildren coming to the Lord because of a Godly grandparent that had been dead for many years. Good job.
stanley Bednarz 05/15/10
Wow wow! Ah..wow. I'm speechless.
Angela M. Baker-Bridge 05/18/10
I loved the style and message here. Very refreshing approach to the topic. Thanks for sharing your gift and experience.
Elizabeth Cain05/19/10
Loved it! It all flowed together masterfully. The story was beautifully told, and I loved how the moods changed as we followed the writer's experiences. I also loved how the writer would have a paragraph to herself, and then a paragraph would tell what the world is screaming in caps, telling her what she did wrong and what she needed to purchase in order to succeed. Life often does scream its lies to us, trying to sway us from the truth, but in the end God's will shall prevail. And though we may not be able to see His plan unfold in our lifetime, it’s encouraging to know that in the end His plan will unfold--in His own perfect timing. Thank you for this encouraging, catchy story!
Edmond Ng 05/20/10
This is very well written and reads very smoothly in rhyme. I like this very much because it makes the comparison between inspiration and qualification. For people who do not have the required qualifications but desire to write, they may sometimes be better off than those who have because they are not restricted by what they have learnt. Getting published is too frequently dependent on perception, so for all of us who awaits, let us not be discouraged.
Beth LaBuff 05/20/10
Wow! The first section is wonderful, then the 2nd section had a POWERFUL message for every writer. Love this! Super congrats on your Editor's Choice award and level placing!!


   
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