Earlier this week a challenge showed up in my inbox. It was already a month old, but it was part of a newsletter with various things from Amazon and Create Space. I looked at for a minute… and decided to play.
The Micro Story Challenge
Tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end in a single, yet wholly satisfying sentence. If you are able to construct an entire story in one sentence, and that one sentence is compelling and absent of any structural phenomenon in order to cram in details, you will have stripped away what holds most writers back: a lack of knowing what their books are truly about.
My Answer to the Challenge
The morning sunlight brought pain from the past, laced with fear of escape, but pierced by the determination to create a future.
I hope you’ll leave your own one-sentence stories in the comments.
My board of Magical Portals, Gates, and Doors at Pinterest might provide ideas.
Hugs,
teagan
Teagan's Books 
amazing story!
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That means you have an amazing imagination. 🙂 Which you do!
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Oh Gosh, you are asking the wrong person. I write long before slicing through. And it’s always painful.
This is why I admire the people who take the challenge. Yours is good, by the way and yoru Pinterest is great too.
The only time I pack important info in one sentence is when I try to summarize a novel. Like I did for my novel Trapped in Paris:
“Sixteen-year-old Cameron and Framboise have no reason to meet, but when a volcano eruption in Iceland interrupts all air traffic, the two teenagers find themselves trapped in Paris.”
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Now that is very well done! I don’t think I could do one for a novel.
Evelyne, I’m happy that you stopped to comment. 🙂
Hugs.
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Well done. 😉
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Why thank you B. I enjoyed your take on life “sans high heels but in stylish ballet flats” at your blog.
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The cat woke me up in the middle of the night, she’d had a nightmare where enormous mice beat the hell out of her.
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Oh poor kitty! I would have been too upset to read the story if anything worse had happened to her (but I’m just that way where animals are concerned).
Thanks for taking the “challenge” Paige! And pausing in your wanderlust to visit Teagan’s Books. I hope the trade winds of life are taking you to marvelous places. 🙂
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I like the challenge a lot and your response. My offering as follows: “In her old age Millicent the mouse remained polite and when she asked Madrigal for the crumbs of muffin on her plate she was offered a permanent place to stay in her twilight years.” Not quite sure if it works!
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Oh I live it CB! It’s at once magical and homey. I can imagine it quite clearly. (And the name Madrigal is fabulous.)
I’m delighted that a few people are doing this little challenge along with me.
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I have to think about this one, your sentence is perfect.
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LOL, I didn’t think I had anything in me that wasn’t long winded. Thanks for commenting, Suzanne. Hugs to you and the pugs!
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Yes, here another one scratching my head. I can think of some but not sure they’re in the right spirit. Mind you’ I’ve been writing all afternoon so maybe I just need some time off. Great story/sentence!
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Hi Olga. Thanks for taking a moment to comment. I don’t think there is any right or wrong spirit for this — just the “write spirit” — Sorry, I couldn’t resist the play on words. 🙂
I’m proud of you for all the writing you’ve been doing, and impressed too.
Hugs!
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Great micro-story!
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Thank you Mary. Maybe you’ll think of one too… maybe for Cowboy Boss… or maybe for something unwritten.
Hugs,
teagan
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This one requires serious consideration. It is one of those things which will niggle me now ;-).
Your attempt is concise and clear. Well done :-).
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Oh-oh and oops! I didn’t mean to do that. I guess that is exactly what it did to me when I saw the “challenge.”
Hugs,
teagan
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Well crafted Teagan.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
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You are too kind, David. Have a wonderful Wednesday — and huge hugs right back at you! 🙂
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She was lost until courage and love brought her back into the limelight. (I think I might just have encapsulated my memoir entirely without meaning to!)
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LOL. I had a similar thought about mine. Take good care of you Sarah.
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🙂
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