Teensy Weensy Challenge Results!

It's time for the preliminary results of the Teensy Weensy Challenge (with a twist.) Wow—that was so much fun! We had 123 entries, a great turn out. Thank you, all of you, for making the effort to stretch your creative muscles, write those 100 words, and entertain us all.

If you haven't had a chance to read the entries, I assure you it's well worth the few minutes it will take. Click here and read all the comments. Great stuff!

It was difficult to choose the finalists. I ended up with about 18 candidates for the Top Six. The things that drew me toward particular entries were mostly originality and creativity—the willingness to go beyond the obvious and envision something unexpected—along with nice use of language, a distinct style and strong voice. There was something to admire about almost ALL the entries, and although I can't comment on all of them, I wanted to mention a few.

XDPaul painted a compelling, if tragic, picture with the girl's "ragged" shoulder joint and the surprising KGB element. Elizabeth Tierney tugged on my heartstrings by portraying a rejected yet hopeful American Idol auditioner. Africakid made me envision something unexpected... a peaceful African white-sand beach with coconut palms. Serenissima's story spoke compellingly of hope for the future amidst a deep sadness yet inexplicable longing for the past.

I loved how Kay told the story from a mother's perspective. And Richard similarly told it from the father's. The deep parental love and regret really shines through in both of these.

tannat madiran showed us an insecure girl in the midst of bad decisions. michael showed us a girl on the run and about at the end of herself. Anita Mae used humor and a nice suspenseful action sequence to show us a girl on the edge.

Camille portrayed the moment of escape from evil as a terrifying realization of a new kind of fear. Christy used repetition and rhythm to convey the emotion. And Marcie Gribbon shows us a moment of hope after a long and disappointing journey.

You all did an awesome job!

Now here are my favorites, the Top Six of the Teensy Weensy Challenge. Please read them, then go to the sidebar and VOTE for your favorite. Don't "vote" in the comments—it won't count! The poll will close at 10pm MDT on Wednesday.


******
(1) JL:

Russell,
There’s $600 in your trumpet case for half the rent.
I cancelled the flowers and the tapas without any BS, but the prima donna at the bakery said he wouldn’t return the deposit for the tower of spongecake.
Your mom called. You better tell her something before she starts Feng shui-ing the garden or wabi-sabi-ing the guestroom, or whatever the hell she’s into.
I assume you told Roger and Leo the gig was off.
Don’t forget to give Pancake his heartworm medicine.
Try not to get a paper cut.
Don’t starve to death on your conscience.
Don’t call,
Emily


(2) Melanie's Words Work:

Janet lifted her foot from the gas when she saw the girl on the suitcase. She barely slowed. Natalie couldn’t have noticed, right?

“Don’t tell me you thought about picking that girl up.”

Wrong.

“Did you see what she was wearing? Fishnets and high tops. Fishnets! And skinny. Probably some meth head, and you were going to give her a ride.”

“Maybe she just needs something to eat.”

“Or maybe she’s waiting for a John.”

“Natalie!”

“What? I’m just saying the girl didn’t get where she is teaching Sunday school.”

Janet hit the brakes.

“What are you doing?”

“Turning around.”


(3) Katie Hart:

Magic usually backfired. Or at least mine did.

A blue suitcase appeared in the parking lot where my principal had been lecturing me only a second before. My breath froze. What had I done? I'd only cast – tried to cast – a little spell to make the man less angry.

Great idea. Now he'd be livid. And my parents – what if I'd blown our cover? I scanned the area. No one seemed to have noticed the transformation.

A sign down the street beckoned, and beneath it a store. Picking up my principal, I began to walk.

The sign read, "Goodwill."


(4) nm8r67:

Jail bait.
Four years college, top honors at the Academy and she was stuck being jail bait. Snaring a serial rapist targeting runaways was vital, but she was being grossly underutilized. Apparently the powers that be were only interested in her lingering teenager-like figure and looks.
“Baby face,” her earpiece crackled, “you need to slouch.”
“Don’t call me that!” She couldn’t help it if she naturally possessed excellent posture.
“Okay, Rookie… just lose the Miss Manners pose. You’re a runaway, not debutant.”
Oh, after this sting operation, she was going to have words with her know it all partner.


(5) Mark Adair:

Another contest. Thank God.

In seventeen years, I’ve entered over a thousand…everything from simple one-dollar-raffles to more sophisticated watch-this-show-for-months-looking-for-clues.

I’m not sure why I love them, but I do. I truly love each and every one of them. If I neglect one, it totally stresses me out…I missed a deadline once - a basic one-hundred-word-fiction-writing thing. I couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep. Ended up at the doctor. I’ll never miss another one.

This one’s a bit weird - how long can a person sit on a suitcase out in the middle of major intersection. I bet I win.

I love contests.


(6) Rebecca LuElla Miller:

Grandma wouldn’t approve of me sitting on her suitcase.

“Dear Heart, you’ll break the hinges,” she’d say. “Even a slip of a girl like you is too heavy for that rickety piece. It will give under the pressure, and where will you end up then?”

But it’s not like there are dozens of other places to wait for the bus. It’s not like Grandma’s still around to care.

So I’m staying put, in the hope the bus comes before the hinges give way. In the hope I’ll end up somewhere better than this six by six patch of dusty ground.

***VOTE!***