Okay, I can’t possibly be the only person in the blogosphere who thinks that writing a 500 word short story, whose theme revolves around birding, is a fun, creative exercise? Can I? October’s deadline passed without any submissions (after winning the first two I thought perhaps I’d take a break). I mean I’d like to win them all, but it would be nice if I wasn’t the only one submitting stories.
November’s First Friday deadline is November 1st, and the rules couldn’t be simpler. Write a 500 word piece of fiction, whose theme is birds or birding. So it needs a setting, character(s), conflict and resolution. Oh yeah and no anthromo.. anthroli.. dammit… no giving birds human characteristics. Come on, my bookshelves are already full.
You don’t have to be a blogger, just send your submission to Amy at WildBird on The Fly by November 1st. Still not convinced? How about a taunt?
I OWN First Friday, ain’t no one out there who can knock me off.
Comments
5 responses
sorry I haven’t visited in awhile Clare, hope all is well with you and yours..
and not giving birds ‘human-like’ qualities would honestly make for boring reading, at least to me.. for I was taught the medicine of birds long before I learned their taxonomic names. They have character, they have unique personalities, for lack of a better word. I too have every field guide known to man on birds, but the stories I love most, are stories where people SEE beyond the bird..
besides, I’m not a fan of WildBird Mag, so I’m sorry I won’t be contributing 😉
Glad to visit, will try to do so again soon my friend.
Hi Cindy, Good to hear from you. I’ve been visiting you regularily, just not commenting much. Been following your trials, wishing the best.
No doubt birds have characters, I just think they’re bird characteristics, not human. I’ve long thought that it was arrogant of us to think that birds would be, (or even want to be) like us. (And when I see the state of the world these days I’m thankful they aren’t)
It kind of reminds me of an interview I heard a long time ago with a ethnobotonist who had done a lot of of work in South America rainforests. At one point the interviewer asked if he talked to his plants and he replied along the lines of “Hell no. I mean plants can EAT SUNLIGHT, what makes you think they’d be in the least bit interested in what lowly, insignificant people might have to say!”
Sounds like you’re possibly warming up for NaNoWriMo? (http://www.nanowrimo.org)
I’ve had a user account there for a dog’s age, but have yet to set pen to paper… maybe this year.
Thx Jeff,
I’ve never heard of the National Novel Writing Month before. Actually sounds pretty intimidating. That works out to almost 1700 words/day. I’m lucky if I can get a 500 word piece of fiction done in a day.
Thanks for the promo, Clare. I received a submission just this morning.
Cindy said, “besides, I’m not a fan of WildBird Mag, so I’m sorry I won’t be contributing ”
We’ve all got different tastes (c: