Creative Nonfiction in The Ink Well Prompt #40
SourceWelcome to The Ink Well's weekly creative nonfiction contest!
In this post, we'll announce the winners from last week's contest and provide the prompt for the coming week.
Before You Write Your Creative Nonfiction Post...
We ask that you read our Creative Nonfiction Tips post to learn about the creative nonfiction genre and review our guidelines.
Important notes:
- Creative nonfiction stories are based on your real-life experiences.
- We are looking for real short stories! Not advice columns, reports on crime or corruption in your city, observations on nature, recipes, religion, politics, or any other nonfiction content. Just real-life short stories.
- Ideal story length is between 750 and 1500 words, but your story must be at least 350 words, at a minimum to be curated.
- Please focus on quality content. Read and edit for errors! Use a grammar checker before you post your story.
- We expect everyone who posts in The Ink Well to read and comment on at least two other stories for each one published.
- Do not post stories featuring physical abuse, graphic violence, erotica or NSFW content.
Last Week's Creative Nonfiction Winners
Thank you to all who participated in last week's prompt Belonging
Last week's participants
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Honorable Mentions of the Week
 | Craving Inclusion
I kept quiet. And decided to observe her more. When she got back, the girls sent her on multiple other errands and I was aghast. We were all in the same class. Why were they doing this? And more importantly, why was she letting them? Truth is, Miriam was one of my childhood friends but we’d grown up and somehow drifted apart but it didn’t mean I no longer cared about her so seeing that made me more than mad. |
 | Moving with the big guys
Nene invited me to join her clique of friends. I was skeptical initially because these were students that took their academics as a secondary reason for being on campus. The primary being partaking in the activities of their clique anywhere within town and even beyond. |
 | A Letter to My 16-Year-Old Self
I have always known what I wanted to do right from age 14, but while navigating my way through the university, my perspective and the world began to change. New trends and new waves of innovative solutions popped up. I thought I had everything figured out, but I quickly realized that I had only chosen what I wanted to do to feel a sense of belonging. After writing my final exams, I started dealing with midlife crises. I decided to confide in one of my older friends about my situation. And what he said made it worse. |
 | I Dared To Be Different
I was at home when he called on the phone and pretended to be a coursemate who needed to submit an assignment. I hurriedly got dressed to meet up with him at the ETF hall in school, but when I saw his face, I knew he wasn't a member of our class, as I was familiar with most of the faces in class. |
Third Place: Wins 2 Hive
Our third place winner is
A quiet place
Currently, I am still working as a volunteer. I have keys to the library and I am in charge of opening it in the evenings. Every time I arrive, feel like I am entering a parallel reality where time has stopped and silence is law. I look at the books on the shelves and get as excited as the first time. Ever since I was a teenager I dreamed of being in a place this quiet, away from the noise.
Second Place: Wins 3 Hive
Our second place winner is
Where Do I Belong?
My eyes widened in shock, my conscience battled against the temptation that beckoned me. A thousand thoughts swirled through my mind, questioning the morality of such an endeavor. In that moment, my quest to belong among the affluent of the society was never to belong through a means that degraded the steadfast principles that had guided me thus far.
First Place: Wins 5 Hive
Our first place winner is
I dreamt that I returned home
First I passed by my office and Mrs. Maritza was waiting for me with her usual cup of coffee, her friendly smile, her joking commentary. In the office my students were waiting for me, with the curiosity and impetuosity that only young people have. We chatted pleasantly and commented on impressive readings. My office smelled of incense, of coffee, but especially of camaraderie, of books and learning.
This Week's Prompt #40:
Curiosity
Curiosity is behind some of the most spectacular discoveries and developments known to humanity. However, it is also sometimes the very foundation of disillusionment and failure.
This week we ask you to write a creative personal story that reads like fiction using words related to 'curiosity'.
For this topic, there are several possible approaches. For example:
- Reflect on something that drove you mad with curiosity that you didn't have enough courage to pursue.
- Perhaps your insatiable curiosity allowed you to discover a career path in life that drove your success.
- Maybe a banned book or a movie ignited a burning curiosity in you, but ended in disaster when you were caught in the act of reading or watching.
- Discuss your sense of wonder about a curiosity that brought you good luck and fortune, and imagine how barren and emotionally devoid your life would've been without it.
Tell us about it! And remember to integrate storytelling elements like characters, scene setting, dialogue and action to bring your story to life!
Have fun and good luck! We look forward to reading your stories.
Contest Rules
- You have 6 days to write your story from the date of this prompt post. Be sure to check the deadline countdown.
- Write a real-life story with the creative elements of fiction, like characters, dialogue, scene setting and a story conflict.
- Post your story in The Ink Well Community.
- Please use the tags #creativenonfiction and #inkwellprompt on these posts. Other possible tags: #writing #inkwellprompt #nonfiction
- Stories must be written in English. If you've translated the post, it's best to add the original version below the translation. Do not write mixed language paragraphs.
- Read and comment on at least two stories in the community. Add a link to your story as a comment on this post.
And be sure to remember to join The Ink Well community!
Prizes
Prizes are only for stories written for this week's prompt
- First place : 5 Hive
- Second place : 3 Hive.
- Third place : 2 Hive.
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