05 September 2011

Campaign Writing Challenge ~ 05 September 2011

Here's the first writing challenge of the Campaign...

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)


For those who want an even greater challenge, make your story 200 words EXACTLY!


...My First Flash Fiction/Writing Challenge...


To Grant An Entrance, Nadja Notariani

The door swung open, revealing, at last, the object that had for weeks consumed her thoughts. Heart pounding, she raised her eyes, wary to expose destiny lest it disappoint, compelled toward discovery. At once, the presence engrossed her senses, dominating the modest surroundings.
Impressive height and broad shoulders enhanced the masculinity she beheld, eliciting a prickling of gooseflesh over her skin, whether from pleasure or apprehension not yet decided. Dark hair curled around forehead and temple, framing not a handsome face, but a strong and tolerable one. His eyes were what hers sought, the windows to his soul. She trembled in anticipation, felt the choking grip of fear weave its tendrils about her throat in the exquisite torment as she waited. Earthy warmth emanated from the depths that held her gaze, comforting, commanding, simmering with the promise of the heady emotion she had dared imagine while awaiting her arranged husband's arrival.
His hesitant smile opened the door to her heart a sliver as she accepted the wide, calloused hand he offered.
I have come to take you home.”
His simple words whispered much.
Following him into the sunshine, she was vaguely aware as behind them the door swung shut.

83 comments:

  1. Beautiful. Poetic and romantic. I'm glad I posted mine before I started reading everyone elses, I might not have had the guts to go up against such stiff competition.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love the romance. Nice piece of writing.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you Jen! I enjoyed your piece, too. It is amazing to me how many variations come from out of those simple opening words.
    AJ ~ I'm so glad you stopped by. I've read through number 27 so far. There are so many, I'll have to look again for yours. Thank you for your kind words. ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like the dynamics you've set up between these two people. It's amazing what we can do with 200 words beginning with the same four.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks Theresa! I couldn't agree with you more. I have been so impressed with the variety of storylines. ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice description/emotion, but I found it a little creepy that she thinks of him as 'an object' in the first line :) ...it's so detached, it makes him seem less than human, somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love the fact it was her husband and not a man she was going to have a fling with! Don't know why but I liked to think fo the passion between a married couple. Good job Nadja!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I love that. You certainly have a way of setting tone within a few words. FABULOUS!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Am I the only one who gets super excited at the mention of a calloused hand? Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  10. (((Em)))...Me too... We must be kindred spirits :)

    Christine ~ thank you!

    Alleged ~ You are not the only one...love a man who works with his hands... ha!

    ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very interesting. Lots of description! I enjoyed it :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Loooooove this! FYI I just went to your Amazon page to add CtP to my wishlist. Don't forget to tag your book so folks can find them...scoll down to the bottom of your amazon book page and fill in any appropriate tags. IIRC, you can also tag your amazon author page, but I'm not sure.

    ReplyDelete
  13. East Coaster ~ Thanks for the tips. I'm new to all of this... Frankly, it's a bit overwhelming. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me better my amazon search results.
    Giles ~ Thanks. I'm certain it's not what a guy would normally gravitate toward, so I say a hearty 'Thanks' for taking the time to read! :)
    ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  14. Nice. Should all arranged marriages appear so promising. =D

    ReplyDelete
  15. love the arc of the story in so few words. :) great stuff!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Nice! I love your romantic take on the challenge.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nice!

    Fellow campaigner here - we're in the same adult fiction group. I write just about everything - from PBs on up to adults. Looking forward to getting better acquainted!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Really atmospheric, you have managed to get so much into 200 words.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Beautifully written, very emotional and romantic. Love it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I'm thinking you write romance. Very nice. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Great little story! I could see the scene play out!

    ReplyDelete
  22. A very romantic story! Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Wow, the anticipation is palpable! Very well done. I'm a new follower from the campaign - I've been following you around all day!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks to all! I'm so glad you all enjoyed this. It was my first 'go' at flash fiction - And it was incredibly fun. I will definitely try it again! ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  25. Love it! as far as arranged marriages go, I'm thinking this lady didn't do too badly. Wooo yeah!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I really like this. I love a good romance.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow Nadja! Very evocative piece that vividly conveys what's going through the woman's mind. I like your style!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks Gary! That's something coming from the male perspective. Quite encouraging:) ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  29. Nadja, I love this piece. So descriptive and so much said in those few words! This is a story I would read. Great Job!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Thank you, Maeve! Lady Gwen, Tricia, Nicole, Jessica, Story, Ruth, Kristen, Angela, Susie, Nicole, Raelyn, Jodi, and Donna - You all are so great to stop by and comment. I've been reading all around today - and the list keeps growing. This will be a few days of reading, for sure. My son, who is fifteen, even sat and read a number of challenge entries with me. We both love all the different stories. ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  31. Nicely done. I like the way you brought us to the obvious conclusion while still keeping it interesting. I'm #72

    ReplyDelete
  32. Beautifully romantic. Very well done. My in-laws were an arranged marriage and just celebrated their 50th a couple of weeks ago. :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Kimberly ~ That's really encouraging. Fifty years is quite an adventure! Arranged marriages are often highly successful - even in this country! It's not for everyone, though :)
    Thank you for stopping by and leaving such a wonderful comment!
    Bridget ~ Nice to meet you! What groups are you joining in during the campaign?
    ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  34. LOVE this! Your writing is beautiful and so sophisticated. I'd absolutely read more if this were the beginning of a novel. Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  35. This left me wanting to know more about her. Where she was when he came for her, and why she was there. A lot of emotion in this scene, which hooks a reader in. I was glad it was the husband, too.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I was captivated by this. So much packed into 200 words. And very poetic.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Sweet that the marriage is so full of affection and love. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  38. That was beautiful. An arranged husband -- she's got lucky, didn't she? I don't imagine they all go as well as that! You convey a lot in these 200 words. She's so hopeful, and he is going to fulfill those hopes.

    (By the way, you asked at my blog what a D'Eagle is... it's a gun. One is actually on the cover of my book, Sleeping with Skeletons.)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Do you know what my first reaction to this was? "Rowr!" Haha! I loved it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. I would love to know what happens next!

    ReplyDelete
  41. Thanks again to everyone who has stopped by and commented! I'm still reading away...there are so many variations. I don't know how to vote anymore! I'm certainly glad I didn't get the call to judge for this one...lol. This is going to be a difficult job. I am ever impressed anew with everyone's creativity ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  42. Very poetic and romantic! I was caught off guard by the arranged husband. It then transported me to another country and the back to the 19th century. Would love to know what you were thinking.

    Patricia T.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Hi,

    Oh very nice, and sensual with it! ;)

    best
    F

    ReplyDelete
  44. Very nice. Excellent imagery. I could see this guy, and I could tell the POV character knew him well. Great job, Nadja! :)

    ReplyDelete
  45. It adds a romantic and promising touch to the idea of arranged marriages .
    I could actually see this scenario play out in my mind's eye ... vivid description ! Lovely !
    You can read my entry at no.#59 on the linky list.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Oh, Nagja! That's wonderful. The description of the husband was hot. ; )

    ReplyDelete
  47. Lovely writing. I would love to hear the rest of that story :)

    ReplyDelete
  48. Oh, the intrigue and allure you have created here!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Wonderful. I loved the feelings evoked in so few words.

    ReplyDelete
  50. Many thanks. I enjoyed the writing; it's great to hear friendly comments on something that is so gratifying to do. I've made it to #133 on the list, being entertained all the way along. ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  51. Great and poetic entry. It was evocative and snared the reader immediately to draw him/her into your world and your MC's heart and head.

    Thanks for visiting my blog, Roland

    ReplyDelete
  52. It's a poetic piece. I like that it's easy to feel the sense of completion to her thoughts. Well done.

    ReplyDelete
  53. Love, love, love the closing image; really made this hit home! Will you do another romance for the next challenge?

    ReplyDelete
  54. Wonderful imagery here, I can completely feel her awe when seeing him for the first time--pleasure and relief. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  55. I love the way you described the scenery..nice story!

    http://www.doreenmcgettigan.com

    ReplyDelete
  56. This was so lyrical in the way it flowed. Really enjoyed this.

    ReplyDelete
  57. LOVE.

    Also, swooning. :D

    ReplyDelete
  58. You all are just great to leave such wonderful comments!
    Jamila ~ 'swooning'...quite possibly my favorite word in all the comments. I want to swoon...really. Ha!
    ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  59. Very beautiful! I loved the hope and trust it conveyed. :D

    ReplyDelete
  60. *Wow.*

    I'm going to be very blunt here. As a man, I often think I lack the capacity to be enamored with or turned on by words. Not the case here, Nadja -- this is one of the most compassionate, intriguing, and sexy pieces I've read in quite awhile. Your word choice is beautiful and compelling.

    I wish you all the best! I'm so excited to read more when you post it!

    - Rance

    ReplyDelete
  61. 'Gulp'
    '...Wonders if I'm up for the challenge...lol'
    Thank you Rance! Really. ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  62. The first romantic piece I've read for this challenge; it was lyrical and tastefully written. :)

    ReplyDelete
  63. I love the ending. Such a great build up, and, yes, very romantic.

    (I thought I'd already commented on your flash, but don't see a comment, so if I'm duplicating myself, apologies.)

    ReplyDelete
  64. Wow, this is one of the most beautifully worded, poetic love stories I have read, wish there was more. Like others have said you will be hard to beat I think. I know I could learn a lot from you.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Nice! Beautiful, tastefully sexy, yet sweet. :) If only all arranged marriages could be so promising. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  66. Again, thank you all! :) Patient - I think, after reading your entry - that you know quite a bit about writing romance! ;)
    ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  67. Lovely. So much evoked by that phrase, 'I have come to take you home.'

    ReplyDelete
  68. I can say that I am not one for romantic readings. This, however, pulls you in. It takes you there to the sights, the feeling, and the emotion: anticipation, fear, and excitement. Keep it up, Nadja! Excellent work.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Exquisite. :) Your descriptions are so poetic, and the romance... swoon worthy.

    ReplyDelete
  70. Deniz, Sangu, Julius, and Avery...Thank you :) What a great challenge this is! I've now read through entry 165. Whew! There are so many more... did you see?...over 300! ~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete
  71. Oh this was fun. I love a happy ending :-)

    ReplyDelete
  72. You did a FANTASTIC job with your 200 words, Nadja! Love the emotion you packed into this. Great story!

    ReplyDelete
  73. You don't come across too many anticipated arranged marriages. I love that you made it exciting, romantic and dare I say...juicy:)
    Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  74. You have crammed a lot of emotion in this scene. I enjoyed the small snippet and I found myself wondering about your MC, where this is set and in what time.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Hi,Nadja! Cool scene. I'm an Historical romance junkie too. That's what it felt like. Am I right? Great job.

    ReplyDelete
  76. Great flash-fiction! Your 200 packed a lot of punch! Thank you so much for stopping by my blog and your sweet words of support!!!

    ReplyDelete
  77. Thanks everyone! I've been able to visit so many great blogs and read so many great posts as I visit back...~ Nadja

    ReplyDelete