I'm not sure if this will help or hurt with clearing things up, but when we were first discussing new comp ideas and this one was proposed I told them my mind automatically went to horror. I had an entire scene play out in my mind. Of course it went to horror that's the category I enjoy writing in the most.

So, it doesn't have to be a real-life incident but as I said above we will accept them.

Quote by CuriousAnnie

Molly, when you say "Tell us what that sparks in you," are you referring to the previous paragraph: "If you’ve ever been outside alone in the snow, you know that silence is like no other. We’ve heard it said that the silence in the snow is so loud. It can even feel a bit unnatural or unsettling in the right setting. (my bolding added.) "  

Or referring to the first paragraph “the utter absence of auditory distraction(s)” however that absence is caused, i.e. snow isn't essential and one could for instance be say underground in a cave or wearing noise cancelling headphones?

The simple answer is all of it. What does all of that pull from your creative mind?

Quote by TheShyThespian

Molly, is this to be a personal piece, or are we allowed completely fictional stories with a 'sound of silence' theme? Does it have to be 'real' - which I was sort of taking from your description?

We've left it open so it can be real or fictional. Whichever comes to your mind.

Quote by Mendalla
(Psst. You misspelled Garfunkel.)

Every single time. I think I like to leave you little things to find now. It's like a word search!

Good morning/afternoon! Things have been a bit hectic on my end, same as everyone else's. I hope everyone can take a moment for themselves to relax, breathe, enjoy, some sweets, and perhaps write a little. Perhaps in our new competition. https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/writing-competitions-and-calls-for-submissions/the-sound-of-silence-competition

To get you started on the sweets. This is the only Christmas treat I've had time to make. They are my granny's potato candy or peanut butter pinwheels.

The Sound Of Silence

Welcome to our new and last competition of the year! We listened and decided to go with a Flash. We imagine that many of us see the title of this competition and instantly flash to Simon and Garfunkel’s song of the same name. Some say that song is about being next to someone and unable to connect with them. I once read that it may refer to “the utter absence of auditory distraction(s)”. This is the one we are going with. 

If you’ve ever been outside alone in the snow, you know that silence is like no other. We’ve heard it said that the silence in the snow is so loud. It can even feel a bit unnatural or unsettling in the right setting.  

This is where you come in. Tell us what that sparks in you. It doesn't have to be unnatural and unsettling, it can be beautiful and romantic. It can be a place to reset your mind and soul. Whatever it all means to you. All categories are open except poetry, songs, musings, and plays. 

There is one requirement, (outside of the Flash word count), you must include the line "the silence is too loud" or "the silence was too loud" depending on past or present tense stories.

Edited to add: I apologize if I wasn't clear by the picture and by talking about the silence from the snow, but the theme of this comp is snow related.

Quick Rules:

You must include “the silence is/was too loud” (based on past or present tense). 

The maximum word count is 1000.

You cannot submit already published work.

All Stories Space rules and guidelines apply.  https://www.storiesspace.com/legal/acceptable-use-policy

The ending date is January 12, 2025 

The winners will be announced on January 18, 2025

Prizes:

1st Place $175 (USD)

2nd Place $75 (USD)

3rd Place $50 (USD)

Have fun and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask!

Morning... I'm dragging. So, here's some peanut butter cookies with Hershey's Kisses in them because that is what I'm making today.

Please know that I have seen all of these and hear all of you and your concerns. I take it to heart and care about SS too. Also, know that even if you don’t see the efforts, I have been doing things off of SS to bring in more readers and writers. I advertise and share word of mouth about each and every comp as well. It saddens me that the site has slowly grown silent and that it doesn’t get the attention and care it deserves. I will continue to move forward, offering y’all comps, and hoping that some of you will enter them. Perhaps one day StoriesSpace will get the consideration it deserves and we will once again flourish. Until then, know that I appreciate your efforts and your continued presence. We wouldn’t be here without all of you. 

~~

Here's a little cheesecake for your evening snack.

To add to your cookie pile. Happy Halloween!

I saw these and thought they were adorable. Just in case some of you wanted a little fruit with all the sweets.

Halloween cupcakes for you.

I hope everyone has been enjoying their Friday. Here's some cookies to help. 😊

Thank you all for your input. So far it seems like Flash and Humor are the top runners here. Humor is tough, I find myself hilarious (yes, humor is subjective), and even I haven't tried writing in that category. Hmm, I'll give this more time, but let's see what I can come up with.

How my morning started

I'm handling it like a champ! So far. I'll burn out by noon, especially since I don't like caffeine. Does someone want to drink coffee for me?

Good morning/afternoon all. I wanted to leave a few things here for everyone. https://www.storiesspace.com/forum/writing-competitions-and-calls-for-submissions/competition-inquiries

They are not as lovely as the cookies above, but one cannot pop in the lounge and not leave a tasty offering.

We wanted to do something a little bit different. Competitions have always been a fun way to bring buzz around here. Since you are the brilliant minds behind the site, we wanted to allow you to give your opinions on future competitions. I’ve attached a poll to get an idea of what categories you would like to see more of or ones you’d like us to avoid. Please feel free to discuss ideas below. There’s no guarantee we will pick any of them, but it’s always nice to see fresh ideas.