Writing Wrongs

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June 05, 2007

So a while back, I entered the winter flash fiction contest at Women on Writing (AKA WOW!) with a little something I called TP-ing Casa de Clooney. It made the “long” list of honorable mentions, which was nice. It’s currently under consideration at a flash fiction magazine (made the first cut and I’m waiting to hear if it makes the final one).

Anyway, with that honorable mention, they promised to send a goody bag. Uh, bag being one of those relative terms.

I came home last night to find a big (!) box from the nice women at WOW!:

Now that’s some serious swag.

They promised; and boy, did they deliver. This is one of the nicest prizes I’ve ever received in writing contest. I mean, for a long list honorable mention, I’d be pleased if they spelled my name right on the certificate.

Inside the box, I found, in no particular order:

• A bright yellow messenger bag.


• A WOW! hat that Andrew immediately tried to steal, despite the fact it proclaims women on writing.


• Two scented candles.


• A “stress buster” kit--a small, red, inflatable bat, which Kyra immediately tried to steal so she could go pound on her brother.


• A travel manicure kit. It includes the usual implements of destruction, along with something that looks like a seam ripper. Seriously? This is a beauty item? I’m so lame. I have no idea what it’s used for, but it looks lethal.


• Two scented candles. I gave Kyra the pink one.


• A little heart-shaped basket of candy, most of which I’ve already consumed. I gave Kyra the basket. The candle fits perfectly inside.


• Some notes cards and a nice handwritten note from the WOW! editors.


• The Accidental by Ali Smith.

Uh … like … wow.

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

Not bad for a 500-word story I wrote one morning. I probably shouldn’t admit that. But this was a “gift” story. It wrote itself in my head and I simply typed it out. It usually doesn’t work that way. I think I changed one sentence and one word. I let it sit, thinking, no, that can’t be it.

It was. I sent it in, and a few months later, I get a gift box.

See? You work at this writing thing long enough, people will start sending you things in the mail. Sometimes you don’t want these things.

And sometimes, you do.

Wow.

Charity Tahmaseb wrote at 9:58 a.m.

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