Thursday, December 9, 2010

Is Santa a Gnome?

So here I sit, wracking my overused brain to find a topic for this post - something of such unbelievable value to everyone that it becomes a permanent bookmark on your browser - when it hits me.

My gnome looks a lot like Santa.

I know what you're thinking. Genius! Right? I mean he has the red hat, white beard, and is admittedly pretty round. Plus who's to say Santa doesn't change his clothes specially for the holiday?

In all seriousness (and this is where I tie it all in to writing and offer you free stuff, so watch the brilliance unfold). We don't normally connect garden gnomes with Santa Claus, but that's where our creativity as writers comes in to play. We see connections between things that are unique. We can look at a picture of a house and suddenly our mind is making up a story about the mysterious widow that lives there waiting for the ghost of her murdered lover to return. Okay, maybe you didn't think of that, but you get the idea.

So I don't want to hear any complaints about not having any good ideas. Got it? Pick up a random object off your own desk or shelf and make something up about it. Something not obvious to the rest of us. Then convince me. No really. Go do that and email it to me at paranormalpov at gmail dot com with "contest" in the subject line. I'll take the most creative one and post it right here on my blog, linking back to you. Then, if you are in the U.S. I'll give you a prize to boot! You can choose between a book (either Clockwork Angel, Personal Demons, or Beautiful Creatures, or anything of a comparable value) or a critique of up to ten pages. Go ahead, impress me! In two hundred words or less of course, since I anticipate the entire blogosphere participating. Why yes, I have been told I'm an optimist! How did you know?

You have until December 31st - 3 weeks from tomorrow. So get to work! Yes, I am aware that's New Years Eve, think of it like a resolution you can keep now. Not letting your creative juices sit on the back burner while keeping up with the holidays.

*Please note that I am changing the rules slightly. My contest after all. He he he. I'm extending the word limit to no more than 1000. That should give you some more wiggle room. But if your piece is shorter, that's fine. This is an exercise in creativity not length.

26 comments:

  1. Awesome! That makes an eerie kind of sense. Santa is a garden gnome. What a fun challenge, I'm on it!

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  2. Heather - Oooh! I can't WAIT to read your entry!!

    Matthew - thank you. Not sure if Santa wanted outing like that, but hey - he has to face the music sometime.

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  3. Actually, December 31st is New Year's Eve. December 30th is New Year's Eve's Eve ;)

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  4. Vicki - LOL I'm dying right now!!! That is hysterical and just goes to show exactly how crazed I am. I'll go change it. Or maybe I shouldn't because it's too funny!!

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  5. So maybe this is stupid question, but do we have to send you a picture of the object that has inspired the idea along with the email?

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  6. Amy- no stupid questions! It isn't mandatory, but it would be great, especially if it's something unique. :D

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  7. OMG. Santa is a gnome. Is that what you're trying to tell me? My world is rocked off balance.
    :/

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  8. Lydia - Don't worry! I'm sure he's a good gnome...

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  9. Santa's a gnome... who knew???? Love it! And great contest :)

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  10. He's adorable, except for looking larger than life. Like he's 10' tall, which is really scary. ;)

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  11. Stina - just an extreme close up. although you have to figure if Santa IS a gnome he probably has to do some growing. Or maybe that's how he fits down the chimney.

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  12. When I see this, I think of the Travelocity guy. "And don't forget your hat!" Now we can think of him saying, "And don't forget to be good!"

    Fun contest idea. I'm tweeting it now!

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  13. Aww thanks, Julie! He he Pssst. He IS the Travelocity gnome. I've kidnapped him.

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  14. interesting contest, now I'm going to need to find an object.

    Thanks for the challenge!

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  15. Fida - so glad you're going to give it a shot! Can't wait to read it. :D

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  16. I think the wooden pants hanger in my closet is looking a me weirdly. I'm just sayin'.

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  17. Leslie- I can think of oh so many responses to that. That's all I have to say. ;)

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  18. I'm excited and looking around at random objects already. Kitty curled up at my feet. New iHome that won't play my IPod and is making me very mad. My lucky nutcrackers that bare their teeth at me while I write.

    Um, are you looking for flash fiction or just expansion on an idea?

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  19. Margo - so glad you're back around the blogosphere!! I'm going to be annoyingly vague and say see where the idea takes you. But since you have more room to work with, you can most certainly expand to a short story/flash fiction if you like!

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  20. hi again, i have one question. When we send you our short story do you want it attached or in the body.

    I like things to be specific, if you don't mind. Thanks!

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  21. Fida - either way is fine with me. If you send an attachment, please save as a pdf file. Thanks!

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  22. ok! I'll probably copy it onto the body, it's easier :-)

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