Current Contest

📝May 1-May 31 📝

Circle C & Goldtown Fall Writing Contest (10/10 – 11/13)

Check out the winners here: FALL WINNERS > Check out all of the entries here: ENTRIES >

🖼️Fall Contest: Picture Prompts 🖼️

You may choose one of these picture prompts to jump start your imagination. Or, you may find a picture of your own to write about. Make sure the picture is historically accurate and relevant to Circle C or Goldtown. Click each image to enlarge it (and download if you want). Thank you, Anaya, Sara, and Emma for contributing to our Photo Prompts. 👏🏼

1. Why is Andi hiding in this tree?
2. Why is Jem in this flume?
3. Riley? Chad? What’s going on?
4. How did Justin get hurt?
5. Who is it? What is he up to?
6. Chad and his son Thomas
7. Fire!
8. A Broken Fence!
9. Young Carter Brothers
10. Andi in a mountain river
11. Andi at the Seashore?
12. Jem or another in a gold mine.
13. Runaways?
14. Who lives in this shack?
15. Palomino Tobiano from where?
16. Who? What? Where? Why?
17. Three Gold-hunting Boys
18. Melinda? Here? Why?

📝 Fall Contest: Word Prompts 📝

You may choose a word prompt to jump start your imagination. However, if you have your own Circle C or Goldtown idea, that’s fine too! Just make sure it’s historically accurate and relevant. You may also combine a picture with a word prompt! Whatever you want to do! Don’t forget to read the rules to see the word count and how to send your story. Read on to find three categories of writing prompts.

“What If?” Prompts

Write a new plot twist or different ending to one of these Circle C Adventures favorites.

  1. What if Andi cannot escape Jed Hatton, and he takes her to Mexico? How does she get home? (Dangerous Decision)
  2. What if Troy Swanson catches up with Andi and the kids and he snatches Betsy or Hannah and leaves. What happens next? (Family Secret)
  3. What if Ellie had obeyed and gone with Nathan back to Goldtown and Jem was left tied to the tree? How would he escape? (Badge of Honor)
  4. What if Andi, Jenny, and the little Chinese girls are not able to escape from the warehouse and end up being shanghaied to China? How do they get back to America? (San Francisco Smugglers)
  5. What if the mountain lion in Trouble with Treasure comes back the next day?
  6. What if Jack Goodwin does not have a change of heart and does not bring Taffy back in Price of Truth? Does Mr. Wilson sell Taffy? If so, how does Andi find her?
  7. What if Taffy does not die in The Last Ride?
  8. What if Riley does not find Andi and Lucy in time in Courageous Love, and they are taken to Mexico? How do they rescue baby Sammy and get home to their families?
  9. What if Jem was not able to rescue his sister, Ellie, from the River Duchess and she ended up in San Francisco lost and alone? (River of Peril)
  10. Find your own plot event from a Circle C (or Goldtown) book and write a new plot twist and/or ending.

“Point of View” Prompts

  • 11. Cory’s point of view when he heads down the mountain to get help and is grabbed by Deputy Hugh Baker. (Trouble with Treasure)
  • 12. The cowhand Toledo’s POV from any scene in Heartbreak Trail.
  • 13. Cory’s “story” after he and Andi part ways and he heads to the Hawaiian Islands and finally makes his way to Washington Territory. (“Auld Lang Syne” from Stranger in the Glade)
  • 14. Jenny’s POV from any scene in San Francisco Smugglers or Trouble with Treasure.
  • 15. Write from any character’s POV you choose from any Circle C or Goldtown book.

Other Random Story Prompts

  • 16. When Dakota ran into the ranch yard with no saddle and sweating like his hide was on fire, Andi knew something was wrong.
  • 17. The chestnut looked like she had seen cruelty her whole life. Her sides were scarred and bleeding and her head hung low, the only sign of life in her thin frame found in her deep, fiery eyes. The blond-haired girl looked from the mare to Andi. “You have to help me save her.”
  • 18. Andi and Riley (plus their children) go to the Circle C for Sunday evening supper to find everyone gone without a trace!
  • 19. The circus comes to town, and Andi Prescott is shocked to see Toledo (Heartbreak Trail) preforming with his horse, Sultan!
  • 20. Andi has found a new pet. What is it? And what adventure (or trouble) does this new pet bring?
  • 21. Come up with your own idea for a story, based on the Circle C or Goldtown stories.

🎁Fall Contest: Pick Your Prizes🎁

One winner from each of the two age categories (ages 9-12 and ages 13-17). Each winner may pick one item from each of the categories (#1, #2, #3). If you choose a tumbler (#2), you may choose which series you want it to highlight. If you choose a audiobook (#3), you may choose the audiobook. It will be delivered to you as an instant download, unless you specifically ask for the audiobook to be loaded onto a USB drive. Note: These are the last two Terrible Secret books. Of course, you can always order a copy (with the new cover) from Lulu.com >

👀 Check These Rules Before Sending 👀

👉 Include all of these on your actual story submission (None of these count as part of your word count).

  1. Name and age
  2. Email
  3. An original title for your story
  4. The number of the picture and/or prompt you used (If you did not use a prompt, say so ).

👉 Keep your story under 3,000 words (no exceptions). Note this change in word count!

👉 Two age groups: 9-12 and 13-17, one winner from each age category. Contest ends Wednesday, November 13 @ 5pm Pacific Time. Winners announced Friday, November 22.

👉 You may enter ONE story as a Word Document, a Google Doc, or in the body of your email. NO PDF files.

👉 Send your story to CircleCAdventures@gmail.com (Only to this address. Please do not send to any of Mrs. M’s other email addresses. I would feel badly if you story got lost, which will happen if stories are scattered among my various emails.

👉 I accept international entries, but I ship physical prizes to US addresses only. If the winner is international, I’m sure we can work out a deal for digital prizes. 😊

1,257 thoughts on “Current Contest”

    2. Yay!! I’m glad the contest is still on for all the ones who submitted stories!!! I can’t wait to read them!!
      Mrs M, will it be readers choice or do you have set judges? 🙂

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      Reply

      1. Probably not until Wednesday. I have to give myself and the judge at least one day to read through them all. Here’s the deal on the Readers Choice idea. The last time I did a reader’s choice, one very, very determined (it had to be a parent with the younger kids) must have asked all their friends and relatives to vote, as one of the stories got like . . . over 500 votes (and the older stories were just in the hundreds’ range). So, I think the contest ended up “rigged.” So, since that is not fair, I’ve made a point to find a judge to help me be totally fair.

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    1. Hello Lexi!
      I really love your stories you wrote before, would you like to share stories every once a while? Maybe with a few other story writers here on this page? 🙂 let me know

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      1. OMG I’m so sorry I never replied! LOL! Anyway, yes, that’d be fine. I’m so happy you liked my stories!

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  10. Hi Mrs M! Are you able to tell us what the stories are supposed to entail for the Spring Writing Contest🙂. Thank you for doing these writing contests!! They are a ton of fun, and I have a lot of fun participating!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Well… I haven’t thought about it yet. Lol I’m up to my eyebrows in the current contest still. If anyone has a fun and unique idea, feel free to share in the comments.

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      Reply

  11. Can’t wait to read the winning stories! When tomorrow (March 4) do you think you will be posting who won? Thanks for making contests!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. I have an idea…
    What about doing a contest about someone or an event only mentioned in the book, like when Feng Chee got caught, maybe a background story/what happened after the Deckers left Fresno, etc

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      1. Thanks! But, another question. Can i enter 2 enteries? And, can i do the story from the horses point of view? Just wondering

        Liked by 2 people

  24. Hi, I have a quick question about the Spring Writing Contest. Does the story have to be about Andi and have her in it, or, could I, for instance, do one about the Carter brothers when they were young and Andi wasn’t born? Sorry if that doesn’t make sense (I’ve only been on the blog for a couple months, but have read the books since age 5).

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  30. Wow… your first time? I remember my first time was only three contests ago- and I (did not) win, just so you know. That one was very fun to write! Your going to have the best time! Can’t wait to see your story!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  37. I can’t wait to see all the cool stories on here! I also can’t wait to vote. I’m not going to vote for my own story, just because I don’t think I should. I’m sure there will be better stores, too!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

      2. That’s where you end a scene and then if you want to switch point of view or setting, you can use a little graphic or even three asterisks, like this. ***

        Andi ran quickly toward the barn. Chad was there.
        She hoped he didn’t see her missed chores. Maybe I can sneak back out, she thought.
        ****
        Chad glanced around the barn. Andi had missed her chores again. This is so frustrating, he said to himself.

        The *** shows readers that I went from what Andi was doing or thinking to what Chad was doing or thinking.

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      3. Thanks for that! Also, do I have to put the ***? Could I just say: [Chad’s POV], or: [Andi’s POV]?

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