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”

      6. The reason I thought you didn’t have to use a photo was because it said you do not have to use the suggested story starter.

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      7. You don’t have to use my suggested prompt but you do have to use a photo. Make to your own prompt for a photo. Otherwise, what’s the point of my doing all that work to find fun photo prompts? 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I’ll be looking for your name in the top three also! I really hope it’ll be there! (My name and yours!) Yes, i need to use a pic. Not sure whuch one yet…😋

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  9. Did you win any writing contest\giveaway\any other contest on this blog, Katie? I never did yet, though i hope to every contest that comes along!😊

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      1. Oh noooo Katie, im so sorry!! I had that happen to one of my books i was writing
        thank goodness i had sent it to someone tho so i could just have them send it back to me lol

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  10. i know, i’ve been there. I delated one of my stories once, and it was for a contest! Thankfully, i was able to rewrite it quickly and enter it. Actually, when we vote we won’t be able to see the names, but when the names are announced, i’ll be looking for yours!😀

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  17. I cant wait for July 7! When the writing contest starts. I know that itll be a lot of hard work, (and i probably wont win) but it is worth it to see my story up on this blog. 😃

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  18. Sorry for all the questions Mrs. M!! 🤦‍♀️ Is my title included in my word count? For example, if my title is five words, could i enter my story with a total of 2505 words?

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  19. I had this website bookmarked a while before but my computer crashed. I have since gotten a new one and it took me a while to come across this! I also really like the design though.

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    1. Why would you need to search for a photo? All of the photos are displayed on this page. You MUST choose one of these (reread the information under “contest photo story prompts.”) All you need to do is reference the one (by title-it’s in bold) that you used to launch your story, even if you go in a different direction. You do need to include an original TITLE for your story, however.

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      1. Wait a minute… it says in the rules that the groups are 9-12 and 13-17… NOT 14-17. Did you mean to change that? Those (9-13 and 14-17) were from last contest… 🤷‍♀️

        Liked by 1 person

  31. Can I use a picture, but not the heading? Like the “abandoned cabin” can I use the cabin, but does it have to be “abandoned”?
    Super excited for this contest!!!

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    1. Well …. Not really. I meant to put them up for sale so I ordered a bunch…. But I have this free shipping for anything on my site going all year. This means that the shipping I pay costs about what I would need charging for the keychains. So I works go broke. Lol

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  38. Can u do a story, but in two parts? This is hard to explain, but i’ll try. Can you enter two short stories (that are connected) as one story? Or are you even allowed to enter that? Sorry, tell me if that doesn’t make sense.😀

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    1. I’m not quite sure I understand what you are asking. Would they both have to do with the same photo you chose? Do you want to do two because one story is under the word count? Is it a point of view change (since you say they are connected)? That would be okay, but if it’s two completely different stories sent in as one, I would not count your chances of making into the Top Three very high. If you do go ahead, you will have to think of a way to transition the one story into the other because if it reads like two completely different stories, for sure the judges will be a little confused. I hope that makes sense.

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  39. All the answers in order they were asked; yes, yes, no it stays with Andi’s POV. If it doesn’t work out no problem.😊The stories are connected, but too short to be sent in by themselves. Both are from Andi’s POV.

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    1. I suggest that you work out some kind of transition so the story reads more like a part 1/part 2 rather than two completely different stories about the same picture. Either that, or figure out a way to expand each story to reach the word count and send in two stories (because you are allowed to submit two). I don’t think the story would do well if the reader (judge) was “cut off” in the middle of what she thinks is one story and then must start over again and read a second story. You can do what you want, but I doubt this kind of presentation would do well. That is my advice. You have six weeks to revise and polish and expand. Hey, if I can “add more” to the Terrible Secret novel, I know you can do this too! Watch the first writing video and make sure you have all five elements. It really doesn’t take much to make a story hit the minimum of 1,000 words. That used to be the word count for the 6-8 year olds in the old annual contest. So I’m sure you can do this if you put your mind to it.

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  41. One last suggestion for a prize if possible; The Terrible Secret. I love Trouble at the Lineshack and all, but i read it before (on this blog), and would love to see the Terrible Secret complete. It should come out in August, and the contest ends in in August. Just a thought.😉

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  46. I am excited to again be a judge in Andi’s and Mrs. Marlow’s contest. I love reading the stories–the hard part is recommending winners! This tells you how good they are! Have fun, everyone.

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  50. Am I able to revise a story I sent in for a different contest? I have one that would work great with one of the picture prompts!

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    1. You are taking a chance since it did not make it the other time but you can try….unless it has been posted as fan fiction. Then you may not. I suggest you revise it a lot so the judges don’t recognize it. 👍

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