Esther Chilton

You know how you’re sitting there, staring out the window, when an idea starts to form in your mind? Well, the idea for a new weekly series started to form in mine – an ‘I Challenge You To…’ series. So here’s the first one:

I Challenge You To… Write 5 mini-stories in 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 Words. Here’s an example:

20 words:

The publisher hit himself on the head with the thick book. He hadn’t ever got over turning down J.K. Rowling.

30 words:

Why couldn’t they get his name right? His name was Sam.

“Toto,” Dorothy called.

Sam wagged his tail and ran on stage. He’d better get a giant bone for this.

40 words:

He couldn’t believe she had done it again. If he had known she kept losing things he would never have married her. First it was one of her slippers and now her crown. Prince Charming shook his head at Cinderella.

50 words:

The pain was agonising. Someone had to come and rescue him soon. Horses’ hooves hurried towards him. He sighed. Why had they bothered to come? They wouldn’t be any good at all. All the King’s horses and all the King’s men wouldn’t be able to put him, Humpty, together again.

60 words:

She stared into the mirror. Her reflection stared back at her. The mist came swirling and swaying. The face appeared.

She opened her mouth.

“Don’t bother,” the mirror said, “you aren’t the fairest of them all. You were once, but you’re an ugly old bat now. I mean it.”

Snow White had to admit, age hadn’t done her any favours.

***

Now it’s your turn…

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