Writing Challenge: When You’ve Scene It All

by Evan Yeong

First off, apologies to everyone who’s been wondering when the next Writing Challenge would be coming along. We’ve had so much to share recently, first in regards to our Warriors Wanted Blitz (still ongoing!) and then our call for Inspirational Historical Romance submissions (also ongoing!), that we simply haven’t had time to squeeze one in-

I had initially considered having this be yet another Historical challenge, but thought it would be nice to broaden the scope, especially toward those of you who may have WIPs set in the modern era. This is also a perfect opportunity for you to put a bit of what you might have learned this past Tuesday into practice!

Just like Bob Ross, I’m tasking all of you with writing a romantic scene of 400 words or less, with an emphasis on the setting. I want you to bring us into the world you’re creating, to the point where we can almost feel like we’re really there. Which brings us to the curveball I know you’re all dying to discover…

I want you to create your setting by utilizing all five senses but sight. You can write about trees and tables and your heroes and heroines, of course, but unlike Bobs Ross the point is to avoid relying on visuals. That means scale back on mentioning colours and shapes (though the latter can of course be felt with touch). Think about what your characters are hearing, smelling, and tasting! I’m well aware of how tough this might be, but you still have 4/5 of the senses available, and I known you’re up to the job!

All submissions are due on Sunday (June 14th) at 11:59 PM EST. We’re back to providing editorial feedback, and every submission that fits the outlined criteria will receive a response from one of the editors by Wednesday (June 16th) at the latest.


UPDATE: This week the editors received 30 eligible submissions which we are eager to dive into! You can expect your editorial feedback within the next few days, so we hope you get a lot out of that, and continue tuning back in to SYTYCW as there’s always something new around the corner!