Welcome to the most 1337 writing contest on Steemit!

Hey all!!

So, as many of you know I’m new here at Steemit. Some of you may have started to ‘get to know me a little’… which is great… that’s exactly what I’m here for 😀

I love Steemit. I’ve only been here a month but, that whole time I’ve been so excited by it’s potential, and so inspired by the people I’ve found here and the content they are creating.

I’m always asking the question - ‘How can I contribute more?’…

The Inspiration.

I’m very much into numerology and feel like the Universe often chooses the time and numbers to talk to me in life, and 11:11 is one I often see.

Then it struck me.

One of my favorite parts about Steemit is all the amazing contests that people run… and so I thought...

Why not contribute to that part of the platform myself??!?

SO WELCOME!!!

To the 1111 Writing Contest - Week 3 - Prompt - 'Change'

Each contest will introduce a new prompt. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to take that prompt and do something with it, the only limitation being the character count - which of course - is 1111 characters in total (and this includes spaces!)

There are no rules apart from this - you must not go over 1111 characters and you can be under by a maximum of 11, making 1100 characters the minimum acceptable for an entry - and this would include any title you may give your piece if you choose to.

Apart from that, it’s totally open. You do not have to reference the prompt but it must be clear that your writing was inspired by it. It doesn’t have to rhyme or have rhythm, or be a poem, or a song, or a story… absolutely any creation based on this prompt will be counted for entry. Be creative!

However - there are things to consider.

We’re all winners here - But if you REALLY wanna win then...

I will be the judge of this contest as it begins and there will be certain things that might make me more likely to choose you as a winner.

These include -

1. Degree of wisdom / positivity / useful knowledge / inspiration for others in the post.
2. Any posts that are exactly 1111 characters with spaces (and include other numbers i.e. 333 words)
3. Creativeness of approach.
4. Level of interaction with other submissions and participants of the contest (i.e. commenting and good feedback given to others will be noticed).
5. Feeling generated inside when I read it and relevance of any extra content that is added into the entry itself.
6. Sense of how ‘free-flowy’ the piece was - If it feels like the writing was written with a
   free-write mentality this will gain extra points in my eyes - I like stuff that is spontaneous and you can feel that within the writing!

Do the things ya gotta do…

In order to participate -

1. Please post your submissions in the comments of this post.
2. Please upvote and resteem this post - the more people that get involved the higher the prizes will become. (Not necessary for entry but highly appreciated)
3. Please follow me and stay in touch with future 1111 contests (planned to be weekly).
4. Please tag any friends who you know like to write and would enjoy this!
5. If you would like to put your submission into your own post that contains a link to THIS post and you win the contest - you will win 1 BONUS STEEM. There are no requirements for hash tags. [If you do this please also still post your submission into the comments here.]
6. DEADLINE for submissions will be on Sundays, at 11:11 PM GMT. So for this first contest, please ensure your submission is with me by 11:11 PM GMT on Sunday 11th March (ooooh look at that! 11’s everywhere!)

The Concept of the Contest.

So when I got struck with the idea for this I instantly knew it was gonna produce gold. I feel that when people get focused on that number, 1111, that they are going to get inspired to come out with some beautiful pieces of writing - short, sharp but infinitely powerful.

I also wanted to create a contest that people could enter quickly. I encourage a ‘free-writing’ style and not to think about what your writing in the moment too much - Try as much as possible to just let it flow. Editing and tweaking can always be done after to polish it! But this is not a requirement - Please write in whatever way feels best to you for you to produce the best result.

I believe in good wages - so if you win this contest and only spent let's say 11 minutes writing your 1111 characters, and you win 4 STEEM with the bonus, that equates to a wage of around £60 per hour… Not bad for having fun with a bit of writing ay! 😉

Apart from the one prompt which is just there for inspiration and a little direction, I wanted this contest to be as open as possible - so please feel free to take this on any tangents you wish. There are really no other rules to the writing aspect apart from using the prompt as some sort of inspiration or guide for your piece.

Time to take the loot!

So what's up for grabs then booty seekers?! Well, we have the following -

TOP PRIZE - 3 SBD
3 Runner Up Prizes - 0.33 SBD
1 Bonus SBD on offer - For anyone that POSTS their writing on their blog with a link to THIS CONTEST POST and then wins the competition that week. New Rules - To qualify for the bonus steem you must also Resteem and Upvote this post.

TOTAL PRIZE POOL - 5 SBD!

Prizes may be tweaked over the weeks as we see how this contest goes. When I can afford it, I will increase the prize amount and the number of winners to make this more exciting for people.

1111 Writing Contest WEEK 2 WINNERS ANNOUNCED!!

So! Another week of plenty of beautiful entries... thank you all that participated!

I am please to announced the winners for week 2!

Claiming top prize for his beautiful piece about reunion - @stevenwood has taken this weeks first prize. His entry can be found below -

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An ethereal light dances in the periphery of my vision what can it be, I wonder, but can form no real decision Is this the moment told to me, by an angel in the past? Could it be I'm homeward bound and out of pain at last?

Am I prepared to journey back to the place from whence we hail?
When, once, to cling onto my life, I'd have fought with tooth and nail
But now I'm so much older, I'm weaker now you see
A life lived well behind me, leaves me eager and ready

I'm coming home my Darling, I will see you once again
The years have made me love you more, but always I had pain
Our happy life together, by one shot, it was cut short
But now the time will soon be here, again, you'll be my port

Its not like how they tell you, 'bout life flashing by your eyes
All I see are the happy times, and each one draws more sighs
For the hours almost here now, rapt anticipation grows
A wondrous sound beside me and a soothing golden glow

My ailments forgotten my rapture is here, I notice, not, the pain
A majestic harps crescendo, like sunshine after rain
The site before my eyes, I can't believe it's true
I am being led back home by YOU

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The runner up prizes of 0.33 SBD will go to the following three writers (in no particular order) -

1. @eaglespirit for her intriguing fantasy story that left me asking questions about what happens next! A great read and I suggest you read HERE
2. @tygertyger for her piece about the loss of hope and the feleing of 'not-belongingness' - A touching and thought-provoking read! Why don't you read it HERE
3. @jemzem for sharing with us ways in which we can actively try to produce heaven right here on Earth - A lovely read - Do check it out HERE
   
   Special mention goes to all entrants for gracing us with your presence here... Although we can't all be winners, you are all still winners just for entering and sharing your beautiful writings with us... Thank you SO MUCH for your participation. I hope you enjoyed writing for this contest and will continue to do so. Please tell any friends you think would enjoy writing for this!

So! See below the screenshot for confirmation of payments 😃

1111 WRITING CONTEST - WEEK 3 Prompt - ‘Change’

So the prompt for Week 3 is - ’Change’

Please use that in any way you feel to inspire or spark your writing of 1111 characters (including spaces) and let’s see what happens here!

Each week I will write for the contest too - Here is my writing for this weeks prompt 'Change'-

Things change.
Nothing ever stays the same.
Planets shift.
Stars align.
Winds blow,
Tectonic plates flow.
Around the sun,
We go
We go.
So often we wish things wouldn't change.
We love it so much we never want it to re-arrange.
But,
Well...
That's just not how life works.
We get stuck in maintenance mode,
Forgetting the need to create,
Then naturally what follows next,
Is your dreams begin to disintegrate.
Because the dream you had of it...
Lasting Forever,
Is a dream that can never come true,
No matter how clever,
Or sly,
Or cunning,
You can face the music,
Or you can keep on running.
But if you run there's really nowhere to hide,
Because the scenery will rush on by,
As you continue on this ride.
It's always changing,
Always flowing,
Yet always on the right track,
To where it should be going.
There's really no way that you can go the wrong direction,
Because as you shift,
and tilt,
and turn,
it's displayed through your reflection.
Introspection will lead you to inner truth -
That no matter what you do,
Change will ensue.
Change is in you.
So accept change.
Embrace it.
Make it your friend.
And know that
Everything Changes
In the end.

^^ 1111 Characters and 22 Lines - Bo ya!

Measured using Online Character Counter

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So... I THINK I have covered everything. Please help me to support this contest by upvoting, resteeming and passing the good news around… This is a really quick, fun, accessible and inspiring contest for many to enter and test their writing skills…. So help me in getting more people involved and even more tightly knitting this beautiful writing community together.

Sending Love Always…
In All Ways.
Hart Floe Poet
<3