January Writing Challenge--Classical Music

1/9/2016

*image from Pinterest. If you want some more writing tips and/or bookish laughs, you can check out my pinterest board on All Things Writerly.*

Happy New Year, my friends!
Have you made any writing related goals for 2016? I am hoping to, Lord willing, publish perhaps two books this year. ;) We'll see how that goes and in what way the Lord leads! At any rate, it shall be a very exciting year and I'm thrilled to embark on it.

One thing I've had an idea for is monthly mini-writing-challenges for this blog. Each month I'll post some kind of challenge, and I dare ya to try them out. ;) I'll be doing it too, as it will be good practice, and I'll post my results on here whether they be good or bad. :P

So what is January's challenge? It's this:

Pick a random piece of classical music and use that to write a short story/flash fiction.

For bonus points, don't pick a popular classical piece (aka Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, Fur Elise, Ride of the Valkries, or Beethoven's Symphony # 5, lol!)

I'd love to see what kind of stories you all turn up with, so put them in the comments below for us to read, if you'd like! :) I'll post mine at the end of January, along with the name of the song. Let's see how we all do!

And the challenge starts right..... NOW! Charge, with pens in hand! :)

You all have a lovely day!

Victoria <3

5 Comments

Katie

1/10/2016 08:29:27 am

Sounds interesting! I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with. :) Are you going to put the music file on here too so we can listen to the music if we don't recognize the title? Love you! Ganbatte!

Victoria

1/10/2016 01:02:11 pm

Yes, I'll put the classical piece up for you to listen to. :) Are you going to try the challenge? :P <3

K. H. L.

1/13/2016 06:06:24 am

Here's my story! It's not the best, but I wrote it just for fun. :) God bless!

ONE JOLLY DAY
Kinderszenen (Scenes of Childhood), Op. 15— No. 3: Hasche-Mann (Catch-as-catch-can)

“Can you catch me, Johann?”
The dare was laughed by a small girl in a blue frock that set off her snapping blue eyes and long golden ringlets. Her antagonist was a tall, broad boy with a good-natured face, blonde hair, and blue eyes, who promptly availed himself of the offer.
Round and round the garden they raced, the small sprite of a girl leaping lightly over stump and rock, her more corpulent opponent stumbling over the said natural barriers.
After a time Johann paused to regain his fast-ebbing breath. The little elf stood dancing on a broad rock in the middle of the garden pond, her eyes laughing saucily at her discomforted rival.
“What on earth are you doing there, Maria?”
Johann swung round to greet the newcomer. “Ah, Ernst, relieve me, will you? I've chased this morsel of impertinence until I'm worn out.”
Ernst snickered. Although Johann was of a fair height, Ernst topped him by a good head, with prodigious shoulders and chest-depth to match. He promptly took up the chase—which ended as Johann’s did. The latter being indisposed to make good his dare, they stood grinning at Maria, who smiled back most provocatively.
“Hallo! What's up?”
A tall lad, dressed in a sailor’s suit, came dashing up, followed by two young men.
“Ah, Dieterich! would you help us out? Johann and I have chased that little brat until it's a wonder we we haven't worn ourselves to a string, but she's still at large. Care to lend a hand?”
Dieterich was a red-headed, freckled lad with a very wide grin and a strong sense of humor. With a lightening grin at his brothers he dashed at his sister, who darted off laughing mockingly.
The two young men by now had come up. The eldest was blonde and blue-eyed, overtopping Ernest as much as the latter did Johann, and boasting a pair of shoulders and a chest width that quite ejected Ernst from the ring. The second was dark and slender, matching Ernst in height, but with small, sloping shoulders.
“I think Dieterich has ‘bit off so large a piece of cake that he [will choke] on it’,” the former grinned aside to Ernst.* The dark lad laughed softly, and Ernst replied with a broad smile,
“Well, he's always run faster than any of us, so we'll see.”
The race was a lively one, and several times Dieterich came quite close to seizing his jeering sister, but it resulted in his overbalancing himself and tumbling into the pond, from whence he rose a soggy figure completely covered with mire.
Konrad, Ernst, and Johann immediately set out in pursuit of the author of this misfortune, and Maria had a hard time slipping out of their hands. At last, however, Konrad flung himself full-length upon the ground, hidden behind a rock. Johann chased Maria, and Ernst and Christophe stood guard on each side. Maria leaped over the rock, and landed full in Konrad’s arms, the latter gathering her up firmly in his iron arms.
“We've caught you!” Johann exulted.
“No-o!” protested Maria, struggling vainly. Konrad merely smiled quietly and tossed her up onto his shoulder. Dieterich gambolled along at his side, and Ernst, Johann, and Christophe led the rear.
Into the large Hall they went, coming up short before two women seated in the boudoir. One was Frau Sch—t, one Fräulein Sch—t, her sister-in-law.
“Dieterich! What on EARTH have you DONE to yourself!?” his mother wailed as he came in, flinging her hands up in the air.
“Oh, just fell into the park pool, mama,” he replied carelessly, slipping his hands into his pockets and whistling as he looked around. Frau Sch—t looked reproachfully at her firstborn.
“Ah, Konrad! You ought to have known better, indeed!”
“No doubt, mama, but you see it wasn't me who fell in, nor I who pushed him in. He fell in while chasing Maria.”
Fräulein Sch—t hastily assured herself that her pet was unharmed.
“It isn't HER who needs attention, tante Anna!” Johann protested. “WE do! We're worn out and need some refreshments.” He eyed a tea-tray covertly as he spoke.
“Which means you are hungry, Johann,” his aunt replied grimly. “Was there ever a boy who was not always hungry? There, help yourselves. Dieterich, go change at ONCE. You're dripping all over the new carpet. And next time would you please consider being so kind as to fall into WATER instead of MUD? Thank you. No, Konrad, I can still carry Maria upstairs. Yes, Johann, you can have jam on your biscuits. No, Ernst, sausages are not considered collation. Yes, Konrad, you can have water instead of t

Victoria

1/13/2016 11:32:50 am

I love it, K! Your writing is so quaint and old-fashioned and that's right up my alley. :) I think it's neat that you used Kinderszenen Op. 15— No. 3: Hasche-Mann too because it was one of the pieces in the NaNoWriMo playlist last November that I made for my sister. :) Good job!

K. H. L.

1/14/2016 01:26:52 am

Here's the end: ;P

“Which means you are hungry, Johann,” his aunt replied grimly. “Was there ever a boy who was not always hungry? There, help yourselves. Dieterich, go change at ONCE. You're dripping all over the new carpet. And next time would you please consider being so kind as to fall into WATER instead of MUD? Thank you. No, Konrad, I can still carry Maria upstairs. Yes, Johann, you can have jam on your biscuits. No, Ernst, sausages are not considered collation. Yes, Konrad, you can have water instead of tea. Johann, please don't drop that teapot on my rug. Yes, Ernst, you may turn on the radio if you like. No, Johann, you may NOT have sausages. Now be as smart as you can; I'll be back soon.”
The three boys chuckled as they tucked into their collation. Anna Sch—t was a brisk, decided lady, who had no patience for what she termed “foolishness”.
“Still,” Frau Sch—t said with a little sigh, “I wish you would be more careful, Konrad. People do drown, you know.”
“Of course, mama,” Konrad replied heartily, embracing his mother. “I shall keep an eye on them in the future.”
“Well,” Dieterich sighed, as they trooped up to bed that night, “this was a jolly day. Still, I don't think I'll chase Maria in the park garden again. Not soon, anyhow.”
Suffice it to say that Maria Sch—t was not chased near water again.

*‘The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood’, by Howard Pyle, chapter IX.