Author Archives: TC Editors

A Midsummer Tale 2021

Featured

Posted on by
Reply

A Midsummer Tale is a summer-themed narrative writing contest open to non-genre fiction and creative nonfiction.

The theme of the 2021 A Midsummer Tale writing contest is: Coming of Age. A coming-of-age story focuses on the main character’s growth from adolescence to young adulthood. This could be your personal story or it could be a fictional one.

Your story must be set during the hot summer months and the theme must play an integral role in the story.

Deadline for entries is June 21, 2021.

March 2021
Daily Writing Prompts

Posted on by
Reply

A Pen In Each Hand

  1. Start with the names of three colors.
  2. Use these five words: forgotten, identities, weird, attribute, completed
  3. Write about a failing battery.
  4. Set your story in a casino
  5. Write about taking all day to do a simple task.
  6. Write about your writing routine
  7. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: dive, court, neighbor, collar, organize.
    2. Use the phrase, “Is that a cactus?”
    3. Write about an arithmetic mistake.
  8. Start with this line: I shouldn’t be laughing.
  9. Use the phrase, “Tell me a story.”
  10. Write about unwelcome paparazzi photos
  11. Write about a failed software update.
  12. Use these five words: hopeful, detour, roadblock, active, loudly
  13. Write about being afraid to go out.
  14. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: glare, clerk, feign, conclusion, aloof.
    2. Use the phrase, “It’s not a good place.”
    3. Write about remorse or regret.
  15. Write about being stuck with an uncertain welcome.
  16. Start with this line: I don’t make the rules.
  17. Give your character an unusual name.
  18. Start with this line: The only thing that would horrify me is…
  19. Use “I used to know how to do this.”
  20. Set your story on a fishing boat
  21. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: disorder, performer, waste, tropical, grief.
    2. Use the phrase, “What are you feeling?”
    3. Write about picky food preferences.
  22. Start with this line: What a trip down memory lane.
  23. Write about an apprentice.
  24. Set your story in a dream
  25. Write about a summer hockey league.
  26. Set your story at a yoga class
  27. Write about a childhood embarrassment.
  28. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: medium, hard, unpleasant, care, orgy.
    2. Use the phrase, “mended feelings.”
    3. Write about an uncanny feeling.
  29. Write about a bad case of the Mondays.
  30. Write about making a big move
  31. Write about pushing up against limits.

The 2021 Savage Mystery Writing Contest is CLOSED

Posted on by
Reply

The 2021 Savage Mystery Writing Contest (formerly Spring Three Cheers and a Tiger) is now open.

Entries must be received by 5 PM Eastern Time, Sunday, March 21, 2021.

Write a mystery story that features something that is revealed when a tree is uprooted in a storm.

Word count: Between 2900 and 3100 words.

  • Send entries to: savagemystery21@toasted-cheese.com
  • Your subject line must read: Savage Mystery Contest Entry
  • Paste your story directly into your email. No attachments please.

For complete rules:

Toasted Cheese 21:1

Featured

Posted on by
Reply

The March issue of Toasted Cheese features poetry by Mandy Haggith, Jenny Hockey, W. Joseph O’Connell, Liam Tait & DJ Tyrer; flash by Gigi Papoulias, Clara Schwarz & Shelbi Tedeschi; and fiction by Mari Carlson, Joey Dickerson, Samyuktha Iyer & Allison Meldrum.

TC 21:1 also includes the 20th Annual Dead of Winter Horror Writing Contest winning stories by Karen Sheard, H.B. Bendt & Matt Boyle.

At Candle-Ends, Shelley Carpenter reviews Hinterland by L.M. Brown and The Reflection in a Glass Eye by Simon Perchik.

The cover image is by Jonathan Ooi on Flickr, with additional photos by photographers around the world, all of whom have generously made their work available for use under Creative Commons licenses. Please click through and check out their photostreams.

Congratulations to all. Happy reading!

February 2021
Daily Writing Prompts

Posted on by
Reply

A Pen In Each Hand

  1. Write about a wild speculation.
  2. Start with this line: I’ve always been there.
  3. Write about trying to revive an extinct holiday.
  4. Set your story at a city council meeting
  5. Write about waiting for a computer to update.
  6. Start with this line: Are we allowed to go to bed yet?
  7. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: vehicle, promote, perforate, green, friend.
    2. Use the phrase, “add that to the list.”
    3. Write about something that’s undercooked.
  8. Set your story in a room with a fireplace
  9. Write about watching events without being able to do anything.
  10. Use these five words: books, school, talked, rushing, quality
  11. Use the phrase, “That wasn’t there 5 minutes ago.”
  12. Use these five words: scientists, freelancers, erupted, figures, question
  13. Describe a sunrise or sunset.
  14. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: fame, hesitate, sign, character, referee.
    2. Use the phrase, “Is your heat on?”
    3. Write about vigorous exercise.
  15. Use the phrase, “Didn’t I just do that?”
  16. Use these five words: bidding, positive, donuts, tycoon, wealthy
  17. Use the phrase, “I’ll check that right now.”
  18. Start with this line: She can’t say anything that will upset her boss.
  19. Use the phrase, “Tell us that story again.”
  20. Use these five words: parole, snowfall, riot, teachers, red carpet
  21. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: mean, overall, circumstance, progressive, grind.
    2. Use the phrase, “You never listen.”
    3. Write about putting something in the wrong place.
  22. Start with this line: Here’s what you need to know.
  23. Write about treachery.
  24. Use these five words: carriage, kneecap, garlic, terminated, uneasy
  25. Write about kids playing on a statue.
  26. Start with this line: The next scheduled departure is at 5pm.
  27. Write about being “randomly” selected.
  28. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: salon, twin, stroke, organ, breeze.
    2. Use the phrase, “How can that exist in the same world as this?”
    3. Write about a sad memory.

Dead of Winter 2020 Winners

Posted on by
Reply

Thank you for your patience as we determined our final Dead of Winter results, which are:

  • 1st: “The Cold Face of the Mountain” by Karen Sheard (Theme: Alaska)
  • 2nd: “A Guiding Light” by H.B. Bendt (Theme: The Haunted Lighthouse)
  • 3rd: “Carriers” by Matt Boyle (Theme: The Award)
  • Honorable Mention: “The Reborn” by Becca Yenser (Theme: Heart and Soul)
  • Honorable Mention: “The Seagull” by Alex Grey (Theme: Nevertheless She Persisted)

The most popular themes submitted to our 20th annual horror fiction contest were “Nevertheless She Persisted” and “The Hand of Fate.” The first, second, and third place stories will appear in Toasted Cheese 21.1, our Spring issue.

Our next contest is the renamed The Savage Mystery Writing Contest (formerly Three Cheers and a Tiger), which opens Friday, March 19 and ends Sunday, March 21. Please remember to follow theme, genre, and word count parameters on all contests. There is no registration, entry fee, or geographic restriction for this or any TC contest.

January 2021
Daily Writing Prompts

Posted on by
Reply

A Pen In Each Hand

  1. Write about looking back on hopes for last year.
  2. Use these five words: boundaries, fraud, exhibition, intimacy, display
  3. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: irony, die, mood, tissue, sound.
    2. Fill in the blank: “Love is what happens when _________.”
    3. Write about a preposterous excuse.
  4. Set your story in a downtown alley
  5. Write about a morning without coffee.
  6. Start with this line: I have two options.
  7. Use the phrase, “Read this and summarize.”
  8. Use these five words: intelligence, awareness, power, bottleneck, sanctions
  9. Write about translating a poem.
  10. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: arrogant, qualification, overwhelm, listen, reflect.
    2. Fill in the blank: “_________ is what makes the world go around.”
    3. Write about being slightly too late.
  11. Use the phrase, “Help me take this off.”
  12. Write about a frightening book
  13. Write about a birthday party.
  14. Start with this line: What you are describing is a crime.
  15. Write about rediscovering old music.
  16. Start with this line: It’s not over yet.
  17. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: body, grind, secure, spirit, disappoint.
    2. Use the phrase, “I don’t know what to think.”
    3. Write about refusing dessert.
  18. Write about a medical diagnosis
  19. Fill in: “Aren’t you tired of _________?”
  20. Use these five words: essential, gifts, necessary, trend, soundtrack
  21. Write about new beginnings.
  22. Set your story in the home of a wealthy family that hates each other
  23. Write about not participating in a common activity.
  24. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: picture, doll, control, rule, eavesdrop.
    2. Use the phrase, “Look at the shadow.”
    3. Write about deciding if something is safe.
  25. Write about blocking someone on social media.
  26. Write about an asteroid headed for Earth
  27. Write about a delivery that arrives early.
  28. Use these five words: comeback, life, trading, badly, direction
  29. Write about finding patterns where there are none.
  30. Use these five words: hibernation, clothes, undercurrent, walks, log
  31. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: meet, date, announcement, practice, rainbow.
    2. Use the phrase, “There’s only one left.”
    3. Write about hoping someone understands.

Dead of Winter delay

Posted on by
Reply

Due to (gestures around) everything, TC will be a little late announcing Dead of Winter winners. We will have our picks by February 6, hopefully earlier.

As always, entrants will be notified first. Then we will have a post here at TC for sharing on social media and finally on social media itself.

Thanks for your patience and for entries that have made choosing our finalists such challenging fun.

December 2020
Daily Writing Prompts

Posted on by

A Pen In Each Hand

  1. Write about sibling rivalry
  2. Include these 3 characters in a story: judge, police officer, bartender.
  3. Use a made-up word
  4. Start with this line: “Calling this justice would be a mistake.”
  5. Write about introducing someone new to a favorite drink
  6. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: recover, loose, arrange, absence, investigation.
    2. Use the phrase, “I don’t do that any more.”
    3. Write about using something that’s not quite ready.
  7. Write about a house fire.
  8. Incl. these characters: paralegal, secretary, human resources administrator.
  9. Write about a new system for doing familiar things.
  10. Write an imagined interview with your favorite author.
  11. Use “It feels like a year since I saw anybody.”
  12. Set your story at a hockey game.
  13. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: crisis, freedom, fear, copy, craftsman.
    2. Fill in the blank: “I need a new __________.”
    3. Write about an unexpected crowd.
  14. Start with this line: “Oh, I’m definitely subtweeting.”
  15. Write about visiting a grave.
  16. Write about unicycling.
  17. Use “What kind of critter are you?”
  18. Use these five words: praise, holy, skeins, stigma, complicated.
  19. Write about observing a holiday nobody else shares.
  20. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: correspond, arena, aid, witch, spot.
    2. Use the phrase, “That’s all they told me.”
    3. Write about waiting for something that might not happen.
  21. Write about celebrating the Winter Solstice.
  22. Write about an old house.
  23. Explain something incoherently.
  24. Start with this line: “I first met _____ on the streets.”
  25. Write about the kid who got left out.
  26. Write about being ahead of the curve.
  27. Join us for a live Writing Chat every Sunday!
    1. Use the following five words: sugar, multimedia, indirect, ignore, elephant.
    2. Use the phrase, “How long do we have to wait?”
    3. Write about an exception to the rule.
  28. Use these five words: mechanics, practicing, love, choice, agent.
  29. Write about waiting for the mail to come.
  30. Start with this line: “One of the biggest mysteries is…”
  31. Your character sums up a year.

Toasted Cheese 20:4

Posted on by

The December issue of Toasted Cheese features poetry by Madeleine Claire, Marchell Dyon, James Croal Jackson, Ann Pedone & Simon Perchik; flash by Ala Fox & Josephine Greenland; fiction by Nicholas Finch, Ashley Lewin & Sydney Parrish; and creative nonfiction by Riley Hansen & Celestine Woo.

TC 20:4 also includes the Fall 2020 Three Cheers and a Tiger Science Fiction/Fantasy Writing Contest winning stories by Meg Hilt, Brianna Suazo & David Lukes.

At Candle-Ends, Shelley Carpenter reviews Ravynscroft by Richard Edgar.

The cover image is by Jim Makos on Flickr, with additional photos by photographers around the world, all of whom have generously made their work available for use under Creative Commons licenses. Please click through and check out their photostreams.

Congratulations to all. Happy reading!