‘Genius in a Bottle’ Prompted Writing Challenge

A Father With Faults

GiaB writing prompt #19

Though crippled inside, Dad stumbled through my childhood. Mistakes made with love.

They are the ones we never asked for, the ones we can’t erase, and the ones who make us who we are. For better or worse we take them with us.

Not all family is uplifting. Not all of them cursed obstacles. Sometimes they are in alternating states of both. Sometimes they are both at the same time.

Their existence is a source of much of our strength however we wish to interpret, acknowledge, and act upon it. Their weaknesses are the introductory courses in our life-training syllabus before we proceed to the weakness of friends, acquaintances and the community.

One thing is for certain. They are not perfect nor will they ever be. How could they ever be? The ideal is ever changing and fluid. Who they are is not. Who we are is not.

They are snapshots in time. A freeze frame in a world of flux. A momentary description that reveals who they were to us, to themselves in a world at a particular stage.

They are proof that once in the history of the world, someone meant something to us, more than we realise, and more than we will likely appreciate.

The Challenge

We invite writers to produce a piece of poetry, fiction or non-fiction on the theme of Family.

For this challenge, while we will accept any piece of writing you wish to submit on the theme of ‘Family’, we would prefer, and encourage you to write on a particular family member, whether you choose to divulge that relationship or not.

The idea is not to state that you have family, but to look into and reveal that which is unique in your relationship that will never be shared between yourself and another. After all this is the singular unique quality of family.

This prompt will close on Wednesday 12th May, 2021 at 9:00AM PST/PDT. At which time, the next prompt will be released.

The Guidelines

We cannot publish pieces or reward writers who self publish or publish at another publication, so those pieces have to remain external to the challenge. Only pieces submitted to Genius in a Bottle will be considered for the challenge. If inviting other writers from outside the publication, please ensure they are aware of this.

Poetry is to be limited to 30 lines but can be in any style. Fiction and non-fiction submissions are to be capped at 750 words.

Please refer to the prompt in the subtitle. Feel free to copy this as a template: GiaB prompt # [insert prompt number and theme here].

When submitting, please ensure that one of the 5 tags is GiaBprompt. Please ensure a second tag is Poetry, fiction, or non-fiction, as appropriate.

We would like to become exposed to writers and pieces that you have enjoyed in all of Medium. Please tag up to ten writers whose pieces you have enjoyed recently, or who you feel may enjoy participating in this challenge.

For further information pertaining to the challenge, please refer to the rules and guidelines.

And away we go. We look forward to enjoying the paradise of the written word with you all.

Victor Sarkin

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