Writing for Money

Recently, a friend sent me a notice regarding a writing contest that stood to make me $100.00 richer if I won.  It was nice of her to think of me so I decided I’d submit an essay.  One that had animals in it.  I’m told that you always get extra points for children and animals.

Then I looked at the requirements.  The fine print.

First, I discovered that I had to send in $10.00 with my essay.  Suddenly, this had all the earmarks of a money-maker for the contest people.  And, most likely, not for me.

Secondly, the essay had to start with the words: “The sky went black….”

Well, that was the real kicker.  I haven’t seen the sky go black in longer than I can remember.  I’m assuming that happens somewhere around ten o’clock or so but, being an early-to-bed person, I can’t say for sure.

Sure, I wake up at four am and it’s dark outside but nothing happened, at least to me, during that period. When the sky went black.  Certainly not anything worth writing about.

So my essay would look something like this:

                   “The sky went black.  Just like it does every night.”

Somehow, and correct me if I’m wrong, I didn’t think that was going to get me $100.00 and it seemed a little silly to send in something that cost me a dollar per word.

And four of those words were theirs to start with.