BookRix

I am so excited and humbled to have been picked for second place on this. Thank you all so much I really hope you enjoy it.

Congrats on your win!

http://www.bookrix.com/image/showpic.php?art=user&size=m&p=bookrix.com_bow_worst_summer_jobs_banner_jpg.jpg

Let us first introduce you to the Jury:

Scott Allen, BookRix Social Media Director

Ayelet Golz, BookRix Community Manager

John Dussling, BookRix VP of Strategy and Business Development

And the winner of the $100 Amazon gift card is…

Easy Money? by smithmatthewd

http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-bookdoesnotexist-s

All I can say is I was totally unprepared for both the ending and emotional impact it had on me. For me to say any more would be a spoiler. Brilliant. –Scott Allen

The revelation by the narrator was gripping and horrific, but well-executed. This was an ideal short story that will stay with me for a long time. – Ayelet Golz

A gruesome, yet captivating story told in a succinct style. No need to inject hyperbole and fancy phrases…just the story. It held my attention throughout and evoked strong emotions. – John Dussling

Additional Rankings:

Second place:
The Deckhand by ankitaverma19

http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-bookdoesnotexist-a

I loved the dreamy feeling throughout -- the main character's sense of longing was a constant undercurrent. And the ending was deftly executed. – Scott Allen

I loved the gypsy’s prediction and how that played into the ending of the story…will they ever meet again?! However, the story could be tightened up a little and it was a little difficult to tell the lapse of time from the start to the end. Otherwise, the story held my interest. – Ayelet Golz

The story started with an interesting theme and explanation; but, assumptions in the story line caused my attention to wander. For example, the reference to poker and the other guys; the lack of depth and detail about his torture; and, the conversation with the gypsy could have been expanded and exploited to help set up the imagination better. Also, the use of capitalization for “sea” was not consistent throughout; and paid was misspelled (payed). – John Dussling

Third place:
The Entertainer by gooduklady

http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-bookdoesnotexist-g

The thought of a roomful of screaming, sugar-wired kids running wildly about in search of the next level of entertainment is an image only the parent of the birthday child can appreciate. Having been there, I get it…and loved it. I think it’s a good story told fairly well; however, there were opportunities to add more costume descriptions and feelings; a little more about the glare and stare from passing motorists would add to the embarrassment. Maybe a little more about the calamities at each party location would have spiced up the story, too. Otherwise, an entertaining story. – John Dussling

I got totally caught up in this story. The author does a great job of generating strong empathy for the protagonist. I would have done exactly the same thing at the end! – Scott Allen

Sounds like a horrible job! The story moved along quickly, but I wished that there was more insight into the lead character’s inner thoughts during this job. It would have been interesting to see what was the final straw that broke the camel’s back. – Ayelet Golz

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Thanks to all those who participated and congratulations to smithmatthewd for his second Battle of Words win! We hope you enjoyed the competition!

If you have a moment, please let us know whether you liked the structure of this BoW X – you may remember we removed the sign-up thread and allowed two weeks for linking to the stories.

Thanks,
The BookRix Team

We currently have two great contests going on (or about to start):

Drabbles
Take the challenge to write three short stories of 100 words each for the BookRix Drabbles Writing Contest. The contest goes until September 13 so you have more than a month to write, upload and promote your work! The prizes are $600 for first place; $400 for second place; and $200 for third place. Are you up for the literary challenge?

http://www.bookrix.com/image/showpic.php?art=user&size=m&p=bookrix.com_drabbles_banner.jpg

Poet's Week
Whether you write poetry daily or once every blue moon, submit your work to the BookRix Poet's Week Contest. This contest starts August 13 and goes until August 20 so get a headstart on writing and uploading your work. The prize for the first place winner is $200!

http://www.bookrix.com/image/showpic.php?art=user&size=m&p=bookrix.com_poets_week_rectangle_jpg.jpg

Good luck to all!

Thanks,
The BookRix Team

1St: No.6
2nd: No.3
3Rd: No.1

My worst summer job was back on the farm when I was 13 years old. We really wanted to make money to go to Florida so we decided to have a fruit and vegetable stand. The night before our big even,we prepared our signs and our stands. Counted out change for the register (just a cigar box). Made refreshments to sell with the produce. Alls we had to do was pick the fruits and vegetables early in the morning so they would be fresh.

All night long we couldn't sleep because we were excited to be having our own 'business' and making money. I don't know what time we actually fell asleep but it seemed that the morning came quick. The alarm rang at 4am. Early to rise to pick all those fruits and vegetables and setup.

After we got dressed and had our breakfast of oatmeal and milk, we got on our boots so we could go into the mud to pick vegetables in the garden.

Since it was still dark out, we had to use a flashlight to find out way to the garden. As we approached the garden, we saw like 30 pairs of eyes (it seemed like more when you are younger), staring at us. To our horror, the deer and the raccoons were eating all our vegetables.

We screamed and cried at the animals which made them run like crazy. I thought our 'business' was down the tubes before we even got started.

My aunt had called a neighbor or two and explained our dillemna unbeknownst to us, and about an hour before we were to start our 'business', all the neighbors showed up with their fruits and vegetables.

I was so excited but told them we wouldn't make near enough to pay everyone back but we could work for each one all summer long to make up for it. Everyone to our surprise said free of charge, just try to sell what you can and have fun doing it.

So, I guess my worse summer job turned into the greatest summer job of all time!!! =;-)

1st place: story 1
2nd place: story 3
3rd place: story 6

Yes I would LOVE to be in this contest. IT WOULD BE SO MUCH FUN! xD

I answered an add for a life insurance company and soon found myself studying and taking the life insurance test to become a preneed funeral sales agent for a funeral home that held a huge territory of funeral homes. It came with a huge office, leads and a company car. It sounded like a position that I would do very well at. I was excited and passed the exam to become a licensed agent the first time I took the test.

My office was beautiful and the leads came in like clock work. I met with families that had recently lost loved ones and gave them a beautiful poem with a picture of their loved one that they had lost. It was the lead in to try and convince them to buy a prearranged funeral contract through an insurance product. Death came to us all and being prepared for it lessened grief for the loved ones left behind was the motto of my business.

Little did I know that grief would come at me so quickly from every corner of my world. I accepted the position on July 19th, my birthday. It turned out to be the funeral home that had taken care of my Father's death just six months previously. In order to get to my office from inside the funeral home I had to walk past the mortician's office where the bodies were prepared before they were laid out for public or family viewing. Many times I had to go around a body to get to the stairs that led to my upstairs office or I had to go outside and climb the enclosed staircase to get to my office.

I went to a seminar in Omaha, NE with the mortician's staff and rode in a limo and thought how cool. Riding in a limo with a morbid staff and listening to the horrors of preparing a body who was riddled with diseases of the aged was enough to give me nightmares for months. I kept wondering if my Father had been one of the horrible bodies that just wouldn't cooperate with the embalming techniques. When we got to Omaha I was put on the spot as the leading new agent and was asked to role play on stage as the selling agent of a preneed funeral to a couple who didn't know if they wanted to buy a contract to take care of their funeral needs.

I managed to make the Memorial Counselor position work for me and life resumed as normal. Then the other shoe fell so to speak. I sold a preneed contract and made an enemy with one of the morticians at the funeral home. It turned out that he had been working on selling them a preneed contract for the past six months and felt I had stolen his contract out from under him. I made the sale but he ended up with the commission. Suddenly the company car was never available when I needed it.

My sister-in-law's mother passed away from cancer and I was asked to help seat family members at the funeral. My brother and his family came to the funeral home and trying to work as an funeral home counselor was almost impossible for me. They had also recently lost a still born daughter. Everywhere I looked grief was staring me in the face. After a year working as a Memorial Counselor I had decided that enough was enough and left the depressing situation behind me and went into another avenue of life as an insurance agent.

Thanks a lot for providing the steps as to how one can participate in the competition....

*drum roll*...

The winner of Battle of Words IX, "Superheroes" is:

The Littlest Superhero

"The Littlest Superhero ":
http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-bookdoesnotexist-s

by Matthew D. Smith
Date: June 3rd 2010
Language: English
Pages: 10

Congrats to Matthew D. Smith who wins $100 Amazon gift card!

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BookRix - your place to read, write and network free literature on the Internet.

The next Battle of Words will start on July 13, 2010. The topic for this BoW will be ''Worst Summer Jobs.'' Get ready for it.

You will find the opening thread for this contest on July 13, 2010.

Thanks,
The Bookrix Team

:D

This is a true story of my superhero. Our town drunk and bum, although he never begged for anything to my knowledge he only wanted to live in obscurity.

http://www.bookrix.com/_ebook-bookdoesnotexist-r

is it based on a true story?

I love this kind of contest! I'm in :-)

Yes i am ready count me in.

Hi again,

Sorry, I've just realised I've answered almost the same as what I answered to messages ago. I tried to edit but it seems my message is stuck and I look a little silly.

:(

Bek

You don't look silly. NO way!

Join us for the Battle of Words IX competition with the topic Superheroes!

The opening thread starts tomorrow, June 2, so get ready!

Thanks,
The BookRix Team