We blog for a million different reasons, but in the end we’re all storytellers. Writing Challenges help you push your…
By We blog for a million different reasons, but in the end we’re all storytellers. Writing Challenges help you push your writing boundaries and explore new ideas, subjects, and styles.
To participate, read the challenge instructions and write at least one post in response. Tag your post with DPchallenge and include a link to this post to generate a pingback. Make sure your post has been specifically published in response to this challenge. We might just highlight some of our favorites on Freshly Pressed, on our @postaday account on Twitter, or in our quarterly newsletter.
My first date with the person who ended up being my (fortunate?) wife was the day after Valentine’s. We’d thought about getting together for a while, but meeting in the run-up to this organized heart-shaped extravaganza felt at once tacky and stressful. Would we just be auditioning each other for an upcoming candle-lit dinner? Our annual un-Valentine’s has since become an inside joke and a beloved ritual.
What’s your Valentine’s story?
Image by Doug Geisler (CC BY 2.0)
Of all the different holidays on the calendar, St. Valentine’s Day, coming up this Friday, might be the most fraught with conflicting emotions. It feels strange to be explicitly against a day celebrating love and commitment. But it’s hard not to feel self-conscious — if not completely unoriginal — when walking on a sidewalk teeming with other flower- and chocolate-wielding lovers.
What about those of us in unhappy relationships, non-traditional ones, or enjoying a fulfilling, solitary life? The terrain can get rocky, fast. Can one single day encompass the richness and diversity of experience — from the heartwarming to the heartbreaking — that love can produce? Does it even make sense to channel so much emotional energy into 1/365th of the calendar?
In your posts for this challenge, feel free to take the discussion in whatever direction inspires you. You can share your most unabashedly romantic Valentine’s story, or write about why you shun the holiday altogether. You can describe a funny (or touching, or poignant) scene you’ve witnessed on a past Valentine’s, or tell us about an alternative celebration you’re planning this year to mark your most meaningful relationships.
If you’re looking for more specific writing prompts, here are some you might have fun with:
- You’re an intergalactic visitor who just happened to land on Earth on February 14. Describe the weirdness you’re seeing.
- Write the Valentine’s card you’ll never have the courage to actually send.
- Invent your own love-themed holiday: what would it encompass?
Whether or not you’re in the mood for love, we look forward to reading your posts — have fun writing!
An alternative take on Valentine’s Day. https://wordpress.com/read/post/id/62879370/220/
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http://remindyourmind.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/one-day-a-year/ A Day of Love…For all.
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V-Day, it’s about shoes!
http://maryjmelange.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/love-of-many-shoes/
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Yay my first Pingback! I hope I did it right. If not, here’s my story 🙂 Please let me know what you think. http://iamgraceho.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/its-valentines-day/
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some wifely advice!
http://www.omasheartblog.com/2014/02/11/valentines-day-some-wifely-advice/
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This was fun!
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This was tough writing. Brought back a lot of not so good memories, but then the good ones outweighed the bad.
http://croneing.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/my-funny-valentine/
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Please check mine out here!
http://myweightolose.com/2014/02/11/my-forever-crush/
This is my true story 🙂 Hope you like it!
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I’ve always believed that February 14th can also be Friendship Appreciation Day. I created a poem to express how important I think it is to remind your friends how much you care about and love them.
http://lesspridemorecompassion.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/but-this-is-only-a-make-believe-holiday/
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Valentines and socks go together well during Valentine Sock Season: http://benjan29.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/thick-or-thin/
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And now … the rest of the story …
http://teepee12.com/2014/02/11/strangely-wonderful-romance/
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Just took the challenge: http://momentsforthejourney.com/2014/02/10/last-minute-expressions-of-love/
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Looks like we are all joining in this challenges for this bright red romantic day. Its simple actually, we love, we do & if not, we don’t. How we do this is what sets us apart. It doesn’t mean that we have to be all dewy eyed and tender hearts to enjoy it, but, lets just be.
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What Does The Alien Say?
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I’ve just started blogging again and would love it if anybody took a moment to stop by and have a read
http://iamlittlejay.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/my-thoughts-on-february-14th/
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Here goes nothing. 🙂 https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/02/10/writing-challenge-valentine/
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Should your date seem a bit weedy try my story!
http://litadoolan.net/2014/02/11/ghost-forest/
Whatever you celebrate with wishing more power to your Friday! 😀
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Also known as Single Awareness Day (S.A.D.).. haha.. let’s see we’re Lady Creativity will take me 🙂
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made this in minutes. the power of experience. 🙂 http://jnitro519.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/daily-post-weekly-writing-challenge/
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in valentine day everyone getting so romantic after that everyone forgot each other it’s very rife
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I love a challenge, more than that I like challenging people to do something. I think you’ll see what I mean if you read my blog for this. http://nixx04.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/this-weekend/
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Here’s my unusual valentine’s day last year. http://thevelveteenleah.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/an-unusual-valentines-day/
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Thirty or so years ago?
It seems like only yesterday . . .
http://bb3blog.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/1557/
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Not all fairy tales have happy endings.
http://jdhager.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/the-kiss/
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http://wp.me/p4hiiR-14 – here is a very short Funny Valentine. It’s a poem of seven words so won’t take you long to read.
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I’m a newbie WordPress blogger – writing skills, yes. Technical skills, nada. Tried to understand the “pingback thing” and tried adding a new link, but have no clue if it worked. I’m at http://www.bemuzin.com and my Valentine post is “Save the Last Dance for Me.”
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Ok, I think I got it. http://bemuzin.wordpress.com/2014/02/11/save-the-last-dance-for-me
I look forward to reading all your posts, fellow bloggers!
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Is it okay to submit something I’d written previously or should I begin anew?
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The challenge calls for a post written specifically for the challenge, and we encourage you to write with the challenge in mind. That said, if you’ve recently written something that’s really pertinent for this week’s topic, you can share that, too.
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Thank you for your time in responding. I have posted another entry. Have a beautiful and inspired day.
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Please see yourfriendswithatruck here on wordpress for my story. Happy Valentines day all.
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Could you please link back to your challenge entry? It would make it far more likely for others to read your post.
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I’m so new to this how do I do that? And can I do it from my iPhone app or do I need a computer? Thanks on the highway right now. No I’m not driving lol. Thanks again Tara and Dawson
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Read about Ed & Eleanor from days of old at parisrenae.wordpress.com – I think your heart will be touched by two tried and true Valentines.
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I really encourage you to link back to your post or to create a pingback to the challenge in your post so that readers can easily visit your entry.
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My Valentine story simply put is the dedication I witnessed as a child into my adult life that set the stage for the love my life. My parents undying love from alter to death, my husband’s parents the same and their example lives on in our 34 year love affiar from highschool through today. Not just true love, but real love that knows there are boundaries and understands and respects another’s viewpoint. That’s LOVE.
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