Steal a story and WIN !!!

What's the quickest way to earn a fiver? Steal it of course! If you haven't already seen the Where have all the tea leaves gone quick challenge, then you really need to take a look NOW!

Where have all the tea leaves gone

All you have to do is think up an original character who is a thief, then write a quick story about them. Waste no time!

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This challenge has now closed. Thanks to all for your support. Winners are announced and showcased here:

Winners of the Golden Tea Leaf

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I reckon it can be done in 10 minutes. 10 minutes to earn a fiver? That makes it a pay rate of $30 an hour. Not bad for a little bit of fun. Don't think you can write a story in 10 minutes? Have you tried? No? Go on, give it a go. See how far you can get in 10 minutes. That's 10 minutes of writing, not 10 minutes of thinking. If you need to think, don't sit there, go for a walk, go do the washing up, take a moment to relax and get in tune with your inner self (or whatever!). Then sit back down and start writing. Lay down some words right away! Remember, being a writer is about writing stories, not just thinking them up in your muddled brain.

10 minutes to earn $5

If you still can't get going, please feel free to steal one of the following suggested opening lines. Just copy the opening line and continue the story. Or you can do your own brainstorming however you do it best.

Hint: start writing as soon as you sit at your notebook / keyboard, even if what you write to start with is total rubbish. It helps get the creative juices going!

For Details of how to enter: link to the challenge.

OPENING LINE PROMPTS

• He/she/they* stole away my heart.
• He/she/they* stole my heart... literally!
• Who took the last biscuit?
• Where have all the flowers gone?
• Aren't there supposed to be seven colours in a rainbow?
• Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man*, poor man*, beggar man*...
• They* were* such a good person* when they* were younger
• Where did you get that [?] from?
• I trusted them* with my life
• My mission? To steal a kiss from...
• The only way they* could return to this world was to steal another person's soul. Question is, who to choose

* substitute as appropriate to sex, gender identity, or consider a character that is alternative animal, vegetable, mineral...

The list is endless. How? Well if none of the above suggestions float your boat, and you still can't think one up all on your own, then why not steal someone else's opening line? NO? You are not a thief? Really? Go look at some of your stories and tell me you have never 'borrowed' an idea from some other story writer, film, TV, fairy tale, song...

If you think it might be rude to steal someone else's first line, then you could always ask permission first... if you want to be a wimp that is. Either way, it certainly would be polite to acknowledge the source of your inspiration. Some might even find it flattering to be someone else's inspiration (I know I would). A polite thief? Now there's a thought....

He was the politest thief I ever met

Incidentally I stole the idea for this story from my namesake Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye. The line went something like "He was the politest drunk I ever met."

If you want to steal any of my story ideas (please do if it helps) here are a few more about thieves and thievery, or which mention thieves. Listed by their opening lines. Not all flash:

• I was nervous as hell that day
• [name] carefully tapped the last section of colored glass into place
• I came to this town to do a job
• "It's a girl!"..."What is? What's a girl?"... "That is, that creature...
• I crept into the crypt intent upon a grim and grizzly task

Or just go to my collection: Short and Sweet Too and steal an opening line from anything you find. Some are pretty good, if I say so myself.

What are you waiting for?

In the time it took you to read this story, you could have written an entry and posted it. Don't expect me to apologize for stealing your time.

Happy thieving folks!