Eavesdropping Sleepy Mission (Unofficial) Challenge Update

Alright, y'all - I dropped the ball a little. I posted this challenge, forgot about it, extended the deadline, forgot again, annnnnd welllllllll.... you might be able to see where this is going. There may be another deadline-extension at play, here. Turns out, I'm not a very good promoter!

I guess that's something new to work on in 2024!

So, I decided to feed two birds with one scone here and give a little update on the Sleepy Mission: Terraria Night Eavesdropping Challenge.

(As a side note, I will be giving these "mission" prompts a shorter name in the future, lol.)

To get right into it, here are the contest details:

Due: February 29

Prizes: $25 for 1st, $15 for 2nd, and $10 for 3rd.

Prompt: To write a poem inspired by eavesdropping.

To get a little further into it, I wanted to quickly touch on the concept for the Sleepy Missions.

I love a good prompt, especially something quick and straightforward to get the juices flowing right there from your desk. There's something to be said about a mission, though - something where you have to go back to your roots and write about what inspires you out there from the real world. I know for me, sometimes it's easy to get in my little writing bubble which consists of a lot of my own narrative voice, and can get pretty insular. Breaking outside of that bubble is usually just the thing I need to free my hands and make the first chip away at my writer's block. Hence, a Sleepy Mission!

This challenge is all about eavesdropping, paying closer attention to the world around you, getting outside of your head, and experimenting with different voices.

For me, I ended up being inspired by playing with the random, semi-poetic things my boyfriend and his friends said while playing video games. In the past, I've written about snippets I hear while waiting in line, or reading at the local coffee shop. Sometimes just shuffling through song titles and thinking of storylines to go along with them is enough to get me out of my little brain-bunker.

We all have different parts of our lives that inspire us sometimes completely at random. The universe nudges us awake with the gift of a delicious plot overheard in the produce aisle or a compelling character who introduces themself as a customer at work. It's up to us to recognize those gifts, yes, but it's also up to us to bring those moments to life in our unique ways.

I would love to read what you overheard out there in the world and how it inspires you and your writing. So make sure to leave your entries in the comments of this piece, or the original article!

What kind of Sleepy Missions would you like to see in the future?

Here are the submissions so far!

Mike Singleton - Mikeydred, "What They Said"

Inspired by: songs, coasters, books, authors, and artists!

Kalina Bethany, "Bench of Eden"

Inspired by: a conversation at the gym!

Judey Kalchik, "Overheard"

Inspired by: the world around her! (The breakroom, the checkout line, the dressing room... all delicious places to eavesdrop.)

Karun, "Hear them out"

Inspired by: A coffee shop and a walk downtown!

Kelli Sheckler-Amsden, "MTWTFSS"

Inspired by: Hearing her name while grabbing lunch and leaning in to find out more!

Liam Storm, "How the hell did I lose that fight?"

Inspired by: The party chat in a game of Call Of Duty!

Hayley Matto, "Don't Touch Me There"

Inspired by: A horrible night at the bar with a horrible man (thank you so much for opening up and sharing this one, Hayley. Sending you huge, huge love.)

Penny Fuller, "When Winning"

Inspired by: Overhearing how some people just can't seem to celebrate another writer's win, while others can make a person's day by raising them up.

Rick Henry Christopher, "Complaints About a Squatter"

Note: Since Rick has kindly contributed to the prize pool and will be one of the judges, this piece is not a contender! However, it is a great example of taking an overheard moment and elevating it into poetry/story-telling. Wonderfully done, Rick!

Inspired by: Overhearing an awkward conversation in the waiting room to get bloodwork done!

Babs Iverson, "ONE MORE TIME"

Inspired by: The Super Bowl game!

Alyssa Nicole, "Confiscated"

Inspired by: An overheard phone call while waiting in line at Airport Security!

Ace Melee, "Pretend Everyone is Awake"

Inspired By: Overhearing a conversation between her parents while falling asleep! (Thank you for opening up and sharing this, Ace. Big hugs.)

Angie the Archivist, "Spectacular Sunflowers"

Inspired by: Listening in, and going on an adventure filled with sunflowers and new friends!

Paul Stewart, "the call that reminds you"

Inspired by: An incredibly difficult and heartbreaking moment while working in a call center. Thank you for opening up and sharing this, Paul.

Hannah Moore, "Among These Dark Satanic Mills"

Inspired by: An overheard conversation on her way home from work!

Babs Iverson, "UNFAIR"

Inspired by: Crime!

Lamar Wiggins, "Grocery Memes"

Inspired by: A trip to the grocery store!

Anna, "How I lost my job..."

Inspired by: A terrifying moment with her boss!

Mackenzie Davis, "Tears of God"

Inspired By: Three overheard sentences, one tragic meaning.