Even a Worm Will Turn
A-Prompt: Our favorite submissions & this week's prompt
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It’s the week of December 2nd and you know what that means! (you probably don’t), but I’ll tell you anyway.
It’s time to reveal our best responses for last week’s A-Prompt!
Last week’s prompt, “Even a worm will turn” asked for work that explores this expression by tittering within the margins or existing completely outside the box!
Lo and behold, we got two piercing responses; fiction by
and a poem by .
WINNERS
’s short story, ‘The Scarecrow’s Wrath (I), was a true homage to the prompt. The story tells the tale of a scorned woman whose vengeful rage is just on the tip of combustion. Toluwalase’s writing is urgent, impactful and dipped in the woes of culture and tradition. We can hope only she writes the second (and hopefully) third part of her story.Here’s an outstanding line from the piece;
“I, Adedunmola ọmọ ọmọ Adediwura. Ọmọ obìnrin agbara ati asọtẹlẹ. Awọn oriṣa mọ orukọ mi. Bákan náà, I am spirit, destiny made flesh. And I will not be trampled upon.”
Slow Poison, a poem by
, wows the reader with its unflinching message of vengeance by sending us down a path of victimization, awareness and retaliation. The poem is short, wicked and blunt, with each word used with great intent and purpose.Here’s our favorite stanza from the poem;
No one warns you about the little things The scorpion so close to your heel Or the edge of the soft paper you write on The wood with a little split that goes into your skin
THIS WEEK’S PROMPT IS…
"NYCTOPHILIA"
(n.) love of darkness or night; finding relaxation or comfort in the darkness.
This week, we're looking for pieces (essays, poetry and fiction) that explore the word in the wildest and softest connotations!
Submission Deadline: is 8th, December (Sunday), 2024.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Simply publish your response on your publication, and make sure to tag us and include 'in response to A-Stack's prompt - Nyctophilia'.
Before I go, I wanted to ask, have you join A-List yet? If you’re an African Writer on Substack, here’s your chance to get immortalized! (or some semblance of that).
