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Challenges Blog Archives

A Wolf in the Head by Gloria Varley

Snow, deep over my boots, over my knees, a feeling it will swallow me up. My parents are dragging supplies on a sled but there's no room for me to...

One for Murder by Deborah Whelan

My screams ricochet off the corridor walls and I scramble out of Barnaby’s room. I press my forehead against the window and choke back the bile. I don’t have the...

The Death Position by Elaine Bander

“Empty your mind,” said Rami, her voice like golden honey. “Let your thoughts float away like butterflies. Don’t try to control them. Breathe in through your nose, out through your...

Hanging in the Shadows by Susan Cross

As the shutter snapped picture after picture of the interplay of light and shadow in the old oak forest on the night of the full moon, Shawna suddenly dropped her...

Decontamination by Jack Ruttan

Decon Tech William Gibbs blanched at the scene inside the tenement front door. A drug deal gone bad, both sides down shooting. The TV was playing some random sports channel. Snack...

Page Turner Challenge now closed!

A big thank you to everyone who participated! The evaluation process now begins...Next week we will announce the talented writer whose opening crime scene Louise Penny found to be the...

Dye Her In Red by Heidi Joffe

At seven am, only a few students prowled around Ribauld University campus, and as one of them, Anita felt studiously determined to finish her project before the weekend. So far...

Ashes and Dust by Gina MacArthur

Simply beautiful.They were the first words -the only words - that sprang to mind as he looked down at her face. The curve of her nose was perfect. Her eyelashes -wispy...

Such a Change of Fortunes by Deb Loughead

Nothing more satisfying than a fresh block of wood.  As promising as a brand new day, awaiting him in its raw form to be transformed, given another chance in a...

Tell Me Not To by Megan Cavon

I click the clothespin open and shut.  It's cheaply made and the metal spring is coated with rust.  Still, it opens and closes with little complaint.  Such an innocuous object,...

Autumn Descent by Diane Wallace

The cornucopia overflowed with mini pumpkins, rose-hips and polished apples. It was flanked on either end of the harvest table by chunky candles and pewter vases filled with wild asters....

Stanley Park by Travis McLean

1983It was a Sunday night and Penelope Lau took the lever in her small palms and began to work at it, triggering the gates that held in the saltwater of...

What's the Frequency Kenneth? by Todd Brown

The investigating officer already knew a lot.For example, he knew the victim had mass, but no energy. On the subject of mass, the Detective knew that the victim was a...

A Man Falls, Burning by Susan Ellis

A man falls, burning. He falls lightly, carelessly, faster than the snowflakes falling with him, streaming smoke. No one sees him fall, with the exception of a dog sleeping curled...

Missing Clayton by Bev Irwin

I don’t like it here. It’s dark. It’s cold. Why doesn’t Mommy come and get me? She knows I don’t like the dark.“Your mommy has to find you,” the man...

Optimist Road by MJ Snyder

The last time I saw my old man, his knuckles were bloody, his face spattered with red freckles. Blood on his mouth too, thanks to my one good punch. His...

Copper and Diamonds by Joanne Coish

I was too late. Blood spread over the floors and ceiling like paint, but in a colour and odour that no one would deliberately choose. Copper, always copper along with...

Scarlet by Jennifer Sterne-Pownall

The knife’s blade flashed as she pulled it from her mother’s chest.  It slid out much easier than the child had thought it would, and she fell back against the...

Crimes Seen by Kevin Thornton

“The Problem with blood is that it sticks to your skin,” said Jonathan, in between the screams of the electric saw.  Leila glanced down at her naked body, and then...

'Til Death Us Do Part by Karen Janigan

Paula Baker angled her sailboard slight downwind to skirt a ghostly white mass floating in the evening sunset in the middle of Mahone Bay. A sunken tender, she thought, as...

Halloween Taxi Ride by Barbara Baker

"How much further?” I question the driver. “We should be there by now.” “Soon,” his leather finger pokes my thigh. He laughs. I jerk my legs over to the door; press my...

Home Sweet Home by Elisa McRae

Officer Galos pulled into the driveway. He didn’t bother putting the park brake on. The dispatcher had been wrong. His house hadn’t been broken into, as she’d reported. This wasn’t...

Announcing the Page Turner Challenge

UPDATE: The Page Turner Challenge is now closed. Thanks to everyone who participated! The winner will be announced on May 31.Attention, Canadian crime writers! Sharpen those hooks and drag out...

April Fool's Apology Challenge: And the winner is...

Funnyman Mark Critch and his phalanx of This Hour Has 22 Minutes writers scoured through over 1,000 witty, weird and wonderful tweets to find the best April Fool's Apology. And...

April Fool's Apology Twitter Challenge : The Longlist

A big thank-you to everyone who tweeted in their April Fool's apologies to our challenge yesterday. The team at 22 Minutes worked well into the night to compile a longlist...

April Fool's Apology Twitter Challenge today!

Watch a video from This Hour Has 22 Minutes' Mark Critch announcing the big theme of our national Twitter Challenge, which runs today from 10 am ET to 10 pm...

Next Twitter Challenge Monday, April 2

Start stretching out those funny bones—Canada Writes is partnering with This Hour Has 22 Minutes for a national Twitter Challenge next Monday.  ...

Breakup Tweet Challenge: And the winner is...

Our judge, Tabatha Southey, has made her final decision. The winning tweet in the inaugural Breakup Tweet Challenge is......

All-Stars Part 5: "No Going Back"

We'll be announcing the winner of the Breakup Tweet Challenge tomorrow! In the meantime, we're rolling out the All-Stars as chosen by our judge, The Globe and Mail's Tabatha Southey (@TabathaSouthey). Today's...

All-Stars Part 4: "Political"

We'll be announcing the winner of the Breakup Tweet Challenge on Wednesday. In the meantime, we're rolling out the All-Stars as chosen by our judge, The Globe and Mail's Tabatha Southey...

All-Stars Part 3: "Canadiana" and "Tech & Nerd"

We'll be announcing the winner of the Breakup Tweet Challenge on Wednesday. In the meantime, we're rolling out the All-Stars as chosen by our judge, The Globe and Mail's Tabatha Southey...

All-Stars Part 2: "Domestic Breakup" and "Heartfelt"

We'll be announcing the winner of the Breakup Tweet Challenge on Wednesday, February 22. In the meantime, we're rolling out the All-Stars as chosen by our judge, The Globe and Mail's...

Breakup Tweet Challenge All-Stars: Part 1

We'll be announcing the winner of the Breakup Tweet Challenge on Wednesday, February 22. In the meantime, we're rolling out the All-Stars as chosen by our judge, The Globe and...

The Breakup Tweet Challenge is now closed

What a day it’s been! Thank you Canada for keeping us chuckling and smiling all day long with your pithy, funny Tweets. We’re a little exhausted (read: extremely worn out)...

The Breakup Tweet Challenge is on!

Celebrity judge @TabathaSouthey is standing by for your best Breakup Tweet (using the hashtag #canadawrites). The prize? Nothing says "it's over" like an iPad 2....

Valentine's Day Twitter Challenge

Get ready, Canada! On Tuesday, February 14th we will be hosting our second 12-hour Twitter challenge from 10 am ET to 10 pm ET. ...

By Jennifer Goddard

The winner of our first-ever Namedropping Nonfiction Challenge is Jennifer Goddard of Montreal.Entry:  Jacqueline swallowed her saliva so she wouldn’t get dehydrated. Perhaps not the best decision, cutting hay alone. The John...

Namedropping Nonfiction Challenge: We have a winner!

...and a runner-up! Our judge, the inimitable JJ Lee, has pored over the hundreds of entries we received in our Namedropping Nonfiction Challenge and divulged his top two entries....

The Namedropping Nonfiction Challenge is now closed!

Thank you to all who participated. Our judge JJ Lee will now read your submissions and pick one lucky winner, which we will announce next week. More details will be...

Edible Nonfiction Challenge: And the winner is...

What a delicious few weeks it's been here at Canada Writes! We've been treated to original writing by some of Canada's best food scribes, salivated at our judge Ilana Weitzman's...

Hunter-Gatherer by Crystal Chan

Entry from the winner of our Edible Nonfiction Challenge, Crystal Chan.Hunter-Gathererby Crystal Chan Montreal, QC I was hunter and gatherer in one. I snarled as I pushed the screwdriver in and...

Revealing our ten Edible Nonfiction finalists

Today we reveal the final two names and true food stories of the ten people on our Edible Nonfiction Challenge shortlist.The latest two entries to make the shortlist are Yorkshire...

By Erin Dym

It's hard to believe that you could fall in love over a dense, 400-calorie bagel, but this is a true story. It happened to me and my husband when we...

Yorkshire Puddings and Saran Wrap by Dawn Ruddick

I was reared on TV dinners, and Twinkies. Once, my mom even sent me to school with a cheese sandwich; featuring a Kraft Single, with the plastic wrapper left on. So...

By Tiffany Morris

I've known people who can cook. My roommate would whip up the best soups I've ever eaten, going from sink to chopping board to stove with hummingbird intensity. One soup...

Cold Curry by Phedra Deonarine

She sits on the rough concrete ground outside her backdoor. The ground is uneven with milkweed growing from the cracks. She bunches her faded purple dress around her knees. Her...

Edible Nonfiction Challenge now closed

Thanks to all who kept our bellies full with the tasty slices of life you sent our way! ...

How I Learned to Cook by Yutaka Dirks

On my meandering journey into adulthood, newly untethered from the comforts of my suburban family home, I ate a lot of garbage. My roommates and I found free meals around...

Perfection in a Shell by Mary Jane Grant

"Make sure the white part is solid," I instructed my grandfather as he placed the egg onto the over-sized silver spoon and lowered it into the simmering water. "But the...

Picky by Jacqueline Valencia

My ten year old has autism spectrum disorder. He needs to feel in control of his surroundings and a regular routine helps him with that. As he's grown older, he's...