This August, for our Reader Contest, we put out a contest full of contradictions, which is SO on-brand for us. We asked you, our readers, to write romantic first lines. We asked for romance first lines, and romance isn’t even one of our five core genres! Ah, the Havok-ity of it all!
And yet, our community rose to the challenge, because you are the best reader-writers that a flash fiction publishing company could ask for!
Our winner, by staff vote, was H. L. Davis’ rom-com-style line:
“What’s a vampire to do when he falls head over heels for a girl from a garlic farm?”
Ms. Davis won a copy of The Novel Matrix as her prize, but really, we felt we were the winners because there were so many fabulous entries! In light of that, we decided to award you all a bonus prize of both the cream of the crop in August’s contest… and also some inkling of what we, the staff, might’ve written. Some of them were just too good not to share!
Oh, the Romance-ity…!
Here are some of our other favorites, in order of votes:
As far as first dates went, this hadn’t been the worst. But accidentally resurrecting the dead hadn’t exactly been Jenna’s ideal romantic setting either. ~ Olivia Gratehouse
I’m convinced our village matchmaker enjoys matching people who make each other miserable–which is why I’m running away before the ceremony tonight. ~ Jen Booth
“Five years today,” Abby whispered, then swallowed hard as she stroked her fingers across the folded flag on the mantle. ~ John De Sousa
He lifted her chin with tender fingers, ignoring her scars and disheveled state, “You will always be beautiful to me.” ~ Lisa Allison
“Ordinarily, the sight of a man with 18 pairs of lips would be somewhat off-putting, but Sarah found him rather smoochable.” ~ Ryan Bush
Maya’s heart thumped at sight of the well-groomed gentleman across the crowded party room, admiring his square jaw and rippled chest, his smoky blue eyes that locked onto hers, just before he shapeshifted into a vulture that screeched and flew from the room.
~ Arlan Gerig
And Because Staff Just Wants to Have Fuh-uhn!
(Can you hear Cyndi Lauper? Hmmm, wrong generation?) … And, because we at Havok like to have a little fun ourselves, here’s a selection of lines we ourselves would write for such a contest!
As Errian’s magic wore off the woman and Anya began cursing his name, he ventured, “I didn’t magically charm you, really…I’m just naturally this charming,” and ducked.
~Elizabeth Arceo
“No matter how many times he recommended books to me, I wasn’t going to fall for him.”
~ Molly McTernan
As the dreamy cerulean eyes of fair-haired, chestnut-cheeked, bushy-bearded, leathery-lipped Prince Percival the Pragmatic blinked to life after seven centuries of perfect preservation in a subarctic peat bog, an exultant cheer of triumph formed in the larynx of neurology professor Marjorie Stufflebeam–but she quickly stifled it, realizing she would have to forestall the revelry until she located the rest of the beheaded traitor. ~ John Leatherman
Prince Charming was just that— charming; but unfortunately for him, charming doesn’t do much for you when the predicted love of your life awakes from an enchanted sleep that’s lasted longer than your kingdom’s existed to find you kissing her, only to realize that she’s wearing a coat of dust nearly as old as your kingdom, and breaks into a sneezing fit.
~ Rose Q. Addams
You Can Have Fuh-uhn, Too!
Remember, each Reader Contest is open to all of our paid members. If you’ve paid for the membership, take advantage of the opportunities as they come! Have some fun, and get yourself a little extra something— because you, as a member of Havok’s inner circle, have earned that chance. We appreciate you SO MUCH!
Let’s put it this way: Wouldn’t you spend $4.99 a year, or five minutes a day, enjoying something you love? Right? Who wouldn’t! So pamper yourself every now and again with a chance for a prize from one of our contests. Maybe all you’ll get is bragging rights. Maybe you’ll make new friends. Maybe you’ll win a new bookmark. Or an Amazon gift card. Whatever comes of it, you’ve had fun. Along with some fun people. As a volunteer-run company, we thank you for being here, and encourage you to join in when you can!
(And if you’re curious about this month’s excitement, take a look at our September contest…)
Interested in Writing Romance Flash Fiction?
Now, for those of you who thought this foray into the romantic genre was thrilling and might be interested in indulging yourself more often, we’d like to suggest a couple of options:
- Join those of our authors who work a romantic thread into their mystery, thriller, fantasy, sci-fi, or humor submissions.
- Submit a story to our cousin publisher, Spark Magazine, who publishes purely romantic flash fiction!
I love them! Molly McTernan’s made me laugh XD