Can You Write a Micro-Novel From a Chocolatey Word List?

By Neal 

clipart-cellphone-reader.jpgBy now, we’ve all heard about those Japanese cellphone novels and how rapidly they’ve been embraced by that nation’s readers. Perhaps in an effort to spread the genre’s influence in the United States, Newtree Chocolate has launched a “Gr8 Am. Txt Stry Contest,” inviting contestants to submit stories of up to 1,500 words for a chance to win a year’s supply of chocolate and an iPhone. Judges for the contest include Newtree CEO Louis Brouillet, pastry chef Pichet Ong, and food blogger Molly Wizenberg.

There is one catch: At least eleven of those words have to be the names of every different type of chocolate Newtree makes—PLEASURE, VIGOR, RENEW, REFRESH, FORGIVENESS, SEXY, BLUSH, TRANQUILITY, COCOON, REJOICE and CRAVE. This seems at first blush like it may conceivably narrow the range of stories submitted, but perhaps some creative writers will subvert this vocabulary in playful or horrific ways.