To help support $Moonbeam13's quest, *WordCount is supporting a small dA Lit contest. See this journal for more information. The winner receives a 3-month subscription (or dA product of equal value) and $50.00 donated to The Weekend to End Breast Cancer in their name. Make a difference today!


You may have noticed our nifty new avatar, which comes courtesy of ~Jumplion. However, that's not all! We also have a brand new deviantID in the works (voting's still out on that one), and we're pleased to annouce the winner(s) of our AfC Catchphrase Contest:

=MSJames with "What's your story?"

and

!Unluckycharm6 with "What a proser."


Look for these two mugs being donated to `ArtistsForCharity very soon (and make sure you pick one up)!


In addition to the catchphrases, *WordCount found two very cool sayings we'd love to use as tags in our journal. The first, by ~Notoday, deals with our watchers:

WordCount: 326 watchers and counting.

The second is just a great way to sum us up by ~Dragonfly2093:

WordCount: The Prose PiggyBank.

We'd like to thank everyone for your effort and creativity. There were so many great entries that judging was very difficult.

Congratulations, again, to the winners!


And now we are incredibly pleased to present to your our fourth prose feature. This month's collection includes compelling essays, inspiring imagery, and other fine (and entertaining) pieces of writing. Have a look, spread the love, and don't forget to leave those encouraging comments or criticisms on each featured piece!


100 words or less

Safe Sex Sam by ~lorry

General Fiction: This story only has 55 words, yet it contains quite an unexpected twist in the ending. Watch out.


Geisha by ~vix0r

Erotic: The end of this fifty-five word story is both unexpected and gripping.



101-300 words

Countdown by ~Pixie-beam

Perspectives: A lovely piece that wraps the reader up in all the little details.


argument by ~Pluia

Biographies: A short piece that brings to light the poetry in arguments.



301-500 words

Mirrored Room by ~waitin4him

Philosophical: What occurs when we turn the mirror in ourselves and study the power of reflection?


The Silent Game by ~365-leap

Life Stories: A wonderfully descriptive, nostalgic piece giving life to a simple car ride.



501-1,000 words

The Disability to Write by *sisterjanet

Essays: Is writer's block created by a physical disability as well? Read and find out.


In Sickness and in Health by ~maycelestia

Science Fiction: This story is about corruption at the hands of a pharmaceutical company. Could it really happen?



1,001-3,000 words

The Gender Bender Monologue by `AbCat

Scripts: This monologue, originally intended for Soundzine's competition, is a hilarious yet poignant journey about finding out who your husband really is.


I Seem to Have Misplaced My Keys by *SilverEmerald-DAS

Life Stories: How many times have you misplaced your keys?



3,001-5,000 words

The Act of Seeing by =kaujot

General Fiction: What can one man take and leave behind on a single train ride?


The Origin of Evil by *LloydG

Essays: A complex and well-researched take on an age-old issue--with some very strong ties to mythos.



5,001+ words

Angles and Angels by ~Error732

Life Stories: Is it a struggle with mental illness or something more?


Mind of a Madman by ~Sephiroth617

Occult: A fascinating story inspired by Lovecraft's book, The Call of Cthulhu.


Published Works

Strange Cases 2 by Dan Wickline and David Hartman



A highly-successful comic artist, *sideshowmonkey showcases his second in a brand new series. Head to your local comic store and look for it today!

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August's Prose DDs Suggested by *WordCount Staff

This month the *WordCount staff suggested a few prose DDs, and we'd just like to recognize those writers one more time:

The Value of a Second by ~Arkhein (1,392 words)
Dear Diary by ~happygoatguy (1,791 words)


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Meet Our Staff: *BerylAlexandros

*BerylAlexandros more than deserves our staff spotlight this month. Not only has she been collecting some quiet respect and recognition for her own writing talents, but she is a consistent, persistent force, always going above and beyond to find the very best prose on deviantART. Helpful, polite, and genuinely kind, we're proud to have *BerylAlexandros be such an integral part of *WordCount.


Regarding your letter (187 words)

Contest Fiction: Lovely imagery and striking sentiments that create a powerful ending.

Sincerely, Maddy (527 words)

Contest Fiction: A short, poignant letter looking to get at the truth of things.

During Murder in the Dark (1,114 words)

Contest Fiction: Murder in the Dark: it's more than just a game. Or is it?




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<sub>For more information about *WordCount, be sure to check out the following links:

Categories Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
Staff Requirements and Application
WordCount Feature Archive
Make a Prose Suggestion</sub>

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This month's article included features suggested by:









_{(This article has less than 1,100 words.)}