"This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

by Ana Cristina

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NPR ran a program today about the William Carlos Williams poem, “This Is Just To Say,” and had people reading their own version of a “This Is Just To Say” poem. I thought it would make a pretty neat challenge, and as this very ficlet also happens to be my 400th, I thought it would be a great way to commemorate that, too.

So here’s your challenge. Take the title and make it the first line of your ficlet. Your ficlet must be written in the form of an apology. Whether the apology is sincere or not is up to you. I will also leave the genre open to whatever you decide. It doesn’t have to be a poem – it can be a play, a story, whatever. Be creative! I look forward to your entries.

I will judge on May 1st. Below I have posted the poem by William Carlos Williams for your inspiration and enjoyment.

This Is Just To Say
by William Carlos Williams

I have eaten

the plums

that were in

the icebox

and which

you were probably

saving

for breakfast

Forgive me

they were delicious

so sweet

and so cold

Prequels

Write a prequel

Sequels

Write a sequel

Comments

Average Reader Rating: 5.0 stars out of 5

  1. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Melia's Buddy Icon Melia

    Posted 23 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Nice one! And congrats on 400 ficlets you prolific person you :)

  2. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Laine P. Grey's Buddy Icon Laine P. Grey

    Posted 22 days ago

    Brilliant! I love NPR … and PRI , and APR ….

  3. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Music-Hearted's Buddy Icon Music-Hearted

    Posted 22 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I love that poem so much. I will definitely enter this challenge, it’s a great idea. Congrats on 400 ficlets!
    LoA

  4. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Russell Ruffino's Buddy Icon Russell Ruffino

    Posted 21 days ago

    That’s a lot of Ficlets! Congratulations!

  5. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    thebetweenspace's Buddy Icon thebetweenspace

    Posted 21 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great challenge! Congrats on being so incredibly prolific. 400 ficlets and you never sacrifice the quality! Looks like I’m first to enter. :)

  6. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Kermitgorf's Buddy Icon Kermitgorf

    Posted 21 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Congrats on 400 ! and that poem is ordinary.. guess I dont apreciate poetry enuuf to ‘get it’.
    I like the apology challenge.
    LoA

  7. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Ana Cristina's Buddy Icon Ana Cristina

    Posted 21 days ago

    Thanks, guys! I look forward to reading your entires. :-)

  8. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Mistress Elsha Hawk's Buddy Icon Mistress Elsha Hawk

    Posted 20 days ago

    Enjoy!

  9. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Capital "W" Writer (LoA's Geekus Awesomeus)'s Buddy Icon Capital "W" Writer (LoA's Geekus Awesomeus)

    Posted 20 days ago

    400?! Wow! Congrats, Ana Cristina. I’m just pushing 300, myself.
    Well, I’m going to have to do some thinking on this one.

  10. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Saint Chuck's Buddy Icon Saint Chuck

    Posted 19 days ago

    Aw jeez I’ve been on this site for almost a year and still haven’t hit 100. But congrats on your awesome feat!
    And great challenge ide!
    LoA

  11. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    llamaluvsmenotu's Buddy Icon llamaluvsmenotu

    Posted 19 days ago

    sick poem!! i would have eaten them plums too

  12. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    uselessness' Buddy Icon uselessness

    Posted 19 days ago

    Okay, I wrote an entry of my own. Great challenge! And congrats on the astronomical number of stories, that’s pretty insane. ;-)
    LoA

  13. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Valley Fey/Pinprick's Buddy Icon Valley Fey/Pinprick

    Posted 19 days ago

    Oh, I love this poem, and the challenge. Congratulations on 400 ficlets, wow! I had to at least attempt.
    LoA

  14. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Blusparrow's Buddy Icon Blusparrow

    Posted 19 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    I am so in! I have an awesome apology!
    LoA

  15. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    OrangeOreos' Buddy Icon OrangeOreos

    Posted 19 days ago

    That’s strange!

    I’ve read that poem before, but I can’t remember where….

    Well, If I can think of an idea, I’ll definitely enter this challenge!

    LoA

  16. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 19 days ago

    Wow, looks like this challenge took off like gangbusters! Congrats on that. Now that it’s so far into it, I don’t want to seem like a follower by entering. Maybe I’ll write one May 2nd, just to be odd.

  17. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    One Time, One Chance's Buddy Icon One Time, One Chance

    Posted 18 days ago

    whoaa.
    sweet challenge.
    i totally need to come back to this, after homework and such.=]

  18. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Tad Winslow's Buddy Icon Tad Winslow

    Posted 18 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Wonderful challenge. I love that poem, its so concise and simple. I’m entering as soon as I can type it.

  19. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Francine's Buddy Icon Francine

    Posted 18 days ago

    thanks for reading my work and congrats on all of your ficlets, I was checking them out earlier they are really good. specially the ones about the future, real creative.
    I also have a question, is it one entre per person or can we sumbit more than one?

  20. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Francine's Buddy Icon Francine

    Posted 18 days ago

    thanks for reading my work and congrats on all of your ficlets, I was checking them out earlier they are really good. specially the ones about the future, real creative.
    I also have a question, is it one entre per person or can we sumbit more than one?

  21. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Ana Cristina's Buddy Icon Ana Cristina

    Posted 18 days ago

    Francine, you can submit as many times as you like. Thank you very much for reading my stuff, and welcome to the wonderful world of Ficlets!
    :-)

  22. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    J.B. Williams' Buddy Icon J.B. Williams

    Posted 18 days ago

    It’s gonna be interesting to see what I come up with for this one. Great challenge super teacher/spy.

  23. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    YodaOnCrack's Buddy Icon YodaOnCrack

    Posted 17 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Super cool – awesome, Cristina – I hope to find time for this one…

  24. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Music-Hearted's Buddy Icon Music-Hearted

    Posted 15 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    Hey, thanks for reading! Glad you like the new pen name. This was a really fun challenge to do.

  25. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    THX 0477's Buddy Icon THX 0477

    Posted 12 days ago

    Couldn’t resist putting in an entry now, not with the idea I got into my head. Sigh, guess I’m just another challenge sheep. Baaa.

  26. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Misheru O'ku >^..^<'s Buddy Icon Misheru O'ku >^..^<

    Posted 12 days ago

    congrats on reaching 400 ficlets! you are truly an inspiration! i will see what i can come up with :)

  27. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Ana Cristina's Buddy Icon Ana Cristina

    Posted 11 days ago

    Thank you to all who entered, read and commented on the entries, and a great big hug for all of your kind comments on my reaching 400 ficlets. It’s thanks to your challenges (and my own competitive spirit :p) that I’ve written so much on this site.

  28. "This Is Just To Say..." [The Apology Challenge]

    Tad Winslow's Buddy Icon Tad Winslow

    Posted 6 days ago

    5.0 out of 5 stars

    wow 400, you are awesome! I absolutely forgot to enter this challenge after my excited comment, I don’t really know how that happened, I must have been on snooze control one late night—sleep walking and ficleting maybe? Way to go winners and those honorably mentioned!

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