Canada Writes 2010 is now over, but it's never too early to start practising for next year! Canada's extreme writing contest is all about quick wits, but you can improve your game with practice. Try your own timed challenges in film, song, blog, tweet and ad categories. Keep writing - writing and thinking on your feet are great skills - and have fun!

Look for us here next January for another great season with celebrity judges and unexpected thrills as people from across Canada vie for the top prize with pens, paper and nerves of steel!

If you missed it, the final blog challenge from CW2010 winner Jason Sweeney was this : if you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be and why? The winning blog came from Allison Trautman of Alberta. Congratulations, Allison!

Here's her answer to that 10-minute challenge:

I would travel back to just before I turned 12. I would tell myself, don't worry about the boys. The boys are no big deal. I would know that I found my soul mate at 18 and I didn't even go to school with him.

The honours just keep on coming for Canada Writes finalist Marc MacKenzie. He just won the prize for the Most Beautiful Tweet Ever Tweeted! Author and writer Stephen Fry announced the news at the prestigious Hay Festival in Wales this weekend.

Here's Marc's winning entry:
I believe we can build a better world! Of course, it'll take a whole lot of rock, water & dirt. Also, not sure where to put it.

Out of thousands of entries, Fry selected this one, he says, because he liked its humour and its reference to the absurd idea that "we need to build a new world." After all, "we are stuck with the world we have got." Read more about Marc's win on the BBC website and on CNN. Click here to check out more of Marc MacKenzie's tweets.

You have one last chance to play the Canada Writes Online Challenge -- bonus round. Jason Sweeney's back-to-the-future blog challenge closes on Monday. Put your imagination to the test. It only takes 10 minutes and you could win some Canada Writes swag -- the journal, mousepad or pen -- all great writing tools!

This will be the last of our Online Challenges until next year, so don't miss out!

"Survivor - Couch Potato" -- a new Canadian reality TV show just waiting to be written! That was Saundra Vernon's 10-minute bonus challenge last week. Congratulations to Dave Johns of Ontario who turned a nice phrase in creating this appropriately inert reality show about nothing much, a spectator show inside a spectator show:

Survivor - Couch Potato

He rises from the couch, covered in Cheezies crumbs, orange fingered and toothed, like a bewildered badger. How many consecutive baseball games can one human watch and still have blood flowing through his veins?...

The last of your 10-minute bonus challenges comes from our Canada Writes 2010 winner, Jason Sweeney, the man with a 1.2 million following on Twitter. Jason's taking you time-travelling this week. It's a Back-to-the-Future blog!

Take the challenge! It only takes 10 minutes -- and you could win a Canada Writes prize. (Winners' names are posted on Fridays.)

Congratulations to Tim Breen of Manitoba! Marc MacKenzie's 10-minute challenge was to write two or three Canadiana-themed haikus. Tim's trio was titled, simply, "Hockey, Winter and Lobsters" (you can read them below). Honourable mention goes as well to Jessica Seguin from Ontario for her stand-alone haiku "Repository of Human Possibility," written about the family canoe (read on!), as well as a four-parter about the CBC.

Don't forget to try Bonus Challenge #3 - Saundra Vernon's TV pitch for a Canadian reality show. She's created a title for it and you get 10 minutes to fill in the idea behind the show. We'll announce the winner next Friday!

Canada Writes finalist Saundra Vernon has a new timed writing challenge for you this week --a pitch for a reality TV show. Enter to find out what the title is and give it your best shot. It only takes 10 minutes -- and you could win a Canada Writes prize!

(The winner of last week's haiku challenge will be posted on Friday.)

Congratulations to Anne Spencer of British Columbia for her answer to Frank Ritcey's song challenge! Here's how Frank began his re-write of Leonard Cohen's popular song "Hallelujah"... and how Anne Spencer finished it:

Two more beers, bro (with apologies to Leonard Cohen)
Now I've heard there is a secret bar
Where rock still plays, and not so very far
But you don't have the cover charge, do you?
What beer was this -- the fourth, the fifth?
I had a fall, I need a lift, but better yet, I'll have two more beers bro...

Finalist Marc MacKenzie -- you may recall he's a medical physicist from Edmonton -- decided to think out of the box for this week's bonus challenge. He wants you to come up with a haiku. (He even offers up a sample haiku about poutine.)

Put yourself to the Canada Writes test. You might find inspiration -- in just 10 minutes. (And you could win a Canada Writes prize!)

Brent Bambury announced a second winner at the finals in Winnipeg -- Trish Barnes of Cranbrook, BC. Trish won this year's Online Challenge for her playful blog about the day she did the thing she shouldn't have:

I don't remember too much about the day I did that thing I shouldn't have. I still don't even know who they were, the people who forced me to go through it. It was a spring day in Vancouver, but I honestly didn't care. I did what needed to be done for the three of us. Sure they didn't want me to, but how could I have stopped myself ? My first splash into light and air. The mist that still hides their faces. The passage into glorious trouble....I shouldn't have been born, but I'm glad I was.

Congratulations, Trish!

But the online fun doesn't stop there! Try the Finalists' Revenge Challenges written by Frank, Marc, Saundra and Jason. First up: Frank Ritcey's SONG challenge. Ten minutes of inspiration is all it takes!

If you missed the exciting finals in Winnipeg this weekend, our apologies for letting the cat out of the bag. But with Jason's Twitter following of 1.2 million, chances are the word is really out anyway!

If you missed the finals, you can enjoy them on our audio page (and see some photos). You'll hear how the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokul, Madonna, and the three most essential things in life all had a hand in Jason's win. Don't forget to read our finalists' blogs for their experiences with the game.

And....the end of this year's radio games is not the end online!

Try the Finalists' Revenge challenges -- 10-minute challenges by the four "extreme writers" who survived them the longest! There'll be one a week over the next month. You could win some Canada Writes swag with each new challenge!

Come to the Gas Station Theatre in Winnipeg tonight at 6:30 pm to cheer on Marc, Frank, Saundra and Jason. You can pick up free tickets at the door. We start taping at 7 pm, but the show starts fifteen minutes ahead! (The theatre is at 445 River Avenue.)

Presiding tonight? Judges David Francey, Gerry Barrett, and Daria Salamon. Added bonus? Juno-award-winning singer and songwriter, David Francey will perform a couple of his songs. Don't miss out if you're in the area! Otherwise, stay tuned: the show airs at 10:30 am on Saturday morning.

Then, come back here for pics, audio and even some bonus challenges created by our finalists for your writing pleasure (prizes too)!

The finals of Canada Writes are fast approaching! This Friday night at the Gas Station Theatre in Winnipeg, the Eastern semi-finalists meet the Western. (Go to cbc.ca/go for free tickets to see the event in person.)

Jason, Saundra, Marc and Frank will meet their fate at the hands of three new judges - comedian Gerry "The Big Bear" Barrett, Juno-award-winning singer and songwriter David Francey, and best-selling author Daria Salamon ("The Prairie Bridesmaid").

After the writing contest in February, the auditions, the semi-finals....it all comes down to this!

Don't miss the thrilling conclusion to our extreme writing game show on CBC Radio One, Saturday May 8, 10:30 am on CBC Radio One.

Saundra Vernon and Jason Sweeney wowed the judges and cheated the hungry Trap Door in the Eastern semi-finals in Toronto this weekend. They won the round thanks to judges Arlene Dickinson ("Dragon's Den"), Brandon Firla ("Little Mosque on the Prairies"; "SARSical, the musical") and Lisa Ray ("Cooking with Stella," "Water").

Saundra wrote a blog about a secret she'd take to the grave (or would have, if she hadn't written about it for Canada Writes!). She was 8 years old and a cute boy taunted her ("girls can't throw"), so she beaned him with a rock. He was hurt, and she was terrified ("I think you've got red paint in your hair," she told him, nervously). Her re-write of a Celine Dion song also got laughs from the audience as "The Power of Drugs." "Barrel-chested broadway baby" Greg Barry performed it for the crowd.

Jason memorably described his orc-like feet in his blog about a secret he would take to the grave. He also wrote an ad for a scandal-ridden company -- Old Joe's Smoked Meat Boutique -- that won high praise from judge Arlene Dickinson. But he almost threw the whole match away with one line. The key to the sentence was "Schrödinger's cat" -- and none of the judges knew the reference. (See Jason's blog for his feelings at that moment!)

Come to the live broadcast of the Eastern semi-finals on Saturday, April 24. It'll be a morning of extreme writing. Lend your laughter and your support to Chloe, Saundra, Cindy and Jason. Find out who goes through the Trap Door -- and who goes on to the finals in Winnipeg. Final word goes to our celebrity judges: Arlene Dickinson (one of CBC TV's Dragons), Brandon Firla (the priest on Little Mosque on the Prairie and an award-winning comedy writer), and Lisa Ray (blogger and star of "Bollywood/Hollywood" and "Water).

Get your free tickets at cbc.ca/go.

WHERE - The CBC Building on Front St.(use the John St. entrance)

WHEN - Please be there to collect your tickets at 8:55am. The show starts at 9:15 and will run just over 90 minutes.

The eastern semi-finals go live in Toronto this Saturday morning on CBC Radio One, at 10:30 am. Get tickets if there are any left at cbc.ca/go!

An impressive - and even intimidating! - group of judges awaits the contestants there. Arlene Dickinson is no stranger to judging ideas and pitches: she's a judge on the take-no-prisoners business reality show Dragon's Den on CBC TV. Brandon Firla plays the acerbic priest on CBC TV's Little Mosque on the Prairies; he's also an award-winning comedy writer. And Lisa Ray is an elegant blogger, when she's not starring in award-winning films like Deepa Mehta's "Bollywood/Hollywood" and "Water."

Who will the judges send on to the finals in Winnipeg? Who will go the way of the Trap Door - Cindy, Jason, Chloe or Saundra?? Don't miss the action! And read their blogs for the behind-the-scenes action after the game.

The cowboy poet and the medical physicist have just jumped their third hurdle in Canada Writes 2010 and won a spot in the Canada Writes finals in Winnipeg! After making the shortlist and earning a place as a semi-finalist, Frank Ritcey and Marc MacKenzie wrote and performed their way though four challenges in Vancouver last Friday, scoring just ahead of talented fellow contestants, Marissa Kochanski and Evan Wansborough.

It was a dynamic, nail-biting event with lots of laughter from the crowd. Surprise guests included CBC anchor Ian Hanomansing and last year's Canada Writes champ Katie Sanders.

You can listen to the whole show, read the contestants' blogs (by clicking on their photos) or continue reading to follow the play-by-play...

Who will escape the Trap Door at the Vancouver semi-finals -- Marissa, Marc, Frank, Evan? Comedian Sugar Sammy, singer-songwriter John Mann (Spirit of the West frontman), and filmmaker Mina Shum will weigh their words and send two of them home.

The western semi-finals of Canada Writes go live before a studio audience in Vancouver on Friday, April 9 at 7pm.

Tune in to GO on CBC Radio One on Saturday, April 10, at 10:30 am to hear what happens! You can also catch the show online at cbc.ca/go.

 

You could win a Sony Reader digital book for trying any or all of the three online challenges that will be posted here from March 26 to April 30. The challenges will be in one of the five Canada Writes categories: ad, blog, movie pitch, song, and tweet. Selected entries will be posted online and read out on GO on CBC Radio One. Once you fill in the entry form, you have one hour to complete the challenge.

Keep your eye on the stopwatch and have fun!

KATIE SANDERS -- Winner, Canada Writes 2009

It's been one year since that moment of brilliance that won me eternal fame in the CBC archives. My life has changed so dramatically since Canada Writes that even I don't recognize it some days. While the panic of the contest was short-lived, the fallout was enormous. I'm still dealing with aftershocks, and fanning the flames to keep this little fire going.

The qualifying round of Canada Writes is now closed. Thanks so much for participating! We've received hundreds and hundreds of entries from across Canada -- our biggest crop of words ever -- and now we have a big job ahead of us: picking just 20 entries for the Canada Writes 2010 shortlist. We'll be looking for a spark of inspiration and humour and, of course, writing chops -- all qualities that will serve contestants well during the live games. We'll post the 20 names here on March 15, so stay tuned!

KAVEH MOHEBBI - Finalist, Canada Writes 2009

The second I stepped out of the CBC building (after coming in fourth), a private jet landed on Front Street in Toronto, blocking traffic for the next ten blocks. Jean Chrétien, Lance Armstrong, and Bono stepped off the plane and congratulated me on my success and told me how my writing would have a humanitarian impact on the world. (Harper was there too, but I ignored him.) Since then, I have been rolling in the dough, signing autographs, making guest appearances at the finest of Hollywood celebrity events and, honestly, I've lost count of the Pulitzer Prizes. They're falling out of my pocket like lint at this point...

 MARGARET BEACH - Finalist, Canada Writes 2009 

When a team of mountain climbers starts out, it's a given that not all will make it to the peak of Everest. So I was pretty happy to get as high as I got with Canada Writes. The view from close to the top was spectacular. It broadened my horizons and made me giddy. Ok, maybe that was just the reduced levels of oxygen to my brain. But as cliché as it sounds, it was a life-changing event.

LAURIE SCHWARTZ -- Finalist, Canada Writes 2009

One point! One lousy point. That's all that made the difference between Canada Writes '09 ultimate supremacy and a second-place pat on the back. Apparently I did not actually get bonus points for writing a jingle for my Christmas chainsaw ad, no matter what the judges said. (C'mon! A JINGLE! Terry O'Reilly, I know you dug it.) 

Prizes and glory aside, this contest is as close as writers ever get to blood sport. It's a mind-wrestling, verb-spewing, grammar-thumping keyboard cage match.

The third fast-paced season of Canada Writes kicks off on January 30. Send us your best 200 words or less in one of 5 categories: ad, blog, movie pitch, song and (a new category) tweet. Two hundred is the maximum number of words for all but the Tweets, which must be 140 characters or less. You'll have from January 30 to March 1, 2010 (12 noon ET) to submit your entry online.

Try one or all of the categories. The more entries you send, the better your chances of making it to the shortlist!

We'll select 20 of the best entries, 10 from the West and North of the country and 10 from the East, and those shortlisted writers will be auditioned to play Canada Writes on GO! in April and May. If you've heard the games on the radio, you'll know that contestants get a maximum of one hour to write a variety of challenges - but they can get as little as one minute to craft a clever bit of writing before presenting it to three celebrity judges. (If you'd like to know what that experience is like, check out the blogs by last year's contestants.) Those who don't make it to the next round, drop through the infamous Trap Door!

Those who want to play the game from home will be able to participate too. We'll post challenges on the Canada Writes website, and there will be an online winner! And, whether or not you make it to the live games, mark these dates on your calendar: The Western semi-finals take place on April 9 in Vancouver, the Eastern semi-finals are in Toronto this year on April 24, and the national finals are in Winnipeg on May 7.

First timer? Find out more about Canada Writes.