#WEP April Challenge Winner Carrie Ann Golden writes: Don't Give Up!

 Hi everyone, Laura here!

Carrie Ann Golden won our April Challenge A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall with her stunning poem Tears in the Rain. Life is like tears in the rain.

Our judge Nick Wilford said,  "There was not much to separate the two poems in the shortlist (Carrie Ann and Kalpana) because both carried so much resonance and emotional heft. But the beat and the rhythm in Carrie Ann's poem certainly made a mark, reflecting the darkest of times and somehow offering a note of hope."

Today Carrie Ann shares with us the importance of persistence in the face of any obstacles!  

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Don’t Give Up!

Ever feel like your writing isn’t good enough?

At some point, every writer will have felt this way.

Even the most successful authors have experienced these painful insecurities.

“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.” – Maya Angelou

“Even after making the bestseller lists so many times, I feel like I'm a fraud and that this time everyone will find out.” - Sandra Brown (author of sixty-eight New York Times bestsellers)

“Writing fiction, especially a long work of fiction can be a difficult, lonely job; it’s like crossing the Atlantic Ocean in a bathtub. There’s plenty of opportunity for self-doubt.” – Stephen King

Writers are notorious for comparing themselves to other “more successful” writers.

I’ll never sell that many books.

I’ll never be a published author.

I’ll never be able to write like (insert your favorite author).

Guess what?

I have the same affliction!

Being a deaf-blind writer, I’ve faced numerous challenges – and there’ve been many days when I nearly gave up.

Why?

I believed I would never ever be good enough.

I mean, how can someone like me with limited vision and hearing ever write well?

When I was a girl, people struggled to relate to me (because of my disability) so I created imaginary friends –  our escapades usually got me into trouble; I even landed in an ER once!

I discovered writing by accident (through a sixth-grade classmate’s challenge on who could write the scariest story) – which became a much safer way of interacting with my “friends.”

College English Composition nearly cured me of my passion when the professor declared that I was incapable of writing anything meaningful.

Ten years passed before I tried again (through the encouragement of my husband and a co-worker who was also a writer). When I published my first short story, the editor exclaimed as to how readable the story was.

Over the years, I learned that I didn’t need all my senses to be a good writer.

I discovered my own style of writing that became a part of my writer’s voice; for example,  instead of relying heavily on descriptions, I focused on words that evoked emotions.

So, what one would deem as weakness we can turn into our greatest strength - and the only way to accomplish that is to never give up on the writer within.

“I seek strength, not to be greater than others, but to fight my greatest enemy, the doubts within myself” – P.C. Cast

Carrie Ann Golden is from the mystical Adirondack Mountains now living on a farmstead in the Red River Valley of North Dakota (USA). She writes dark fiction and poetry. A Deafblind, her work has been published in places such as GFT Press, Doll Hospital Journal, The Hungry Chimera, Asylum Ink, Piker Press, Edify Fiction, and others. You can find her on her writing blog as well as Medium and Twitter.

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Thank you so much Carrie Ann for your heartfelt post, and congratulations once again for your winning poem!

We'd love for you to tweet this post or share it to Facebook or your favorite social media site.

#WEP A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL #WEPwinner #guestpost  https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/wep-april-challenge-winner-carrie-ann.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #writingchallenge

#WEP A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL #WEPwinner #TearsInTheRain  #guestpost https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/wep-april-challenge-winner-carrie-ann.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #writingchallenge

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Our next challenge will be here before we know it! We hope many of you will consider joining us for our June Challenge: Please Read the Letter.

See you in June!

Laura for ...

Winners of the #WEP #AHardRainsGonnaFall Challenge for April 2022!

 Hi everyone, Laura here!

Thank you all for taking part in another successful challenge! Numbers and commenting were down, whether because of the A - Z or the toughness of the topic. We at WEP thoroughly enjoyed the reading and seeing how many ways the prompt took you! There was a lot of poetry this time around, and we enjoyed all of it!

Each of you had your own unique take on the prompt. Thank you to those who supplied their own tagline - for those who didn't, we have written them for you. 

Yolanda Renee - Freedom and independence sought by some can hurt others.

L.G. Keltner - - Rey attempts to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Denise Covey -  All too often, hard rain leaves victims in its wake.

Hilary Melton-Butcher - Hard rain falls and it's kept a secret from the unwitting public.

Olga Godim - Rain or shine, the Finder always finds her m'riffin.

Nilanjana Bose - All refugees are equal but some are more equal than others. 

Deniz Bevan - Funerals often give up the dastardliest surprises!

Ornery Owl (not Charlotte) - Hard rain often falls after a dry spell: look out for the consequences.

Jemi Fraser -  A hard rain is just what she needs.

Sonia Dogra - If we take up the reins, can we help save the world?

Carrie Ann Golden - Life is like tears in the rain.

N.R. Williams - Life and love overcome.

Roland Clarke - Two cousins echo deeds of their grandmothers by resisting tyranny in Ukraine.

Shannon Lawrence - Courage is what we make it.

J Lenni Dorner - An executioner extinguishes one life to save another.

Sally - Throwback but nothing changes – hard rain is still falling 40+ years later.

Kalpana - The turmoil of the world has us teetering on the edge . (Having the audio was brilliant. Very helpful to those who have trouble reading on the computer.)

SHORTLIST

Our wonderful judge Nick Wilford has rated our shortlist into the three places. The whole WEP team chose virtually the same 3 or 4 entries.  As always, there were pieces we all loved that did not make the list, so do not despair if you don't see your entry listed here. Maybe next time.

COMMENTING

Thank you once again to all of you who continue to comment widely! Commenting is a major part of WEP's success and sadly comments were down this time for whatever reason. The feedback you give your fellow writers helps them improve their craft, and the words of encouragement help to motivate and inspire.

A quick note: We love receiving your comments on these posts. Unfortunately, a deluge of spam has resulted in us needing to turn on comment moderation. Please don't let that discourage you from commenting here! We still want to hear from you. We just don't want spammers taking over.

CRITIQUE PRIZE

The winner of each challenge gets the opportunity to receive a critique prize if they have a piece of writing ready, whether it be a full manuscript, a short story or an article. They also get the opportunity to write a guest post for WEP on a topic of their own choice. If a winner has no work for critique, please let us know so we can pass the opportunity on to the next on the list. We need you to contact the editor right away, then send your work in under three months at the most. Editors are busy people who need to plan, so please respect their time.

Our sidebar proudly displays everyone who is offering critique prizes for 2021. You are welcome to contact any of the editors with a request for work. 

The April Prize comes from Nas Dean, who has generously offered a place in her online writing course- value $80- which can be taken up any time.

Writing & Editing 101

Learn at your own pace and in your own time.!!

We haven't done this for awhile, but this month we're giving an Honorable Mention to Ornery Owl for her engaging memoir (a genre we don't see enough of!) and Roland Clark for his 'tale of two cousins' who resist the tyranny in Ukraine! 

Also, when team members (who aren't eligible for prizes) write something completely engaging, they should be acknowledged. This challenge Nila said: Two of the host entries were just so strong - Denise with her absolutely superb, immersive POV of a girl sheltering in the Mariupol theatre in Ukraine and Yolanda with her poem, redolent with brilliant crispness.

NOW LET'S CONGRATULATE OUR WINNERS!

THE WINNER APRIL 2022'S CHALLENGE

A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL IS:

Congratulations, Carrie Ann, for your entry, 

Tears In The Rain

Nick wrote: "There was not much to separate the two poems in the shortlist (Carrie Ann and Kalpana) because both carried so much resonance and emotional heft. But the beat and the rhythm in Carrie Ann's poem certainly made a mark, reflecting the darkest of times and somehow offering a note of hope."

Carrie Ann, please post your badge on your blog and link the badge to your winning entry. Enjoy the critique prize or pass it on if you would rather. This one can be used at any time, so no rush! We eagerly await your Guest Post on a topic of your choice!

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THE RUNNER-UP OF APRIL 2022'S CHALLENGE

A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL  IS:

Congratulations, Shannon, for your entry, 

As the Time Approaches

.

Nick wrote: "Very well drawn and really captures a moment in life, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps and the backstory. We connect with this character really well in a few hundred words and that's what a good short story does."

Shannon, please link the badge to your entry and post it on your blog. Congratulations!

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THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD WINNER FOR APRIL 2022'S CHALLENGE

A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL IS:

Congratulations, Hilary, for your stunning entry, 

A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall

Nick wrote: "As usual we learn something new from Hilary, this time putting a different spin on devastating current events and told cleverly from a first person perspective, almost like the land itself is crying out. Well done."

Hilary, please link the badge to your entry and post it on your blog.

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Thank you all for participating! We saw so many fantastic entries this month!

Read stunning entries from our WEP APRIL 2022 A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL winners @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/winners-of-wep-ahardrainsgonnafall.html

#WEPFF A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL winners announced @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/winners-of-wep-ahardrainsgonnafall.html #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners

Come congratulate our APRIL winners!. #WEPFF A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL Challenge @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @OlgaGodim @LGKeltner @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/winners-of-wep-ahardrainsgonnafall.html

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Join us in June for our next Year of Music challenge!

Laura, for ...

#WEP Continues the Musical Inspiration with #AHardRain'sGonnaFall for #April 2022 - Sign Up Here on April 20 - 22!

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Welcome to the April Challenge! Laura here. We saw some wonderful posts for the first challenge in our Year of Music, and I can't wait to see what all of you come up with next.

We understand that many of you might be participating in the April A-Z Challenge this month. Feel free to combine the two challenges by basing your entry on both the music prompt and the letter of the day you post. We've seen many successful entries over the years that do just that.

From our MailChimp email:

We welcome all writers whatever your level -

• Still learning your craft? This is where you can get feedback and encouragement.
  
• Want to try out a WIP on us? Publish an extract.
  
• Want to continue a series? This is for you.
• Just adore writing to prompts in a supportive writing community? Go ahead
• Want to win a prize? 3 on offer. Go for it!

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Please Note:

CRITIQUES

This is a most vital part of participation, but it has also proven to be why folks walk away from participation.

Please be courteous with your words!

For the WEP, a critique is:

Constructive feedback or positive reinforcement of the writer while helping reign in problems or giving helpful suggestions.

The point is to be helpful, not hurtful.

The WEP is a place where writers can confidently share their work without fear of harsh words or biting feedback. No matter what the choice is by the author of the type of critique.

Check the Menu Items Under The Critique for more information!

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Please remember to include a blurb/tagline with your story! 

Short and sweet. A tagline doesn't have to tell the story. It captures the theme. Go on, give it a try!!!! 

April Prize:

The April Prize comes from Nas Dean, who has generously offered a place in her online writing course- value $80- which can be taken up any time.

Writing & Editing 101
Learn at your own pace and in your own time.

Topics:

1. Story Structure
2. Plotting
3. The Elements of a Story
4.  Word Usage
5. Capitalization Rules
6. Point of View
7. Deep POV
8. Showing vs Telling
9. After Your Book is Complete
10. The Big Picture

Bonus content: 
Writing a Series
Self Publishing 101

This course runs in a social interactive group and you will get to chat with other writers in a friendly environment and ask your questions. 

Course cost: $80.00 

Course Presenter: Nas Dean

To enroll email: nas_dean@ymail.com 

Nas is a voracious reader. She reads most genres and grew up on mystery, thrillers and romance. Apart from reading, she likes travelling, gardening, music, and meeting people. She has travelled through the United States, Europe and parts of Asia. As well as Australia and New Zealand. 

She has been in the publishing industry since 2010—editing and working with authors. As an editor, she makes constructive suggestions without interfering with the overall conception of your writing voice. Because as a reader, she knows what hooks a reader in from the first chapter, so she can help find inconsistencies and fix the errors, making the story flow better. 

Website: http://www.nasdean.com/

You've got to be in it to win it!

THE JUNE CHALLENGE

From our CHALLENGES 2022 PAGE

This month's prompt is based on Please Read the Letter by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - a break up song and a moving plea for understanding at the termination of a relationship. Neither of these musicians need an introduction  of course, both have umpteen awards to their names individually. The album Raising Sand where the track is included is a platinum with more than a million sold.

There could be many possible ways to treat this prompt. Who's going to write that letter? And who's it addressed to? Will you let it remain a letter or update it to a text? Or even a voicemail message? And most importantly, what's it going to be about - what's it going to say?

Happy writing!

We'd love if you'd Tweet Tweet Tweet

some / all of these:

WEP writing prompt A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner @jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/03/wep-continues-musical-inspiration-with.html Sign up April 20-22! #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry #nonfiction #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry 

Get your thinking caps on for A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner @jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/03/wep-continues-musical-inspiration-with.html Sign up April 20-22! #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Join WEP @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner @jemifraser, for the next Challenge of 2022, April's A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall. Sign up and post April 20-22! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/03/wep-continues-musical-inspiration-with.html #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Write with @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner @jemifraser, for the April challenge A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall! Sign up and post on April 20-22! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/03/wep-continues-musical-inspiration-with.html

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We are looking forward to seeing where this month's prompt takes you! 

#WEP February Challenge Winner - Sally Stackhouse

 Hi everyone, Jemi here!

Sally Stackhouse won our February Challenge All You Need Is Love with her touching tale of Walter and Sarah. You can read it here. An abiding love in troubled times.

As our judge, Nick Wilford said, "This really hits hard given the current situation in Ukraine. Beautiful and heartbreaking."

Today Sally is going to share with us about life and writing!

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I was overwhelmed that my entry for ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE was the winner and so proud of achieving this commendation from my peers – thank you. 

I’ve always had a lot of words rumbling around in my brain but it is only in the last ten years or so that I’ve been able to put them down on paper.  There are a couple of reasons for this, the first one is time, i.e., my kids left home, I was working part-time and therefore gained more time for my own pursuits, reading, and writing. 

The other reason is that it is easier nowadays to type something out on a computer, save a word file (always back it up!) and change and edit it as often as you like.  Just think how much time it would take to write in long-hand, harking back to school days and homework, writing something quickly, and then copying it out in your ‘best handwriting’. 

I remember my lovely mum (sadly no longer here) remarking, ‘where do you get your ideas from, certainly you don’t get it from me!’  

I really don’t know. I think because I am an avid reader words make sense and flow, not always smoothly I must admit.  I also people/watch and people/listen, not so much nowadays because of Covid restrictions but I’ve spent a lot of time over the last 18 months hanging around hospitals, having treatment, and waiting for appointments.

Last year my brain couldn’t cope – chemo certainly addles your thought processes a bit but now, I am very pleased to say, most of my mojo is back.

When you were at school

Did you sometimes feel a fool?

Physics and maths weren’t my thing

Nor the choir ‘cos I can't sing.

Now history was interesting

But not kings and queens and their bling

The ordinary folk such as you and I

Who toiled the land and watched the sky

Gave me more to think about and learn

Not good times to be born.

Give me a book and I would lose time

Transported to other worlds, romance or crime

Thrillers and sci-fi and then the classic writers

People who are long dead with words that survive

With a heritage to revere and characters that come alive.

So, head out of the clouds and prepare for a career

Typing and shorthand were part of my future

To stand me in good stead for the next of life’s adventure

Loving the English language opened new frontiers.

So now I’m in my sixties and am able to indulge

This passion of mine that started at a young age

Some praise from family although they are biased

But I’ll take it and try not to be pious.

An opportunity has opened which I will embrace

Hoping I won’t get egg on my face.

My brain is in gear

Stamping down on my fear.

With encouragement and love

I’m going forward, onwards and above

To get it all out before it’s too late

Before all the brain cells dissipate.

      

 

Sally Stackhouse: wife, mother, step-mother, grandmother, step-grandmother and step-great-grandmother. Living in the Weald of Kent in South East England.

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Thanks so much, Sally and congrats again! We're all so very happy you have your mojo back!! You can find Sally at her blog Sally's Scribbles!

We'd love for you to tweet this post or share it to Facebook or your favorite social media site.

#WEP ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE #WEPwinner #guestpost  https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/03/wep-february-challenge-winner-sally.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #writingchallenge

#WEP ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE #WEPwinner #WALTER&SALLY  #guestpost https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/03/wep-february-challenge-winner-sally.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #writingchallenge

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Our next challenge will be here before we know it! We hope many of you will consider joining us for our April Challenge: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall.

See you in April!

Jemi for ...