#WEP 2021 Continues the Artistic Inspiration- FREEDOM OF SPEECH! Sign up here

 

The link above opens for submissions on August 18th!

It's time for the fourth challenge of 2021, FREEDOM OF SPEECH!

We hope you're enjoying the Year of Art

Laura is the host for this month. All of our challenges this year have been blessed with enthusiastic participation and wonderful entries. We hope you will continue that with FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Given the importance of this topic, we have no doubt that you will all give us your best work.

As only Direct Links are now posted, you don't have to add DL after your name.

Once again, we're going with WEP lite. That means:

There will be no...

• Comment counting. We rely on your goodwill to read as many entries as you can, remembering how it sucks if only 2 people read yours. Don't let this happen! We applaud you for reading as many posts as you were able.
• Blurbs. Blurbs are a lot of work. We'll hold off on them again until further notice. 
• Constant post monitoring. We'll still try to check the website and C-Box daily, but for urgent queries, email Denise at den.covey@gmail.com OR Laura at laura.gene.walker@gmail.com. That way we have the time zones covered

There will continue to be...

• Shortlist created by the team and judging by Nick Wilford
• Winners' post announcement
• Winner's Guest post on topic of their choice

• Mail Chimp emails to alert you to posts - please check your spam folder as our emails contain links - some email providers are over zealous and send them straight to spam! 

Prizes

WEP is continuing with the popular Critique Prize for the winner along with the regular Guest Post. Each challenge, a different editor/author will offer their unique prize. Check out the sidebar for our 2021 offerings. Have some work ready! And feel free to contact any of the authors/editors with an enquiry if you have a ms you'd like edited/proofread/critiqued.

The August Prize is a first chapter critique or a query/synopsis critique from Jemi Fraser. You may recall, Jemi is a much-awarded WEP winner, which gives her the editing chops that may very well help you improve!

Jemi Fraser writes romantic suspense filled with hope, heart, and humour. Her stories combine her love of mystery with the satisfaction of a Happy Ever After. Armed with a mug of tea and freshly baked cookies, Jemi is living out her own HEA in Northern Ontario. Love is always worth the risk!

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Jemi’s latest Bloo Moose Romance is Reaching For Family, available at most retailers. Number 8 in the series!

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

THE OCTOBER CHALLENGE

From our CHALLENGES 2021 PAGE

The Scream by Edvard Munch was a shoo-in for October - this challenge is devoted to the horror genre in honour of the Halloween/Samhain/observances of the other world spirits. Go as creepy as you like. But other genres are welcome too, there’s no genre police here, except that non-negotiable no to erotica.

This is a world renowned artwork symbolising the horror and angst of the human condition. It has since its creation in 1893, become an iconic representation of modern life. Read about The Scream here.

Edvard Munch was a Norwegian born artist who split much of his working life between Berlin and Paris. Mental health issues ran in the family, so Munch had occasion so observe its effects from close proximity. He was much influenced by Impressionists and post-Impressionists such as van Gogh.

The prompt is wide open to interpretations - who will it be that screams? And why – in pain, terror or exultation?

Will it be a human scream that rends the air? Or an animal one?  Or a scream from another world altogether? Or will it be a cosmic scream of the planet?

A silent scream in colours, like the one Munch felt in a sunset sky above a fjord? Or an articulated one in sound and words? Just a gasp or piercingly loud? That’s up to you, we’ve got our ears cocked and ready listening for it.

We'd love if you'd Tweet Tweet Tweet some/all of these:

WEP writing prompt Freedom of Speech @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/07/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html Sign up August 18-20! #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry #nonfiction #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry

Get-your-thinking-caps-on for Freedom of Speech @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/07/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html Sign up August 18-20! #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Join WEP @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner, for the next Challenge of 2021, August's Freedom of Speech. Sign up and Post August 18-20! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/07/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Write with @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, for the August challenge Freedom of Speech! Sign up and post on August 18-20! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/07/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html

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

Your host for FREEDOM OF SPEECH--

Laura, for the WEP team.

#WEP #WINNER's #GUESTPOST – Steph Wolmarans' Writing with Change in Mind

Hello everyone! Renée here! 

As you all know, the winner of the WEP Challenge gets the opportunity to write a guest post. Steph Wolmarans' story Storm of the Water Dragon moved its readers from hopelessness to hope. As our judge, Nick Wilford said: "Very imaginative and otherworldly. Impressive world-building in this short piece."

Today Steph has addressed Writing with Change in Mind. So take it away, Steph!

 Writing with Change in Mind

When I taught writing to elementary students I used to tell them no one would care about Cinderella if her father never died, or her stepsisters were really nice to her. People want to read about conflict, otherwise what is the point?

Source:

I also taught them to look for a change in the character from beginning to end when reading stories. Did the character want to change? What happened to their feelings?

I had plenty of time to think about these lessons while I worked on my manuscript this past year. I focused a lot on the story arc, character arc, and moral arc. Simply put, arcs occur because of change. The conflict causes a change or prevents it. Whichever occurs is generally the opposite of the main character’s original desire or goal.  

I feel like this is more relevant to readers today than ever before. It seems like everyone has “change” on the brain. Some fight for change, others fight to prevent it. Humans have accomplished so much by adapting to change, and preserved truly beautiful cultures by refusing to change. No matter which side of change we find ourselves on, we are generally very passionate about it.

Source:

I think because of the recent intensification of change, authors must also step up their game. Perhaps it is my personal preference, but I tend to relate better with characters in extreme situations. For this reason, I prefer speculative fiction. It provides a lens through which I can contemplate reality. The best authors create elaborate, but tidy worlds that allow readers to see the conflict with crystal clarity. The result is an emotional attachment to the characters caught in the arc of change.

I was recently stuck in a car dealer waiting room awaiting repairs. I worked on my manuscript to pass the time, but the other woman was glued to the HGTV episode. In the show, wealthy celebrities were “giving back” by fixing the yard at their friend's house. The writers for the show pulled her in by discussing all the hardships this “poor” woman had suffered with the loss of her mother and husband in the past year and her move to a smaller mansion. Each time they mentioned these hardships, the woman in the waiting room would utter a sound of sympathy. I could not help but think she was crazy for caring about this woman. Is that outdoor kitchen and luxury spa pool really going to make her life better? Obviously, the recent events in her life were tragic. If the same happened to me, I would be devastated. But I had a lot of trouble attaching to the story. They could build an entire subdivision of tiny homes for refugee families for what they spent on this woman’s backyard. Is it just me? My age or personality?  

For me, these writers failed to create a relatable story. Personally, the show would have been more enjoyable without the “story” part. It was reality TV, but it was a very narrow view of reality. That is why I like stories that push readers beyond reality. I think authors have a big challenge to keep up with the drastic changes in our world today. The next generation of readers may have trouble relating to the conflicts of yesterday. What do you think?

Source:

Steph Wolmarans is a speculative fiction author. Her short story, The Utten Mission, was recently published in the Insecure Writer’s Support Group anthology Dark Matter:  Artificial. Steph’s flash fiction, short stories, and novel updates can be found at https://www.teasighcreate.com/.

~~***~~

Thank you so much for your guest post, Steph. How about you, readers? Is conflict key in your writing?

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

@StephWolmarans #WEPGREATWAVE #WEPwinner #guestpost Writing with Change in Mind https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/07/wep-winners-guestpost-steph-wolmarans.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim #amwriting #writingchalleng

@StephWolmarans #WEPGREATWAVE #WEPwinner Storm of the Water Dragon #guestpost Writing with Change in Mind https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/07/wep-winners-guestpost-steph-wolmarans.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim #amwriting #writingchallenge

@StephWolmarans #WEPGREATWAVE #WEPwinner Storm of the Water Dragon #guestpost Writing with Change in Mind https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/07/wep-winners-guestpost-steph-wolmarans.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim #amwriting #writingchallenge

~~***~~

Our next challenge will be here before we know it! We hope many of you will consider joining us for our August challenge. Freedom of Speech! We'll post about it on August 1.

See you all there!

Winners of the #WEP #GREATWAVE Challenge JUNE 2021

Hi everyone! Thank you for participating in the WEP June challenge GREAT WAVE. The entries were even more stunning than usual and this is reflected in the number of winners! 

We're always impressed by the talent and creativity in this community. Choosing the winners was no easy task as we had a shortlist of over a dozen to whittle down for our judge Nick Wilford to place in a semblance of order. 

In the spirit of keeping it lite, there will be no blurbs again this month. If you still haven't read the entries (and we really think you should!), follow this link to GREAT WAVE!

SHORT LIST

Choosing a shortlist is always tricky. After a lot of thought and debate, we chose the following short list and sent it on to our judge, Nick Wilford. The competition was fierce and the entries diverse. Here is the list we sent Nick.

Jemima Pett

Jemi Fraser

Pat Garcia

Steph Wolmarans

Kalpana

Dixie Jo Jarchow

Carole Stolz

Sally Stackhouse

Rebecca Douglass

All of the above contributed stellar entries, but alas, we have to choose!

Earlier lists also had Michael di Gesu (welcome back Michael!), Roland R. Clarke and C.J. Austin.

BRILLIANT DEBUTS

There were many newbies this challenge. We welcomed Pennie Nichols, Jackie Begue, C. J. Austin, Lenny Lee and Charlotte (Mother Owl) - I hope I'm not getting my Owls mixed up? The quality was so outstanding, we award not one, not two, but three BRILLIANT DEBUT badges crafted by our very artistic team member, Olga Godim, for these talented ladies. 

Who can forget this artistic rendering of The Wave in cold wax and oil? Beautiful.

Thank you Jackie. Please post your BRILLIANT DEBUT badge on your blog with an explanation/link to your story. Even though WEP encourages artworks accompanied by an essay, we do not receive many entries along these lines, which is why Jackie's entry was so unique and eye-catching.

Another brilliant first entry to WEP. Under the Wave explored the history of the original painting, Great Wave, especially in regards to Japanese wood block prints. Anne, we at WEP hope you'll display your BRILLIANT DEBUT badge with pride.

Pennie's entry was surely a BRILLIANT DEBUT. It created much discussion amongst the WEP team members. How could we not be profoundly moved by the Great Wave Metaphor - an emotional rendering of the effects of alzheimers on loved ones? Our resident poet, Nilanjana Bose, gave it two thumbs up!

Pennie, please proudly display your badge on your blog with a link, so many others can share in your heartfelt words.

READER'S ROOST

Many thanks to the Ornery Owl who added WEP entries to her reader's list. If you haven't popped by, do, and follow some of the links. Please follow Ornery. HERE is the link. She has written short blurbs for each entry!

COMMENTING

Thank you to all who commented. Respectful, constructive, and thoughtful comments are vital to the success of WEP.  I remind writers to state the level of critique you desire. And readers, keep your comments to the point and never be disrespectful. 

CRITIQUE PRIZE

The winner of each challenge gets the opportunity to receive a critique prize. They also get the opportunity to write a guest post for WEP. 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. 

This month's critique prize is brought to us by the wonderful C Lee McKenzie. She's generously offering a first chapter critique to the winner. Thank you, Lee!

NOW, LET'S CONGRATULATE OUR WINNERS

THE WINNER OF JUNE'S 2021 CHALLENGE 

GREAT WAVE IS:

Congratulations, Steph, for your entry, Storm of the Water Dragon.

Nick wrote: "Very imaginative and otherwordly. Impressive worldbuilding in this short piece."

Steph, please post your badge on your blog and link the badge to your winning entry. Enjoy the critique prize or pass it on to the runner up if you have no body of work ready. We eagerly await your Guest Post on a topic of your choice!

~*~

THE RUNNER-UP OF JUNE'S 2021 CHALLENGE

GREAT WAVE IS:

Congratulations, Kalpana, for your entry, The Great Wave. 

Nick wrote: "Nice and lighthearted tone, riding the waves equated to going out on a limb in a relationship."

 

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

~*~

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD WINNER FOR JUNE'S 2021 CHALLENGE GREAT WAVE IS:

Congratulations, Jemi, for your stunning entry, 
Red or Green?

Nick wrote: "A bit of light relief and nice adrenaline shot. A fun slice of action."

Jemi, please link the badge to your story,  and post it on your blog.

~*~

Choosing winners in a writing competition is so subjective. What draws us to some stories more than others? Personal choice. This month, 4 of the team members were completely blown away by a different story to those Nick chose and we couldn't see this writer overlooked. We don't do this very often, so, Pat Garcia, we have awarded you a Team's Choice badge.

Pat, congratulations! We thought aligning Noah's Ark and the Great Wave was inspired. We loved The Flood No One Thought Would Come. Please display your badge on your blog with a link to your story. 

~*~

Stay safe and keep writing, everyone! 

Please join us for the AUGUST challenge, which is just around the corner. That challenge brings us...FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Hope to see you there! Baffled about what to write? Check the CHALLENGES 2021 page.

This prompt has rich possibilities. Particularly topical as authorities have veered towards authoritarianism and people across the world have exploded in unrest.

~*~

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

Read stunning entries from our WEP JUNE 2021 GREAT WAVE winners @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim #BrilliantDebuts https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/06/winners-of-wep-greatwave-challenge-june.html #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners

#WEPFF GREAT WAVE winners announced @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/06/winners-of-wep-greatwave-challenge-june.html #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners

Come congratulate our JUNE winners and #BrilliantDebuts. #WEPFF GREAT WAVE Challenge @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @OlgaGodim @LGKeltner #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/06/winners-of-wep-greatwave-challenge-june.html

The #WEPFF writers had some fantastic entries for GREAT WAVE! WEP winners announced! @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @OlgaGodim @LGKeltner #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/06/winners-of-wep-greatwave-challenge-june.html

Thank you for the writing excellence, WEP Winners GREAT WAVE! @LGKeltner @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @OlgaGodim #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/06/winners-of-wep-greatwave-challenge-june.html

#WEP 2021 Continues the Artistic Inspiration - GREAT WAVE! Sign up here on this post June 16th!

 

The link above opens for submissions on June 16th!

Welcome to the third Challenge of 2021, GREAT WAVE!

We hope you're enjoying the Year of Art

Renee and Denise are your hosts this month. All of us at WEP are hoping to see a repeat of the robust challenge overflowing with creativity and inspiration that was FREEDOM MORNING. The world is still reeling from the events of the past year, but we hope all of you are finding joy in your lives despite the ever-present Covid-19 which just won't let go!

As only Direct Links are now posted, you don't have to add DL after your name. You all caught onto that very quickly!

Once again, we're going with WEP lite. That means:

There will be no...

• Comment counting. We rely on your goodwill to read as many entries as you can, remembering how it sucks if only 2 people read yours. Don't let this happen! We applaud you for reading as many posts as you were able.
• Blurbs. Blurbs are a lot of work. We'll hold off on them again until further notice. 
• Constant post monitoring. We'll still try to check the website and C-Box daily, but for urgent queries, email Denise at den.covey@gmail.com OR Renee at yolandarenee@hotmail.com. That way we have the time zones covered.

There will continue to be...

• Shortlist created by the team and judging by Nick Wilford
• Winners' post announcement
• Winner's Guest post on topic of their choice
• Mail Chimp emails to alert you to posts - please check your spam folder as our emails contain links - some email providers are over zealous and send them straight to spam! 
  

Prizes

WEP is continuing with the popular Critique Prize for the winner along with the regular Guest Post. Each challenge, a different editor/author will offer their unique prize. Check out the sidebar for our 2021 offerings. Have some work ready! And feel free to contact any of the authors/editors with an enquiry if you have a ms you'd like edited/proofread/critiqued.

The June Prize is a first chapter critique from our IWSG liaison and multi-published author, C Lee McKenzie!

C. Lee McKenzie, Author

Books * Website

It’s all about what’s real and happening in C. Lee McKenzie’s novels. Her young adult- crossover books take on modern issues everyone faces in their daily lives. Her story about illiteracy, Double Negative, was voted as one of the best top ten Young Adult books in 2019. Her other books, The Princess of Las Pulgas, Sudden Secrets and Not Guilty are out to four and five star reviews.

She’s a traveler, someone who loves to eat her garden-grown produce and has never met a dog or cat she can resist. 

Join Lee on her social media:

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

THE AUGUST CHALLENGE

From our CHALLENGES 2021 PAGE

Norman Rockwell was an American artist and illustrator, widely known for his illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post. This particular artwork – The Freedom of Speech, was created as a part of a series called The Four Freedoms based on a wartime speech given by FDR. The painting depicts a young, working class man standing up and expounding his ideas to a group of older, white-collar men. It was inspired by Rockwell’s visit to a town meeting where a man rose to voice an unpopular view. Read more about the Four Freedoms and explore Norman’s other works here.

This prompt has rich possibilities. Particularly topical as authorities have veered towards authoritarianism and people across the world have exploded in unrest. 

Books have been banned and burnt, film shows have been mobbed by fundamentalists, newspapers/editors have been gagged, cartoonists have been shot dead, journalists and activists jailed or killed for trying to voice ideas, question authority and inform the public. Controversies on the role of social media and internet have further muddied the waters.

On the other hand, there have been fearless voices rising and speaking out. From celebrities like Meryl Streep and Greta Thunberg to lesser known but equally important local citizens and activists 

But, just as the young man in Norman’s immortal work, your interpretation need not have the huge sweep or weight of world affairs.

It can equally be a small town teenager speaking up against a bully, a young woman rising to defend a project idea to her employer, a marginalised community representative finding a spot on the local radio station.

Even a writer fighting a proposed cut by their editors - yes, you can go meta!  ‘A million ways to be, you know that there are!’ :)

We'd love if you'd Tweet Tweet Tweet some/all of these:

WEP writing prompt Great Wave @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner,  https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/05/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.htm Sign up June 16-18! #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry #nonfiction #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry

Get-your-thinking-caps-on for Great Wave @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner,  https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/05/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html Sign up June 16-18! #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Join WEP @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner, for the next Challenge of 2021, June's Great Wave. Sign up and Post June 16-18! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/05/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Write with @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, for the June challenge Great Wave! Sign up and post on June 16-18! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/05/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.htm

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

Your hosts for GREAT WAVE --

Renee and Denise, for the WEP team.