#WEP/IWSG WINNERS' POST - RED WHEELBARROW - Who won the Chrys Fey critique prize this month?

Hello all!

Denise here! 

Welcome to the report of the AUGUST 2019 WEP/IWSG combined challenge. Just a quick reminder-for each WEP Challenge, The Insecure Writer's Support Group Facebook page will have a post available where you can add the link for your entry. This is a great way to get more eyes on your work and to interact with more people!

Nilanjana takes charge of the October challenge which is usually our most exciting month with very exciting prizes. If there's any way you feel you can help Nila with comment counting or blurb writing, put your hand up please!!

As October is our special month where things run amok in a good way, there will be special prizes on offer. This time there are prizes for all three winners. I'll leave it to Nila to tell you about it in the October 1st put-your-thinking-caps-on post.

NEW WEP PRIZES. 

Starting this month, the RED WHEELBARROW winner will receive a critique from editor, Chrys Fey - see details in the sidebar. And in every challenge till at least the end of 2020, different editors will offer varied critique prizes.

In addition to the critique prize, the winner each month will write a Guest Post here at WEP and a short post in the IWSG newsletter.

Judging winners is still done by the WEP team who read, re-read then often re-re-read entries before passing a shortlist onto a professional editor/judge. Nick Wilford has firmed his commitment as judge for WEP into the foreseeable future.

So sorry if you missed out this month due to the introduction of the 3-day only sign up. Remember the 3-day sign up will continue in October and beyond.

Commenting was fraught this month. Some of the problem was 'Not secure' websites. It's a simple matter to secure a blogger website (instructions in the comments on the last WEP post) but not so simple if you're a self-hosted Word Press site by what I hear. Any advice without paying money?

Let's get to why you landed here today. Who won August???

RED WHEELBARROW inspired so many variations on the theme.  Some very creative souls wrote from the POV of the wheelbarrow.  The team agreed the quality was extremely high, which made it difficult to compile a SHORTLIST and even more difficult for our judge, Nick Wilford, to narrow the list down to 3 winners. 

Thank you all for taking the time to post to the challenge. And thank you to those who read most/all entries and encouraged fellow participants! 

Thanks to our gifted admin, Nilanjana Bose, ably assisted by WEP participant Bernadette Braganza, here is a quick blurb for each entry.

BLURBS:

Roland Clarke – A wedding, a film shoot, a deceptively young-looking old Uncle holding out a glass of ruby red…has the bride Mina bitten off more than she can chew?

Kalpana – Kelly comes home with an out-of-sync wheelbarrow, but she isn’t wanted, her mother has laid out the welcome mat for her sister instead. Magical realism and family dynamics combine in a captivating flash.

Rebecca M Douglass – Ilya hauls loads in the summer heat and dust, and longs for winter when she and the patch of land she works can come alive.

Sally – Kevin and Laura find an old wheelbarrow and make it into a quirky feature in their new garden. But will their families approve? And does it really matter, since Laura wins a prize for it?

Anstice Brown – Little Tommy is questioned by a spaceman, but he’s keeping mum. Not saying a word about what he saw his mother doing with a red wheelbarrow or what drove her to it.

Susan Rouchard – Francis goes everywhere on her trike, but will she be able to take it to school? Cute flash capturing the innocence, the challenges and the excitement of childhood.

Christopher Scott – a dark and rather disturbing tale of disease and failed science, a plague of apocalyptic proportions, and a lone man’s struggle to do the right thing. Is this how the world will end?

Cindi Summerlin – Suspicion and fear of the unknown leads to blind panic and a spectacular twist in the ending that is truly unexpected.

Cyndi Pride – A maiden entry and  a poignant poetry piece themed on death, loss, renewal, memories and fresh starts.

Hilary Melton-Butcher – A delightful trip down memory lane with a game of Monopoly and a small red wheelbarrow, as a family finds closure after their elders are gone.

Dolorah – Gwenda the troll baby listens to a bedtime story and dreams of Green Apple Fairy Jam..

L.G. Keltner - Nonfiction - The author reminisces of childhood memories that a rusting wheelbarrow brings out.

Denise Covey - Flash Fiction - A visit to enchanting Paris and the place of her mother's birth leads the protagonist home.

Beth Camp - Poetry - A present-day take of Frida Kahlo shopping in an 7-11 store.

Olga Godim - Flash Fiction - Continuing with the happenings at Dinara's pet shop in Rendezvous, a hunt for an Aelurian dragon is on.

Jenny Pearson - Flash Fiction - A wheelbarrow's journey: from abandonment to being the centre of attraction in a couple's garden.

J Lenni Dorner - Poetry - A look at a wheelbarrow's role in carrying the dead.

Elephant's Child - Poetry - A wheelbarrow's view of the seasonal happenings throughout the year and how they affect it (& vice versa).

Pat Garcia - Flash Fiction - An endearing take on how a wheelbarrow can cause a change in a person's life.

Pat Hatt - Flash Fiction - A lonely person. A high school. A stadium and a wheelbarrow. All together, they lead to disaster.

Jamie - Flash Fiction - A fun piece of how two people with special powers save a little girl's life.

The Real Cie - Limericks - A vampire pursues his love for gardening and cooking, ultimately leading to friendship and true love.

Jemi Fraser - Flash Fiction - A tale of a woman's love for gardening, her husband's views of it and a sinister ending.

Dixie Jo Jarchow - Nonfiction - A look back at the memories of the author's parents and how a wheelbarrow & peach tree signify that justice has been served.

Bernadette Braganza - Flash Fiction - A wheelbarrow becomes the getaway vehicle in a robbery heist.

Nilanjana Bose - Non-fiction - The author takes a stroll through multiple memory lanes as she reminisces all the places she's lived as a child.

SHORTLIST - we had a ridiculously long shortlist due to the stellar quality of the entries, but after some discussion we managed to whittle it down and send this list to Nick. A reminder - if you don't comment on any/many posts you're not eligible for a prize.
If you've since finished reading all entries, please leave a comment. We'd love to know.

Kalpana 

Donna/Dolorah 

Rebecca Douglass 

Anstice Brown 

Cindi Summertin 

Beth Camp 

Pat Garcia 

If you didn't make our shortlist, it doesn't mean your entry went unnoticed. Every entry is given consideration and more than one read-through, but in the end, there are entries that make the cut, often because they have something innovative about them.

WINNERS:

We're thrilled to announce the winners for the WEP/IWSG collaboration for the RED WHEELBARROW Challenge. 

So (((drum roll)))

THE WINNER OF THE

2019 WEP AUGUST CHALLENGE RED WHEELBARROW

is:

Congratulations Kalpanaa!

Nick said: 

"An intriguing story that works, I think, because of the questions it raises - sometimes it's good to leave the reader guessing. A hint of the supernatural and a portrait of a strained family dynamic that allows us to empathize with Kelly."

Kalpana, please link the badge to your story and post it on your blog!

****************

THE RUNNER UP OF THE

2019 WEP AUGUST CHALLENGE RED WHEELBARROW

is:

Congratulations Cindi!

Nick said: 

"A tragic tale with a gut-wrenching twist, but I mainly liked this because, again, it leaves the reader to ponder more about the true nature of what has happened. A fear of anything that is 'different' leading family members to turn on each other, quite a poignant and insightful motif."

Cindi, thank you for entering the WEP contest for the first time. Please link the badge to your story and post it on your blog!

****************

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR THE

2019 WEP AUGUST CHALLENGE RED WHEELBARROW

goes to:

Congratulations Pat!

Nick said: 

"A sweet story that acts as an antidote to the more grisly themes. Offers a bit of hope amid the gloom!"

Pat, please link the badge to your story and post it on your blog!

AUGUST COMMENTING, by Pat Garcia.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read through all of the entries and comment even though commenting was difficult on some sites. Perhaps the figures are skewed because of this. I counted so many times my eyes were popping out of my head. Forgive me if you believe you should be in the list. 

Monday, September 1st NY time - the cut off for counting comments. At that time, here are those who qualified for this award. We thank you for your dedicated efforts. It means the world to us to see you supporting your fellow writers!

Here are our top contenders! 

Five people (not counting the admin) commented on every or virtually every post.

Jenny Pearson

Elephants Child

Jemi Fraser

 Roland Clarke

Kalpanaa

All of these individuals are deserving, but alas, only one can receive the award!

The random pick winner using the Random Name Generator is Jenny Pearson! A stellar effort for your first time at WEP. Jenny, please accept the badge on behalf of all the great commenters and display it on your blog! 

Check out ideas from the WEP 2019 Challenges Page for the next prompt - or not. Go with your own idea!

I'm intrigued. Are you?

Thank you all!

We'd love if you'd Tweet this post or share to Facebook or your favorite social media site.

#WEPFF Red Wheelbarrow winners announced. @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/09/wepiwsg-winners-post-red-wheelbarrow.html#amwriting #flashfiction

Come congratulate our first place winner. #WEPFF Red Wheelbarrow Challenge @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/09/wepiwsg-winners-post-red-wheelbarrow.html#amwriting #flashfiction

The #WEPFF writers had some wonderful entries! @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/09/wepiwsg-winners-post-red-wheelbarrow.html#amwriting #flashfiction

When you give the #WEPFF challenge a go, you just never know! @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/09/wepiwsg-winners-post-red-wheelbarrow.html#amwriting #flashfiction