Monday 1 June 2020

#WEP/IWSG June Challenge for 2020 - Urban Nightmare

Hello everyone! Renée here!

If you've been watching the opening up of the world after the worst of the pandemic, you're probably keeping your fingers crossed that folks will do the right thing. In many countries they are, but in the US things aren't going as smoothly. Folks prefer to pull out their guns instead of wearing a mask. Empathy is lacking in the highest echelons of society, and most of us see a bleak chance for a change with voter suppression being the fresh game in town. 


Oops, didn't mean to get on a soapbox...



Photo by Mattia Agustoni on Unsplash


So before this becomes a political post, why don't we get to the challenge, 
and use our angst to fuel our writing!!!




Welcome to the June Challenge
Urban Nightmare!

Before we get into it...


...we introduce a new concept - 
WEP-Lite.


What is WEP-Lite? It is WEP stripped of everything but the absolute essentials. 

The WEP team are going through their own Urban Nightmare, assailed by physical and emotional ailments from every direction. So in June, the workload can't be shared so much. 

Rather than shutting down temporarily, we have voted to go with WEP-Lite (and this may continue into August).

How is WEP-Lite different?


There will be no...


  • Comment counting. This month 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!
  • Blurbs. We'll hold off on them this month. Even though we had a volunteer (Sanhita) to do blurbs, we would still need to edit, link, post...so better to leave it this month. 
  • Constant post monitoring. We'll still try to check as much as possible, but if you have a very urgent query, email Denise at den.covey@gmail.com.
There will be...
  • Shortlist and judging
  • Winners' post announcement
  • Winner's Guest post
  • Mail Chimp emails


So, let's get to it...

This is the put-your-thinking-cap-on post ONLY. Sign up post goes live June 17, EST, and will remain open for 3 days. Be ready to pounce! 3 days of reading and commenting. What better way to spend our time during the shutdown or whatever they call it where you live.

We at the WEP know how tough these times are. Use that in your writing for this prompt. Get that stress out of your system and put it in your writing! We don't care how deep you delve. Actually, the deeper and darker the better.

HAPPY CREATING!






How does this Urban Nightmare prompt inspire you?

A city where the trees are pulling up their roots, bunching them over their branches like old fashioned women's skirts and trudging away to greener pastures.

A city under the haze of volcanic ash where no birds, no airplanes can land, no living creature can breathe.

The underground city within a city where fatbergs and noxious fumes create a deathly trap for your characters.

A concrete jungle where the walls close in and collapse every morning and everyone must wait for the night to be alive again. 

Tell us, what is your urban nightmare?

PRIZE FOR JUNE
This month we have a CRITIQUE prize for the WINNER. Author Rohini Sundaram is offering the winner a 5,000-word critique plus synopsis.


Thank you, Rohini!








 Your admin for the June WEP are Yolanda, Denise, and Sue (Elephant's Child).  


FYI: Here's a list of FREE or low-cost sites for a blog.
·         Blogger.
·         Medium.
·         Penzu.
·         Squarespace.
·         Svbtle.
·         Tumblr.
·         Webs.
·         Weebly.
·         Wix.
·         Wordpress.


                                 

We applaud those brave souls who use their WEP stories as a series. And there are those of you who like to write ahead of time. So...the next challenge is: 




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

WEP Summer 2020 writing prompt Urban Nightmare @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/06/wepiwsg-june-challenge-for-2020-urban.html Sign up June 17! #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry #nonfiction


Get-your-thinking-caps-on for Urban Nightmare @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/06/wepiwsg-june-challenge-for-2020-urban.html Sign up June 17! #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction


Join WEP @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim  for the third challenge of the year Urban Nightmare Sign up Jue 17! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/06/wepiwsg-june-challenge-for-2020 urban.html  #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction


Begin Summer by joining @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim  for the latest challenge Urban Nightmare Sign up June 17! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2020/06/wepiwsg-june-challenge-for-2020-urban.html
 #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Renée,
FOR THE WEP TEAM!


19 comments:

  1. I am really looking forward to seeing where this prompt takes people. And will do my best not to read any of them before I retire for the night.
    And huge thanks to Yolanda and Denise for keeping this challenge going - despite the many life challenges faced by the admin team (and the world).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stepping up yet again, Sue. It would be much harder without you. I'm not having to try too hard to come up with a deep dark idea for a flash. Take any story off the nightly news and there you go...

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    2. Without your help we couldn't do it. Thank you for being so generous with your time! Your words of encouragement and sincere concern mean the world!

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  2. Thank you so much for keeping the challenge going. I know how hard everybody is finding these trying times and my best wishes, love and hugs to all the team and everybody who participate in whatever way. Keep safe, well and hopefully we will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel in the not too distant future. xx

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sally! A distraction, even for a few minutes from all that is happening is something we all need. Your support and participation makes all the difference! It's why we want to continue, no matter what!

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  3. Surreal how this prompt mirrors the situation on the ground!!

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    Replies
    1. And yet I went in another direction. Sometimes being so close to a situation mutes the muse. The world is imploding and I'm thinking mermaids. LOL I'm really looking forward to the entries.

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    2. Mermaids! - sounds super intriguing!

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    3. Oh, mermaids! I want to read about mermaids. The perfect topic for these times.

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  4. Sadly, the world is indeed fodder for this prompt.
    Hope everyone is safe and well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jemi. And you must be so busy with your upcoming novels. Please stay well and energized.

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  5. WEP-Lite sounds good to me. Thanks for keeping it going.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Toi. I hope to see more of your risk-taking writing this month.

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  6. It's a great effort on the part of the team and uncanny how there's so much fodder around. Thank you Denise and the team. Keep safe!
    Sonia from https://soniadogra.com

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  7. "And the winner of the Urban Nightmare challenge is... the year 2020!"
    (Quick, give it a badge before it throws more drama at us.)
    ;)
    <3

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  8. Hi,
    I have no problems with WEP-Lite this month or future months. If I can do anything to help, please let me know. I am willing because I want to see this Challenge keep growing.
    Shalom aeichem,
    Pat G

    ReplyDelete

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