#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 ...

Winners of the #WEP #AllYouNeedIsLove Challenge for February 2022!

Hi everyone, Jemi here!

Weren't those stories inspired by the first prompt of the Year of Music wonderful?! We at WEP thoroughly enjoyed the reading and seeing how many ways the prompt took you!

Thank you all for writing blurbs/taglines for the stories. Don't worry, if you forgot, we've always got your back. 

We had another fabulous collection of stories inspired by the prompt. We have so many strong writers contributing. Thank you all for sharing your words!

LG Keltner - Conversation Hearts - A poem inspired by candy hearts

Jemi Fraser - Grams - Lessons from the Beatles and Grams

Denise Covey - Learning How To Be You - There comes a time to stop running and embrace life 

Damyanti Biswas - Bar Girl - It is not, until it is

Bernadette Braganza - Love is Not All You Need - A party planner learns to plan for the inevitable party pooper

Nilanjana Bose - Dead Lake  Eyes - A family’s love in all its facets

Shannon Lawrence - All The Time In The World - Sometimes love requires creative measures

Olga Godim - A Quest for a Finder - The mother’s love can’t be denied

Pat Garcia - The Harlot and Her Scarlet Cord - One ounce of love is all you need

Jamie - All You Need is Love and Conflict - Love writing well

Michelle Wallace - Love The Second Time Round - They fell in love as teens, but their families tore them apart

Kalpana - All We Need Is Love - A poem exploring love for our planet

Anstice Brown - All You Need is (Self) Love - Is unconditional love for our children all we need to be a good parent?

NR Williams - Love, love, love! - When love comes around again

Debbie D - All You Need Is Love - The Beatles got it wrong. Or did they?

Carole Stolz - All You Need Is Love - Relationships trump over possessions or hobbies every time

Roland Clarke - Freyja’s Tears - Gold medals are gifted through divine skills and love

Shilpa Gupte - The Dilemma - Haven and hell 

Sonia Dogra - Wild Flowers In The Woods  - Of birthdays and expectations

J Lenni Dorner -Julie Ette - Shakespearean inspiration for love being all you need, with a viral twist

Sally Stackhouse - Walter and Sarah - An abiding love in times of trouble

Pennie Nichols - All You Need Is Love - Love restored

Jackie Begue -All You Need Is Love - Love is really the answer

Hilary Melton-Butcher - All You Need Is Love - These boots were made for walking…

Ornery Owl - An Underrated Quality - It's a poem addressing the fact that when people hear the word "love" they usually think of romantic love…What we need is empathy.

SHORTLIST

Our wonderful judge Nick Wilford has helped us whittle down the shortlist to 3. This month 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. The feedback you give your fellow writers helps them improve their craft, and the words of encouragement help to motivate and inspire.

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 February Prize is a 10k critique by Lynda Dietz!!

Lynda is the editor from Easy Reader Editing Website 

NOW LET'S CONGRATULATE OUR WINNERS!

THE WINNER OF FEBRUARY 2022'S CHALLENGE

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE IS:

Congratulations, Sally, for your entry, 

Walter and Sarah

Nick wrote: "This really hits hard given the current situation in Ukraine. Beautiful and heartbreaking."

Sally, 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 have no body of work ready. We eagerly await your Guest Post on a topic of your choice!

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THE RUNNER-UP OF FEBRUARY 2022'S CHALLENGE

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE  IS:

Congratulations, Michelle, for your entry, 

Love The Second Time Around

.

Nick wrote: "Very fun with a bouncy rhythm. Shades of Romeo and Juliet although I'm glad there's a happy ending!"

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

~*~

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD WINNER FOR FEBRUARY 2022'S CHALLENGE

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE IS:

Congratulations, Anstice, for your stunning entry, 

All You Need is (Self) Love.

Nick wrote: "A reminder that self-love is important as well and a good message to pass on."

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

~*~

Nick also commented: "Great stuff here. Looking forward to the next round!."

We agree - so many amazing stories and writers!

Read amazing entries from our WEP FEBRUARY 2021 ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE winners @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/02/winners-of-wep-allyouneedislove.html

#WEPFF ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE winners announced @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/02/winners-of-wep-allyouneedislove.html #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners

Come congratulate our FEBRUARY winners!. #WEPFF ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE Challenge @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @OlgaGodim @LGKeltner @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/02/winners-of-wep-allyouneedislove.html

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

Jemi, for ...