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Tuesday, 7 March 2023

WEP- 'HOW-TO' SERIES I - NANCY WILLIAMS on HOW TO MAKE MONEY FROM YOUR WRITING!

 Hello friends! This is Sonia, the new WEP team member, welcoming you to a new segment of #WEP, your foremost online writing challenge site. Denise has put me in charge of the guest posts. 

We are into another year and the first challenge on the prompt 'Gone With the Wind' is already past us. Please check out the winners' post here!

This year we are offering a new format to replace the automatic guest post from the winner -- a 'HOW-TO' SERIES for our readers. These informative posts are by invitation only and will help us all navigate the up and coming challenges as well as changes/innovations happening in the writing world. 

For Part I of this new segment we are proud to present an enlightening article on KINDLE VELLA by N.R. Williams (Nancy), a long-standing founding member of WEP. We know Nancy is especially impressed with her Kindle Vella experience and are grateful to Nancy for sharing her learned wisdom with us. Over to her!

What’s up? - Kindle Vella!



Greetings, WEPers. Denise has asked me to write an article about Amazon’s new platform, Kindle    Vella. So, here are the nuts & bolts of it. Pass the cashews, please.

Kindle Vella is two years old. Just a toddler, really. And only available in the USA. I’ve been writing to Vella since May 2022. Instead of writing chapters, you write episodes. It’s not a screenplay mind you, but episodes just the same as your favorite TV (tellie for some of you) show.

Some writers say it is different than writing a book, but for me, I just write and try to make it compelling. You do want to end each episode with a cliffhanger, which isn’t necessary if you’re writing romance. The first three of every episode are free. So, you want to grab the reader by the seat of their pants. Amazon requires that you write at least 600 words and no more than 5,000 words per episode.

After that, the reader pays in tokens, and each story is measured by word count. So, if you have 600 - 699 words, the reader pays six tokens. If 1,000 - 1,999, the reader pays ten tokens. I write until the episode is complete without paying attention to word count, but generally, my episodes are anywhere from 600 to 1,400. I recently had to buy tokens. To give you an idea -   

Cost of Tokens - $$

200        $1.99

525        $4.99

1,100     $9.99

1,700     $14.99

If someone is a new reader to Vella, Amazon gives them 200 tokens free. After that, there is a small fee to buy more. I buy the max when I do for $14.99, which gives me 1,700 tokens.

At the end of each episode is a place for the writer to leave a note. You should make this as personal as possible, such as…’Oh my, do you think Cyril is guilty? Or has he been framed? Whatever will happen next?’ Or ‘As a writer, I always end up doing a little research…’ etc. I have noticed the more successful authors follow this with directions on what the reader should do. Each episode has a thumbs-up symbol the reader needs to press, or you won’t get paid. There is also a + sign, which will notify Amazon that the reader wants to follow this story, and they will get notified when new episodes are uploaded. Then, remind the reader to make this story a ‘fave’ so other readers can find it. Amazon asks readers to pick a ‘fave’ once a week from the stories their reading. This makes you highly visible to other readers. And last but definitely not least, ask them  to leave a review on the first story page. If a review is left on any other episode page, it doesn’t show up on the main story page. That’s a problem in my view. Also, as a writer, don’t leave a review because if the person who’s reading also leaves a review on your story, neither of you will be allowed to publish to Amazon in the future, on any platform. (That just irritates me no end.)

I’ve since learned that the sky won’t fall if your episodes are more than a month apart. I’ve left a lot of reviews of everything I’ve read. So, I had a panic attack when I first heard that.

You can also run a poll at the end of each episode if you’re inclined to do so. I rarely do that.

The best part about Vella is in publishing your story. No formatting is required. Just cut and paste. It’s so easy. Then you fill in all the info, title, author notes, poll, and select a publishing date, or just hit publish. I’m a just-hit-publish kind of girl. Amazon reviews what you wrote to make sure it’s within their standards. (Not to worry, I’ve read sex scenes and cuss words.) After that, it’s just a few hours before your story is live.

 Now what?

There are thousands of stories on Kindle Vella, and your new baby is at the back. Thus begins your quest to make it visible to readers. Fortunately, there are Vella groups on Facebook designed to help you do just that. There’s one set up to help authors with questions. Several are designed just to let you advertise, and more than two run challenges. I do two of them. Hella Vella runs a challenge every weekend. You post your link, and then you have to read ten other people’s stories, at least 5 paid episodes each. And there is Story Stash, where you post your links and read 4 episodes from ten people. The free ones are okay. I spend every weekend doing this. And my stories are climbing toward visibility. Now, just between you and me, I can’t actually read that much. So, I start out reading, but if the story lacks quality or doesn’t interest me, I scan it and hit the thumbs up to make my quota. I’m sure others do that too. I can honestly say I understand the problems agents have much better now.

Anyone can write to Vella, and they do. Many would-be authors don’t know the first thing about writing, but they still write to Vella. Don’t try to correct anyone because you’ll be eaten alive. But, the good news to that is, those of us who are seasoned shine. The philosophy is for most writers that this is a way to make money while writing their book. So, even good authors don’t always catch mistakes. I run my stories through Grammarly because quality is important to me.

 How do you get paid?

There is a two-month delay in being paid for one month. You’re paid based on how many thumbs up you get in the month and how many episodes you publish. So, it’s good if you are dedicated to producing a lot of work. I usually get six episodes written a week and publish on two stories - currently, King Julian and 5 Friends & Lovers. Julian gets 4 and Friends gets 2. Someone figured out you make about $9.00 per story if someone reads all the episodes. Of course, this depends on how many actual episodes you have. But what you actually get is very small. What matters is the Amazon bonus. Each month varies. The most I’ve made so far is $149.19.

 What’s New?

Amazon just released the option for readers to connect with the author by commenting. A link is at the bottom of every story. Once you have readers, this promises to be an exciting tool.

 Reading Vella

If you live in the USA, you can read Vella on your computer. If you have an e-reader registered with Amazon, the story will automatically download to your reader once you start reading on your computer. If someone deletes your story from their e-reader, it won’t affect you negatively because your paid per episode.

Negatives

Sad to say, there are negatives to Kindle Vella. First, Amazon doesn’t have the option to advertise. Sometimes they promote, but individual authors don’t have an advertising platform with Vella on Amazon. So, Facebook and other social media platforms are the only way to advertise at the moment. I tried Fussy Librarian, but it was expensive, and I only had one person read more than three episodes, so not a money maker.

Second, it’s hard to find Vella stories on Amazon’s webpage. First, you have to type in Kindle Vella in their search box. That takes you to a page with books on Vella. At the top of the page, in small print it says, Kindle Vella: stories that pull you in one short episode at a time. Click on that, and you go to the Vella Stories. That takes you to a page that gives you search options to find the type of story you’re interested in and also shows you any stories you’ve read a little or a lot of. From there, you can scroll down to see the top ‘fave.’

That’s a total of 3 clicks. Most people won’t do that. So, room for improvement.

The Future

Amazon said they wanted to keep Kindle Vella just in the USA to test it and see if it would succeed. Well, I think the answer to that is, yes, it’s a success. It will be an even bigger success if and when it becomes international. So, all you great international writers, contact Amazon and let them know you want the opportunity to write to Kindle Vella.

Dashboard

Just like with your books, you’ll have a separate Kindle Vella dashboard to keep track of your stories and to upload your episodes.

Have I answered all your questions?

If not, ask in the comments, and I’ll try to answer.

Now it’s time to kick your heels up and enjoy a Vella story.

Nancy

N. R. Williams

***

Thank you, Nancy! This article is very informative. Give us some feedback in comments on Nancy's article. Do  you like the idea of 'How-to' posts? Is there an area of expertise you'd like to share with WEP? 

Dear reader, after all. what can be better than getting paid for your writing? Guess, participating in the #WEP Challenge, right? So, join us all through 2023. Check out the prompts given below and jump right in.

Here's more about Nancy Williams: 


N. R. Williams - website

FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER

N. R. Williams

@authornrwillia1

 Formerly from Colorado, Nancy now hails from New Mexico.

In her own words: Who knew I'd grow up to be a writer? Certainly not me. Stories wove from my imagination changing me from a day-dreaming kid to a published author.'


The story of King Julian, available to read on Kindle Vella. 
Check it out. Nancy has other stories/episodes available to read.



In the beautiful month of April we will be celebrating life with the lovely Roberto Benigni & Nicoletta Braschi film, Life is Beautiful.


Look up the detailed Challenge blurb here. There are many potential directions to explore. Firstly, the indirect - the setting : war, fascism, the Holocaust, Italy, any one of them can inspire. The underpinning issues of  World War II or any war - the racism, the random cruelty, the injustice, the tragedy, the humour and poetry and other spinoffs. Then there is the direct, intimate angle - the not-so-rich-boy-meets-upper-class-girl motif. There's the bond between father and son. The games adults play with (their) children. The desire to safeguard one's own even at the cost of death. Countless possibilities. Use any of these, or ignore them totally and come with your own - it's up to you!


Post - April 19th to 21st 2023


 



  The all-new HOW-TO SERIES! #No1'HowTo'series #guestpost https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/03/wep-how-to-series-i-nancy-williams-on.html @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @jemifraser @SoniaDogra16,@authornrwillia1,#kindlevella,#amwriting,#writersoftwitter

Navigate your writing journey! #No1'HowTo'series #KindleVella https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/03/wep-how-to-series-i-nancy-williams-on.html @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @jemifraser @SoniaDogra16,@authornrwillia1,#kindlevella, #writersoftwitter

"Writing" Beyond Writing! #No1'HowTo'series #HowToMakeMoneyFromWriting https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/03/wep-how-to-series-i-nancy-williams-on.html @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @jemifraser @SoniaDogra16,@authornrwillia1,#kindlevella,#writersoftwitter



Monday, 27 February 2023

#WEP WINNERS : FEBRUARY 2023 CHALLENGE - GONE WITH THE WIND

 Wow! - did you guys blow us away or what?  But on second thoughts, not surprising, given that the prompt was - 


And you are what you are -  a super talented bunch of people writing here - it makes the reading beyond wonderful, but the judging a herculean task. Thank you everyone, for the amazing entries for GWTW. Sadly, our numbers were down by half, but we see a drop off in blog activity across the blogosphere. We hope this is only temporary as the more who write to the WEP challenges, the better.

Hello, this is Nila with you, to sum up the Feb challenge results. But first a round-up of the entries:

 Denise Covey - Love and loss, a nation mortally divided, a people forever changed.

Yolanda Renee - Surrender does not mean giving up.

Nilanjana Bose - A bunch of B/W photos can open a can of worms.

Olga Godim - What do Martian women of the 24th century think of a classic love movie from three hundred years ago.

Sonia Dogra - Tomorrow is another day. 

J Lenni Dorner - Literally about a character who is GONE in a scene with THE WIND.

Donna HoleLoss of culture, loss of life, loss of dreams. Loss of family.

N.R. WilliamsFamily Issues.

Jemi FraserGone isn't always gone.

Ronald Yeomans - And here you thought you knew all about Gone with the Wind!

Ronald ClarkeNight Witches prepare for an imminent offensive.

Pat Garcia - When Miss Scarlet slap me, it hurt. Sometimes me gets pains in my head. We human beings too.

Damyanti Biswas - What do words like love and freedom mean to you?

Beth Camp - An Old Man remembers his life in the south.

Hilary Melton-Butcher - The wind that blows no ills. 

Sally Stackhouse - The world is changing. 



Shortlist

Such a bunch of awesome entries! It made the shortlisting super difficult this month even though the entries were down. Each of the team brings a slightly different perspective to the shortlisting process, someone gives a tad more weight to the creative interpretation, another to the execution, yet another to reader engagement, but all of us are looking for the same final result - a thundering good story, well crafted and well told. We each shortlist and defend our choices passionately there's a lot of back and forth that doesn't show up here, before we pass them on to Nick, our judge.

Here's the shortlist we sent on, but only three can win!

Sally Stackhouse
Beth Camp
Damyanti Biswas
Dolorah
Pat Garcia


Commenting:

Thank you to all those who comment widely, especially those who read and comment even when they do not have an entry in the ring or are unwell. Our top supporter and commenter, Elephant's Child is having health issues and could not be present this challenge. We send our thoughts and prayers to you, Sue. Commenting is the lifeblood of WEP both as feedback towards the improvement of writing craft and as a communication channel for community building.

Sadly, this month as in months past we've had commenting issues. No one's quite sure what is going on, but it is not just a WordPress/Blogger issue. Please check the comments on the WEP post or the C-Box where we posted comments that wouldn't take on blogs. 

Please note that due to incessant spamming issues, we have had to keep comment moderation on. So your comment may not show up right away, but we will get to it soonest possible. We value your comments, please keep them coming. 


THE FEBRUARY PRIZE

This month's prize is a first chapter or 10,000-word critique from L. Diane Wolfe whose work has been anthologized in the IWSG publications and the owner of the Dancing Lemur Press. Check our previous post for more information about L Diane.




Three winners! Three Oscars!


AND NOW IT'S TIME TO CONGRATULATE THE WINNERS!

WE HOPE YOU AGREE THE BADGES ARE BEYOND AWESOME!

THANKS, OLGA GODIM!


THE WINNER OF THE FEBRUARY 2023 CHALLENGE 

~ GONE WITH THE WIND ~ 

IS 


CONGRATULATIONS, DAMYANTI! 

Damyanti's story made us consider what do words like love and freedom mean to you?

Nick said, "Elegant and yearning, this brings up all sorts of thoughts and emotions about the different things love might mean. Really well done...."

Damyanti, if you will please post this badge on your blog and link it to your winning entry. Tweet it! Share the love! Use the critique prize or pass it on to the next winner if you can't avail yourself of it in the next few months.  Remember that this story will be considered for a place in the WEP anthology to be published next year. Details will follow.


THE RUNNER-UP OF THE FEBRUARY 2023 CHALLENGE 

~ GONE WITH THE WIND ~

IS 



CONGRATULATIONS, Beth!

Beth brought to mind an Old Man's remembrances of his life in the south.

Nick said, "A different take and one that I didn't expect - Quite sobering and humanises some harrowing history really effectively..."

Beth, please post this badge on your blog and link it to your entry. Promo any way you wish! This flash also will be considered for a place in next year's WEP anthology. Details will follow.


THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR THE FEBRUARY 2023 CHALLENGE 

~ GONE WITH THE WIND ~

GOES TO




CONGRATULATIONS, Dolorah!

Dolorah's story highlighted the Loss of culture, loss of life, and loss of dreams. Loss of family.

Nick said, "A snapshot of a young man's family and friends all rallying around when things go awry. In that situation, you hope for the best, but there is really no way to prepare for the worst. Heartbreaking....."

Dolorah, please post this badge on your blog and link it to your flash. Promo any way you choose! You also will be considered for a place for this story in WEP's anthology scheduled for next year. Details will follow.



Thank you to all our participants for each of their captivating entries! 

We had such a varied and creative bunch of flashes this month. Each one a gem!

 

Please share this across your social media sites.



We announce our WEP FEBRUARY ‘23 GONE WITH THE WIND #winners @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @jemifraser @SoniaDogra16#amwriting #writingcontest #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/02/wep-winners-february-2023-challenge.html

#WEPFF FEBRUARY ’23 GONE WITH THE WIND #winners announced @DeniseCCovey @SoniaDogra16 @yolandarenee #jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/02/wep-winners-february-2023-challenge.html #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners #writingcontest

Come congratulate our FEBRUARY ’23 GONE WITH THE WIND #winners! #WEPFF Challenge @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @SoniaDogra16 @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners #writingcontest  https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/02/wep-winners-february-2023-challenge.html



PLEASE JOIN US IN APRIL FOR THE NEXT CHALLENGE 

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

WIN  A CRITIQUE PRIZE! 

WIN A PLACE IN OUR ANTHOLOGY!



Look up the detailed Challenge blurb here. There are many potential directions to explore. Firstly, the indirect - the setting : war, fascism, the Holocaust, Italy, any one of them can inspire. The underpinning issues of  World War II or any war - the racism, the random cruelty, the injustice, the tragedy, the humour and poetry and other spinoffs. Then there is the direct, intimate angle - the not-so-rich-boy-meets-upper-class-girl motif. There's the bond between father and son. The games adults play with (their) children. The desire to safeguard one's own even at the cost of death. Countless possibilities. Use any of these, or ignore them totally and come with your own - it's up to you!


Post - April 19th to 21st 2023




Please join us for another fun prompt in April

See you then!

Nila, signing off now for:



Tuesday, 31 January 2023

WEP - FEBRUARY CHALLENGE "GONE WITH THE WIND". What inspires you about this film? Write for us ...

 

~*~~*~~*~~*~

Denise here for our first challenge of 2023!

Hope your holiday season was fun and relaxing.  WEP welcomes you to the Year of Movies! We're so excited! Hope you are too! Here is the whole year in a badge, proudly created by WEP's Olga Godim.



But first, we have ...

TEAM WEP NEWS!

- We have created a new website. Do you like our new look? Let us know.

- Notice the gorgeous new badges in our sidebar created by Olga? Choose which of the two you like best and if you're 'proud to be a WEP writer', please post it in your sidebar linking to WEP.

- Laura has taken a leave of absence to care for her family whilst working night shift. She'll be back when she sorts her work/life balance. Take this opportunity to say thank you to Laura for the stellar job she's done for WEP these past years. We look forward to working with Laura again.

- To help ease the load, Team WEP has taken on Sonia Dogra as a trainee. Sonia volunteered to help in any way she could when she saw my blog post about the ups and downs of WEP these past months when life just got too much for many of us. However, we have collectively stood up, brushed ourselves off, and are powering ahead to provide a supportive online writing community of which we can all be proud. Most of you will know Sonia, but here she is in her own words:


Sonia is an accidental poet and short story writer based in Delhi. Her writings have appeared and are forthcoming in The Kali Project, Write in Power, Amity, Kitaab, Tell Me Your Story, Recipe for a Perfect Marriage, A Body of Memories, The Hooghly Review & Flash Flood Journal among others. An ex-educator, copyeditor and nature enthusiast, she dreams of owning a book café in the hills. She can be followed on A Hundred Quills (https://soniadogra.com).


Welcome Sonia!

This unfortunate upheaval in late 2022 has forced each one of us to take stock. We find that most of us are at a stage where, for one reason or another – new jobs, new family circumstances or life events - our tranche of time devoted to WEP is no longer as wide or flexible as previously. We agree that we fill a need for many. Whose writing doesn't improve when every two months you find inspiration to write to a prompt? Over the years we've seen such an improvement in each of you. Reading your entries is one of our favorite things!

~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*

           
CHANGES FOR 2023!

There will be several changes to WEP this year. We need a different iteration to suit the changed circumstances of our team members and that is what we present to you in WEP Challenges 2023!

The Changes

1. 5 Judged Challenges instead of 6.

2. No Challenge for December but a Christmas Party post instead. Check the December badge - Over to You. That is exactly it. Over to You to write about your favorite movie of all time.

3.  No winner's guest post. Instead, a team member will write a 'How-to' post outlining something they've already tried and found successful. Or they may share a post you will find interesting/educational/motivational. If there's something you'd especially like to share in the guest post format, email Denise - den.covey@gmail.com

4.  Critique prizes remain. We have some sought-after prizes this year as always. Check our sidebar. Remember, if you have no WIP ready, please pass on the prize to the runner up and so forth. We encourage you to check out the editors in our sidebar and contact them if you need their services.

5. To replace the winner's guest post, for the 3 winners each challenge there is the option to be included in a WEP Anthology which will be published in early 2024. Here is your chance to garner a publishing credit if you are not yet published.



~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~

So, let's do this!


Image courtesy of Freepix


All our challenges in 2023 have the theme, the Year of Movies. As it's Valentine's month, we kick off with the classic Gone With the Wind. Both the movie and the book have broken all sales records so is worthy of its Number One slot. 

From our Challenges 2023 page, use or discard ideas as you wish. Your interpretation of the prompt is totally up to you as long as it is obviously inspired by the image and blurb in some way. 

Nila's blurb says of Gone With the Wind:

Remember, it's all about what inspires YOU:

GWTW can be the springboard for a million ideas- civil war, love, the definition of beauty (‘Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful but men seldom realized it..’), racism, slavery, strong women, gun violence, plantations, breaking conventions, the bond between fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, the love for a piece of land, a lament for a vanishing society…alternatively, even an essay on the stars or the film director or the author Margaret Mitchell or some aspect of the making of the film...endless opportunities for creativity.

Post - February 15 to the 17th 2023

Don't forget your tagline at the beginning or ending of your entry!! 

~*~


The February prize:

The 3 winners have the option of being published in a WEP Anthology.

The outright winner receives a Critique Prize from our stable of generous editors and authors.

This month's prize is from a contributor to the IWSG, L. Diane Wolfe.

 

L. Diane is the owner of Dancing Lemur Press LC, professional speaker, & author, She  also conducts seminars, offers book formatting, and author consultation. She’s the senior editor at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C. and contributes to the Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG).

 


http://www.dancinglemurpressllc.com/ - Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C

http://www.spunkonastick.net/ - Spunk On A Stick

http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com - Spunk On A Stick’s Tips

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/ - Insecure Writer’s Support Group

https://www.facebook.com/l.diane.wolfe - Facebook

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BC4SRKH2
iTunes - 
https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6443336227
Barnes & Noble - 
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940165920110
Kobo - 
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9781939844903




In Darkness: The Vampire. First in Diane's In Darkness series.

 

Souls shrouded in darkness…

 

Stuck working as a barmaid for her demanding father, Anna dreams of adventure. When mysterious strangers enter the bar, she overhears they seek Zancrela, an ancient fortress filled with treasure and a magical library. Taking her chance, she offers to guide them. The conditions: deliver Zancrela or die.

 

As they journey through the wilderness, she discovers their secret: they are vampires. And most view her as food. One takes interest in her and her heart dares to hope, but it might not be enough to change her fate. Will Anna find Zancrela or become a vampire morsel?


Other books in the series ...




~*~



COMMENTING
Commenting is the lifeblood of WEP. We are a supportive writing environment where you are welcome to try new ideas, take risks, put forth your latest WIP for feedback.

If you have trouble commenting on blogs, please continue to leave a comment here (we're fortunate that Google hasn't messed up our commenting here) or on our C-Box. And if your blog comments are down and you have a blogger blog, consider changing your comment settings to Pop-ups, not embedded, temporarily, until google provides a fix.





We'd love if you'd Tweet or post to FB or any social media site where you network!

WEP movie #writingprompt February 2023 "GONE WITH THE WIND" @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @SoniaDogra16 @jemifraser  https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/01/wep-february-challenge-gone-with-wind.html Sign up & post-February 15 thru 17th! #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry #nonfiction

Get your thinking caps on for February 2023's first movie prompt "GONE WITH THE WIND" @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @SoniaDogra16 @jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/01/wep-february-challenge-gone-with-wind.htmlSign up & post your entry February 15th thru 17th! #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

Join WEP @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @SoniaDogra16 @jemifraser, for the first movie Challenge of 2023, "GONE WITH THE WIND". Sign up and post your entry February 15th thru 17th https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/01/wep-february-challenge-gone-with-wind.html #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction.

Check out #stories of #love, #loss, #racism, #war @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee, @SoniaDogra16 @jemifraser, for the February movie challenge "GONE WITH THE WIND https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/01/wep-february-challenge-gone-with-wind.html #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction

 

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Wishing you a fabulous February at WEP. Bring on the entries!

Our next movie prompt is for April. How about this?


Post - April 19th  to the 21st 2023

At the basic level, Life is Beautiful is about protecting children from the trauma of war, about paternal love, about one family's struggle for survival amidst the horrors of the concentration camp. 


Denise for:


Wednesday, 4 January 2023

#WEP DECEMBER CHALLENGE WINNER PAT GARCIA WRITES FOR US! #HOW TO BECOME A NOVELIST

 Hello friends of #WEP, your foremost online writing challenge site. Pat Garcia blew us away with her beautiful rendition of THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACEa heartfelt tome of love, as our judge Nick Wilford said. We could all do with a positive love story at this turbulent time and Pat has delivered. 

Pat has sent her article which we proudly present below. An excellent way to begin the New Year here at WEP where I'm sure many of you have made resolutions to write more. Writing 6 times a year for WEP must surely improve our craft.




#HOW TO BECOME A NOVELIST

 

 As a kid, I was always writing something. I didn't have any direction, but the desire deep within me was to become a novelist. I discovered reading, which strengthened my craving to be a writer, but I didn't know how to become that novelist with the deep voice I wanted to have until I met Dorothea Brande in her book Becoming a Writer.

I had enrolled in a Writer's Digest class, and an instructor offered to look at 250 words of each individual's manuscript and tell us what she thought.

At that time, I thought, "I got this" until she returned my snippet. I was so devastated that I didn't see her last sentence, "You've got potential."

To make a long story short, this tough lady, who was passionate about writing and had worked in several of the top publishing houses as a consultant in their merger and acquisition departments, had shot my baby (my story) and left me depressed.

 I finally pulled myself up and sent her a note during the last week of class. She recommended that I read Becoming A Writer by Dorothea Brande and get back to her if I still wanted to be a Novelist. And that is precisely what I did.

 The book challenged my thinking on the first pages. After reading them, I knew I didn't want to be a one-book writer, an occasional writer, or an uneven writer.

I also liked how she explained that having all the technical writing books on my shelves (and I had plenty of them) would only make me a successful writer once I knew how to work as a writer.

Brande connects the writer's vision with their willingness to become vulnerable to themselves. It reminded me of what Socrates said, "Know yourself." She talks about the child in the writer, and I thought of William Wordsworth's statement, "the child is the father of man."

 I only knew then what to think about her book once I realized that I had to cultivate my writer's temperament and that it didn't happen overnight. Slowly, I began to grasp that writing is like painting a picture.

 With each chapter I read, I recognized that I had a lot of work to do within me and that I didn't have any guarantees about the outcome. But I knew this was the type of development I sought, and regardless of the cost, I would do whatever needed. Since then, it has been and still is a risk I am willing to take.

 I am continually learning to be vulnerable or aware of the voice within me to write good fiction.

 

Shalom aleichem,

 

Pat Garcia



A writer, singer, and musician, Pat Garcia, lives as an Expatriate on the European Continent. She is a voracious reader of literature from all genres and loves knitting, playing chess, playing her piano and watching Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes films.

A multicultural writer, she writes stories that encapsulate Romance with a mainstream touch, a sense of suspense, and fantasy.



As it was the Movie Poster we found

most inspiring we'll be starting off

in February with

"GONE WITH THE WIND"




Remember, it's all about what inspires you:

GWTW can be the springboard for a million ideas- civil war, love, the definition of beauty (‘Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful but men seldom realized it..’), racism, slavery, strong women, gun violence, plantations, breaking conventions, the bond between fathers and daughters, mothers and daughters, the love for a piece of land, a lament for a vanishing society…alternatively, even an essay on the stars or the film director or the author Margaret Mitchell or some aspect of the making of the film...endless opportunities for creativity.

Post-February 15 to the 17th 2023



#WEPWINNER #How to become a writer  #guestpost https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/01/wep-december-challenge-winner-pat.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser
@pat_garcia #amwriting #writingchallenge

 

#WEP #How to become a writer #guest post  #WEPwinner https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2023/01/wep-december-challenge-winner-pat.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser
@pat_garcia #amwriting #writingchallenge


Please read and enjoy Pat's post. See you in February 2023 with your entries inspired by Gone With the Wind. 


Denise, for