#WEP DECEMBER CHALLENGE #WINNER'S #GUESTPOST – ORNERY OWL (CIE) #AMWRITING

 Hello everyone! Denise here! 

Ornery Owl (Cie), the winner of the December Challenge Narcissus, won with her:

Cheeky History With Ornery Owl: Sympathy for Narcissus.

Her tagline: Greetings, Class. Fasten your seat belts! Professor Ornery Owl has a history lesson and a proposal for you. 

 

As our judge, Nick Wilford said: "A bit of everything here. Poetry, a history lesson and great satire. Really fun read."

Today Cie is talking about learning to live with ADHD and so much more. So take it away, Cie!

WORKING WITH MY UNCONVENTIONAL BRAIN

Source

 I will be 57 years old on February 15 of this year and I am still learning how to work with my unconventional brain. I only realized a few years ago that I have ADHD, a condition that is still misunderstood these days and was certainly misunderstood when I was a child if it was acknowledged at all.

 I’ve heard all my life how I do everything wrong. I’ve heard that I’m lazy, flaky, spacy, selfish. I was branded borderline retarded when I was in the sixth grade because of my difficulty performing a pattern recognition I.Q. test. Through all these things the one thing I believed was that I had a modicum of talent as a writer, but that too came into question when I heard time and again how if I couldn’t write a cohesive novel, I wasn’t a real writer.

 The problem is my mind loves to form subplots. Try as I might, I couldn’t stop it from doing so. Writing was no longer enjoyable when I couldn’t let the subplots fly. I realized that I would either need to stop writing or allow myself to write the way I wanted to, regardless of whether anyone else liked it or not.

 In the introduction to my still-unpublished novel, The Wizard’s Key, I stated that the book could either be read as a novel or as a series of interrelated stories. I recently learned that the term for such a book is a fix-up novel. Thus, I write fix-up novels rather than novels with a laser-focused plot. It’s similar to what the Tenth Doctor said about time. Rather than being linear, it’s more like a bunch of wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff.

 In David Bowie’s video for the song Lazarus, David is sitting at a desk attempting to write his thoughts on a long scroll of paper. He realizes that he will never be able to get them all written down before it is time for him to depart the world and he finds this distressing. I feel similarly about all the stories in my head and the new ones forming every day. If I lived for a thousand years, I’d probably never get them all written.

 One of the things I started doing this year to become more organized when it comes to creating stories for submission to anthologies or other publications is to create a comprehensive quarterly list. I find publications seeking stories at Literarium.com and arrange them in order of the deadline date. If you’d like to download a copy of my first quarter list it is available in PDF format from this link.

 https://odysee.com/@naughtynetherworldpress:d/Publications-Seeking-Submissions-1st-Quarter-2022:7

 Keep in mind that I only listed publications that I felt would be a good fit for me. You’ll want to visit Literarium.com yourself.

 For years I felt like I wasn’t a good writer because I couldn't stick to word count guidelines like “you have to write at least 2000 words a day.” I generally average 500-1000 words a day on any story I’m focusing on. One thing I’ve learned is that someone else’s guidelines may not work for me and that’s fine.

 My advice is don’t try to be someone else. I’ve spent a lifetime learning that I can only be who I am and trying to accept myself as a weird rhomboid peg that can never fit into a round hole no matter how hard I try.

 

Ornery Owl

 

Visit Ornery Owl at her blog, 

http://poetryofthenetherworld.blogspot.com/

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Thank you so much for your guest post, Cie. How about you, readers? How do you feel about your writing challenges? It has been said that readers can tell when you are not honest in your writing. Do you consider yourself honest, open, free?

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

#WEP NARCISSUS #WEPwinner #guestpost #FINDING YOUR WRITING STYLE.  https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/01/wep-december-challenge-winners.html@DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #writingchalleng

#WEP NARCISSUS #WEPwinner #CHEEKYHISTORYLESSON…. #guestpost https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/01/wep-december-challenge-winners.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #writingchallenge

#WEP NARCISSUS #WEPwinner  #guestpost #unconventionalbrain https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/01/wep-december-challenge-winners.html @DeniseCCovey, @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #writingchallenge

~~***~~

Our next challenge will be here before we know it! We hope many of you will consider joining us for our February challenge, All You Need is Love! The first of our Year of Music challenges.

Winners of the #WEP #NARCISSUS Challenge for December 2021

 

Winners of #WEP December Challenge

"What a phenomenal group of writers WEP has." 

Nick Wilford, WEP judge.

Hello everyone, Jemi here! We would like to thank those of you who took part in the December Challenge NARCISSUS. This was an interesting challenge and produced a wide range of themes and stories! 

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

We'll keep asking for taglines in the next challenges - they're great for practicing pitches for our stories. We thank our co-host, Jemi Fraser, for collating them.

Denise Covey - A Little Reflection Can’t Hurt - Be careful what you wish for; you might just get it

Yolanda Renée - Narcissus - Narcissistic led materialism the new golden idol

Debbie D - Rita - The Portrait of a Narcissist 

Jamie - Hashtag - Fashion becomes pain for a narcissistic social media influencer

J Lenni Dorner - #BeautifulPrincess Parable - A simple story with a lesson about 

valuing youth and beauty above all else

Michael Di Gesu - Narcissus - Beauty is literally in the eye of the beholder...

Jemi Fraser - Little Tommy - Bringing up Tommy, the tale of a narcissist

NR Williams - Narcissist - When one imagines themselves invincible

HIlary - The Wear and Tear of Aging - Wear and tear begone!!

Olga Godim - Narcissus - Even a barber could be a hero!

Shilpa Gupte - Narcissistic Me - One in million

Shannon Lawrence - Beautiful Husk - Some must bear witness, an echo only of the horrors they see

Ornery Owl - Symphony for Narcissus - Greetings, Class. Fasten your seat belts! Professor Ornery Owl has a history lesson and a proposal for you

Roland Clarke - Mirrored Pride - Uplifted by daffodils, two women affirm their love and pledge to fight for human rights.

Kalpana - Narcissus - A poetic interpretation of the name and the myth

Nilanjana Bose - Reflections - Narcissi will grow in the most unexpected of places

Rebecca Douglass - Snow Dragon - Sometimes a dragon is really a dragon

LG Keltner - Adoration - Dorian’s followers have come and he’s ready to take them to the next level

Jemima Pett - The Scent of Narcissus - A dreary winter day holds more than it seems

Bernadette Braganza - A Christmas Fairy Tale - A dialogue between two sisters that turns into an inspiration for one of them

SHORTLIST

Our wonderful judge Nick Wilford has been a real trooper over the years. This month we did our best to make things easier on Nick by sending him a short list of six. This is not a reflection on the quality of the entries this challenge. There were passionate email exchanges involved as we whittled things down. 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! 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. 

This month's critique prize is brought to us by Christine Rains -a detailed 10,000 word critique  Thank you, Christine!

NOW LET'S CONGRATULATE OUR WINNERS!

THE WINNER OF OCTOBER 2021'S CHALLENGE

NARCISSUS IS:

Congratulations, Cie, Ornery Owl, for your entry, 

Cheeky History With Ornery Owl: Sympathy for Narcissus

Nick wrote: "A bit of everything here. Poetry, a history lesson and great satire. Really fun read."

Cie, 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!

~*~

THE RUNNER-UP OF OCTOBER 2021'S CHALLENGE

NARCISSUS  IS:

Congratulations, Hilary, for your entry, 

Narcissus - the Wear and Tear of Ageing 

.

Nick wrote: "This was fun too. A unique take and as always with Hilary, there's history in there too.."

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

~*~

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD WINNER FOR OCTOBER 2021'S CHALLENGE

NARCISSUS IS:

Congratulations, Jamie, for your stunning entry, 

Hashtag Fashion Pain

.

Nick wrote: "Perfect for our times. I appreciated the black humour. "

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

~*~

Nick also commented: "So fun and satire seemed to be the watchwords here, but there was a lot of pathos over many entries too. I didn't see any that I didn't like."

We agree - so many amazing stories and writers!

Read amazing entries from our WEP OCTOBER 2021 NARCISSUS winners @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/01/winners-of-wep-narcissus-chanllenge-for.html

#WEPFF NARCISSUS winners announced @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/01/winners-of-wep-narcissus-chanllenge-for.html #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners

Come congratulate our DECEMBER winners!. #WEPFF NARCISSUS Challenge @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @OlgaGodim @LGKeltner @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/01/winners-of-wep-narcissus-chanllenge-for.html

 

We're looking forward to The Year Of Music for 2022!

Wishing all of you peace and love this holiday season and

all of the best that 2022 has to offer!

Join us in February for our first Year of Music challenge!

#WEP 2021 Continues the Artistic Inspiration for December - NARCISSUS! Sign up here today! Write your own #tagline!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you're wondering when the winners will be announced, wonder no more. In case you missed the MailChimp email, due to Christmas activities, we won't choose a SHORTLIST until the end of December! 

Apologies to Jemi who wasn't on the team when this badge was made. 

Please Note:

CRITIQUES

Remember:

The WEP is a place where writers can confidently share their work without fear of harsh words or biting feedback. No matter what the choice is by the author of the type of critique.

For the WEP, a critique is:

Constructive feedback or positive reinforcement of the writer while helping reign in problems or giving helpful suggestions.

The point is to be helpful, not hurtful.

Check the Menu Items Under The Critique for more information!

***

BLURBS ARE BACK, BUT WITH A DIFFERENCE!

We need your help. Place your tagline for the piece you've submitted above your story. It's an essential part of the writing process when giving your pitch or submitting to agents and editors. It helps us get to the core of the story.

We were thrilled with the taglines last challenge! Thank you!

For those new to taglines:

Here's an example of a #tagline from Denise's Paris Dreams novel:

"Sometimes, a new life comes at a cost."

Here's an example from Renee's first novel: Murder, Madness & Love:

"After a gritty detective becomes involved with a beautiful widow, rumor and obsession obstruct his quest for justice."

Short and sweet. A tagline doesn't have to tell the story. It captures the theme. Go on, give it a try!!!!

Jemi Fraser will collect/collate your taglines  during the reading process. They will then be posted in the December winners post. 

December's Critique Prize is from a great supporter:

CHRISTINE RAINS, Speculative Fiction author - 'All I want for Christmas is a 'especially-tailored' prize from Christine.'

Christine says, "I'm offering a 10,000 word critique. I'm a detailed critic. I give my reactions as I'm reading, along with what I like and don't like, overall plot, tropes, and characterization. I try my best to be as helpful as possible."

Her latest book is Shudder of Spectres, a fantasy LitRPG/GameLit for fans of table-top role-playing games. 

 Here's the blurb:

In every one of their games, the bard dies first.

But this time, she may be the only one who can save them all.

Nora Quinn wants to play a bard like no other seen before, and the newest table-top role-playing game is the perfect chance to show off her skills. Yet when Nora and her friends find themselves in the dark fantasy world of Khthonia, she struggles to be any type of bard at all. There, things aren't as straightforward as the games she's used to playing.

If she and her friends want to get back to the real world, then Nora has to lift the curse plaguing Khthonia for over a century. The fate of the realm and their way home rest in Nora's hands, but will she survive when the bard is always the first to die?

Christine has a new website. Click to visit her.

So, to win Christine's valued prize, submit your Narcissus or Narcissa entry between December 1 - 15.

\

FROM OUR CHALLENGES PAGE:

This one depicts a classic subject by an Italian Master and needs no introduction. Narcissus is a well known character from Greek mythology – his story has been repurposed and retold all through the ages. Caravaggio was one of the prime movers of Italian art scene of the 16^th/17^th century and a good few of his artworks are based on the classics. He was a controversial figure in his lifetime, but has come to be recognised as an artist with far reaching influence on modern painting. He was a master of chiaroscuro and developed the use of shadows in art.

This particular painting can be interpreted many ways – will you update Narcissus’ story to fit  a modern timeline?

Or retell it from a different angle/POV,  perhaps a Narcissa instead?

Explore the mental disorder that is known after Narcissus and its impact on caregivers/physicians/family?

Or perhaps go in a different direction entirely -  make Narcissus quite incidental to the story – maybe the painting is only a prop in the setting?

Remember there is no right or wrong interpretation, you can make the prompt front and centre of your entry. Or not. Totally your call. Think out of the box, or rather, frame – and delight us with yours.

Happy writing!

                                                               

So thereby ends our YEAR OF THE ART. I think it's been a resounding success, what say you?

2022 is THE YEAR OF MUSIC!! Yay! Don't we all love our music!

GRAB the badge and post it in your sidebar! Thank you!

Go HERE to our Challenges 2022 page to see all the prompts for the year - we thank Olga Godim for the magnificent badges and Nilanjana for the magnificent blurbs. We have a talented team. 

Here's the link if you want to add it to your page:

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<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.inlinkz.com/cs.php?id=827805"></script>

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If you want to read about self-publishing, Denise is guesting at Damyanti's site over the holidays. Both Denise and Damyanti would love you to visit and add to the conversation.

 Please tweet one or two of these:

WEP writing prompt Narcissus @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner nullSign up December 1–15th! #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry #nonfiction #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF #poetry https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/12/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html

 Get-your-thinking-caps on for Narcissus @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner  http s://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/12/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.htmlSign up December 1 – 15th! #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction 

Join WEP @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee @LGKeltner, for the next Challenge of 2021, December's Narcissus. Sign up and Post December 1 – 15th!  #WEPFF #amwriting #flashfiction #poetry #nonfiction https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/12/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html 

Write with @DeniseCCovey @YolandaRenee, @LGKeltner, for the December Challenge Narcissus! Sign up and post on December 1 – 15th! https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2021/12/wep-2021-continues-artistic-inspiration.html