Winners of the #WEP #AHardRainsGonnaFall Challenge for April 2022!

 Hi everyone, Laura here!

Thank you all for taking part in another successful challenge! Numbers and commenting were down, whether because of the A - Z or the toughness of the topic. We at WEP thoroughly enjoyed the reading and seeing how many ways the prompt took you! There was a lot of poetry this time around, and we enjoyed all of it!

Each of you had your own unique take on the prompt. Thank you to those who supplied their own tagline - for those who didn't, we have written them for you. 

Yolanda Renee - Freedom and independence sought by some can hurt others.

L.G. Keltner - - Rey attempts to find hope in a seemingly hopeless situation.

Denise Covey -  All too often, hard rain leaves victims in its wake.

Hilary Melton-Butcher - Hard rain falls and it's kept a secret from the unwitting public.

Olga Godim - Rain or shine, the Finder always finds her m'riffin.

Nilanjana Bose - All refugees are equal but some are more equal than others. 

Deniz Bevan - Funerals often give up the dastardliest surprises!

Ornery Owl (not Charlotte) - Hard rain often falls after a dry spell: look out for the consequences.

Jemi Fraser -  A hard rain is just what she needs.

Sonia Dogra - If we take up the reins, can we help save the world?

Carrie Ann Golden - Life is like tears in the rain.

N.R. Williams - Life and love overcome.

Roland Clarke - Two cousins echo deeds of their grandmothers by resisting tyranny in Ukraine.

Shannon Lawrence - Courage is what we make it.

J Lenni Dorner - An executioner extinguishes one life to save another.

Sally - Throwback but nothing changes – hard rain is still falling 40+ years later.

Kalpana - The turmoil of the world has us teetering on the edge . (Having the audio was brilliant. Very helpful to those who have trouble reading on the computer.)

SHORTLIST

Our wonderful judge Nick Wilford has rated our shortlist into the three places. 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 and sadly comments were down this time for whatever reason. The feedback you give your fellow writers helps them improve their craft, and the words of encouragement help to motivate and inspire.

A quick note: We love receiving your comments on these posts. Unfortunately, a deluge of spam has resulted in us needing to turn on comment moderation. Please don't let that discourage you from commenting here! We still want to hear from you. We just don't want spammers taking over.

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 April Prize comes from Nas Dean, who has generously offered a place in her online writing course- value $80- which can be taken up any time.

Writing & Editing 101

Learn at your own pace and in your own time.!!

We haven't done this for awhile, but this month we're giving an Honorable Mention to Ornery Owl for her engaging memoir (a genre we don't see enough of!) and Roland Clark for his 'tale of two cousins' who resist the tyranny in Ukraine! 

Also, when team members (who aren't eligible for prizes) write something completely engaging, they should be acknowledged. This challenge Nila said: Two of the host entries were just so strong - Denise with her absolutely superb, immersive POV of a girl sheltering in the Mariupol theatre in Ukraine and Yolanda with her poem, redolent with brilliant crispness.

NOW LET'S CONGRATULATE OUR WINNERS!

THE WINNER APRIL 2022'S CHALLENGE

A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL IS:

Congratulations, Carrie Ann, for your entry, 

Tears In The Rain

Nick wrote: "There was not much to separate the two poems in the shortlist (Carrie Ann and Kalpana) because both carried so much resonance and emotional heft. But the beat and the rhythm in Carrie Ann's poem certainly made a mark, reflecting the darkest of times and somehow offering a note of hope."

Carrie Ann, 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 would rather. This one can be used at any time, so no rush! We eagerly await your Guest Post on a topic of your choice!

~*~

THE RUNNER-UP OF APRIL 2022'S CHALLENGE

A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL  IS:

Congratulations, Shannon, for your entry, 

As the Time Approaches

.

Nick wrote: "Very well drawn and really captures a moment in life, leaving the reader to fill in the gaps and the backstory. We connect with this character really well in a few hundred words and that's what a good short story does."

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

~*~

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD WINNER FOR APRIL 2022'S CHALLENGE

A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL IS:

Congratulations, Hilary, for your stunning entry, 

A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall

Nick wrote: "As usual we learn something new from Hilary, this time putting a different spin on devastating current events and told cleverly from a first person perspective, almost like the land itself is crying out. Well done."

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

~*~

Thank you all for participating! We saw so many fantastic entries this month!

Read stunning entries from our WEP APRIL 2022 A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL winners @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/winners-of-wep-ahardrainsgonnafall.html

#WEPFF A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL winners announced @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @LGKeltner @OlgaGodim @jemifraser https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/winners-of-wep-ahardrainsgonnafall.html #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners

Come congratulate our APRIL winners!. #WEPFF A HARD RAIN'S GONNA FALL Challenge @DeniseCCovey @yolandarenee @OlgaGodim @LGKeltner @jemifraser #amwriting #flashfiction #wepwinners https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2022/05/winners-of-wep-ahardrainsgonnafall.html

***

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

Laura, for ...

#WEPff #winner Jemi Fraser Talks About Writing the Long and the Short

Hi! L.G. here!

We here at WEP would like to offer a hearty congratulations to Jemi Fraser for winning the WEP/IWSG April Challenge Jewel Box. All winners are offered to write a guest post on any topic they choose, but we always like to read something about their writing journey.

Jemi wrote a heartfelt tale of a man reliving the memories of a life spent together with the woman he loves as she dies, her hand in his. Our judge Nick Wilford said of her entry: "...short and sweet, very sad but also uplifting at the same time, love and loss captured in just a few lines. I could hear the music box and the short sentences seem to echo the slightly jerky motion of the dancer."

For her guest post, Jemi has chosen to write about transitioning from writing longer works to shorter ones.

From Long to Short

I’m not a person who wrote stories as a kid. Created them in my head? Absolutely. Put them down on paper? Nope. The thought didn’t even cross my mind.

We had exactly 2 creative assignments in elementary school (both Grade 6) and zero creative writing assignments in high school — and I took every available English class.

A whole lot of years ago I wrote a Star Trek story for fun. I had a blast! It took forever and it was absolute trash I’m sure. All +200k words are probably on a floppy disk somewhere…

Then I wrote another novel because that had been so much fun. About a reporter, a cop, and a lot of dead bodies. Another 190k words of trash. But fun!

That’s when I realized that maybe I could actually write a book. It hadn’t really crossed my mind that people who weren’t Authors could write books. (I know!) I’ve been writing since.

While my current stories aren’t nearly as long as my first couple of just-for-me novels, I’d never tried my hand at writing a short story until the IWSG put out the prompt for the Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime anthology.

An idea popped into my head. With far too many viewpoints for a short story.

But, why not? I didn’t have to show anyone if it stunk.

I normally write romance and nonfiction, so writing these 8 characters (all with evil intent) was so much fun!

After some playing around and advice from a friend (thanks Deniz!) I added names to the snippets and the story worked.

Now, I’ve tried a few more shorts for the WEP challenges and I’m still having a lot of fun with them!

All this to point out that (for me) writing is ALL about trying something new. About having fun and putting even the weirdest ideas down on paper. Each time we write we learn something and hopefully get better!

How about you? When was the last time you tried something new? Were you a writer as a kid? Do you prefer the Long or the Short?

                                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thanks Jemi!

So join us here at WEP. Write lots. Get better. Be kind to others. It’s the path that matters.

If you'd like to write for us here at WEP (Write...Edit...Publish), you are most welcome. We are open to flash fiction, non-fiction, poetry, photo essays, art...

Our June prompt is Caged Bird. That should bring forth some interesting entries. Lots of possibilities to choose from and explore!

You can sign up starting June 1st and post any day up through June 19th!

We'd love if you'd Tweet one of these:

The WEP 2019 April Challenge Jewel Box Winner Jemi Fraser on From Long to Short - @TheIWSG @DeniseCCovey https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/05/wepff-winner-jemi-fraser-talks-about.html #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF

#WEPFF Jewel Box winner Jemi Fraser's guest post is up. @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG

https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/05/wepff-winner-jemi-fraser-talks-about.html #amwriting #flashfiction

Do you prefer the long or the short write? @TheIWSG @DeniseCCovey https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/03/wepff-winner-dixie-j-jarchow-writes.html #amwriting #flashfiction #WEPFF

#WEPFF WINNERS' POST for JEWEL BOX, the April Challenge

Hello all!

Welcome to the report of the April 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!

How is the month of April treating you? I hope life is going well and you're getting a lot of writing done. It's hard to believe we're nearly 1/3 of the way done with 2019!

JEWEL BOX, the April prompt, inspired a lot of wonderful entries. I understand that the A to Z Challenge added an extra dimension for some of our participants, but I'd say it all went quite well!  We're thrilled to announce the winners for the WEP/IWSG collaboration for the JEWEL BOX Challenge. Thank you all for taking the time to post and encourage your fellow participants!

As always, there's been a lot of discussion regarding our picks for the shortlist here at WEP but finally, we came to agree on a list for our judge, Nick Wilford. 

The outright winner of the April WEP will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, while another three will have a lovely badge created by Olga Godim to show off on their blog. 

Okay, let's move onto the crux of the post - the winners!

Thanks to our team member, Nilanjana Bose, here is a quick blurb for each entry.

D.G. Hudson – Madeleine receives an old jewel box with a ring and a pearl choker, will it bring her good fortune or bad luck?

Roland Clarke – Sibling rivalry and fire obfuscate  the case – is it just an accident or has a gift shop named The Jewel Box been rammed in with a purpose?

Carrie Ann Golden – Winter and death – a beautiful and timeless theme strung into a  sinister poem.

C. Lee Mckenzie – what can you take with you and what price do you have to pay? Contessa Juliana Costa da Verdi finds out.

Team Netherworld – Organising a jewel box after a near fatal illness does not always make for a positive experience but the self-flagellation can be offset if a ghostly admirer is nearby…

Dixie Jo Jarchow –  The king of a prosperous kingdom takes three wives. Who will survive the palace politics and succeed him?

Pat Garcia – An alabaster box arrives after 12 years in the mail, what’s in the mystery package?

Ursula Hartlein – Jewish immigrant sisters are on a rare trip to New York to buy a jewellery box for the keepsakes from another life…

J Lenni Dorner – a has-been goes to a carnival on his own doorstep and wins copies of his own biography so that no-one else reads it.

Operation Awesome -  A jewel box full of a  different kind of gemstone.

Bernadette Braganza – A drop of water can be worth more than a diamond given the right time and place.

Jemi Fraser  – A lover relives his life with his lady as she lies dying with her hand in his.

Toi Thomas – An anti-hero shows off her ‘crazy cool, realistic eye-ball marbles’ to a group of boys. Just don’t ask how she came by them!

Jemima Pett – An old queen’s  ill-gotten jewel box is probably getting reburgled back…

Anstice Brown  – Siblings Opal and Onyx are incarcerated in the Jewel Box…how will they find an escape route?

Hilary Melton-Butcher – Stained glass, sunlight, flowers in a garden – a toddler is excited by a living jewel box…

Rebecca M Douglass –  gave us a photo essay on her travels in NZ and a glimpse into the magnificent jewel box of Nature.

N.R. Williams -  Primrose makes a trip to the human world to nick a jewel box…will she make it safely back?

Tyrean Martinson  – another installment of Captain Wrath’s  ongoing mission to rescue Lia – where he lands up in a place where toxin secreting plants dominate…

Roland Yeomans - A woman sifts through the jewel box of memories as she prepares for the big sleep...

Kalpana – A vanishing Granny and her unorthodox but uplifting legacy.


Jamie - A hilarious  sci-fi flash combining the slightly dubious contents of a jewel box and the tensions and trials of step families.

Denise Covey – a husband rises from the dead to give his unfaithful wife her birthday gift.

L.G. Keltner – a beloved pair of ruby earrings that have been shut away after one death are brought out at the approach of another.

Olga Godim – An escaped monkey on Rendezvous nicks the Mar’s Ambassador’s jewel box  and a spacewide monkeyhunt gets underway…

Nilanjana Bose – a ring teaches a life lesson and pickles illustrate mortality to a teen in a photo essay.

Without further ado, here is our shortlist which we sent to Nick:

Jemi Fraser 

Ursula Hartlein 

J Lenni Dorner

Toi Thomas

Anstice Brown  

Kalpana 

If you didn't make our shortlist, it doesn't mean your entry went unnoticed. Every entry is given consideration, but in the end, there are entries that make the cut.

So (((drum roll)))

THE WINNER OF THE

2019 WEP APRIL CHALLENGE JEWEL BOX

is

Congratulations Jemi!

Nick said: 
"...short and sweet, very sad but also uplifting at the 
same time, love and loss captured in just a few lines. I could hear the music box and the short sentences seem to echo the slightly jerky motion of the dancer."

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

An Amazon Gift Card of $10 will be winging your way shortly.

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

THE RUNNER UP OF THE

2019 WEP APRIL CHALLENGE JEWEL BOX

is

Congratulations Toi!
Your experiment with a new way of writing paid off!

Please link the badge to your story and post it on your blog!

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

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR THE

2019 WEP APRIL CHALLENGE JEWEL BOX

goes to 

Congratulations J Lenni!

We loved your 'old man at the fair' story!

Please link the badge to your story and post it on your blog!

***

Once again we will also be thanking one of you who took the time to read through all of the wonderful entries and to comment. This is vital to the success of the WEP community. It's our chance to offer support and, when desired, critique that can help us all grow as writers.

At last count, these were the wonderful ones who qualified for this award as they swiftly read and commented. Some have indicated on FB or in comments that they were still reading, so we thank you for your dedicated efforts. It means the world to us to see you supporting your fellow writers!

Here are our top commenter contenders!

Roland Clarke

Pat Garcia

Jemi Fraser

Hilary Melton Butcher

(Note: I wanted to add that Elephant's Child has, as always, done a stellar job at visiting and commenting. I'm sorry I missed mentioning her the first time!)

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

The random pick winner from those who commented most is Roland Clarke! Roland, 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 Caged Bird in our menu.

Thank you all!

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

#WEPFF Jewel Box winners announced. @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG
https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/04/wepff-winners-post-for-jewel-box-april.html #amwriting #flashfiction

Come congratulate our first place winner. #WEPFF Jewel Box Challenge @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG
https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/04/wepff-winners-post-for-jewel-box-april.html #amwriting #flashfiction

The #WEPFF writers are all winners! @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG
https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/04/wepff-winners-post-for-jewel-box-april.html #amwriting #flashfiction

When you give the #WEPFF challenge a go a win could show! @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/04/wepff-winners-post-for-jewel-box-april.html #amwriting #flashfiction