Showing posts with label Nick Wilford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nick Wilford. Show all posts

Tuesday, 10 September 2019

#WEP/IWSG WINNERS' POST - RED WHEELBARROW - Who won the Chrys Fey critique prize this month?

Hello all!

Denise here! 


Welcome to the report of the AUGUST 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!

Nilanjana takes charge of the October challenge which is usually our most exciting month with very exciting prizes. If there's any way you feel you can help Nila with comment counting or blurb writing, put your hand up please!!

As October is our special month where things run amok in a good way, there will be special prizes on offer. This time there are prizes for all three winners. I'll leave it to Nila to tell you about it in the October 1st put-your-thinking-caps-on post.




NEW WEP PRIZES. 

Starting this month, the RED WHEELBARROW winner will receive a critique from editor, Chrys Fey - see details in the sidebar. And in every challenge till at least the end of 2020, different editors will offer varied critique prizes.

In addition to the critique prize, the winner each month will write a Guest Post here at WEP and a short post in the IWSG newsletter.

Judging winners is still done by the WEP team who read, re-read then often re-re-read entries before passing a shortlist onto a professional editor/judge. Nick Wilford has firmed his commitment as judge for WEP into the foreseeable future.

So sorry if you missed out this month due to the introduction of the 3-day only sign up. Remember the 3-day sign up will continue in October and beyond.

Commenting was fraught this month. Some of the problem was 'Not secure' websites. It's a simple matter to secure a blogger website (instructions in the comments on the last WEP post) but not so simple if you're a self-hosted Word Press site by what I hear. Any advice without paying money?

Let's get to why you landed here today. Who won August???

RED WHEELBARROW inspired so many variations on the theme.  Some very creative souls wrote from the POV of the wheelbarrow.  The team agreed the quality was extremely high, which made it difficult to compile a SHORTLIST and even more difficult for our judge, Nick Wilford, to narrow the list down to 3 winners. 
Thank you all for taking the time to post to the challenge. And thank you to those who read most/all entries and encouraged fellow participants! 
Thanks to our gifted admin, Nilanjana Bose, ably assisted by WEP participant Bernadette Braganza, here is a quick blurb for each entry.

BLURBS:

Roland Clarke
 – A wedding, a film shoot, a deceptively young-looking old Uncle holding out a glass of ruby red…has the bride Mina bitten off more than she can chew?

Kalpana – Kelly comes home with an out-of-sync wheelbarrow, but she isn’t wanted, her mother has laid out the welcome mat for her sister instead. Magical realism and family dynamics combine in a captivating flash.

Rebecca M Douglass – Ilya hauls loads in the summer heat and dust, and longs for winter when she and the patch of land she works can come alive.

Sally – Kevin and Laura find an old wheelbarrow and make it into a quirky feature in their new garden. But will their families approve? And does it really matter, since Laura wins a prize for it?

Anstice Brown – Little Tommy is questioned by a spaceman, but he’s keeping mum. Not saying a word about what he saw his mother doing with a red wheelbarrow or what drove her to it.

Susan Rouchard – Francis goes everywhere on her trike, but will she be able to take it to school? Cute flash capturing the innocence, the challenges and the excitement of childhood.

Christopher Scott – a dark and rather disturbing tale of disease and failed science, a plague of apocalyptic proportions, and a lone man’s struggle to do the right thing. Is this how the world will end?

Cindi Summerlin – Suspicion and fear of the unknown leads to blind panic and a spectacular twist in the ending that is truly unexpected.

Cyndi Pride – A maiden entry and  a poignant poetry piece themed on death, loss, renewal, memories and fresh starts.

Hilary Melton-Butcher – A delightful trip down memory lane with a game of Monopoly and a small red wheelbarrow, as a family finds closure after their elders are gone.

Dolorah – Gwenda the troll baby listens to a bedtime story and dreams of Green Apple Fairy Jam..


L.G. Keltner - Nonfiction - The author reminisces of childhood memories that a rusting wheelbarrow brings out.

Denise Covey - Flash Fiction - A visit to enchanting Paris and the place of her mother's birth leads the protagonist home.

Beth Camp - Poetry - A present-day take of Frida Kahlo shopping in an 7-11 store.

Olga Godim - Flash Fiction - Continuing with the happenings at Dinara's pet shop in Rendezvous, a hunt for an Aelurian dragon is on.

Jenny Pearson - Flash Fiction - A wheelbarrow's journey: from abandonment to being the centre of attraction in a couple's garden.

J Lenni Dorner - Poetry - A look at a wheelbarrow's role in carrying the dead.

Elephant's Child - Poetry - A wheelbarrow's view of the seasonal happenings throughout the year and how they affect it (& vice versa).

Pat Garcia - Flash Fiction - An endearing take on how a wheelbarrow can cause a change in a person's life.

Pat Hatt - Flash Fiction - A lonely person. A high school. A stadium and a wheelbarrow. All together, they lead to disaster.

Jamie - Flash Fiction - A fun piece of how two people with special powers save a little girl's life.

The Real Cie - Limericks - A vampire pursues his love for gardening and cooking, ultimately leading to friendship and true love.

Jemi Fraser - Flash Fiction - A tale of a woman's love for gardening, her husband's views of it and a sinister ending.

Dixie Jo Jarchow - Nonfiction - A look back at the memories of the author's parents and how a wheelbarrow & peach tree signify that justice has been served.

Bernadette Braganza - Flash Fiction - A wheelbarrow becomes the getaway vehicle in a robbery heist.

Nilanjana Bose - Non-fiction - The author takes a stroll through multiple memory lanes as she reminisces all the places she's lived as a child.


SHORTLIST - we had a ridiculously long shortlist due to the stellar quality of the entries, but after some discussion we managed to whittle it down and send this list to Nick. A reminder - if you don't comment on any/many posts you're not eligible for a prize.
If you've since finished reading all entries, please leave a comment. We'd love to know.

Kalpana 
Donna/Dolorah 
Rebecca Douglass 
Anstice Brown 
Cindi Summertin 
Beth Camp 
Pat Garcia 

If you didn't make our shortlist, it doesn't mean your entry went unnoticed. Every entry is given consideration and more than one read-through, but in the end, there are entries that make the cut, often because they have something innovative about them.



WINNERS:

We're thrilled to announce the winners for the WEP/IWSG collaboration for the RED WHEELBARROW Challenge. 

So (((drum roll)))

THE WINNER OF THE
2019 WEP AUGUST CHALLENGE RED WHEELBARROW
is:



Congratulations Kalpanaa!

Nick said: 

"An intriguing story that works, I think, because of the questions it raises - sometimes it's good to leave the reader guessing. A hint of the supernatural and a portrait of a strained family dynamic that allows us to empathize with Kelly."

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

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

THE RUNNER UP OF THE
2019 WEP AUGUST CHALLENGE RED WHEELBARROW
is:

Congratulations Cindi!

Nick said: 

"A tragic tale with a gut-wrenching twist, but I mainly liked this because, again, it leaves the reader to ponder more about the true nature of what has happened. A fear of anything that is 'different' leading family members to turn on each other, quite a poignant and insightful motif."
Cindi, thank you for entering the WEP contest for the first time. Please link the badge to your story and post it on your blog!

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

THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR THE
2019 WEP AUGUST CHALLENGE RED WHEELBARROW

goes to:





Congratulations Pat!

Nick said: 

"A sweet story that acts as an antidote to the more grisly themes. Offers a bit of hope amid the gloom!"


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


AUGUST COMMENTING, by Pat Garcia.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to read through all of the entries and comment even though commenting was difficult on some sites. Perhaps the figures are skewed because of this. I counted so many times my eyes were popping out of my head. Forgive me if you believe you should be in the list. 

Monday, September 1st NY time - the cut off for counting comments. At that time, here are those who qualified for this award. We thank you for your dedicated efforts. It means the world to us to see you supporting your fellow writers!
Here are our top contenders! 

Five people (not counting the admin) commented on every or virtually every post.

Jenny Pearson
Elephants Child
Jemi Fraser
 Roland Clarke
Kalpanaa

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

The random pick winner using the Random Name Generator is Jenny Pearson! A stellar effort for your first time at WEP. Jenny, 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 the next prompt - or not. Go with your own idea!


I'm intrigued. Are you?

Thank you all!





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



#WEPFF Red Wheelbarrow winners announced. @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG


Come congratulate our first place winner. #WEPFF Red Wheelbarrow Challenge @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG

The #WEPFF writers had some wonderful entries! @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG

When you give the #WEPFF challenge a go, you just never know! @DeniseCCovey @theIWSG https://writeeditpublishnow.blogspot.com/2019/09/wepiwsg-winners-post-red-wheelbarrow.html#amwriting #flashfiction

Wednesday, 4 July 2018

#WEPff UNRAVELED YARN - Winners!

When we set the prompt, UNRAVELED YARN, the team wondered how it would be received. We needn't have worried. Your posts explored 'yarn' from many and varied POVs, some literal, some metaphoric, some fictional, some raw non-fiction, some poetic. The variety showed the creativity of the writer's mind.
WEP CHALLENGE FOR JUNE....UNRAVELED YARN.

The reading part of a WEP challenge is easy for the team, even though we often go back several times for a re-read. Then another read if there are similar stories. Then comes the hard part. Choosing three outstanding entries. Often the writers who make the final cut tugged at our heartstrings and stood out above the rest or simply entertained us. Whatever the process, coming to a final decision should be easier, but how we respond to writing is SO subjective. What floats one's boat, sinks another's.

UNRAVELED YARN resulted in some deep responses. Isn't that really the point of writing? To garner an emotional response in our readers? That's the sort of thing editors crave from submissions that cross their desks. Here at WEP, we like being emotionally involved in your stories and poetry. 
Here is a quick run through of the entries, excepting your hosts':

Pat Garcia – Engaging, emotional as always. Pat's heroine was someone with insecurities we could sympathise with. 
Carrie Golden – charmed us with her micropoetry on the unravelling that happens during a heat wave.
Christopher Scott - combined punk fiction with classical mythology to weave a thought provoking tale. Fixing fate is a tricky job!
L G Keltner – riveted us with her chilling, powerful flash on abuse, murder and thwarted revenge in the afterlife.
Pat Hatt – delivered with great panache another of his dark, nasty and extremely clever tales.
Kalpanaa – came in with a poetry entry that beautifully combined unravelling and yarn with gender stereotypes, expectations and freedom.
DG Hudson– gave us another snippet of her stellar sci-fi story set on an abandoned space station where some mysterious intruders are up to something disconcerting.
Jo-ke Ojo was amazing as always. Her brilliant poem explored the trappings and unravelling of gender identities.
Desk 49 – spun a fun, light hearted flash in prose this time, a change from his usual poetry posts.
Elephant's Child - posted a stunning, courageous and poignant memoir of a life unravelled by grief and alcoholism and its far reaching ramifications.
C. Lee McKenzie - delivered a poetry entry with splendidly evocative imagery and metaphors. Generations of women and the knowledge, or ignorance, of handling yarns.
Deborah Drucker – showed us that loneliness can take us down a dark path.
Orlin - a cute, playful take on the prompt with kittens literally unravelling the yarn, told from a cat POV done to a turn.
Jaya - posted a well-crafted and sorrowful tale of the unravelling of a suburban neighbourhood to creeping urbanisation. A dream home turned into a nightmare under the boots of progress.
Hilary Melton-Butcher -  wove a cool, colourful flash with children and wool and a napping grandpa which felt almost like a fairy tale, interspersed with amazing images, as is her forte.
Crystal Jepsen -  a first timer at WEP, Crystal gave us a disturbing and powerful flash on child abuse. Looking out for her future entries!
Dolarah - wrote an exquisitely atmospheric tale of an everyday hero set in small town USA. Is this navy Seal-turned-small-town-good Samaritan as whole and as wholesome as he appears?
Randomzb - Another first timer. Randomzb gave us a flash which kept the reader guessing whether grandfather was reminiscing or telling a tall tale. A Turkish delight!



Elephant's Child - non-fiction
Pat Hatt - flash fiction
L.G. Keltner - flash fiction
C. Lee McKenzie - poetry
Pat Garcia - flash fiction
Dolorah - flash fiction

As we couldn't get a consensus amongst ourselves, I outsourced the shortlist to writer and editor, Nick Wilford, who is also associated with the Insecure Writers Support Group (IWSG). (More on that in a later post.) Nick kindly read each entry on the shortlist, giving the following feedback:

Elephant's Child - non-fiction - 'Very powerful stuff and causes one to think about how things could have been different. Excellent interpretation of the theme.'
Pat Hatt - flash fiction 'Packs quite a punch and took me by surprise! I know this one wasn't a poem, but it had a lot of haunting and poetic images and something of a flow to it. Dark and mysterious.'


L.G. Keltner - flash fiction'Powerful and moving. A great take on the theme.'
C. Lee McKenzie - poetry - 'Great structure, stream of consciousness feel. Manages to convey regret, nostalgia and hope in only a few words. Nice job.'
Pat Garcia - flash fiction - 'Very vivid and intrigued me to know more.'
Dolorah - flash fiction - 'Nice and understated, but hints at something deeper going on. Leaves it to the reader to fill in the blanks. Great folksy feel to it.'


So finally, we came up with three winners.

THE WINNER OF THE

2018 WEP JUNE CHALLENGE UNRAVELED YARN




Congratulations Elephant's Child!
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

2018 WEP JUNE CHALLENGE UNRAVELED YARN 



Congratulations Lee!

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


***
THE ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD FOR THE

2018 WEP JUNE CHALLENGE UNRAVELED YARN 

is L. G. Keltner



Congratulations L. G.!
Please link the badge to your story and post it on your blog!

***
All prospective winners are vetted for their comments before they are awarded a prize. 

Why? Because WEP is a supportive writing community where each person is valued. Wouldn't we all be sad if no one took the time to read/comment on our posts?

For the very strong commenters, we made a special award. 

For the inaugural Commenting Champion Award, issued in April for the Road Less Traveled prompt, we acknowledged Desk49. 

For June, we pass the Commenter Award to Elephant's Child, who, even when she cannot take part in the writing challenge, often reads all our entries and comments. That's true dedication!




Thank you Elephant's Child!. Please accept the badge and display on your blog!

We thank our team member, Olga, for the creative winners' badges. And kudos to team member Nila who re-read all the entries whilst in India to produce those alluring blurbs on each! 
THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!


THE NEW TIMEZONE:  In June, WEP began posting to EST (East Coast USA) time which is shown on the clock on the site. Still, we sent out 5 reminders to late posters. In the future, we will no longer send reminders. Late posters often lack readers, so remember to post your entry on or before the challenge date according to the clock on the website. The linky will tell you how many hours to closing time. Thanks for making our lives easier!

Relative to comments: try to set up your comment system so it's easy to comment! No Google+ please. Leave a message on our CBox or in comments if you cannot post comments on someone's site.



NEW ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING AUGUST WEP COMING SOON! WATCH THIS SPACE AND YOUR EMAIL!

Thanks, everyone, for joining us in JUNE. We appreciate each and every one of you. 

Our next Challenge will be in AUGUST -- CHANGE OF HEART! 
So what's your CHANGE OF HEART going to be about? And I think this is the most gorgeous of Olga's badges yet. How about you?

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On the Challenges Page you’ll find the prompt schedule for the year and further inspiration for the next prompt.

Be sure to return to read the winner’s guest post in a couple of weeks!
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Your Hosts…
Denise – Renée – Nilanjana – Olga