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We are refugees from a writing site that was overrun with members who clique-voted their way to the top of contests. They seemed to prefer this method over writing well, reviewing articulately, or improving their skills.
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It's such a simple concept: You show me yours, and I'll show you mine. Then collectively, by sharing our thoughts and making suggestions, we'll ALL advance our talent and build a community of creative, like-minded souls with a penchant for the written word.
Heather Wickham
Co-Founder
Rachelle Allen
Co-Founder
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WINNERS OF THE WOW FACTOR OF THE W1EEK FOR POETRY AND SHORT STORY/ESSAY/NON-FICTION FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 3 - 10, 2026 -
Good Monday to you wonderful CW writers. And for those of you in the US, Happy Columbus Day, too! What a fantastic week of published works you provided! Holy Moley; this site delights me more by the day. Thank you for always bringing your A-Game here! (And please tell your friends to join. Let’s spread this wealth!) The WOW Factor of the Week for Poetry is: SEVEN BREATHS by Tim Margetts Judge Rachelle Allen writes: Omigoodness! So many absolutely exceptional poems this week from which to choose! You members have outdone yourselves, big time! I loved the Dorsimbras offered by both Rachel Gosling (“Awakening”) and Katharine Folkes (“Independence or Not?”). So well done for this tricky format introduced last week by Diane Kenel-Truelove. And Jessica Wheeler’s “Backburn” was so visceral, bare bones and searing! So much to read between those lines!! But I chose “Seven Breaths” by Tim Margetts. It’s the latest in his ten-fold Halloween fright-fest that started two weeks ago with the unnerving “Five Steps,” then progressed last week to “Six Frights.” Now, he’s presented us with “Seven Breaths,” a slow, provocatively labored suffocation tale that had me squirming and mouth-breathing by the time I finished the last line, despite having had no claustrophobic issues whatsoever in all my decades on this planet. He made the most of lack of space and dwindling time yet did so with a lilting little rhyming pattern and rhythmic meter that made it hard to acknowledge that anything so horrendous could be taking place. It was the literary equivalent of the glassy surface of a lake with a deadly, unrelenting undertow. The ultimate “bait and switch.” Masterful job, Tim. Your signature talent on display from start to finish! Oh – and the accompanying “artwork” was the metaphoric cherry on top: a completely black rectangle. Perfect. Xoxoxo For the Short Story/Essay/Nonfiction WOW Factor of the Week, the winner is: LYING IN THE SUN WITH PETER by RACHEL GOSLING. Writes Judge Tim Margetts: What particularly impresses me about “Lying in the Sun with Peter” is how skilfully the writer manipulates our sympathies. Initially, we're encouraged to identify with the narrator. Here's someone desperately in love, watching her partner gradually withdraw his affection. Peter appears increasingly cold, dismissive and even cruel. But then comes that wonderful revelation: “I’m not killing you, Honey. I can’t. You’re already dead.” Suddenly, everything changes. Peter isn't necessarily the heartless partner we've been led to believe. He's a man being suffocated, quite literally at times, by someone who cannot accept that their relationship is over. And there's a particularly clever piece of foreshadowing: “Let me breathe!” he cried. On first reading, it's an expression of emotional suffocation. After the revelation, it becomes something considerably more sinister. I also love the seasonal progression. Summer is passionate, autumn brings the first signs of separation, winter sees the relationship collapse, and spring offers the promise of renewal — except that the narrator has no intention of allowing Peter that freedom. That final paragraph is wonderfully chilling precisely because it is delivered in the same intimate, loving voice that opened the story. And that's the real achievement here. The writer hasn't simply hidden a twist at the end. They've written a story that means something quite different when read a second time. So there you have it with the WOW Factors this week. Our heartiest congratulations to Tim and Rachel. This makes you our upcoming judges for Poetry and Short Story/Essay/Nonfiction works, respectively, for the week to come. Please email me your winning decisions by Sunday, October 18th! No Bi-Weekly Short Story winner this week because there is only one entry (well, technically, there’s two, but Judge Rachel forgot that she was to adjudicate this week, thus making her story null and void, which is totally unfair because I’ve read it, and it’s exceptional…) So we’ll actually go out TWO weeks (deadline: October 24th) with this contest. That gives everyone lots and lots of time to compose a Halloween tale to enter. Please, feel free to scare our judge’s socks clear off. I guarantee she can handle it!! Next week, Saturday, October 17th, is the deadline for the Golden Shovel contest, in the Bi-Weekly Poetry division. Jessica Wheeler is our judge for that. Have a wonderful, creative week. As always, we enthusiastically look forward to reading everything you post. Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather
Rachelle Allen · 10/12/2026
WINNERS OF THE WOW FACTOR OF THE WEEK FOR POETRY AND SHORT STORY/ESSAY/NON-FICTION FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 27 - OCTOBER 3, 2026.
Good Morning, beloved CW Members! Happy Monday! What a TROVE of great work you published on here this week! We had the end of an epic many-tiered poem, the final chapters of an exceptional book and lots of oh-so creative short stories and poems, as well. A veritable literary smorgasbord! (See why Heather and I are so proud to be here??) Thank you, as always, for bringing your collective A-game to this site. Here are the results from this week’s WOW Factors and Challenges! The WOW Factor Short Story winner this week is: FIVE STEPS by TIM MARGETTS. Judge Rachel Gosling writes: This mystery story had great suspense built in and left the reader to ponder what had happened - this was very clever as it ensured you did not forget the tale! Tim is a master at describing settings in few words: 'Warped, water-stained, sunk into the hill like teeth. No railing. No platform. No destination.' A marvellous read. The WOW Factor POETRY WINNER IS: UP AND DOWN by RACHELLE ALLEN Judge Tim Margetts writes: “Up and Down” stood out for me this week because it does something wonderfully simple, clever and effective — it makes the shape of the poem part of the poem itself. Centrally justified on the page, the lines expand and contract in a way that mirrors the subject perfectly, giving the piece a visual rhythm before you have even finished reading it. The form is not decoration here; it is part of the joke, part of the meaning, and part of what makes the poem work so well. I also loved the humour running through it. The ever-growing catalogue of cakes, pasta, ice cream, late-night pantry visits and whipped cream had me smiling, especially as the speaker becomes increasingly determined to mend their ways. And then comes that ending. “Exercise. I hate Scales.” Perfect. It is concise, playful and beautifully timed, with that final little grumble giving the whole poem its personality. A clever idea, very neatly executed, and proof that sometimes a poem does not need to shout to produce its WOW. Congrats to Tim (and me) You get to be this upcoming week’s judges for your winning category. ******************************************************************************************************* There were TWO Challenges this week, because last week we extended the Short Story Challenge to accommodate more participants. Judge Rachelle Allen writes: Oy! I lead a charmed life, indeed! Getting to be the judge for this week’s Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge was fun beyond words. The premise, created by exiting judge Rachel Gosling, was to write a story about a ghost walk. Both entries were so excellent yet SO different! “Middle Wallop Ghost Walk” by Tim Margetts sported the jauntiness of four youthful attendees whose main, initial concern was ensuring that they got their money’s worth (twelve pounds, fifty) out of the experience. When, as the tour got underway, real ghosts contradicted the tour guide’s “facts” and made snarky comments to his protestations thereof, the youthful group began to feel their money had been well-spent. The tale comes alive with quirky spectacles like talking ducks and witches with complaints about centuries of smelling duck farts because the tour guide – against the posted signs – had a habit of tossing bread crumbs into the water. We end the group’s experience feeling mostly sorry for the tour guide whom none of the bonafide ghosts seem to take seriously. His only validation all night seems to come from the promise by one of the group’s members who agrees to post a good online rating for him. This was a light, insouciant and very fun read. “Under the Bridge” by Rachel Gosling went full-tilt in the other direction: dark, haunting, terrifying as three college friends, who meet up annually despite how little they have in common anymore, agree (one, reluctantly) to go on an impromptu ghost walk. And suddenly, they are haunted by a tale suspiciously like their own real-life experience from when their collegiate friendship changed forever. Dark, foreboding, and thoroughly unsettling. This piece was everything a Halloween ghost tour is imagined to be, and for that reason, it gets my vote as the winner. The Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge was created by Tim Margetts, the previous week’s exiting judge, and came in the form of creating a poem that required a “form” to enhance its words. Judge BernitheBard writes: Best Character Development: “The Bridge Between Us” by Rachel Gosling Best Hook: “Ethereal Spirits” by Rachelle Allen Best Conceptualization: “Drop” by Jessica Wheeler. FINAL WINNER: “DROP” by JESSICA WHEELER “for the way it poetically describes the way in which rain comes about and it verges on personification.” SO, congratulations, JESSICA!!! You will get to be the judge for the next Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge, deadline October 19th. BernietheBard, as exiting judge, has created this as the Poetry Challenge: The Golden Shovel: Take a famous quote – not too long – and then use each word from that quote as the ending to your lines. So, the first word of the quote is the last word of the first line. The second word of the quote is the last word of the second line. And so on. Your poem can directly relate to the quote…or not. It is up to the writer. Congratulations to Tim and Rachel and Jessica for your stand-out pieces. Have a wonderful week, and – as always – we look forward to reading everything you post!! Much, much love ~ Rachelle and Heather xoxoxo
Rachelle Allen · 10/5/2026
WINNERS OF THE WOW FACTOR OF THE WEEK FOR POETRY AND SHORT STORY/ESSAY/NON-FICTION FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20 - SEPTEMBER 26, 2026
Good Morning, oh wonderful CW Members and Happy Monday! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s posts this week. I find it so exciting and encouraging how varied and unique everyone’s works are. Heather and I couldn’t love this gig more. Thank you for bringing your gems here for us all to enjoy. THE WOW FACTOR WINNER FOR SHORT STORY IS: PANDORA’S BOX, PART 16, by RACHEL GOSLING Interestingly, yet not surprisingly, it was the independent winning choice by BOTH of this week’s Short Story/Essay/Non-Fiction judges. [Last week, there was a tie for first place between Katharine Folkes and myself, so it was both of our jobs this week to choose a winner, and delightfully, we both chose this piece by Rachel.] Judge Rachelle Allen writes: What keeps coming back to my mind with every chapter of this fabulous book is: Despite the fact that everyone KNOWS the Pandora’s Box story, Rachel presents it in such a way that it is startling and fresh and enticing to want to read. First, there is NEVER a dull moment. She makes the most of every vignette, every character, even every description. They all come alive with her masterful story-telling prowess. Second, she knows EXACTLY where to end the current chapter so that we’ll want to read what’s coming next. In fact, I log on to this site each morning thinking, “Oooh! I hope there’s another Pandora chapter!” Seriously, I’ve become THAT addicted! Judge Katharine Folkes writes: It is packed full of subterfuge and tension as Pandora’s built-up anger motivates her to disguise herself as an old woman, as she plots against Aurora. The author builds suspense as Pandora finally gains entry into the cottage where Aurora is hiding, by offering a shiny red apple, (looking, for all the world, like a healthy fruit) for Aurora’s sick mother. Aurora asked who she is, not recognizing Pandora in her disguise. “Just an old woman selling her wares. Come and buy, my sweet girl.” “What do you have to sell?” Aurora asked. “Beautiful fruits, the most delicious you will taste in your life.” The old woman slowly sneaks one foot at a time in the door and proffers the healthy looking fruit to Aurora, supposedly for her sick mother, saying it can make her well. She also persuades Aurora to take a bite. Rachel’s descriptions wonderfully portray both Pandora’s and Aurora’s personalities and concerns as the tension builds to a horrifying end, leaving the reader waiting with bated breath for the next chapter. THE WOW FACTOR POETRY WINNER IS: THE GREAT HUMBLING OF CUPID by TIM MARGETTS Judge Diane Kenel-Truelove writes: It’s one thing to pen a poem with pristine meter and rhyme, but to add Cupid into the mix and write with joy, well, this is a delightful read and a romp into the devious world of Greek mythology, a world often ignored these days, but sorely needed! So what did Tim Margett’s poem accomplish? Well, as he so aptly writes: He cast his quill with flourish wide, And twirled a golden curl with pride. With one hand o’er his tender chest, He gasped, "By Jove! Have I been blessed?" Now, I am not certain if Tim Margetts’ head is full of “golden curls,” or if he is prideful, but I do know that his poem made me exclaim, “'By Jove! Have I been blessed!’’’ as have all readers with his work, or more importantly, to be in the presence of “A voice so rich, so pure, so bright…” So, hats off to Tim Margetts, his imagination, creativity, and joyful skill. Even the gods are smiling… CONGRATULATIONS to Rachel and Tim!! This means that this coming week, you get to be the judges for the Short Story/Essay/Non-Fiction and Poetry WOW Factors, respectively, for next week. As far as the Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge for this week, created by the exiting judge, Rachel Gosling, so far there is only one entry. COME ON, YOU TALENTED CW MEMBERS, put on your Halloween hats and create something good. Rachel’s prompt is fabulous. Let’s not waste it. We’ll give you one more week until the deadline. Here’s the challenge again: My challenge this time is something for the Halloween/trick or treat season: A group of friends goes on a town's ghost tour, thinking it will provide some laughs, but they soon discover that the stories may be more than just legends... Plus, the Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge deadline is this coming Saturday, October 3rd. This one was created by exiting judge Tim Margetts, and it’s EXCELLENT: I want you to think about the physical shape of your poem and make that shape an important part of how the poem works. It could be a concrete poem, a double nonet where the diamond shape has genuine relevance to the subject, or a free-form poem in which line breaks, spacing, indentation or placement on the page help create movement, emphasis, tension or meaning. Those are only examples. There are many ways shape can be used within poetry. The subject matter is entirely open. What matters is that the shape is not merely decorative, or present simply because the chosen form demands it. I want the visual structure of the poem to contribute something to the way the poem feels, reads or is understood. As always, thanks for so many entertaining poems, essays, short stories and non-fiction reads this week. We’ll look forward to reading everything new that you post. Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather
Rachelle Allen · 9/28/2026
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