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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
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
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
WINNERS OF THE DUET POEM CHALLENGE
HAPPY SIX MONTHS SINCE THE LAUNCH OF COLLECTIVELYWRITE.COM! We hope you love coming here and sharing your talent as much as we love reading your work. You are ALL so very talented in such different ways. Since this was a half-way-to-a-year milestone, we opted for a Poetry Challenge rather than our regular Author Interview. And here are the results: JUDGE HEATHER WICKHAM WRITES: Entry 1 – Little Miss Muffet Rachel Gosling and Rachelle Allen This one was fun! I loved the idea of taking Little Miss Muffet and turning her into someone who drags a spider into court, only to find out she's the one who caused all the trouble! The superhero side of the poem was funny, too. I did get a little lost going back and forth between the two stories, and I think some of the rhymes could have flowed better. But I loved the creativity and the way they took something we all know and gave it a completely different spin. Entry 2 – Freedom Tim Margetts and BernietheBard I really liked the message behind this one. One writer focused on the choices we make and the consequences that come with them, while the other explored what it actually means to have freedom. I liked how the repeated lines tied everything together. There were a few places where I had to reread to follow the change between the two voices, but I appreciated that it made me think. Freedom means something different to everyone, and I think these two writers showed that. Entry 3 – The Broken Friendship Diane Kenel-Truelove and Rachelle Allen You can definitely feel the hurt behind this one. I liked how one writer was very direct about what happened, while the other used the imagery of flowers and a garden to describe someone who looks beautiful on the outside but has something ugly underneath. That was clever! I would have liked the two sides to connect a little more, but I think the contrast between them made the emotions stand out. Entry 4 – The Writing Life Katharine Folkes and Rachelle Allen This one made me laugh! The turkey buzzard comparison got me because I think anyone who spends too much time sitting at a computer can relate! I loved how both writers captured the love of writing along with all the frustration that comes with it. Writer's block, big dreams and wondering whether anyone will ever appreciate what you've written. I also loved the part about being a genius in disguise! This one had a lot of personality, and I enjoyed how the humor carried through it. Entry 5 – Contentment Sandy Nelms-Ludwig and Rachelle Allen This one really touched me. I loved how one writer talked about the journey of finding peace, while the other described all the little things that make life feel peaceful. The warm pie, the sound of children laughing and especially the thought of everyone you love gathered in one room waiting for you. That last one really got me! I also loved that it wasn't just about being happy. It was about everything you sometimes have to go through to get there. Learning to forgive yourself, accepting what you can't change and appreciating the people who help you along the way. The two writers had very different approaches, but I felt like they were telling the same story. MY OVERALL PICK IS ENTRY 5 – CONTENTMENT! This was the one I kept coming back to. I think what made it stand out was how well the two writers brought their ideas together without losing their individual voices. One talked about how hard it can be to find peace, and the other showed us what that peace can look like in the simplest moments. I loved that contrast. I think that's what made this duet work so well for me. Two people writing from different perspectives but somehow meeting in the middle and creating something that feels complete. All five entries brought something different to the table, and I really enjoyed reading them. Thank you to everyone who participated! Love, Heather
WOW FACTOR WINNERS FOR THE WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 19, 2026
Good Evening to my beloved CW Members! Because tomorrow is Yom Kippur and I observe it Orthodox style - no electricity or electronic usage from sundown to sundown, I'm getting this up earlier than I usually do. Here we go! The Short Story/Essay/Non-Fiction winnerS for the week are: DEAR MAGS 3 by KATHARINE FOLKES and ON...THE END OF SIMPLE WEDDINGS by RACHELLE ALLEN Judge Rachel Gosling: I have two choices this week as they are both great reads, and I can’t choose between them. 1. On… The End of Simple Weddings. This slice of life piece will have you in stitches and may well prevent you from attending another wedding ceremony again. From shocking lyric choices to manic guest appearances, I promise that the entertainment never lags. Joint 1st: Dear Mags 3 is a continuation of a string of letters between two very spirited and sassy ladies. If you need a little humour, mixed with some good old-fashioned senior wisdom, I’d encourage you to read these fabulous letters. THE WOW FACTOR POEM OF THE WEEK IS: AND SO SHE WROTE by DIANE KENEL-TRUELOVE Judge Tim Margetts writes: As for poem of the week, there were some really good poems posted. We had a couple of short poems that focused on nature and did it really well, bringing the reader right into the heart of the subject. Burr is cool (literally) and I loved the contrast between the cold outside and the warm comfort inside. I am looking forward to the coming chapters to see how this develops. But really there is only one winner this week “And So She Wrote” This poem begins with a wonderfully simple act of defiance: “‘Why do you spend so much time writing?’ … ‘Ah, but I didn’t ask you.’” And so, she wrote. What follows is much more than an explanation of why somebody writes. It becomes an exploration of what writing can do when the world feels too large, too painful or too senseless for one person to change. I particularly enjoyed the way the repeated idea of “And so, she wrote” develops throughout the poem. At first, writing feels like an answer to criticism; later it becomes a response to grief and helplessness, and eventually something through which the writer finds purpose and peace. For me, the poem really comes alive when it turns towards the things she knows and loves: the trillium along the woodland paths, the red fox raising her pups and those wonderful wild blackberries “glittering like onyx gemstones”. These are beautifully observed details, and they show us rather than simply tell us why writing matters to her. There is sadness here too: “for what once was, for what need not have been, for what would never be again …” Yet the poem does not remain there. Its final movement is towards possibility — the hope that words might open another person’s heart, while the act of writing itself gives the writer purpose. Perhaps that is the part that resonated with me most. Writing does not have to change the whole world to have value. Sometimes creating something, remembering something, or touching one other person is reason enough. A thoughtful, heartfelt piece with some beautiful imagery and a conclusion that feels completely earned. -------------------------------------------------------------------- THE BI-WEEKLY POETRY CHALLENGE WINNER IS: A SELF-EVIDENT TRUTH by BERNIETHEBARD Judge Tim Margetts writes: This one stayed with me. The challenge asked us to consider something that can be inherited but cannot be handed to the inheritor, and this poem explores that idea on several levels at once. From the opening, we are dealing with an inheritance that has no physical form: “Your influence on me is not physically there Still your claws leave their imprints” Those “imprints” become the core of the poem. Are they memories? Learned behaviour? The consequences of upbringing? Genetics? The narrator does not know — and neither are we given an easy answer. That uncertainty is what makes the piece particularly effective. The repeated questioning — “Is it you coming out in me?”, “Did you speak through me today?”, “Has this been me today or have I been…” — creates the uncomfortable feeling of someone examining their own personality and wondering how much of it truly belongs to them. I particularly liked the way the poem moves from the intangible influence of memory towards the final possibility of something quite literally inherited: “A product of my dysfunctional genes” It brings the piece full circle without resolving the question. Nature, nurture, memory and damage have become so entwined that the narrator can no longer separate them. There are some strikingly uncomfortable images here too. “Still your claws leave their imprints” and “a conduit for your vicious bile” give that inheritance real weight without turning it into something physical that could simply have been passed from one person to another. And the title, A SELF EVIDENT TRUTH, is clever because the poem is anything but certain. The narrator is searching desperately for a truth about themselves that may never actually be knowable. For taking the prompt beyond the obvious meaning of inheritance and turning it into something personal, unsettling and genuinely thought-provoking, A SELF EVIDENT TRUTH is my winner. SO, CONGRATULATIONS to KATHARINE FOLKES, RACHELLE ALLEN, and DIANE KENEL-TRUELOVE. You are next week's WOW Factor of the Week judges for Short Story and Poetry respectively, and BERNIE THE BARD, Congratulations to you, as well. You'll be the Poetry Challenge judge for the week ending October 3rd. AND HERE IS THAT CHALLENGE!!! (You'll also see it posted on the Challenges screen, where you will be able to enter your poem!) This week's exiting judge created his challenge: For this challenge, 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. ALSO! Please note that there are still two days left for you to find a partner and create a Duet Challenge Poem. Site co-founder Heather Wickham will be the judge. Results will be posted on the 23rd as we usher in MONTH SIX of this wonderful writing site!! Have a wonderful week! And as always, we look forward to reading and reviewing everything you post!! Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather xoxoxo
WOW FACTORS OF THE WEEK WINNERS AND BI-WEEKLY SHORT-STORY CHALLENGE WINNER FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6 - 12TH
Good Morning, my beloved CW Members! Happy Monday to you all! Yet again, you have published so many exceptional pieces of writing here this week. Thank you for all the joy it has wrought. The poetry was plentiful and luminous, and the short stories/essays/non-fiction offerings were absolutely delightful. I love looking forward to each day’s new reads. They start me out on the best high and act as harbingers for the rest of the day. Here’s the WOW Factor of the Week Results: FOR POETRY, THE WINNER IS: “THE FACES CHANGE” BY TIM MARGETTS. Judge BernietheBard writes: I found this to be both a human and a humane poem. The repeated refrain is effective because it serves to highlight the fact that homelessness has been a fact of life for too long. The best song ever written about it was Ralph McTell's Streets of London and it is a condemnation of us that, since then, the only time the streets were clear was during the pandemic. Tim's poem doesn't just bring the issue to the fore, it also points out the guilt that can sometimes be felt by those who would ordinarily help but, because of their own circumstances, cannot. We can feel at those times that we want to get to where we are going by a different route so as to avoid them. But, again as the poem highlights, conversation, acknowledgement, a simple "hello mate" is worth as much as money. And that is what we can forget: that the humane and human go together. FOR SHORT STORY, THE WINNER IS: PANDORA’S BOX, PART 11, BY RACHEL GOSLING Judge Rachelle Allen writes: Even though this is proving to be a long tale, because the writing is so excellent, the reader does not for one moment feel anything less than spellbound by it. Added to the enormity of that is that everyone KNOWS this story! Yet still, because of the way it’s presented – with vast and mystical attention to detail and descriptions that are downright enchanting – it’s one of those tales we never want to end. This is probably the most exciting – and terrifying – chapter yet, but it’s easy to sense that there are plenty more to come. Pandora, through Rachel’s drawing of her, is THE most insufferable of villains, and we feel so vindicated that the bad karma is FINALLY upon her! The bloodlust of it all has captured me this week, and that’s why I found this the WOW Factor’s runaway winner. THE BI-WEEKLY SHORT STORY CHALLENGE WINNER IS: “SERENDIPITOUS” BY RACHELLE ALLEN. Writes Judge Rachel Gosling: I found Serendipitous a standout winner this week. I liked the overachieving girl meets boy (hopefully if the stars align) and the tangent that took this story into a very different realm indeed! I loved the attention to detail (and attention to mascara, of course) and enjoyed the references to the father's time-keeping lessons. Funny, smart and well-written, this story certainly entertained. So there you have it! Congratulations on your great work, Tim and Rachel. You’re our judges - respectively - for the upcoming week’s Poetry and Short Story/Essay/Non-Fiction WOW Factors of the Week. Please have your decisions to me by Sunday, September 19th. And I get to be the judge for the Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge, the theme of which is: A little 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. Deadline for this is: September 27th. Please remember, too, to enter the Duet Poem Challenge, the deadline for which will be September 23rd, to coincide with the anniversary of our CW launch date, which was March 23rd, 2026. Check out the rules on the Challenge screen, invite a partner, and enter something fantastic. There are quite a few entries already, so this will make for a VERY exciting win. (And a $50 Barnes & Noble gift card for each of the duet partners!!) Co-founder Heather Wickham is the judge for this contest. And finally, this Saturday, September 18th, is the deadline for the Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge, the theme for which is: "Write a poem about inheriting something that cannot be physically handed to you." Any genre. No minimum or maximum line limit. Have a wonderful CREATIVE week on here, you talented writers! You know we totally look forward to reading everything you publish. Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather xoxoxo
WOW FACTORS OF THE WEEK for the Week of August 30 - September 5
Good Morning to you wonderful CW members! If you’re in the States, Happy Labor Day; if you’re anywhere else, Happy Monday! Either way, may it be the start of your best week yet. As always, the offerings on our site have been plentiful, interesting and diversified. Here are the WOW Factor winners from our judges. For Short Story/Essay/Non-fiction, this week’s winner is: “ON…VULNERABILITY” by Rachelle Allen Judge Diane Kenel-Truelove writes: If there is one thing often missing in essays these days, it's a genuine, captivating hook. Not so with Rachelle Allen’s essay, “On… Vulnerability.” From the “get-go,” I was hooked. As Ms. Allen writes: I am from good German stock – the kind that exudes stoicism, demands excellence of everyone 24/7 (myself, included) and espouses Tough Love. And before anyone gasps or finger-points at me for being “racist,” let me share the immortal words of my mother, Lillian Saxman, who could bottom-line any given situation in a blink: “Oh, please; stereotypes come from SOMEWHERE!” So, needless to say, vulnerability is not my strong suit. That’s why I was especially unprepared for the Summer of 2025. As a reader, I, too, was “unprepared” for Ms. Allen’s ability to share with humor and finesse what were definitely two tortuous medical challenges. I claim more than a little bit of German ancestry myself, and I’ve had more than my share of challenges that required courage, but I may have simply folded had I undergone those three debilitating weeks Ms. Allen shares in her essay. Not only does Ms. Allen share her personal angst regarding both her eye condition and kidney stone scenario with introspection and cogent writing ability, but she also points out the nightmares that often accompany medical issues: delays and humiliation. And she does so with humor! Humor! GAWD! Both ends were on fire, and she chose to find humor in both situations. That’s a win in my book! Actually, it’s a “WoW! The WOW Factor Winner for POEM OF THE WEEK is… “THE DINKY TOY” by BERNIETHEBARD Writes Judge Tim Margetts: This one stayed with me. There is something wonderfully honest about the way this poem remembers childhood. The opening tells us that these are “disjointed, bits clinging on”, and that is exactly what we are given: glimpses of a room, the adults, the smells, the gloom and those wonderfully awful “smoky, slushy” kisses. What really made this the winner for me, though, is that the poet never forgets whose memory this is. We, as adults, understand the significance of the body laid out in the parlour. We understand the grief surrounding this four-year-old child, even if the child cannot. And then come those final two lines: “All I thought of as I filed past in the dark was the Christmas present I'd left in the park.” That got me. Amongst death, grief and all those strange adults behaving in ways a four-year-old cannot possibly understand, the thing that matters is a Christmas present left behind in the park. It is such a small, innocent concern set against something enormous, and because the poet doesn't try to explain it to us, it feels completely real. For me, that ending transforms the poem. It isn't simply a recollection of a childhood encounter with death; it captures the peculiar way childhood memories survive — not necessarily preserving what adults would consider important, but the tiny details that mattered to the child we were. A beautifully observed piece, and my WOW Factor Poetry winner this week. AND THE BI-WEEKLY POETRY CHALLENGE WINNER THIS WEEK IS… “A LITTLE WOODEN WEDGE” BY TIME MARGETTS Writes Judge Jessica Wheeler: There was much to love about these poems, each taking “support” in a different yet meaningful direction. However, I cannot rave enough about one poem in particular... “A Little Wooden Wedge” takes an ordinary, almost comically insignificant object and turns it into the very foundation of support. It PERFECTLY delivers a monumental truth: support is too frequently undervalued and easily overlooked; however, its importance becomes dramatically clear when it disappears. The poem immediately diminishes the “grubby,” “little” wedge, barely worthy of a second glance. It even goes so far as to suggest that it’s become part of the architecture almost accidentally. It’s been “varnished once” and “painted round twice,” surviving not because its contribution is valued, but because nobody has bothered to notice or interfere with it. Yet, the moment it is removed, the entire system collapses. Through its absence, the “little” wedge’s gigantic role in the support system becomes painfully obvious. Brilliant! The poem is also jam-packed with delicious poetic devices that I eagerly devoured. The alliteration, the personification, the rhythm, the seemingly unintentional (when completely intentional) rhyme - all of it contributes to the momentum and lasting impact. It has an almost cinematic quality, with fantastic comedic timing that never detracts from the poem’s central theme. And the final rolling barrel takes the message even further: once an undervalued, disregarded source of support is gone, the consequences are rarely contained. This is one I plan to return to again and again and again. So there you have it! HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS to TIM MARGETTS, BERNIETHEBARD and me for the wins! That makes Bernie next week’s WOW Factor Poetry judge, Tim the Bi-Weekly Challenge judge, deadline September 19th, [Our exiting judge, Jessica Wheeler, is working on composing the subject of that new challenge. We’ll post soon!], and I am the judge for next week’s WOW Factor Short Story/Essay/Non-Fiction piece. Bernie, please have your results to me by next Sunday, September 13th. ALSO – there’s still a week before the Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge deadline (September 12th). The challenge is: The Sentence Starts the Story : “If only I hadn’t taken that shortcut this morning because I was running late.” AND FINALLY! There’s still lots of time for you to find a partner and enter our Duet Poem Challenge. Check out the Challenge for all the details. You can enter as many times as you’d like, with as many different duet partners as you’d like! I like that this one is catching fire with already four entries. Deadline is September 23rd, because the 23rd of each month is the anniversary of our March 23, 2026 launch date of this fabulous site! Co-founder Heather Wickham is the judge for this Challenge! Have a fun and productive week. We look forward to reading everything you post! Much, much love ~ Rachelle and Heather xoxoxo
WOW FACTORS OF THE WEEK, FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 23 - 28th
Good Morning, beloved CW Members! I hope your week was as fabulous as your published posts were! As soon as I awoke this morning, it dawned on me that I must lead a charmed life. Who else on the planet just LOOOOOOOOOOOOVES Monday mornings? And the reason? Because I get to steep in the joy that comes from the immensely talented writers on this site and announce whose pieces stood out. It's true that other sites have more members, but ours is comprised of exclusively EXCEPTIONAL writers. That's not hyperbole. CollectivelyWrite.com has QUALITY writers, and I cannot tell you how proud I am that you are all here. Please bring our site to the attention of any other exceptional writers you may know. And remember: PLEASE REVIEW the pieces on here that you read. It will keep the inspiration and creativity alive for us all. Okay!! Onto this week's winners!! I had the pleasure of being the judge for both Poetry and Short Story/Essay/Nonfiction this week, and here are my choices: WOW FACTOR POETRY WINNER IS... "SEEKING TOMORROW" BY TIME MARGETTS When I read the opening line, "Today we lay the path for the sins we will commit tomorrow..." I knew, immediately, that I would not be the same after I finished this poem as I was before I read it. And sure enough, so absorbed and intrigued was I that I have read it many MANY subsequent times. Each time, another facet reveals itself and makes me ponder and wrestle with my own life choices and their outcomes. I've felt reminded of the YA book series that instructs its reader to choose between chapters X, Y or Z because it determines the outcome of the book. This poem holds us accountable for every aspect of our lives, but it does so not like a castigating, sanctimonious parochial schoolteacher, but rather as a tender, gentle, omniscient beloved mentor. It reminds us that we were the ones who made the choices we did, and we should own them, warts and all. Tim, your work never ceases to mesmerize me. Also excellent this week was BernietheBard's "DEATH BY CIVILIZATION that, though short, took the educator in me to a place of critical understanding and pain. It was quick and piercing, like a shark bite, and its catalysts, the Kent Nerburn trilogy of books, are now heading my reading queue. Well done, Bernie. Thank you for this important write. THE SHORT STORY/ESSAY/NON-FICTION WOW FACTOR OF THE WEEK IS... NAVIGATING THE JOURNEY TO ME BY DIANE KENEL-TRUELOVE I was all but doing heads-or-tails between this one and Rachel Gosling's "PANDORA'S BOX, PART 9." Two consistently outstanding writers, both making the same tremendously important point, and serendipitously, it's the same one as highlighted by Tim Margetts's aforementioned poem: Your choices are what determine who you are as a person. Rachel presents hers through the tortured Prometheus, who's been commanded (by his wife, the Queen, no less!) to kill her young, lovely, kind servant-girl. In Diane's essay, she shares the dictums of vintage educators of hers who wielded their power and inflexibility like a club and evoked in her a champion-like resolve and ferocity. Both pieces are EXTREMELY well-written. They flow with the ease of consummate writing prowess and ignite so very many emotions in the reader from start to finish. There was simply no "bad choice" here; that's for sure. So, in recognition of teachers' and students' return to school, I chose "Navigating the Journey." As far as the Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge, there were still no entries, so I'm taking that as an indication that I did poorly offering up a topic. My sincere apologies to you all. CW members are extremely creative writers, so if I can't inspire even one story with my prompt, that's on me. Here's its replacement. Hopefully, this evokes some entries: THE SENTENCE STARTS THE STORY: If only I hadn't taken that shortcut this morning because I was running late... Start your story with that sentence. Minimum 300 words. Contest Deadline: September 12th. Also, friendly reminder about the Month Five Special: a "Duet Poem" Challenge. It comes with a FIFTY DOLLAR BARNES & NOBLE GIFT CARD FOR THE WINNERS! Our beloved co-founder, Heather Wickham, will be the judge. Details in the Challenge tab, above. And FINALLY (yes, yes, I swear I'm going to stop blathering on here soon...), this Saturday, September 5th, is the deadline for the Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge, the topic for which is "support." Jessica Wheeler is the judge. So, CONGRATULATIONS to this week's WOW Factor winners, TIM MARGETTS and DIANE KENEL-TRUELOVE. You'll be our judges for your respective winning categories this coming week. Please PM me your choices on Sunday, August 6th. Have a fabulous week, Everyone, and, again, thank you for bringing your talents to CW. We are SO extremely deilghted to have you here and will look forward to reading everything you post here this week. Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather xoxoxo
WOW Factors of the Week and Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge Winners (and more!) for the week of August 16 - 22nd
GREETINGS AND HAPPY MONDAY, oh beloved CW members!! I hope you’ve had a fantastic week, with prospects on the horizon for more joy in this week to come. My profuse and genuine apologies for being so late getting these WOW FACTOR OF THE WEEK winners as well as the BI-WEEKLY POETRY CHALLENGE winner published today. Ten demerits for me! Here we go!! THE WOW FACTOR POETRY WINNER FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 16 – 22ND is: ANGUISH OR HERESY? by Rachelle Allen JUDGE TIM MARGETTS WRITES: This one got me. It starts quietly enough, almost as though we are simply looking back at things said during a difficult time, but with each stanza the reason for those words becomes clearer. By the time we reach the final stanza and discover that this is not simply heartbreak but death, those earlier lines have changed beneath us. What really made it the winner for me, though, is that final line. The poem has spent its time talking about words said when grief and anger were overwhelming, then suddenly gives us the one thing that perhaps the writer fears saying most: “Where is G-d? I won't trust Him again.” That doesn't feel written for effect. It feels painfully human. Grief doesn't always behave itself, and sometimes it gets angry with the very things we are supposed to turn towards for comfort. I also like that the Ripple form isn't simply being used because it is there; those repetitions work like memories that keep coming back whether wanted or not. For me, this week's winner because it left me thinking about it long after I had finished reading. Runner-up — THREE YEARS GONE TODAY by RACHEL GOSLING This was actually a very close call. What I loved here is that we don't get some grand portrait of a mother; instead we get the little things that make a person a person. Lavender pillows, glasses perched low while sewing, rice pudding with a toffee crust, apple pie. Those details do far more than simply telling us she was loved and is missed. By the end I felt as though I had been introduced to her. Even “Disdained slack speech; never swore / An English lady” made me smile because suddenly there is personality in the room, not simply memory. And that is why this one came so close to taking first place. It doesn't try to make grief enormous; it makes it intimate. The final return to “Three years gone today” brings us neatly back to where we began, except now those words carry everything we have learned about the woman being remembered. THE WOW FACTOR POETRY WINNER FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 16 – 22ND is: COMING TOGETHER AT THE SEAMS by Rachelle Allen JUDGE KATHARINE FOLKES WRITES: My pick for the Wow Short Story of the week is Rachelle Allen’s account with the clever and witty title, “Coming Together at the Seams,” which introduces us to a story of a forty-year high school reunion put together by eight gals. This poignant, well-talked story is about a quilting event that took vibrant and eager Rachelle down a much enjoyed path to new friendships which have been kept up through the years, and are still active today. She relates how in the beginning, she only knew three of the eight who organized and put it together. However, when one of them suggested making a quilt for the class to be auctioned off, the time spent together opened up a whole new world of friends and conversations of family situations, kids and husbands—relationships, good and bad. Rachelle noted how “with their patchwork of shared memories from their youth, they could stitch their life stories together and create a vivid tapestry that would warm them for all the years to come.” A neat story that made me smile. AND FINALLY, THE WINNER OF THE BI-WEEKLY POETRY CHALLENGE IS: REMEMBER ME by JESSICA WHEELER JUDGE RACHEL GOSLING WRITES: Each of these poems grabbed me - the authors obeyed the Rondelet rules and employed the syllable and rhyme conventions with aplomb. The Requisite was very original in the way it used the theme loyalty - interesting, unique and smart. Leaf captured a single moment in nature and made me remember the beauty of Autumn - simple, cleanly done and very effective. For the winner, it is very much down to personal choice this week. For me, Remember Me, was the poem that had the 'oomph' factor that will stay with me. The haunting theme of growing older, and the longing to still be loved and remembered is such an understandable one. 'Though age may veil the face you knew' captured that melancholic yearning for the past so well. I loved the use of italics for the pleading, repeated line 'Remember me'. Overall, I thought this was sensitive, emotional and haunting. Beautiful. So this means that I get to be both the Poetry and Short Story judge for this upcoming week, and JESSICA WHEELER, you get to be the Bi-Weekly Poetry Judge when the deadline is September 6th. Rachel Gosling will post the Challenge soon that you will be judging. (That’s how we do it on CW. No secrets about who the judges are for any contest…AND anyone who wins one week is the judge for the following week. On our site, we believe that we’re all capable of both writing well AND judging the works of our fellow talented writers.) I’m going to offer up an ADDITIONAL Poetry Challenge this week in celebration of our FIFTH MONTH of existence as a writing site. I’ll post it on the Challenge screen, too, but here’s the description. It is WAY fun, and I really hope to get LOTS AND LOTS of participants. FIFTY DOLLAR BARNES AND NOBLE GIFT CARD to the winners!!!Deadline is September 22nd, because that way, the challenge is good for the entirety of Month Five. POETRY DUET CHALLENGE: 1.) Find a partner – another member on this site. It can be someone you know or, if you’re particularly bold, someone you don’t! – and ask them if they’d be willing to do this Challenge with you. 2.) Together, choose a topic to write about 3.) Agree on a style of poetry, replete with number of lines you’ll each need to write 4.) Then decide – however you choose to do that (could be alphabetical order, could be eeny-meeny-miney-moe, could be heads-or-tails) – whose line goes first. 5.) Combine the poems by taking turns, one line at a time: the first writer’s first line, then the second writer’s first line, then the first writer’s second line, and the second writer’s second line, etc. I was introduced to this idea several years ago by my dear friend Sandy Nelms-Ludwig, who’s also a member on here. We chose as our title/topic “Fidelity,” and here’s our finished product: ************************************************************************* FIDELITY Far beyond the promise to be true, From the cradle some are fed unforgettable heartache Fidelity carries the promise of ferocity when the bond is challenged. Maturing with broken inner workings like an old clock. It’s the bodyguard for the union of two souls, Time after time faithfulness remains a foreign unshared feeling. With heartstrings so entwined, they become a solo vestment for two wearers, Its absence is a wound oozing and tainting most emotional interactions. The embodiment of a shared unity, However, others seek strength in counseling to learn how to suture the open scars And a lifetime suit of armor for the promise of trust inside. Warily accepting that freely giving love and devotion is necessary for healing. When we finished and combined our two poems and read them, we got hysterical with laughter at first, our initial question being, “HOW ARE WE FRIENDS WHEN WE ARE THIS DIFFERENT??????” But then, as we began to examine and discuss it further, we realized that, although our upbringings and life experiences have been extremely different, our creativity and writing prowess and ability to express ourselves is our tie that binds. It was such an eye-opening experience, really. So now we’re passing it on to you, our extremely talented, expressive and creative CW member-friends! Let’s have fun with this. You can submit as many times as you’d like with different duet partners! And whatever topic you choose is fine with us. I’m so excited to read your offerings! On your mark, get set….GO!!! Have a wonderful week. We can’t wait to read everything you post. Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather (AND PS – I’m up for duetting with anyone who asks!)
WOW Factors of the Week for the week ending August 15, 2026
Good Morning, oh talented and literarily diverse CW Members! Happy Monday to you all. I hope your creative juices flow abundantly this week and make their way to our site. Here are this week's WOW Factor winners! FOR POETRY, THE WINNER IS TIM MARGETTS FOR "GO ON...I DARE YOU" Judge Katharine Folkes writes: I voted for Tim Margetts, for his clever dare to the members of Collectively Write to leave reviews for the stories and poems they read. It also might urge them to write and publish their works on this site, and enjoy reviews of their efforts. Our writers would be most appreciative. His poem gives examples of the writers’ efforts to put their works out to be read and enjoyed, and Tim repeats his dare, throughout, for any thoughts the reader had about the author's' works. for instance: “No thesis needed, no PhD, No deep critique of imagery, No lengthy prose on what it meant – Just let them know ‘twas time well spent.” Tim's poem is a wonderful challenge, and made a good point. Bravo So, come on, members. Let’s see who will take Tim’s dare. AND FOR WOW SHORT STORY OF THE WEEK, THE WINNER IS: COOL WATERS BY KATHARINE FOLKES Judge Tim Margetts writes: Well, this week gave me a bit of a problem. Three very different pieces to choose from, and one of them immediately complicated matters by announcing itself as Part 1. The Sun-seekers Part 1 was, for me, the strongest piece of conventional storytelling. The world is well realised, the characters feel like a family rather than simply people placed there to explain the setting, and I particularly liked the contrast between Jordan thoughtlessly kicking apart the daisies in his memory and later cradling one as something precious. That small moment says a great deal about everything that has been lost. Unfortunately, Part 1 is exactly that: the beginning of something larger rather than a complete short story. Excellent though it is, I couldn't quite justify giving it the top spot this week. The Perfect Societal Solution takes a very different approach. It's a clever and suitably uncomfortable piece of dystopian fiction, with its mechanically tended babies and algorithmically perfect care creating a wonderfully cold vision of a society which has apparently solved humanity by removing most of the humanity from it. I did think the middle section with the graphs explained rather more than it needed to, when the imagery was already making the point very effectively. But that final invitation to visit the adults' enclosure is excellent and suddenly makes the world of the story much larger and considerably more disturbing. Which brings me to Cool Water. This could so easily have been nothing more than a tale about a broken water main. Instead, giving the job of narrator to poor, long-suffering HP turns the whole thing into something delightfully daft. HP's comments and observations provide the humour while Katharine becomes progressively more tired, muddled and eventually musical. It doesn't try to be grand or profound; it takes an everyday situation, plays with it and turns it into a complete and thoroughly entertaining little story. So, after some head-scratching over chapters, dystopian nurseries, malfunctioning water supplies and whether computers really do gossip about us when we're not looking, my Short Story of the Week is Cool Water. Congratulations, Katharine. SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO KATHARINE AND TIM. And the winner of the Bi-Weekly Short-Story Challenge - making a story from a news item - is: RACHEL GOSLING for THE CLEAN-UP OPERATION It was written in the voice of a cat (Thea) who simply wanted appreciation for her acquisitions of items in the neighborhood that had been untended. Instead, she was made to feel like a common thief by her own (well, "staff;" who doesn't know that adage about DOGS having owner and cats having staff...) who - in front of her, no less - he made calls of apology to the neighbors for the confiscated items. Some gratitude! I loved the way Thea's voice was absolutely purrr-fect (oh - as if I could resist THAT low-hanging fruit pun!) and the way Rachel interwove Thea's disgruntlement with her owner's mortification. I would love to have read the original news article that evoked this clever tail...er, sorry...TALE! Nicely done, Rachel. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO KATHARINE, TIM AND RACHEL this week! This means that Katharine, you will be this week's WOW Factor judge for short storis, and Tim will be our poetry judge. Please have your decisions to me by end-of-business on Sunday, August 23rd. And Rachel, you will now be the Short Story COMPETITION judge, the deadline for which will be August 30th. I will post what that topic will be later today. ALSO...because there is only one entry for the Poetry Competition this week, we're going to extend it an additional week. So, please get those creative juices flowing in RONDOLET form and submit by Saturday, August 22nd. Have a great week, Everyone. we will be looking forward to reading everything you write! Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather xoxox
WOW Factors of the Week Winners for August 1 - August 7, 2026
Good Morning and Happy Monday to our ever-burgeoning CW membership!! Before I announce the winners this week, I'd like to make two requests: 1.) Please, please, please write REVIEWS of the wonderful works on here that you read! The count of "reads" of the published pieces is high; the reviews for these creations, though, is very low. It is so unsatisfying to present pieces and then not receive feedback. The whole point of this site is to hear back from fellow members how the stories and poems impacted those who took the time and effort to read them. Unlike on other writing sites, there is no "minimum number of characters" one has to fulfill in a review. Write what you feel - as much or as briefly as you choose. But PLEASE, please write to the author. It makes a world of difference. Thank you, in advance. The second request I have is to please, please, please pass our site on to others you know! Heather and I would love to see membership increase. We're coming up on Month Five now, and we'd love to see a big-time membership spike. So here's our inspiration for you in that vein: For any current member who brings in AT LEAST FIVE new members, you will receive a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card. Just have your new member alert us when they join that they were sent by you, and that way, we can keep a tally. Let's have Month Five begin with a huge jump in our membership numbers!! I would love that SO very much! OKAY!! Onto the WOW FACTOR WINNERS!!! THE WOW FACTOR STORY OF THE WEEK IS: "THREADS" BY TIM MARGETTS. Judge Rachel Gosling writes: I loved the cyclical nature of this story and the mixture of fairytale and myth, used to great effect. The tale was simply told, yet there was a pleasing depth to the main character, who suffered the punishment of karma for a bad action against a friend. It made me think about those small, good or disastrous decisions we make in life, with a ripple effect that can colour our whole life. A thought-provoking and interesting tale. THE WOW FACTOR POEM OF THE WEEK IS: "THUMB THINK" BY KATHARINE FOLKES Judge Tim Margetts writes: ‘Thumb Think’ made me smile because it takes something we see every day and turns it into a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek observation on how times have changed. From the opening, ‘I am from an earlier age / when we used all of our fingers’, there’s a lovely grumpy humour to it. Katharine watches those ‘flying thumbs’ racing across a keyboard while the rest of the fingers sit curled underneath, apparently with nothing better to do. My favourite line has to be ‘bowing to their betters’. It’s such a simple image, but once you’ve read it you can immediately picture exactly what she means. The poem doesn’t try to be anything more than it is. It’s light, playful and observant, with an easy rhythm that carries you neatly towards that wonderfully cheeky final ‘lazy igits!’ Sometimes poetry doesn’t need to explore the meaning of life. Sometimes it can just spot something ordinary, have a bit of fun with it, and make you smile. And ‘Thumb Think’ did exactly that for me. CONGRATULATIONS to Tim and Katharine! This means that next week, Tim is the WOW Factor Short Story judge and Katharine is the WOW Factor Poetry judge. I am the judge assigned to the Challenge this week, but sadly, only one writer has submitted an entry, so it will go one more week. Here's the premise for the Challenge: Theme and Variation on The News Take a quirky item from the news ad write a story around that - choose to explore the backstory or use the news item as the starting point or inspiration - up to the author! Examples: A bull interrupted a cricket match. No one knows how it got there. A monkey was found in a laundry bag on the bus Woman credits fairies with youthful looks after a strange encounter in her village Astronomers have found a strange new moon no one knew existed Man struck by lightning speaks new language. Let your wild writer's imagination take off!! I really would LOVE to be inundated with entries from which to choose! Deadline: this coming Saturday, August 15th. THIS WEEK'S POETRY CHALLENGE: Write a Rondolet using a borrowed voice from a forgotten item. This could be any inanimate object of your choice. Traditional French rondolet is generally defined as: Line 1: 4 syllables (refrain) - A Line 2: 8 syllables - b Line 3: Repeat line 1 (4 syllables) A Line 4: 8 syllables - a Line 5: 8 syllables - b Line 6: 8 syllables - b Line 7: Repeat line 1 (4 syllables) - A Rhyme scheme: AbAabbA Example: The Old Key Open for me. Rust has stolen all my bright shine. Open for me. I fail before each door I see. My twisted teeth no more align. Still I dream your hand will find mine Open for me. (Tim Margetts) ********************************************* And that's everything for this week! FRIENDLY REMINDER: 1. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!! 2. BRING IN FIVE NEW MEMBERS, RECEIVE a $50 Barnes and Noble gift card!!!!! Much, much love ~ Rachelle and Heather xoxoxo
WOW Factors of the Week Winner for the Week of July 26 - August 1, 2026 and Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge
HAPPY MONDAY TO ALL YOU TALENTED CW MEMBERS!! It’s time to announce the winners of the WOW Factors of the Week as well as the winner of the Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge. Here we go! The winner of the WOW Factor of the Week Poetry is: ALONE by TIM MARGETTS Judge Diane Kenel-Truelove writes: Of all the exceptional poetic works posted this week, “Alone,” by Tim Margetts resonated the deepest with me. As stated in the description, “Alone” is a ghazal, a classical poetic form of Middle Eastern origin, most refined in Persian and Urdu traditions. Aside from dealing with loss and romantic love, the poem consists of a fixed number of lines - usually five couplets - with a rhyme scheme and a refrain: AA, BA, CA, and so on. This intricate framework is not for the faint of heart to attempt. However, it is the emotional depth rendered by the poem that makes this offering memorable. “Alone” is repeated seven times throughout the poem. In a society where the concept of being alone is seldom praised or celebrated, Tim Margetts shares with readers the coveted experience of being alone on a path, speaking to stones, walking among the rain, among a crowd, during the night, and finally, when “the world unfolds, its circle run, alone.” My absolute favorite lines are the following, filled with longing and pathos: I spoke to stones; they held their counsel close, and taught me what endures when speech is done, alone. and No crowd could hide the hush that found my heart; I’ve stood within the noise, yet heard none, alone. “Alone” begs to be read and savored more than once. And it is especially moving when read aloud. I, for one, will never read the word “alone” again without thinking of Margett’s masterful offering for “Now night and self make peace without a word; the world unfolds, its circle run, alone.” AND THE WINNER OF THE WOW FACTOR SHORT STORY OF THE WEEK IS… A TIE!!! Judge Katharine Folkes simply could NOT choose between these two fabulous stories. So, they BOTH win! In no particular order: THIN PLACES by TIM MARGETTS And THE ERASED LIST by Rachel Gosling Judge Katharine Folkes writes: “Thin Places" makes waking up in an unexpected place seem like an experience the protagonist has experienced before, and it is. His handling of this mid-sleep occurrence is pragmatic, and so far, ever watchful, he has emerged unscathed. Tim’s descriptions of the man’s feelings keep the reader pulling for him and also on edge. Also the little details such as his finding the “century old” bread in his pocket and eating an apple that tasted like strawberries—neat visuals that make up a lot of his story. Also, as it is told in first person, Tim gets his voice into it. Upon each such wakening, he tells himself not to panic (nice work if you can get it) and he doesn't, though his imagination works overtime. Though the author is telling the story in first person, the person he "is" in his dream, looks, talks, and acts differently. Fascinating! Tim does leave us hanging (naturally) at the end of the first chapter of his new book, but I am sure the second chapter will not only enlighten us in that regard, but leave us, once again, waiting with bated breath. Tim does love to if not scare us, worry us about his characters. This man should be worried about :) It is an enjoyable story which has a wow opening and I am looking forward to continuing reading. Rachel's "The Erased List" is horrifying. Rachel tells it with examples of cruelty and total disregard for females by the males of the time. Her descriptions make the story seem real to a point, the way evil ideas are so easily spread. It is about a time when talented females, doctors, lawyers, writers, journalists, female politicians, any skilled female was considered corrupt. There was punishment and disappearance. They were erased. Rachel's story begins with a daughter, listening to her mother who is ill and close to death, telling her about her grandmother who fought for women's rights and was a brave Suffragette. The daughter has been trained to be obedient above all to males, agreeable and subservient, and is horrified at her mother's pride in her grandmother, and is fearful of the authorities. As the daughter, listening, to her mother talk about her (the daughter's) great grandmother, she remembers that her generation of females was the last to be schooled at all, and she thinks about her own daughter, who, as a child, was never taught to read, to not think at all, really, just to live a wholesome life. As she listens to her mother speaking of her brave grandmother taking up for females, she remembers the emptiness in her daughter's face, and begins to have second thoughts, leaving the reader with hope she will be able to help her daughter. Rachel has great details such as the real people who were banned, and the attitude of the male journalists, adding to the believability of the story. This is a thoughtful and well written story about control over people that resonated with me. ****************************************************************************************************** The winner of the Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge is: RACHEL GOSLING for WILDFIRE Judge Tim Margetts writes: WILDFIRE! grabbed my attention immediately and never let go. The poem builds beautifully from quiet drought to unstoppable destruction, each line adding another layer of tension. The imagery is strong throughout, but the leap to 'dragon's breath' is inspired, transforming a natural disaster into something almost mythical without losing its emotional truth. The final line leaves us surveying the damage rather than simply witnessing the flames, giving the poem a satisfying sense of completion. A wonderful example of how a nonet can tell a complete story in just nine carefully crafted lines CONGRATULATIONS, Tim and Rachel! This means that next week, Tim, you are the judge for WOW Factor Poetry, Rachel, you’re the judge for WOW Factor Short Story, and in two weeks, Rachel, you’re the judge for the Bi-Weekly Poetry Contest. Great work to you both. And, Tim, as the exiting judge for the Bi-Weekly Poetry, you get to create its next Challenge. PM with your challenge at your convenience! (Can’t wait! I know that Margetts mind; it’ll be a good one, for sure!!) The Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge for this Week, still in play, is: Take a quirky item from the news and write a story around that. Choose to explore the backstory or use the news item as the starting point or inspiration – up to the author! (Examples provided on Challenges page.) Deadline is this coming Saturday, August 8th. I’m so excited that I get to be the judge for this contest! So please let your imaginations rip and dazzle me with lots and lots of entries!! If anyone has any suggestions or ideas as we head toward Month #5, please let Heather or me know. We are always eager to hear from you and love and appreciate your feedback. Have a wonderful week. We’ll look forward to reading everything you write! Much, much love ~ Rachelle and Heather xoxox
WOW Factor Winners and Bi-Weekly Short Story Winner for the week ending July 25, 2026
Good Morning to you fabulous CW writers! It's so fun to begin the week with the winners and contributors to last week's posts. It brings us such pride that writers as good as you have chosen to publish here. Thank you for that very much. It's not lost on us for even the briefest of moments that any writing site would love to feature your talents, but you've chosen to share them here. Heather and I are so appreciative of that. xoxo So here we go!! WOW FACTOR POETRY WINNER IS: CONTEMPLATIVE RHAPSODY by DIANE KENEL-TRUELOVE. Judge Tim Margetts writes: This was written in response to the challenge of using only three-syllable words, with the exception of conjunctions and prepositions, and that is no small restriction to place upon a poem. What impressed me most was that the writer didn’t simply meet the challenge. Beneath all those carefully chosen words there is still a poem. There is imagery, movement and atmosphere, as the small nocturnal visitors gather around the illuminated windows, drawn towards something beautiful that may ultimately destroy them. I particularly liked: “precariously adjacent to shimmering destruction” For me, those two lines capture the heart of the poem beautifully. I also enjoyed the circular nature of the piece, beginning with the “ebony afterglow” and eventually returning us there. Despite the restrictions imposed by the challenge, the poem manages to take us somewhere before bringing us home again. Yes, the language is elaborate but given the challenge it could hardly be otherwise. The achievement is in making those restrictions serve the poem rather than allowing them to become the poem. A clever response to a difficult challenge, but more importantly, an enjoyable piece of poetry. It wasn't entered into the challenge itself, but made a more than worthy addition to those that were. CONGRAULATIONS, DIANE!! WINNER OF THE WOW FACTOR OF THE WEEK SHORT STORY IS: WELL DAMN by KATHARINE FOLKES Judge Rachel Gosling writes: I liked Katharine's humorous use of dialogue between two neighbours here. I could just imagine the long-term, love-hate relationship and the irritation at being asked to borrow the mower yet again! This story is a great word if you want a giggle: a little slice of life piece that pokes fun at us all, in a humane and gentle way. GREAT JOB, KATHARINE!! CONGRATS. AND THE WINNER OF THE BI-WEEKLY SHORT STORY CHALLENGE IS: NEIGHBORS AS LIFELINES by RACHELLE ALLEN Judge Rachel Gosling writes: Neighbors as Lifelines was one of those slice of life stories which starts so innocently and then takes you and shakes you to the core. Think you've got problems? Now compare them to someone hiding in the crawl space of an attic during the Holocaust. The characters are realistic and well defined and the impact of one character on the other's world view is striking. This tale deals with one of the most haunting, horrific periods of human history, yet the whole premise of that dark period is turned on its head. Yes, it acknowledges, dreadful, evil acts occurred, and will not be forgotten, yet human heroism and neighbourly kindness won through here. I loved this story and am confident others will also be struck by the positivity and strength of feeling demonstrated here. SO CONGRATULATIONS, DIANE AND KATHARINE. This means that this coming week, you are the judges. Katharine for Short Stories, Diane for Poetry. Please message me your choices by Sunday, August 2nd. And, Rachel, as the exiting judge for the Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge, you get to create the topic for the Challenge that ends August 8th. PM me that decision at your convenience. Finally, be sure to enter the Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge that ends this coming Saturday, August 1st. Topic: A Nonet (nine lines, beginning with one syllable for the first line, two for the second, three for the third, etc. OR you can start with nine syllables in the first line, eight in the second, seven in the third, etc.) Your choice of topic.) WINNER RECEIVES A $20 BARNES AND NOBLE GIFT CARD. Have a wonderful week, Everyone. We look forward to reading everything you post! Much, much love, Rachelle and Heather xoxoxxo
STILL TIME LEFT TO ENTER THE SHORT STORY CHALLENGE
Come on, you wonderfully inventive CW writers!! Don't be shy about contributing an entry to this very fun Challenge: a story any length about neighbors!! Please dazzle us with your creativity! Rachelle and Heather xoxox
The Latest Bi-Week Short Story Challenge
Just a friendly reminder not to miss out on entering THIS one: It's simply entitled "The Neighbors." Will you make yours quirky? Creepy? Invasive? Mysterious? Funny? Let your imagination run wild and dazzle our judge, Rachel Gosling. Winner receives a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble!! Deadline this Saturday, July 25th
WOW Factor Winner of the Week and Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge for the Week of July 12 - 18
Dearest Wonderful CW Members!! I swear, every week this gig becomes more and more enjoyable for me, and that's a huge statement, since I loved it with all my heart from Day One. Thank you to everyone for how conscientious and attentive you are to CollectivelyWrite.com and for always bringing your A-Game to everything you publish here. If a day ever starts going south for me, I jump onto our site, read an entry or two and VOILA! Instant way-better day! Thank you, times a million-zillion for that luxury. THE WINNER OF THE WOW FACTOR OF THE WEEK SHORT STORY IS: THE LETTER by RACHEL GOSLING Judge Jessica Wheeler writes: What I loved most about this story is the immense emotional weight packed into so few lines. Its commendable brevity heightens the impact of every word, demonstrating a refined, sophisticated sense of restraint that is highly effective. The use of seasonal markers (Christmas, New Year fireworks, January) brilliantly captures the nature of grief, portraying it as a recurring loop, rather than something straightforward that resolves. It conveys the emotional paralysis of loss in a way that feels relatable and deeply authentic. Edward's characterization develops through indirect revelations and small physical details (his gnarled fingers, his failing vision), trusting the reader to imagine the estrangement and piece together its circumstances. The internal monologue is especially compelling, adding a layer of emotional realism to the writing. Edward's hesitation ("Did that sound accusatory?") suggests a long, complicated history without spelling it out or overexplaining. The concluding image of unsent, unaddressed letters accumulating on the mantelpiece is especially heart-wrenching, emphasizing the ritualistic nature of Edward's unresolved longing. It's a haunting final note that lingers well beyond the story's end. AND, REGARDING THE POETRY WOW FACTOR, Judge Tim Margetts writes: I would love to give you a Poetry WOW Factor for the week, but as (not including mine) there has been only one poem posted for the week of the 12th to 18th, I will hold off deciding until I see what comes up over this week. [SO COME ON, YOU TALENTED POETS, LET'S FILL THIS JUDGE'S WEEK WITH GOOD READS!!!!!] THE BI-WEEKLY POETRY CHALLENGE STACKED LIMERICK WINNER IS... SAM AND MAUDE by TIM MARGETTS Judge Rachelle Allen writes: I choose Sam and Maude for its perfect combination of hilarity and randiness ("I wish for a wife/to make sense of my life/with bosoms that stand out quite proud.") I mean, come on! Who doesn't appreciate a man of depth who knows what he wants in this life! This is a tale about a couple whose online dating profiles indicate that they would be a fine match. Nope. Not even close. But that's what makes it so extremely fun for us. I loved the bawdy limerick style of this tongue-in-cheek offering that provided a smile for me the entire way through. Delightful! ************************************************************************************************************ So, CONGRATULATIONS, Rachel and Tim on your fine writing! This means that, Rachel, you get to be the judge of all the short stories for this week. Please let me know your favorite by Sunday, July 26th. And Tim, you're the judge for the Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge which will end August 2nd. As exiting judge, I will post the new Challenge later this morning! **************************************************************************************************************** FINALLY, as Month #4 approaches for us here at CW, watch for our traditional feature of an interview with a published author on the 23rd. This time, it's Aussie children's book author, KARYN SAVAGE. I know you will love reading all about her life and career. She is a complete delight. Okay ~ On your mark, get set GO creating and posting more fabulous stories and poems for us all to enjoy!! Much, much love ~ Rachelle xoxoxo
PS
Regarding the current Bi-Weekly Poetry Challenge that is expiring this coming Saturday, July 18th, in the hopes of motivating you to enter, the creator of the contest, Katharine Folkes, suggests that we keep the "stacked limerick" part but amend the "bawdy and randy" part to: whatever fits within the structure of a limerick. So, come on, you talented members! DAZZLE US with your limerick entries!!! xoxoxo
Winners of the Bi-Weekly Challenge and the WOW Factors of the Week for the week ending July 11, 2026
Good Morning and Happy New Week to all you wonderful CW members!! It's time for the Big Reveals!! WOW FACTOR OF THE WEEK SHORT STORY WINNER IS: HE'S GOOD BY JESSICA WHEELER Judge Tim Margetts writes: This is easily the standout story of the week. The balance of observational humour with the pathos of the effects of growing older on both body and mind is handled with exceptional honesty and tenderness. The pacing is excellent throughout, with the dialogue flowing naturally and never seeming forced for narrative's sake. The story never makes Carl an object of fun or derision. Rather, his eccentricity makes him ever more believable and lovable. This makes the overall emotional turn land with so much more conviction. I found that it was especially good in that it didn’t seek to flood the reader with over sentimentality, but instead garnered a sense of understanding of the whole familial relationship, allowing the reader to feel empathy and leave the story with a smile. Runner up This was harder to judge as there are two very different but equally good contenders. Pandora's Box, Part 5 and The Little Cat House. Chapter 2 One is very much in the style of epic mythological fantasy, the other a children's book. Looking purely at technical accomplishment, Pandora comes out on top. It demonstrates a masterly level of control over prose that can only come with experience. It is an outstanding chapter in what I know will be an exceptional book once completed. Looking at what best achieved its goal, then I lean towards Little Cat House. It never overreaches. It knows what it is and has the simple emotional goal of never judging someone before you know them. It manages that beautifully with every sentence leading towards that conclusion in a way that any child would understand and be able to learn from. A lot of other factors came under my consideration, such as how this could be improved with a good line editor, the target audience and my overall ‘feel good’ factor. So, considering all that, I believe both stories deserve recognition. This week's runner-up is therefore shared by Pandora's Box, Part 5 and The Little Cat House. CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSICA, RACHEL AND JACQUELINE!! The WOW FACTOR POEM OF THE WEEK IS: BREATHING by TIM MARGETTS. Judge Jessica Wheeler writes First, I am always drawn to free-verse pieces that possess a subtle rhythmic quality, and Tim demonstrates this beautifully. His deliberate breaks and spacing dictate the poem’s pacing, allowing room to pause, think, and, dare I say, breathe. The recurring “burn” motif is extremely effective. It establishes a sustained tension that almost shifts in meaning as the poem progresses, reframing the initial unease into something else… something that suggests potential. Ultimately, what struck me most was the poem's emphasis on process. The progression is gentle, driven by internal changes that lead to self-awareness without ever forcing a resolution. This is what gives the piece its weight. It's not a destination, but a state of breathing - leaving you with a sense of continuation rather than arrival. And finally, for the BI-WEEKLY SHORT STORY CHALLENGE, THE WINNER IS: STRANGE HAPPENINGS AT SEA by RACHEL GOSLING Judge Rachelle Allen writes: Okay, for SURE I never saw the way THIS story was going to unfold! The Challenge was to write a story about someone who comes to your house on a sweltering day and requests a dip in the pool in exchange for some information about your parents. Dicey territory, for sure, because, as we all know, some things are better left unknown. But Rachel magically turns this premise into a fantasy tale that was done so well, I never saw it coming! I’ve always considered myself too practical a soul for fantasy stories, but I have to admit that this one TOTALLY captivated me. It was subtle – and this is so hard for me to understand – but BELIEVABLE!! Say, WHAT?! It’s imaginative and thorough in its storyline, and the characters and their backstories feel real, believable and luminously drawn. (I can’t believe I’m saying that!) Read it; I dare you to disagree. GREAT work, Rachel! You’ve changed my view of Fantasy forever! Thank you for opening my world. Okay, so CONGRATULATIONS to Tim, Jessica, Rachel and Jacqueline! VERY well done offerings this week. You make Heather and me SOOO VERY PROUD to have you here. You make this site great. Next week, TIM MARGETTS is our WOW Factor poetry judge, JESSICA WHEELER is the judge for Short Story/Prose, and RACHEL GOSLING is the judge for the Bi-Weekly Short Story Challenge. Tim and Jessica, please PM me your choices by next Sunday, July 19, and Rachel, your Challenge winner is due to me by Sunday, July 26th. Many thanks to you all. xoxoxo
Winners of the Challenge and the WOW Factors of the Week for the week ending July 4, 2026
Good Morning, my beloved CW members! Happy Monday. WOW FACTOR POEM OF THE WEEK: Judge Tim Margetts writes: RELIC by JESSICA WHEELER is the poem that stayed with me the longest. It takes the familiar metaphor of a person as a machine and makes it feel fresh through restraint rather than spectacle. The fragmented layout mirrors the speaker's struggle to keep functioning with each short section feeling like another hesitant moment. Then, just when you think it's about physical damage, it quietly reveals itself to be about grief. The final image of becoming "just a frame to hold your absence" lands with real emotional weight because nothing beforehand has tried to force the reader towards it. What I particularly admire is the economy of language. There isn't a wasted line. Every image contributes to the whole, and the ending refuses to over-explain itself. It trusts the reader, and I always appreciate poetry that does that. WOW FACTOR STORY OF THE WEEK Judge Rachelle Allen writes: I know I say this every time I get to be judge, but it is true: the quality of the writing each week on this site is so tremendous it makes choosing "just one standout" very difficult. I guess the flip side of that is that there is no bad choice to be had. Still, with that said, I have chosen THE SILENT BELL by TIM MARGETTS as this week's Wow Factor for Short Story. In his inimitable style, he takes us to a small and disquieting, enigmatic town where an enormous bell, seemingly with a life all its own, stands silently front and center. Lore explains that it's been silent for a hundred years, but in the past, when it tolled, it was to claim a life for a debt to be paid. Nothing terrifying there, certainly. Of course, it tolls when a newbie is in town staying at the nearby hotel, and of course, she is the only one who hears it...or so the townspeople will have her believe because, just like a child who's being summoned to come in for bathtime, if you pretend you don't hear your name being called, then you don't have to answer. Simple. Except the bell will not be ignored. SUCH an ominous concept, brought to life with the masterful writing chops of this author. For me, it had the perfection of my favorite old author, Nathanial Hawthorne. The eeriness that would not subside was kept taut and gave one that pit-in-the-stomach feeling throughout. The denouement was sublime - absolute perfection. And the ending resonated in my head for hours and hours afterward - ALWAYS the sign of exceptional writing. SO, CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSICA AND TIM ON YOUR TREMENDOUS SUBMISSIONS THIS WEEK!! And as is the case with CollectivelyWrite.com, this means that Jessica, you are the judge for next week's Poetry Wow Factor of the Week, and Tim, you hold the honor of choosing next week's standout story. Please PM me with your results by next Sunday, July 12th. ****************************************************************************************** WINNER OF THE BI-WEEKLY POETRY CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: Judge Katharine Folkes writes: I pick "AN ENGLISH PROFESSOR EXPLAINS HER HUSBAND'S INFIDELITY" by Rachelle Allen to win for best character development. This is a delightfully humorous take-off on a person, used to teaching expressive, multi-syllabic words to her students, introducing them to more extensive vocabulary, using the same way of speaking when describing her husband's unfaithfulness. A clever format for the telling. So, this makes me the Poetry judge for the next Challenge, which will be open from today, July 6, until Saturday, July 18th. Check the Challenges page to see what Katharine, as the exiting judge, created for us! (Spoiler: it's a super fun one, but also a good challenge!) ************************************************************************************************ A NEW FEATURE BEGINNING THIS WEEK!!! In the weeks between our monthly Published Author interview, we are now going to feature a WEEKLY interview with one of our members! Co-founder Heather Wickham gallantly agreed to be my first victim...er, um...SUBJECT. But I'm coming for you all. I think it will make us closer as a group to know a little bit more about each other (not to worry; you ALWAYS have one hundred percent veto power over every word that is published!) The fairest way to choose the order is "at random," so I've already put everyone's name into a big pouch and will simply reach in and draw out a name, contact that member and put the process into motion! I know writers don't love the limelight on themselves, personally, but I promise I will make this a very fun and painless experience and one that will enhance everyone's enjoyment here at CW. Much, much love ~ Rachelle xoxoxo
Winners of the newest WOW Factors of the Week!!
Good Morning, and Happy Monday! Here are the winners of the Poetry and Short Story WOW Factors of the Week. These are chosen from all the posts that have been published here between the previous Monday (June 22nd) and Sunday, (June 28th). The current week's judges are the previous week's winners, because here at CollectivelyWrite.com we share the wealth! SHORT STORY JUDGE, RACHEL GOSLING, WRITES: I LOVE YOU, BUT... by Rachelle Allen, grabbed my attention this week. This story of a dead father and his bereaved daughter was one that unleashed emotions in the reader without being mawkish or sentimental. The characters were realistically drawn and by the end of the story, a whole relationship was laid before us, with all its flaws, misunderstandings...and underlying love. In second place, I choose COFFEE AT THE BOOKSHOP by Tim Margetts. I loved the simplicity of this romantic tale. Two quiet people bonding over a love of books - what could be more wonderful than that? The story brimmed with the possibility of life and the future happiness for the two main characters. A lovely, gentle read. POETRY JUDGE, DIANE KENEL-TRUELOVE WRITES: The creative genius of Tim Margett is “front and center” in his engaging poetic offering, “FRIDGE POLITICS.” His usual fare? Not at all. And therein lies the reason I have chosen his work as this week’s “WOW Factor.” To be able to take what some may consider a mundane subject, i.e. a refrigerator in need of deep cleaning, and compose a metaphorical, poetic offering of the state of the world today is genius. Wait. What? How can exploding lettuce, “shredded like it had fled a crime scene,” and tomatoes that have gone soft along with dressing spilling down one’s leg be a metaphorical anything? They are to this reader/reviewer. “Cutting board diplomacy” is akin to political diplomacy. As Margetts writes: “I pressed on. I am brave. I have tongs. Later, eating a bowl of something vaguely healthy, I felt like a survivor. Not of war— but of fridge politics…” To see the world as spilled, exploding vegetables made me smile. And perhaps there is a small message here that invites a multitude of interpretations. But for me, I am going to close the refrigerator door, think about what is inside, and opt for a cheeseburger at a fast-food restaurant as I contemplate the absurd realities that greet us every day and the choices we all make to survive amid “the quiet chaos of trying to do the right thing with rocket and romaine.” Brilliant, Mr. Margetts. Thank you for sharing! So, Tim, this makes you next week's WOW Factor Poetry judge, while I have the honors for Short Story. Woot! xoxox