Wednesday Wrap Up Post for Challenge No 39 - Being the Perfect Ex!

Hello RFWers!

What a rocking roll up for this Challenge. It was great to welcome back some members who haven't posted for awhile - Beverly Diehl, Adura Ojo, Ruth Madison - hello again! I hope you'll be able to return to regular postings! We also are very fortunate to have new writers, some first times, some second or third timers - Charmaine Clancy, Raelene Purtill, Heather Murphy, Sally Stackhouse, Myrna, Crystal Hobbs and Rekha. Lovely to have you with us. Some of you have become members by clicking on the thumbnail linky in the right sidebar. I hope others will decide we're a good group to be part of and join up. Welcome to new followers also! And regular members/contributors I haven't forgotten you! Donna and I both appreciate your support and value the enthusiasm that you throw into every prompt - Anna, Andy,Francine, Roland - if ever you guys miss a prompt it just wouldn't be the same!! Well, Francine had to miss this week due to her publishers demands. Francine, we wish you every success for your novel. Go here to read what Francine has been up to.

Don't forget if you like what you see when you visit contributors, follow them on their blog, FB and Twitter and any other social networking site they inhabit. If I've omitted following you anywhere, please let me know!

Membership:
There are benefits to becoming a member - as well as showing solidarity to the group there is the Featured Writer, Runner Up and Encouragement Awards which are only open to members. They are chosen by your hosts, Denise and Donna, after special postings. Our first Featured Writer prompt will be on July 13. Look out for it in the left sidebar. The word limit will be upped to 600 and there will be stricter guidelines. Visit the Challenges Page to check it out.

A QUICK WRAP UP ON OUR CONTRIBUTORS FOR CHALLENGE NO 38. What inspiring reads!

Raelene - How many words can you find 'ex' in? If you didn't read Raelene's poem, go now. It was such a clever take on the theme. A wonderful experiment in expression. You had me exfoliating all over the place.

Charmaine - A touching, poignant story of memory loss with a touch of mystery. Many of us can relate to this story, knowing someone who has been struck down with this cruel condition. I loved how Charmaine demonstrated how emotive a photo album can be.

Roland - A continuation of last prompt's last dance between Alice and Victor. Roland's lyrical language heralds Victor's demise, but I'm sure Victor cannot stay dead.

Crystal - New contributor Crystal crafted a poignant story of first love.  I love how he loved her enough to let her go. Also enjoyed the simile between actors and a movie.

Myrna - Welcome Myrna, who posted on a whim. Love what you whipped up in such a short time, Myrna. Michael didn't love Jenna enough to let her go - his was a smothering type of love. She was his obsession. A mysterious, dark story of what could happen when you refuse to let someone go. Does she get away with it?

Sally - I loved this poem which tracks a marriage breakup with its nasty side, yet showing how when a couple parts, there's still the tie of children. 'Moving on...memories are precious jewels to treasure...far too numerous to measure.'

Andy - One day I'm going to say something different about Andy's romantic poetry, but today I'm just going to reiterate my opinion, that Andy dips his pen in some special romance oil and writes. I love how the 'pretty footprints...embroidered upon the sands of ecstasy' become, through unfaithfulness, 'pretty footprints ...visible on the sands of unfaithfulness' at the end. Sad, yet he loves her still.

Adura - Two cracking poems from Adura this prompt. Welcome back, whammo! The first sung out from the screen - 'My awakening kissed you dead...'  Cutting. To the point. But she's 'afraid not, anymore.' Adura's second poem seemed quite autobiographical, so real it was. In this poem the woman has suffered for years in the relationship, but now she's slowly taking what she wants. I was inspired by the pure strength in this character.

Beverly - It was great to have Beverly back after a long hiatus. Beverly will always put a smile on your face with her clever humour. 'Spider Killing' was full of the conversations at the Monthly Martini Group as they sipped appletinis, mangotinis and drinks the colour of blood. Ah, pity the men. Wicked take on the theme. And it left me wanting more.

Anna - Anna's 'Pearly Gates' resonated with all of those who read it. Anna's real life experience of her son Erik's accident sent Anna's imagination into overdrive and she crafted a story of Sanna's other-worldly experience after an accident where she meets Agnes, the woman in white. It was lovely that Sanna got sent back to be greeted by her ex and her children.

Donna - Donna decided to write a sequel to her Decisions story of Jordan and Reyna. Last prompt most of us were pretty harsh on Jordan and Donna wanted to give us more of Jordan's side which was only hinted at previously. This time we have more of the history of why the relationship is complicated, with Reyna confronting Jordan about his ex, Abby.

Ruth - It was great to have Ruth back and read more about the romance, or current situation of Elizabeth and the disabled Stewart. Now we see them as Perfect Exes and doing well despite Elizabeth's mother's interference. How is this going to progress?

Heather - Didn't we all love Heather's amusing take on the theme, using the online game, Farmville, as the Perfect Ex. I was wondering about all this harvesting and she really reeled me in. Cleverly done. If we haven't been addicted to Farmville we 've been addicted to something, so we could relate.

Rekha - Great to have Rekha back, but sadly this was her last story until August. The tension of this piece wore me out as a couple go to bed together for the last time. She was such an 'imperfect wife' that she made sure everything was in order before she moved out the next day. She was definitely the 'perfect ex.'

Weissdorn - Welcome back to Celeste! The voice from Germany returns with an intriguing story. She set up Karin's disquiet over her friend Jessica's relationship with an older man, Mr Lennox. Jessica is acting like the cat who got the cream. Obviously Mr Lennox is something else! Plenty here for a follow up...

Denise - Well I loved my two characters Geffron and Marsilia so much I'm writing a sequel for the Stuck in the Middle prompt.


So great stories/poems one and all. I'm sure you all enjoyed reading them.

Once again, we didn't have a definitive People's Choice Winner - Beverly, Andy and Denise received 2 votes apiece. Congratulations all! Andy and Beverly, you're welcome to take the People's Choice badge and display it on your site.

Our next challenge, no 39, is on June 29 - STUCK IN THE MIDDLE

This prompt is about the others in the romance couple’s lives during the break-up. Inlaws, best friends, siblings and other immediate family – including the kids – the parents.  Anyone who has connected with the couple and is expected to choose sideswhen the relationship ends.  What we want to see is how “the others” feel or is changed by the ending relationship, and what they see as the strengths/weaknesses of the couple.  We want to live the romance through a second party. (This is also not a love triangle.)


And don't forget to share you publishing success/s with us. We're all super excited when a RFWer member gets yet another book/story/poem published.


Join us on Friday June 29 for this great prompt. Whoops! That's the day I fly out to Fiji to stay in Nas Dean's house (for a month and a half!!) while she goes to the US. I'll have to be super organised that week!

Francine, here's to you!