The December 2016 TCWG Creative Writing Competition: Where to find the stories and how to vote.

All tcwg site members (and any other interested parties) are invited to read and enjoy the stories entered in the December  2016 TCWG creative writing competition.

If, having read all the stories, you would like to register your vote for the winner and placings, then please follow the voting instructions set out below. This is not obligatory, but if you choose to join in, your participation will be very much appreciated.
JUST FOLLOW THE LINKS TO ALL THE STORIES (which are listed below), AND YOU WILL FIND EACH STORY IN TURN.

The deadline for entries into the December 2016 Creative Writing Competition passed at Midnight on the 3oth. December 2016.

The topic for December was set by the winner of the October 2016 competition ‘Expatangie’ who chose  for the topic ‘the effect that the commencement of World War One would have had on families around Christmas in the year 1914’.

Angie wrote as follows … ‘Men had gone off to war leaving their families to fend for themselves … what effect was that having and what difficulties were having to be faced. Some men may not have  volunteered and left for the war. Had that led to accusations of cowardice or favouritism within communities. Let your imagination wander as to how families were coping, and the worries and traumas that had resulted  from the mass exodus of breadwinners across the land. Women had to become the breadwinners and go out to work. This alone would provide a thousand possible scenarios for a story of the times. There were new found freedoms and independence for women, no more simply the home-maker but also head of the household and sole provider. Yet all set against a backdrop of  worry and uncertainty for the future. A challenging subject, but one that I feel sure will fire the imagination.’

 

Our members have entered a total of 10 stories, and thanks are due to them for their efforts. This is the first time that we have reached double figures for some months and augers well for the competition going into the new year. Thanks in advance are also offered to all those group members who I hope will now support the competition by reading the stories and registering their vote in the form of a comment below on this post.

VOTING PROCEDURE.

As in previous months, when voting it will help if voters will make sure to quote the name of the story when posting their vote.

Voting can now commence and will continue until 11 p.m. on Monday the 9th. of January 2017.
There are no restrictions as to who is allowed to vote, all that is asked is that the voter reads all the stories and votes according to their preference. A brief reason for the choice is welcome but not mandatory.
Voters are requested to vote 5 points for first place, 3 points for second, and 1 point for third place. Votes should be registered in the form of comments in the reply box below.
Please do not submit any other point combinations such as 3/3/3, 4/4/1, 5/2/2, etc.
Writers are requested not to vote for any of their own entries, and voters are asked not to comment at length about the stories or record any thoughts that you may have on them, until after voting closes.

There will be no detailed summaries posted as to how the voting is progressing throughout the voting period but as soon as possible after voting closes a tabulated list of results will be posted separately and the winner declared. If then you wish to describe in detail the reasons for your choices, or comment at length about some or all of the individual stories, a separate page will be set up at the end of the voting period and after the result has been posted.

List of entries received, with links. (If I have inadvertently missed an entry or entries, please advise.)

Keep the Home Fires Burning. Written by colmore.

https://colmore1954.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/keep-the-home-fires-burning/

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John Thomson’s Christmas. Written by DantheMann.

https://tcwgshortstories.wordpress.com/2016/12/20/dec-entry-john-thomsons-christmas/

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Some Apprehension. Written by Capucin.

https://davidgoodwin935.wordpress.com/2016/12/23/some-apprehension/

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The Journal. Written by Peter Barnett.

https://aasof.com/2016/12/22/the-journal/

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A Tale of Forgiveness. Written by colmore.

https://tcwgshortstories.wordpress.com/2016/12/24/a-tale-of-forgiveness/

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Dearest Aileen Darling Johnny. Written by Lostinwords.

https://lostinwords2.wordpress.com/2016/12/27/december-2016-competition/

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Men who Look After Women. Written by Expatangie.

http://angiefiction.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/men-that-look-after-women.html

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Christmas Eve. Written by Araminta.

https://detectivemouse.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/christmas-eve/

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Home for Christmas. Written by Americanmum.

https://americanmumsite.wordpress.com/2016/12/30/december-2016/

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The Village Pals. Written by Atiller.  

https://atiller16.wordpress.com/the-village-pals/

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Pleasant reading into the New Year, and may I take this opportunity to thank you all for the ready support that you have given me throughout 2016.

A Happy New Year to all, and a personal wish that we will be seeing more ‘old faces’ (in the nicest of meaning of the phrase), return as regulars in 2017. Plus ,of course, the hope that we can attract some new faces as well.

Make 2017 a year to remember! Bleda’s Bar will be open for an hour tomorrow morning when  Prairie Oysters will be available free on demand. For those still fit enough to tackle the demon drink there will be also be a celebration punch (mostly fortified Sangria lurking beneath a carpet of oysters and other edible molluscs, either cooked or still swimming).