“All Luvved Up” Challenge – The Results

At the Writers’ Group on Thursday 2^nd April 2009 we read the submissions for my “All Luvved Up” challenge.  The challenge was to write a cliché-free poem or piece about love and, in order to assist (!), I banned 35 words (and their variations), which included: love, light, warmth, beauty, grace, eyes, smile, hands, hold, sweet, tender, touch, soul, spirit, angel, blessing, need and want.  It also had to be about the love of a close person rather than a pet, rock star hero, etc.
The ten pieces read were all surprisingly different. We had seven poems and three short stories and it was great to find so much original imagery on display, instead of the easy clichés that the subject of love tends to draw out.
Interestingly, my own awards for the top three places were totally different to the group’s separate vote on the night.  The results are below.

My own Awards as the “challenge-setter” went to:

1^st Place – “Meeting you” by Jane Findley - a beautiful poem about the birth of Jane’s granddaughter.  Every reading gave me a warm glow, as if the love it contained literally leapt out of the page.
2^nd Place – “Endlessly Giving, Endlessly Forgiving” by Sheila Bamford – a fascinating short story that, at first glance, seemed to be about the confusing loss of a mother’s love and yearning for love, but came full circle back to the reconnection and realisation of love.
3^rd Place – “First” by Ron Ogilvie – a poem about young love, which conjured up a wonderful sense of lightness, gentleness and innocence.

The Group’s vote on the night went to:

1^st Place – “Ms. M.V.” by Bill Devitt – a poem about the love for a woman that is cleverly told using extensive floral imagery based on the real Victorian meanings of different flowers (e.g. purple carnation = capricious or whimsical).
2^nd Place – “Seashell” by Tricia Peak – a tender poem about a treasured gift from a loved one.
3^rd Place – “Departure” by Stuart Groom – a poem about the sadness for the temporary departure of a partner, returning abroad to spend time with his family, but that celebrates the ongoing sense of connection even while absent.

Newcomer to the group, Susan Bryant, narrowly missed the group’s “top three” with her poem “Togetherness Over Time”, about the changing nature of love in a long-term relationship.

At this time, all winners have opted not to publish their pieces on the website so that they can appear, if selected, as original unpublished works in the Deal Writers’ Group’s 2009 Anthology (published in November).

                                                                                                                                            Back to News