Dear readers,
What, another post I hear you ask? I don’t know what has come over me this week. Once again, this post was not planned! Keep reading and all will be revealed (and the massive favour I’m asking of you!)
This is not something I’ve done before and I do feel really, really awkward about doing it as it involves a little self-promotion. Well, actually, it is more like this:
I recently discovered the lovely Elizabeth’s blog elizabethfrattoroli, only to discover that she runs monthly writing competitions. I noticed that she was running one for September which required writing either a flash fiction story or a poem based on the theme ‘partings’.
By the time I first visited her blog, I was quite close to the cut-off date (24th September) for the competition and I honestly didn’t think that I would be able to get my entry in. In the end I did manage to by writing a flash fiction story called ‘Free’ which, if you would like to, can be read here.
How the competition works is this: Now that all the entries are in and the competition is closed, Elizabeth has asked that everybody casts their votes for their favourite entry, which brings me, at last, to the reason for this post.
I just took a quick peak and guess what, I don’t have any votes yet 😦 Although I did get 3 likes for my story on Elizabeth’s blog, yay 🙂
If you do read my story and decide you like it so much that you want to vote for it, click here and you will be taken to the voting poll. Elizabeth has asked that friends, family and supporters all vote, and also of course you can take a good look at her blog while you are about it! Of course, I do also realise that you might very well like some of the other entries better than mine and vote for them instead, but I’m willing to take that risk – after all, if you don’t ask and all that 😉
This is just a bit of fun and as I said before, I’ve never done anything like this before, and I hope you don’t mind me asking this of you. Thank you all so much for your support, and may the best man/woman win 🙂
Oh, and one more thing, you have until the 30th to vote. The winner gets to choose the theme for October’s competition!
Love Sherri x
A View From My Summerhouse 
I went to the site and read your story. I “liked” it and I voted for it. Hope it helps. It really was a good story, Sherri. Kudos for you for entering the contest. It’s on my goal list, too, but I’ve yet to do it. Good luck. I am looking forward to hearing about the results.
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Wow, that was quick, thanks so much Bev! As I said, never done anything like this before so we shall see. I’m so thrilled that you liked my story and that you voted for me, you’ve just made my day 🙂
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Great story, Sherri! You’ve definitely got my vote.
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Thanks so much Rachel, really appreciate your support and that you liked the story 🙂
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I just read your story and it hits so close to the heart, I recently posted about my “almost” marital breakdown and I couldn’t help my mind from wondering. Voted!
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Aww, bless you Jhanis. They say write about what you know, and so often that involves a great deal of pain. Thanks so much for the vote..big hugs to you 🙂
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have read and voted – for you of course 😀
a very well written story that could have been clichéd, but managed not to be – this story has been written from experience. At the time of my vote you are well ahead btw 🙂
Jude xx
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Jude, you never fail to amaze me with your great insight. Sometimes it is easier to write about painful experiences by turning it into fiction. I’m very glad that you didn’t find it clichéd. Thanks so much for voting, and yes, I see that now, woo hoo 🙂 xx
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I voted for you because you had the courage to self promote yourself 🙂
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Ha Ha! Thanks Bob, I really appreciate that! So my first bash at a little self-promotion didn’t go down too badly then 😉
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Na,I like it and actually applaud it !!
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😉
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Done and done, my dear!
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Thanks so much Susan, you’re a star 🙂
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Hi Sherri- my vote is in. It looks like now you are in the lead. Keep up the good work with your writing and your blog.
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Many thanks Tieshka, that’s very kind of you. Let’s see what happens 🙂
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Reading and voting now.
Good idea you had, asking for help! I might sign you up as my p.r. agent. (and I’ll give you a free tour of Warwick and Newport when you get here!) 😉
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Ha ha! Happy to be your PR agent…and that’s a deal!! Thanks so much Tracy 🙂
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You have my vote!!
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Thank you so much… 🙂 xo
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It’s really nice to be able to do something for such a loving, talented person.
I liked the way your piece captured that initial feeling of when what you know hasn’t been working suddenly becomes concrete.
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Denise, you are such a kind person, what a lovely thing to say, I’m not so sure I’m deserving though! Thank you so much for your vote and also for sharing what you gleaned from my story. Write about what you know, right? 😉
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‘Free’ – read it, loved it, and voted for it. Your writing is so descriptive Sherri… it’s wonderful!
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Theresa, that is a most wonderful compliment (that’s what I want more than anything, that you read it and voted because of how you felt about it) and I thank you so very much, this means a great deal to me 🙂
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Loved this Sherri! I have shared it on to my Facebook page (which also you can share your blog posts at anytime too!) I am so glad you entered and never underestimate your talents in writing! If you don’t try you may never know if you’ll ever succeed! What’s the harm in trying? 😉
Lots of love xxx
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Thanks so much Maria, that is very kind of you. You are so right, sometimes you’ve just got to go for it, as you well know! I really do appreciate your support very much. Coming over to you to see how things are going with you 🙂 xx
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Hi Sherri
I definitely will give you my vote for this very well written emotive subject. You did a great job. But as I am not a blogger I am not sure how to actually vote. can you help please. I applaud you for asking for support. I really hope you win the competition.
Lots of love XXXX
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See now that you managed to get to grips with the voting 🙂 Thank you so much for your support, and more so, I’m glad that you liked my story, that means a lot 🙂 xxx
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Sherri – my vote is in – and I see you are on top of the leader board – well done. I liked your story – it was honest, tragic but lightly done – just enough for a flash fiction.
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Jenny, I really appreciate your feedback so very much (and of course your vote, many thanks 🙂 ) Phew, I’m so glad that you liked my story!! I’m not at all experienced in these matters but having only written a couple of flash fiction stories now (my short story for Prima would be counted as flash fiction since it was only 300 words!) I do really enjoy it and want to write more! Reading your work, I know that I can learn a lot from you 🙂 Have a great weekend.
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Very compelling story, Sherri. I just voted. Looks like you’re in the lead with 64.71%? Wishing you the best of luck, my friend. 🙂
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Aww, thanks so much Pat for your very kind wishes and for voting, I really appreciate it! Today is the last day for voting, so as soon as I know the outcome I will put up a post!
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You’re welcome and sounds like congratulations are in order, Sherri. So happy for you. 🙂
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Bless you Pat, your support means everything.
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It was a pleasure voting for your story. Nice job! And I know how you feel about self-promotion, it ain’t fun but necessary.
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Ha ha! Yes, I’m just learning that now!!! Thanks so much TBM for voting, more so, really glad you liked my story. I’ll put a post out as soon as I know the results 🙂
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Flash fiction is difficult to write, Sherri. You did an excellent job…you’ve got my vote!
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Hello Jill, thank you so much for visiting my blog and for your lovely encouragement of my attempt at flash fiction. I really appreciate your support and also your vote! I will do a post as soon as I know the results! I will also come over to visit your blog 🙂
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Hi Sherri- love your writing! “Free” got a vote from me- I was happy to cast my vote!
Looks like you’re doing well on there- congrats and best of luck!
-Andrew
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Hi Andrew! Thanks so much for reading ‘Free’ and for voting, I really do appreciate you doing that and even more so that you enjoyed reading it! Also, for your really kind good wishes, that means a lot. Waiting to hear the final tally, will let you know asap 🙂
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Hi Sherri, I’ve just read through all the comments above and it’s great to see that you have such good support here. You may have already seen my post, but I just wanted to confirm that you have indeed come out on top for September’s mini writing competition with a whopping 56.5% of the votes, so well done! 🙂
Could I ask you to now set the next writing prompt for October’s competition? It can be in any form, whether it is a subject, a first or last line, a specific phrase etc. and one that will fit both flash fiction and/or poetry. Please either email it to me directly or reply via my blog and I will forward it on to all those who want to take part.
Thanks and congratulations 🙂
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Hi Elizabeth, many thanks for letting me know this great news, wow, I’m thrilled and I know it wouldn’t have happened without the wonderful support of my readers here. I will definitely be putting up a post tomorrow to thank them all!
I wil have a good think about a theme for October’s competition and will get back to you with it tomorrow if that’s ok.
I would like to thank you so very much for giving me this opportunity to enter your competition and for opening up your blog for bloggers like me who are new to writing in this way. It has been a wonderful experience, I have been very touched by the support and comments here and also by the support on your blog too. I really do appreciate it very much 🙂
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Hi Sherri, tomorrow will be fine and thank you for your kind words. I know how much I personally gain from sharing my own writing and hearing others’ work at my twice monthly writing class and my aim was simply to try to replicate that forum in blog form so that writers could share work and encourage each other. I’m therefore very glad that you have found it a worthwhile experience and I am grateful to all who take part. 🙂
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A very encouraging and worthwhile experience indeed, I am so very glad that I entered as I was really nervous about doing so! I was also very nervous about asking my readers to vote for me as I only wanted people to vote if they truly liked my story, so I took the risk and it paid off! This has given me more confidence for my writing future and I can’t thank you enough! Have a lovely evening and I’ll be in touch tomorrow 🙂
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Brilliant, thanks Sherri.
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Congratulations on the win, Sherri! Well deserved!
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Thanks so much Jill, really appreciate it 🙂
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