Cruel Summer

Make it Write is a social enterprise and collective of artists aiming to improve opportunities for new writing and fringe performance in Liverpool and the North West. In their latest project, the writers were welcomed and invited to explore the theme of "Cruel Summer" in the writing competition. They were asked to weave their tales using a limited number of words while retaining the essence of character, story, plot, and setting.

The contest offered two categories for their creative endeavors: the Word Misers with a maximum limit of 150 words, and with a slightly more generous limit of 300 words.

The challenge was to paint vivid scenes and evoke emotions with minimal words, exploring the power of spaces, punctuation, and simplicity. The competition's driving force was to uncover new writers and encourage fresh perspectives on writing. Participants was urged to explore the power of word choice and sentence structure while borrowing from poetry to enhance imagery. With word limits in place, the competition aimed to foster creativity in concise storytelling, revealing how too many words can obscure the core message. We spoke to Ted, and he explained that most interestingly, the best writing had frequently been in the 150-word category. The limit seemed to have pushed the writers into a more creative mode.

This and so many writing competitions that MIW organise celebrates the art of impactful writing and provides a platform for upcoming writers to explore their writing. What MIW offer with all there writing competitions are learning experiences.

Sharon explained, “When we notice something missing or not quite right in our writer’s pieces, usually at the drop in sessions, we think of a challenge that should get them thinking about that area of their work.”

The top three entries in each category will be transformed into captivating short films, shared online, and served as valuable tools for the writers and actors to showcase their talents in promotions and showreels.

After careful consideration, they decided to film two outstanding 300-word monologues and four captivating 150-word ones. A round of applause was given to those who didn't make it to the Final Cut; reaching the shortlist had been no small accomplishment with the overwhelming number of entries received.

The winners are as follows:

300 words:

- Waiting For The Light - Flloyd Kennedy

- Summer Without Pause - Linda Lewis

150 words:

- Not Then, Not Now - Joe Lucking

- The Great British Summer - Liz Hardy

- The Zingy Thrill Of Red - Leonisha Barley

- Summer's End - Nadine Jump

We are looking forward to getting an in-depth look and speaking with the writers for our latest plug-in.

Words by, Amy Brennan