Today we're finally announcing the winner of the Let's Write a Short Story contest. We had seventy-five entries to this contest, a new high, and the judges and I had a lot of fun reading through all your wonderful stories.
However, if you want to select a winner, you end up creating a lot of not-winners. I understand what it's like to be a not-winner (which is different from being a loser, I think). Just yesterday I got another rejection from a literary magazine. I've been sticking them to my fridge, which is slowly getting covered by rejection letters. But this is what you have to do to succeed.
Instead of measuring how many times you're published, measure rejections. Instead of trying to get everyone to like your stories, get as much feedback about how to improve as you can. Don't justify how good you are. Try to get better. If you do this for long enough, you won't need anyone to tell you you're a success. You'll be a success all on your own.
Photo by cannedmuffins
The Judges
Before I announce the winner, I want to say thank you to the judges who helped with this contest: Patricia Hunter, Doc O'Conner, Debra Atwood, Dominic Laing, Lisa Burgess, Nancy Vandre, and Danielle Duvick. Judges, as always, you were amazing. Thanks for making this such a fun, stress-less process.
Prizes
The winner of this contest will receive a $50 gift card to Amazon and a copy of the premium edition of Let's Write a Short Story, which is being released later this week. Get excited! It's called Class In Session: How to Launch Your Writing Career with Short Stories. It goes beyond just writing and getting published, and talks about how to take the first steps in starting your writing career.
As a special gift, the runner-up and honorable mentions will also receive Class In Session.
So let's do this….
Honorable Mentions
The first honorable mention goes to Bob Albrecht's story Last Words, a poignant story about an old man, carefully choosing his last words, and how legacy rarely goes according to plan. This was a beautiful story.
The second honorable mention goes to Sam L.'s Starling, a gritty, noir-esque story about a wounded man (literally and figuratively) and his flight away from the scene of his crime. If you like action, noir stories, check this one out.
The final honorable mention goes to Annabelle Orfield's story Coming Home, a hard story about a woman whose husband has just returned from war, and how they cope through their wounds (just figurative wounds this time).
The Runner-Up
The runner-up is Afrika Afeni Russell Mills' story Tennessee, about a young black girl in rural Tennessee in the 1960's. This story is full of action, conflict, and fascinating characters.
Afrika, I don't have your email address, so please email me here so I can send you your prize. 🙂
The Winner
The winner our final Show Off Writing Contest is Marla Cantrell's Miss Maisy County's Public Disgrace. Marla's story is stunning in so many ways. The writing is beautiful and the story… well, I don't want to ruin it for you. You need to read this one yourself.
Congratulations to all the winners, but even more, congratulations to all of you who entered. After today, you're another step closer to success.
Congratulations, Marla! Your story is wonderful. Beautifully written with just the right amount of colloquialism to make it sing. Makes me want to read more of your writing. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much, Tom. I am still feeling a little disbelief!
Marla, absolutely positively the right story. It is brilliant,
your Southern drawl voice coming out most wonderfully. I was so excited to see a Marla winning I had to go check it was Marla4 and I whooped and whooped as if it was me winning.
Well done Marla4
Yea Yea Yea
And well done all the honourables and runners up I have yours read too and they are great.
You are wonderful, Suzie! Thank you so much.
THIS is just one of the reasons I love this website. What a supportive community. I love your jubilee, Suzie!! 😉
thanks Zoe I really love the Lord’s jubilee. To live without debt of any kind, to not have people owe you or you owe them. It is truly wonderful. To give to your utmost until it hurts or there and there abouts. That is jubilee. Freedom (sing it – freedom freedom freedom)
Lovely stories. Good work, everyone!
Way to go Marla. It was a great story and wonderfully written. I love how it was humorous and yet so sad. Congratulations to everyone else to.
Thank you so much.
What a great collection of stories! And, Marla, I have to say I agree with with the judges 100%. Your story is killer: the writing is delicious and original, your characters could walk right off the page they’re so real, and you grab hold of your readers’ hearts and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. Beautifully done.
I love the way you describe my writing! Thank you. I’m floating a little bit today.
Congratulations Marla!!! Yay! and congratulations to all of the runners up and other great writers in this contest.
Marianne,
You are so wonderful! Thank you.
Congratulations Marla! I’ve only been on here a few weeks, but so far your writing is by far and away my favorite to read. Lovely story!
Congratulations to the other prize winners too!
Thank you Kate. Your writing is wonderful.
Yippee YAY, Marla!!!! So flipping happy for you!! Great story – knew your day was coming soon.
Thank you so much, Zoe. You’re wonderful to say that.
Congratulations to everyone! Your victories are well deserved! Get yourselves a drink!
Congratulations! It truly is a vivid story. Great job. Excited to read through the others mentioned as well!
SO many good stories in this round. Congratulations Marla and all the others picked!
I enjoyed your entry as well!
Hey, thanks!
To be honest, I became really nervous when I saw this post pop up on my RSS feed. The chances of me winning were slim, but even then…
Congrats to the winner of all of the contests! Can’t wait to read all of them in one book.
I get nervous when I open emails from lit mags too CZ.
The Let’s Write a Short Story book looks interesting
Sounds like all the entries were all a different but fascinating mixture of topics. Congrats to all who entered, keep up the good work 🙂
Congratulations! The honourable mentions were all just great and Marla you well deserved your win. I would be delighted to pick up an anthology that had those stories in it.
You are truly a gifted writer, Marla. You have a wonderful talent that is only more evident each time you share your stories with us. Congratulations on a well-deserved win. 🙂
Congratulations Marla! Wonderfully written, well crafted, and moving. Your writing shows you’ve found your writer’s “voice”, a lovely and powerful one at that. As others have said, I love the gentle mask of humor that veils the pain beneath. Absolutely deserving of top honors.
Congratulations also to Afrika, Bob and Annabelle. Well done.
I’d also like to extend a very sincere thanks to the judges for acknowledging my piece. I’ve written for many years and it has only been in the last one that I’ve slowly begun sharing my work with others in any way. In fact, this is only the second thing I’ve ever submitted. So to have it acknowledged in a field of so many other strong, well written entries was both shocking and encouraging.
I enjoyed the stories I read, and Marla, sooooo thrilled for you! I’ve always said you’re a winner!
Congratulations to all of you: winners, half-winners, participators. Great stories by great people.
Congratulations to everyone! 🙂 I love reading everyone else’s stories! Such inspiration. I don’t think I would ever dare enter a short story competition. Just decided to start writing my own novel (or at least attempt to!) Feel free to read the Introduction! http://authspot.com/thoughts/introduction-6/ Any help and ideas to make my first drafts better is welcomed! Will be putting them up chapter by chapter so hopefully I’ll get some good criticism to make me a better writer 🙂