Another Super Challenge is in the bag…
And I’m sorry to see it end. But kind of excited to be back in the Coffeehouse, and looking forward to our fall lineup with the next (fiction!) Super Challenge and another exciting surprise or two. Speaking of surprises, everyone should have their feedback by now so let us know if you don’t. Winners, you’ll also get an email confirming your details so that we can send your prizes to you.
I always feel like a bit of a fraud when I say “this was a close field,” because it’s definitely something that people say just to make you feel better, and nobody’s better at shrugging compliments than a writer. But I will tell you that in all honesty one of our judges pointed out that most of this round’s essays were likely to be publishable with one round of edits; a couple might want two rounds. So that’s literally the difference between our winners and the bottom of the field: two rounds of edits. Does that feel more like an honest compliment to you? It should.
Once again, anything that went right is entirely due to our admin team’s untiring work behind the scenes, and anything you hate is probably my fault.
Yes, yes, I’m great, but am I rich yet?
Shortlisted writers, thank you for sticking with us – and with yourselves – through another Super Challenge. So obviously now it’s time to announce who’s about to make a living as a writer (snort, giggle, guffaw). Seriously, though, thank you. It was a pleasure to read you, and we hope you’ll stick with these essays, touch them up, and find a home for them where more than just our judges can enjoy them. Good luck to you, and let us know in the coffeehouse if you do publish your work- we love seeing your words take on a life past the 48 hours of the competition.
But who gets our prize? Let’s check it out:
First Place
$225
Heidi Lobecker
What I Used To Be Like
Second Place
$175
Marcy Dilworth
The Less Said, The Better
Third Place
$125
Kavitha Gnanasekhar
Memory
Honorable Mention:
Danielle Dayney – Torn
Michelle Hanley – New Eyes
Runners-up:
(in alphabetical order)
Donna-Louise Bishop
Breanne Boyle
Jess Burnquist
Cynthia Cook DeRuyter
Tim Covell
Sanch V
Congratulations again to everyone who entered, and especially to all of our shortlist.
Wait, wait, there’s more!
Writers, again, if you don’t have your feedback, please send us an email at superchallenge@yeahwrite.me, ’cause that email should have reached you on Wednesday.
Now that the competition is over, you’re free to post your work anywhere on the Internet you like, or take our judges’ suggestions and rework your submission to send on to other venues. We’ve also made this special grid for you to link your work to if you like. If you do, we’d love it if you added the badge from the Super Challenge page!
About the author:
Rowan submitted exactly one piece of microfiction to YeahWrite before being consumed by the editorial darkside. She spent some time working hard as our Submissions Editor before becoming YeahWrite’s Managing Editor in 2016. She was a BlogHer Voice of the Year in 2017 for her work on intersectional feminism, but she suggests you find and follow WOC instead. In real life she’s been at various times an attorney, aerialist, professional knitter, artist, graphic designer (yes, they’re different things), editor, secretary, tailor, and martial artist. It bothers her vaguely that the preceding list isn’t alphabetized, but the Oxford comma makes up for it. She lives in Portlandia with a menagerie which includes at least one other human. She tells lies at textwall and uncomfortable truths at CrossKnit.
