Unraveling
As we mentioned in our guide to genre prompts a while back (cue the “it’s been 84 years” meme) there are some genres that are checklists of things to be included, and some that ask you to change your style or narrative voice. Both kinds, however, ask you to stretch yourself in ways that might be new or uncomfortable, and push you as a writer. We hope that this round pushed you toward a story you love, and that you’re looking at your feedback and starting to think about polishing your story up for publication even if you didn’t get that sweet cash money this time. If nothing else, you stretched your brain and have another tool in your storytelling toolbox now. We hope you’ve also had fun, because that’s the other part of why we’re here. AS ALWAYS, anything that went right is entirely due to our admin team’s untiring work behind the scenes, and anything you hate (yes, including the prompt) is probably my fault. Unless it’s your feedback, because hating feedback for a month or two and then sighing and working with it is every writer’s prerogative and destiny. If you’re not in our anthology this year, we encourage you to come back to your story in that month or two and start looking for a home for it. Also as always, your judges had more to say to you than room to say it in, so make sure you hop over to our Discord and see if you can get more eyes on your work!
But speaking of sweet cash money….
I’ll quit chattering. I know why you’re here. We keep saying “cash money” and it’s time to let you know who won it! So with no further ado, here we go:
First Place
$200
MM Schreier
To Catch the Wind
Second Place
$150
Alyssa Beatty
Don’t Show Him Your Teeth
Third Place
$100
Jennifer Gunner
The Moro Reflex
Honorable Mention:
- Alyson Tait – The Balance of Life at Melody’s Reach
- Charlie Rogers – Makeshift Man
Runners-up:
(in alphabetical order)
- S. Barb
- Katelynn Camp
- Sam James
- Susan Lamphier
- David Price
- Aeiris Sweven
- Jessica Wilcox
Congratulations again to everyone who entered. Hopefully you’re finding your feedback useful and relevant! If you’re mad at your feedback right now, try walking away from it. Everything about your story is fresh and feels personal, and that’s a hard time to hear feedback. Set a reminder and look at it again in a month or so, or get a trusted reader to help you make the connections or see if it’s fair, even if you don’t like it or disagree with a decision or suggestion. In the meantime…
Wait, wait, there’s more!
Writers, 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.
Remember that the top three stories will be offered publication in our anthology, so don’t go posting those publicly just ye! Otherwise, you’re free to share your work anywhere on the Internet you like, or take our judges’ suggestions and rework your submission to send on to other venues.
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.
