Judge's Comments:

Wow—68 entries total this year! We editors had lots and lots of reading to do. So what set the winning entries apart? Compelling characters, good writing, vivid scenes, dialogue that rings true. What held some chapters back? Too much expository writing and backstory. Undeveloped scenes. Telling rather than showing. A first chapter needs to do several things: introduce the characters, (meeting them through an opening scene is the best way, rather than telling us their life history), set up the conflict, and grab the reader’s attention.

Congratulations to those who placed in the contest. To those who didn’t, know that each entry was read, and we encountered something good or noteworthy in each chapter. Your job is to save the good, discard what isn’t working, revise, and try again!

Keep at it!

Amy   

1^st place - GOOD GRAVITY by Brian Lott of Tampa, FL

2^nd place - CROSSING IN TIME by Debra Orton of Colorado Springs, CO

3^rd place - SWEET BENNY AND THE SANCHEZ PENITENTIARY BAND: The Confession of James Creedence by BH Shepherd of Dallas, TX

4^th place - JACK OF HEARTS by Ricardo Bare of Cedar Park, TX

5^th place - DEFIANCE by P.J. O'Dwyer of Lisbon, MD

6^th place - DISSOLVING DOCTOR PLANT by Anna M. Lascurain

7^th place - ANDREW COMES HOME by Philip L. Levin of Long Beach, MS

8^th place - THE VANISHING ISLE by Adrian Lees of Wolverhampton, UNITED KINGDOM

9^th place - THE LAST RAM by Steve Linstrom of Marshall, MN

10^th place - THE PRINCE OF HOMICIDE by Roi J Tamkin of Atlanta, GA

Notable Entries

(In no particular order)

LAKEESHA JAMES by John M. Hutchinson of Lincoln, IL

WHAT ABOUT DAISY? by Beverly Lauderdale of Martinez, CA

FOUNDING AGAIN by Mitch Emoff of Brentwood, TN

TRAVELERS by Eric Sandler of Cameron Park, CA

CROW FEATHER by Allen Russell of Hartford, KY

Congratulations winners of our Dead of Winter Nonfiction Contest 2010!

Judges Comments:

We received 27 entries for our nonfiction contest, with a wide variety of subjects, including boxing, the planet Pluto, immigration, a SWAT team standoff, retirement, business deals, men grocery shopping, Valentine's Day, and the list goes on and on. Let me say, I certainly was not bored!  While nonfiction is sometimes not as popular as other genres, I am particularly fond of this contest. Bits of life, raw honesty, and great writing-that's a great combination!

As always, keep writing.

Amy

1st place - "The Saxophone" by George Thomas of Sarasota, FL
2nd place - "Driving in Ireland" by Gerald Ryan of Elgin, IL
3rd place - "Larry, Come Out ... Please" by Gail Collins of Houston, TX
4th place - "Daddy's Little Southpaw" by Maxine Flowers of San Francisco, CA
5th place - "Sweat Pea" by Susan Coppola of Miami, FL
6th place - "The Beauty of Little" by Tabitha Bird of Brisbane, AUSTRALIA
7th place - "Love Neverlasting" by Christine Gwidt of Boyne City, MI
8th place - "Wayne Has Left the Building" by Wayne Scheer of Atlanta, GA
9th place - "Heavenly Hooey" by Jim Barton of Huttig, AR
10th place - "Machetes in Costa Rica" by Mary Kay McAllister of Juno Beach, FL

Notable Entries
(In no particular order)

"Oysters and Disappointments" by Patricia Daharsh of Pinellas Park, FL
"The Dead of Winter" by Alice Kolb of Fredericksburg, TX
"Aliens in the Supermarket" by Mary Kay McAllister of Juno Beach, FL
"A Diamond in the Rough" by Valerie Erickson Husemann of Snoqualmie, WA
"Yo Quiero Taco Bell" by Marc "Wiggy" Kovacs of Bethlehem, PA


Thanks to all who entered! Prize money mailed in March and critiques by the end of April.