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Congratulations to the Winners of our Novel Beginnings 1st Chapter
Contest 2008!
Judges Comments:
Strange the way things work
sometimes. As part of the announcement to this contest, I had written a blurb about writing the Great American Novel--to which
some of you from across the wide waters wrote and asked if my description excluded novels from other countries. While the
term is such a part of the American culture, I had certainly not intended to discourage writers of English who reside in other
countries. Thankfully, someone brought this to my attention, so I amended my blurb to be more welcoming. And
am I ever glad I did! We had some wonderful submissions from foreign countries--more than I have received from any of
the other contests. As you can see by the results, not only are the first and third place winners from overseas, we have
two other top ten winners who entered from outside the United States--which goes to show we have many Great (fill
in the blank) Novels.
As to those who didn't place, this was not an easy contest to judge. I
met many interesting characters and encountered fascinating settings and exciting plots. Many times I found
a beautiful turn of phrase or lovely description. I would also like to mention that judging is subjective. What fascinates
one judge might not interest another nearly as much. Most of all, I wish all the entrants the best in their novel
writing endeavors.
Keep plugging away at that novel!
Amy
We had 41 entries in our first ever Novel Beginnings 1st Chapter Contest!
1st
place - ON THE HOLLOWAY ROAD by Andrew Blackman of London, ENGLAND
2nd place - WASHED ASHORE by Gary Syck of Kirkland,
WA
3rd place - ORDINARY LIVES by Jane Seaford of Christchurch, NEW ZEALAND
4th place - REUBEN AND RACHEL by
Jerrel Swingle of O'Fallon, MO
5th place - MY FATHER'S COAT by James Vescovi of New York, NY
6th place -
THE COFFEE DIARY I by Caroline Kellems of Guatemala City, GUATEMALA
7th place - SHAPING HEROES by E Dee Monnen of
Easton, MD
8th place - HILDALAND--THE VANISHING ISLE by Adrian Lees of West Midlands, ENGLAND
9th place - WHITE
CHALK ROAD by Rodney Walther of Sugar Land, TX
10th place - MCANGEL by Jim Pahz of Mount Pleasant, MI
Notable Entries
(In
no particular order)
ARRIVAL by Brett McCoy of St. Charles, MO
EBBY'S RACE by M. Carolyn Steele of Tulsa,
OK
DESPERATE CHANCE by MaryAnn Kohenskey of Maryland Heights, MO
LUCIFER'S TRUMPET by John Williams of Pahoa,
HI
MELODY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE by E Dee Monnen of Easton, MD
WINNIE'S BIRD by Mary T. Windhorst of Summit, NJ
Thanks to all who entered! Prize money and critiques mailed or emailed during the month of June.
Congratulations to the Winners
of our Dead of Winter Nonfiction Contest 2008!
A few words about the judging. .
. I have long lost track of how many contests I have judged over the years, but in all of my judging, this particular contest,
this particular year, has been the hardest--ever! The one thing I found most remarkable is that none of the entries landed
in the "no" pile. This is a first in my judging experience. And while some of you may equate not making the list
as a rejection, what I want every writer who entered this contest to know is that every entry had merit. All could find homes
in a publication--though, admittedly, some pieces require more revision than others. The freelance writer in me was excited
while reading your entries, thinking of possible markets for the stories, essays, articles, and prose. More about that when
you receive your critiques during the month of March.
Keep writing--please! Do this for yourself, but not only
for you. Write for those who have yet to hear your unique voice in this world.
Amy
We had 46
entries in our first nonfiction contest!
1st place - "And the Road Goes on Forever" by Gerald O. Ryan of Roselle, IL
2nd place - "Genesis" by Michael Falcone of Seattle, WA
3rd place - "A Patch of Sky"
by M. Carolyn Steele of Tulsa, OK
4th place - "A Memory of My Grandmother's Garden" by M.T. Windhorst
of Summit, NJ
5th place - "The Gift" by Nancy Andres of Lucas, OH
6th place - "Generation Gap"
by BJ Bateman of Damascus, OR
7th place - "The Cat and Toad Exercise Plan" by Linda Fisher of Sedalia, MO
8th place - "Power Struggles Over Tiny People" by Cheryl Morgen of Bend, OR
9th place - "Winter Work"
by Linda A. White of Wainwright, AB CANADA
10th place - "Appreciating Springtime" by Roger Poppen of Cobden,
IL
11th place - "One Afternoon" by Cheryl Caruolo of Whitman, MA
12th place - "Dilemma"
by Cynthia Lelos of Riva del Garda, ITALY
13th place - "Glamour Returns To New Jersey's Ritz Theatre" by
M.T. Windhorst of Summit, NJ
14th place - "Getting Started" by Solveig Engh of West Fargo, ND
15th place
- "The Era of The Iron Maiden" by Sandy Jordan of Neosho, MO
Notable
Entries
(In no particular order)
"The Bub With Three Lives" by SheLa E. Morrison
of Gabriola Island, BC CANADA
"Ticket to Ride" by Audrey RL Wyatt of Mansfield, MA
"Wedding in Luxor"
by Judy Evans of Boyanup, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
"Catch and Release (A True Story)" by Charles Toll of Pasadena,
MD
"Hidden Value" by Jim Barton of Huttig, AR
"Get a Deadline and Get More Writing Done" by
Marcia Peterson of Benicia, CA
"Partners" by B. Lynn Goodwin of Danville, CA
"Ack! Turkeys on the
Roof!" by Ange Crawford of Corvallis, OR
"My Dream Breakfast" by Jeanette Hollman of Hazelwood, MO
"Death in the Afternoon" by Paulle Clark of El Prado, NM
"A Hair's Breadth Removed" by Tabatha
Hibbs of Tahlequah, OK
Thanks to all who entered! Checks to top three winners and free critiques will be mailed
or emailed in the month of March.
Congratulations
to the winners of our Burning the Midnight Oil Contest 2007!
We had 81 entries in our first poetry contest!
2nd place - "I Love You" by John Lavan of Huddersfield, W. York UK3rd place - "Why Grandma Bought That Car"
by Anne R. Allen of Los Osos, CA
4th
place - "plane" by Michelle Lau of Marlton, NJ5th place - "Crow's Feet" by Jim Barton of Huttig, AR6th place - "Fishing on Faulkner
Lake" by Sara Gipson of North Little Rock, AR7th place - "Nightwatchman" by Michael Colonnese of Fayetteville, NC8th place - "Spider" by
John Lavan of Huddersfield, W. Yorks UK9th place - "Lifers" by Faye Adams of De Soto, MO 10th place - "The Dance" by Karen Buley
of Missoula, MT
11th place - "Dirty Laundry"
by Terri Perez of Union Bridge, MD12th place - "The Gift" by Ute Carson of Galveston, TX13th place - "Johnny Apple Seed" by Sallie McCormick Adams
of St. Charles, MO14th place - "Blue and Gray" by Noble Collins of Payson, AZ15th place - "Porch Swing" by Jim Barton of Huttig,
AR
Notable Entries(In no particular order)
"Ice Cream and Yesterdays" by Sandy Jordan
of Neosho, MO"WLS
Thoughts (Weight Loss Surgery)" by Mary L. McCulley of Oneida, NY"Maui" by Marjory Stone of Kula, HI"Jones Beach" by Diana
M. Raab of Santa Barbara, CA "My Love Flies Free" by Anna E. Eubank of Brownsville, KY"Bandanas" by Sallie McCormick Adams of St. Charles,
MO"Mis-Communication"
by Sylvia Forbes of Fayette, MO"Left Ellis Island Flowerless" by Phyllis D. Green of Chapel Hill, NC"HONEYMOON PICTURES" by Gerald O. Ryan
of Roselle, IL "A
Cloud Could Come" by Edward Boccia of Webster Groves, MO"Cold Contentment" by Kimberlee Edgecomb of Nornell, NY"And Whales Sang Songs"
by Lilah Contine of St. Charles, MO"Self Image" by John Lavan of Huddersfield, W. Yorks UK"Hope" by Phyllis D. Green of Chapel
Hill, NC"Brioche"
by Dimetra Makris of Amherst, MA
**Prizes
and critiques will be mailed out in December.
Thank
you for entering our contest!
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Congratulations
to the winners of our Amazing Story Fiction Contest 2007!
We had 40 entries in our first short story contest.
2nd place - "The Survivor 1837" by M. Carolyn Steele of Tulsa, OK3rd place - "The Deep Doorway"
by Cynthia Lelos, residing in Italy
4th place - "Eleven by Eleven" by Magdalin M. Szabo of Chesterfield, MO5th place - "The Force of Tradition"
by Steven M. Moore of Concord, MA6th place - "The Nobody Fathers" by Josh Peterson of Los Angeles, CA7th place - "The Curse of Kitsch" by
Jerrel Swingle of O'Fallon, MO8th place - "Sprayed: A Love Story" by Elizabeth Ledford of Franklin, TN9th place - "The Creature At Marble Marsh"
by Philip Loyd of Houston, TX10th place - "Unbelievable" by Brandon Sewell of Huber Heights, OH
Notable Entries(In no particular order)
"Karma" by Mary T. Windhorst of Summit,
NJ"The
Quiet Room" by Magdalin M. Szabo of Chesterfield, MO"Ringing of a Bell" by C.S. Larsen of Rochester, MN"Goober" by Bernice O'Connor
of Rochester, NY"Noises"
by Corey Melin of Puyallup, WA"Sad sex in Vegas, bad drugs in Vermont" by Mary Horner of St. Peters, MO"Lilac" by Justin Gold of Chatsworth,
CA"Pawns"
by James R. Tate (address withheld)"Southern Girl" by Philip Loyd of Houston, TX"The Face On Mars" by Margaret K. Gates of
Ava, MO
Prizes will be mailed out after
Labor Day. Critiques will be mailed or emailed after Labor Day.
Thank you for entering our contest!
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