is Rachel Ball, author of “Woman In a Drawer.”
First Place:
“Woman In a Drawer” by Rachel Ball, from Seattle, Washington, United States
Rebecca Lee picked her amazing story out of the 111 entries we received this year. I was surprised and delighted when I heard the news, in part because of a magic little coincidence: Rachel also happens to be in the spotlight this month! The contest is judged blindly, and Rebecca Lee obviously didn’t know my spotlight schedule. This is just one of those divine winks.
Rachel wins $1000 for her winning story, and it headlines the Little Bird Stories anthology this year.
Congratulations, Rachel!
- The prompt that started her story:
Write a scene in which a character teaches someone how to do something.
And three cheers for our runners up:
Runners-up:
“East One” by Jill Talbot
Prompt: Describe what it feels like to hold your breath for too long. Don’t use clichés — describe it like you’ve never heard before.
“Right, Right, Right” by Liz Windhorst Harmer
Prompt: Write about a character who has trouble distinguishing his/her left from the right.
These three reverberating stories are published in this year’s Little Bird Stories (Volume IV). Become a Little Bird Subscriber now – $5 from every subscription goes to the Pelee Island Bird Observatory, to help the real little birds.
To everyone writing with the daily prompts: KEEP GOING!
To everyone who submitted a story to the contest this year: CONGRATULATIONS! And keep your eyes peeled for an email announcing the Intensive Scholarship winner later this week!
Thank you for celebrating short stories with me,
Congratulations, Rachel! Hooray, Jill! Yay, Liz! It’s always exciting to have a great new story to read. Let alone three.
Thank you so much, Sarah and Rebecca! I’m incredibly honored. And congratulations to Jill and Liz – it’s a great pleasure to have my writing alongside yours in the anthology.
Congrats Rachel, Jill and Liz! I am exited to read your work in the anthology. It’s such an encouragement and kudos to your efforts!
Thank you for the above comments, and thanks to Sarah and Rebecca. It came at a good time, I was in the midst of yet another existential meltdown about writing (I have been told that these never go away but, perhaps, one can move on from them more quickly). Actually, come to think of it, I have a bit of a writing existential meltdown every day–perhaps they keep me going. Along with opportunities such as this, of course! Cheers.