The 2015 Little Bird Contest Winner!

The winner of this year's Little Bird Contest is:

"Paradise" by Corrie Adams, from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada

Neil Smith picked her story out of 101 blind entries we received this year. I couldn't wait to read the story when I learned the prompt she used to start it: Write a scene that uses layers and layers of clichés intentionally.

It's a very challenging prompt, and I'm impressed that Corrie took it on. I love what she's done with it. The layers are working in surprising ways: it's smart, and written with skill and heart.

Corrie wins $1000 for her winning story, and it headlines the 5th Birthday Edition of Little Bird Stories. Congratuations, Corrie!      

Neil chose two whopping stories as the runners-up this year. These will knock you out:

Runners-up:

"The Other Rosie" by Susan Carpenter, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Prompt:

Write a scene that starts with the line, "Don't you want to look sophisticated and elegant?"

"Self-Sufficient Women" by Sara Hills, from Kenilworth, Warwickshire, UK

Prompt:

Write a scene about something that falls and breaks.  Congratulations, Susan and Sara! They will both receive $250.  

  All three stories are published in Little Bird Stories, Volume 5. This year's gorgeous goldenrod cover design comes from the one and only Michel Vrana, who brilliantly incorporated the roman numeral V to illustrate our fifth edition — can you see it?

Become a Little Bird Subscriber now to read this year's three winning stories, plus a couple of surprises — three other story entries were so good, Neil listed them in his introduction as honourable mentions, and so we've included them as well. Subscribers will also receive the previous Little Bird Stories (Volumes I to IV). As always, $5 from every subscription goes to the Pelee Island Bird Observatory, to help protect the real little birds out there.

AND, because it's our 5th birthday, all Little Bird subscribers will get a very special surprise in their inbox along with the new issue. We've been working on these party favours with Michel Vrana — ooh, just wait.    

Get your copy of Little Bird Stories Volume 5 Now!

Neil Smith, thank you for being such a delightful judge and reader. And to everyone who submitted a story — CONGRATULATIONS.

The calibre of our Little Bird writers is surprisingly high: that makes it difficult to choose a winner. I know a lot of submissions came from writers who haven't submitted anywhere else, and this floors me.

Writers, thank you. You did it.

But the birthday party isn't over yet!

Every writer who submitted a story to the contest has been entered in a draw to win a full scholarship to The Story Intensive this September. I'll be announcing the scholarship winner next week.

Thank you for writing and reading short stories with me. Enjoy Volume 5!

Till soon,