The writing contest is now closed for entries. We’re amazed to have had 62 authors submit 120 stories, with a total of over 490 thousand words. Even more impressive is that eight of the authors posted their first story to BC. Several more posted their first stories in years.
We will announce the awards on or around the 26th of this month, at which point you’ll find out which stories had the highest combined scores from Jill and me. But of course, while we have been diligent in applying our own criteria, this will still represent just two people’s views. There were so many fantastic stories, and other judges would almost certainly make different selections. Therefore . . . .
Now is your opportunity to express your opinion and possibly win $50. In a comment to this blog, please list your top three stories – and why you think they should win contest awards. It won’t affect Jill’s score or mine, but it’s a chance for you to show your appreciation for the stories you liked the best.
Each person who posts a qualified comment to this blog will be entered into a drawing to win $50. What’s “qualified,” you ask? Here are the requirements:
• No negative comments are allowed.
• Each person may post their choices once.
• If you list more than three stories, you will be disqualified for the $50 drawing.
• Entries must be submitted by February 22, 2024.
For your reference, the list that follows includes links to all the contest stories, as well as links to each author’s page so you can easily find more stories by your favorites!
Judge now . . . or forever hold your peace!
~o~O~o~
Qualified Contest Stories
New Years’ Revolutions
Convergence
Resolution Revelations
The Promise
Be True to Myself
0300Z Defense HQ New Year Resolution
Contest Resolution
A New Year’s Transformation
Charlie
Zuleika
No More Girls
New Year Resolutions, Broken and Kept
False Alarm
Fine Tuning
First Flight
Gooseberry
Icebreaker
Out With the Old
Prodigal Son
Reading the Room
Vanishing Point
Working Break
Image Resolution
Fifty and Out
Trust Machines - New Year's Revolution
Night Shift
Resolution Evaluation
It's Okay
Ghost Town
Last Wish
Blue Silk
It All Started With my Family
Hereby Highly
Highs and Lows
Turnaround
ALIVE Queer Cafe
A Real Man
Allison’s Androphobia
I Will Confess!
Lovey Dovey Assassins
The Three P’s
The Worst Day
A Life for My Child
Nathan, Maybe. Who Knows?
Crossroads
EnTWINed
Beauty and the Beast
Love Never Dies
Abbie’s Big Sister
Resolution Revolution
Sofia & Lacey’s for a New Universe
Annie’s Story
A New Year’s Reconciliation
Finding Joy
How I Decided It Was Time to Come Out to the World
An Imp Has Her Fun
Living Your Life
Go Big or Go Homeless
Bookends
My Promise to You
Second Star to the Right
That Damned Rodent
The Old Man
Through the Looking Glass Darkly
Yes Ma’am
Your Promise to Me
Marriage Counseling
Who Am I?
Labrys’s Egg: An Electrical Fairy Tale Under Ground
View From a Bridge
At the Midnight Hour
Catching Up
Late Christmas
Like It’s Your Last
One Last Hail Mary
Snowed In
Still Time
The Long Route Home
To the Bridge
Treehouse
Trust Your Gut?
High Resolution
Displaced for New Years
Do Constructs Dream of Electric Sheep?
Girl Park New Years
Once Upon a New Year
Happenstance
Marking Your Card
Due for a Change: A New Year’s Resolution Short Story
That Urge to Purge
How a Resolution Saved a Life
Great Aunt Frances
Countdown to Confidence
Can You Believe We Did That?
Intentions Path
Means to an End
New Years Trans
Someone I Can Believe In
With Every Heartbeat
A Change of Plans
A Favor for a Friend
The Simple Life
Cookie’s Resolve
What Is Truth?
Just Another Midnight at the Chapel
Perpendicular Time
Boys’ Night Out
Kissing Cousins
The Boat That Frocked
A New Year’s Promise
Why is the Robotic Weasel on Fire?
Hogmanay
My Hero
Scrummy New Year
A Resolution—Of Sorts
Cosmic Loophole
The Perfect Makeover
The Gray Knight
Finding My Muse
New Year, New Perspective
~o~O~o~
Contest-Inspired, But Not Qualified
Bro Faks
Is There a “T” in Team?
Silencing the Storm
For Us, the Living
Resolving Reese
Brian’s New Year’s Resolution
At the Kajabbi Pub
A New Year for Mischief
‘Til You Make It
Family Ties
Learning the Hard Way
False Start
Comments
My Choices to be the best ever BCTS stories (and win a prize)
My choices are:
Melanie Ezell's A Change of Plans
She moved me with this story like she always does. I wish I could have been the protagonist and gotten a taste of my true self much earlier in life. This brings in the emotions and images and tastes and smells and just creates a world that I want for myself. The conversation is first class with all the way that they talk just like real people. I like that Melanie's protagonists blaze their own path instead of following the same path well-worn in our fiction. It warms my heart that Melanie writes protagonists are not cookie cutter This story has just got to win a prize!
Melanie Brown's Girl Park New Years
Melanie Brown's Girl Park Universe is as brilliant and compelling as the writer herself. What a joy our sneaky and resourceful stealth Girl Park protagonist is to get their new year's resolution. Melanie and Girl Park always leave me wanting more. This story is such a delicious dish of romantic fun. The product placement hard sells were over the top funny. If I were the protagonist, they would get me for every cent in the bank and borrowing all I could borrow. This story has just got to win a prize!
Tiffany B. Quinn's Finding My Muse
Tiffany's Stories have gotten me thinking ever since her 'Something Feels Strange' I love how this story breaks through the fourth wall into Tiffany's fictionalized contest experience (or is it real). This is a fun romp and I love having fun. What writer can't identify with sitting to write with no results and wishing for a muse. Tiffany actually gets her muse and much more. This story has just got to win a prize!
Exploring the impossibilities,
Jo Dora Webster on YouTube
my choices for the contest
Here are my three selections:
Cyclist - Reading the Room: getting a job at a library sounds pretty ordinary, but in Steff's hands it becomes a magical tale of friendship and coming out to the world. Steff's characters feel like real people, and spending time reading the story feels like spending time with friends.
Maeryn Lamonte - The Old Man: imagine a machine that would give you a costume that represented your true self. Such an unique idea, and told so well. I both want to try the machine and am truly scared to find out what I would look like! you add in a touch of romance, and its does what good sci fi should do - tell a story of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.
Marissa Lynn - Snowed In: Being stuck with a group of people where you cant really get away from each other is stressful enough, but more so when hurt feelings exist in the group But what an opportunity to set things right and reconcile! This story may be set in a snow storm, but its warm and cozy, and I am just a sucker for a good reconciliation story. Which this is, in case that wasn't clear.
Just three?
I had fifteen stories marked and could easily have included several more as I only allowed one per author. These are the three survivors in alphabetical order by author of what felt like an arbitrary set of eliminations at times.
CTen---New Years resolutions, broken and Kept...... I said in the comments that this story deserved a wider audience than just this website. I still believe that.
Cyclist-- First Flight .....I had some difficulty choosing which of her stories to put in the final list. I think that this is the best of a bunch of good stories.
Mysterious stranger-- Due for Change ...This story featured an unusual narrator, one I would usually have trouble identifying with. I was impressed by the results.
One note for the administrators The link to Alesea Malcom's story Resolution Revelations doesn't work.
Only three?
Yup! Jill and I have to sweat bullets choosing the three stories that will get prizes. No reason you should get off easy. :)
I’ve fixed the link to Aylesea’s story — thanks for flagging that.
Emma
Thank you for bringing up
Broken and Kept. I never considered that story a serious contest contender but sometimes there's a story that you just have to write.
I sincerly appreciate your interest in the story.
CTen
It Was A Great Story
It Had a devastating impact.
I Agree
It's an exceptional story. Thank you for sharing.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
I Don't Write Fast Enough
I hope that you faster writers had lots of fun. I've read some of the stories but can't tell you which ones.
Gwen
This was tough
I struggled to figure out a way to respond as I wanted a way to evaluate every story but knew it would be impossible for me to read them all. The first thing I did was eliminate the 1st person stories. I know it's not fair but I usually prefer 3rd person and I had to cut somehow. FWIW, 48 of the 120 stories are told in 3rd person.
I read the first page of all 48 3rd person stories, then acted like a Roman Emperor giving each an arbitrary thumbs up or thumbs down. That got me to 23 stories which I read in full and gave each a score. After that, I re-read my top 5 which gave me my top 3. I know this method isn't fair (especially to the 1st person stories) and I'm sure my list would look completely different if I had to do it again. I'm glad I'm not a real judge. This process was brutal.
Here are my top three:
Beauty and the Beast - Jenny North - A fantastical tale of betrayal and redemption with twists and turns along the way. Jenny delivers another gem here.
Love Never Dies - Jenny Walker - A mysterious story that becomes clearer in the telling. The main character's angst and fear is drawn out with complete confidence the reader will understand. The ending is a wow.
Image Resolution - Daring Diane - Many of us on this site have attempted at least one makeover turns an 'Ugly duckling into Swan' story. Most readers here are easily drawn to this kind of story but it can be difficult to do this without sounding like 'more of the same'. This one spoke in a natural step-by-step manner as the MC was gently pulled out of their comfort zone.
First vs Third
Years ago, I was writing strictly in the third-person because I'd read first-person was amateurish.
Then I read an article in an author's magazine that suggested about half of the bestsellers are written in first-person. I went to my shelves, did a sampling -- and found that to be true.
I now prefer first-person because it allows me to more easily explore internal dialogue.
BTW You left out your story (Kissing Cousins), which is brilliant.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Agree with the narrative
Agree with the narrative stuff. The Great Gatsby is written in 1st person and who am I to judge F Scott Fitzgerald? The problem was we had too many stories and I had to cut it down somehow. I don't envy those who had to read everything. That's a ton of work. It is very much appreciated.
Interesting!
I had to check my notes. Kissing Cousins could easily have been written in first person; you stay with Kyle closely throughout the story (Not as true of Boys’ Night Out). I don’t have a preference when I’m reading, but I do tend to write in the first person, mostly for the reasons Jill suggests. Too, omniscience makes me uncomfortable. :)
Emma
You got me :)
Hehe. Two of my other six stories on this site are written in first person. Like others have said, it depends on the story. The story I'm working on right now is in first person as it works better with an internal perspective.
I get the feeling I've touched a nerve here and hope I haven't offended anyone. I knew I couldn't read all the stories and there's only so many ways to cut down the massive response. If I was a judge I wouldn't have done it this way as that definitely wouldn't be fair but I do feel good with the three stories I selected.
Don’t worry!
I certainly didn’t take offense, and I very much doubt Jill or Erisian did either. We’re all just writing geeks. Start talking about “first person” and “past perfect” and our noses start twitching like a farm cat that smell rodent!
Emma
first person offense
I don't think it's possible to take offense if you write in first person when there's been Nobel Laureates writing in first person when they won the prize for literature.
First person just went through a bit of a trend with lots of authors absolutely pumping out young adult fiction in that perspective, and there was a natural backlash at anything popular. There's nothing wrong with it and has been used by some of the greatest authors who've ever lived. If someone gets snooty about it rather than just having a preference for a style then they're the eejit. If it's simply preference then what does it matter? People read books for personal reasons, and a variety of reasons, and they're dead right to.
Choice of personage
I feel that some stories need to be written first person to be done right, and others need be in third. It depends on what the story is attempting to convey, and the two methods each have great strengths as well as weaknesses. But the best examples of first person writing have distinct and wonderful 'voices' for the viewpoint character, and also a keen awareness of when that narrator is unreliable.
Then there are the really weird authors who mix the two methods to give the reader an expanded view of the greater story, though that does need to be managed carefully which is a challenge unto itself. :)
As for second-person, I've seen excellent examples of it being deployed in shorter stories - but I'd hesitate before trying to read anything novel-length done in such a style.
Persons known and unknown
I tend to write first person for some very specific reasons, one of which is viewpoint. Some people (including many authors) find it hard to separate author viewpoint from character viewpoint, but first person writing helps to avoid that--unless one is in the habit of writing Mary-Sue characters. If, like me, you enjoy writing multiple viewpoints for a single event, it can be wonderfully engaging.
That confusion of character/author viewpoints can lead to some odd reactions from the hard of thinking. A real example:
In my StD, a frightened trans woman on a camping weekend encounters a very accepting family, who wrap her up in loving support. On her first night under canvas, she is joined by the family's 14 year old daughter. It is clearly just for companionship and support, but I have the main character think things through the next morning, in particular the optics of a 'man' sharing a tent with an underage girl.
Most people took the situation exactly as I intended it to be read.
One person gave me a stern lecture on safeguarding rules and how, etc, etc. I replied to them on the simple basis that it is a WORK OF FICTION. A mutual friend suggested he avoid reading Stephen King if he finds it difficult to separate character and author...
Two people online accused me of writing child pornography..
So, in summary, write what works for the story, and what works for you as author. Most people will get it; those who don't can mostly be ignored.
It Is Brutal
I've done multiple passes and I'm down to a working list of 17.
This is going to be like judging in certain sports where it's a fraction of a point.
And this is just trying to come up with my subjective three with no bearing on the final outcome.So I don't envy the judges, either.
I don't envy the judges...
I read several of the contest stories, but I wish I'd have time to read more! Talk about an embarrassment of riches. Here are a few of my favorites that I came across, though...
The Worst Day by Greybeard - In my opinion, one of the biggest problems we have as a society is a failure of empathy. Our own struggles are very real to us, but less so the struggles of others. And when those others fail to acknowledge our own pain and struggles, it becomes easy to demonize them. And vice versa. Greybeard's story makes a bold decision to flip the script on the struggle of a young trans woman, instead focusing on the challenges of her conservative and religious father as he struggles to square his love for his child against his faith and the guidance he gets. The secondary characters reinforce the theme, and nobody in the story is 100% right or 100% wrong. Some compassionate characters are suspicious and short-tempered; some intolerant characters are thoughtful and welcoming. It's a beautifully composed story that challenges the reader.
Love Never Dies by Jenny Walker - This is just lovely writing. Just seeing the heartbroken characters separated by time and fate dealing with their emotions would have been enough, but Jenny even worked in some romance. The characters are well-rounded and evolve throughout the story, and the dialogue gives insight into the characters with every line. Thoughtful, engaging, and with lots of feels!
Why is the Robotic Weasel On Fire?! by Sunflowerchan - This story is just a delight! I loved the portrait of the main character's comedic struggles with a crappy job, horrible co-workers, and a demanding but absentee manager. But since she's trans, in her universe of dreams and difficulties, "Get a better job" only rates as #5 on her list of New Year's resolutions. Enjoy the story, but please, in the name of all that is holy, stay away from the ball pit.
There's Also This One
You should read Beauty and the Beast, if you want a real treat.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
I appreciate the recommendation!
Haha, thanks! I've heard good things about that one, but the author is kind of a goofball. :-)
All my love
and my gratitude for the astonishing wealth of talent bestowed freely at this site. Thank you for blessing my day with the great entries into the contest. And thanks for every other bit of artful expression! Welcome to the new authors and cheers to all the folks who have been a part of this community.
A special shout out to Jill, Emma Anne, and Joanne!
And THANK YOU to Erin and her wonderful team!
Love, Andrea Lena
Your Welcome
Do you have any idea how many times you've made my day over the last fifteen years?
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Drea makes my day better every day
and has since I arrived at this crazy place.
Thoughts
I am not a literary critic. I can’t say which story is “best.” I can only say what moved me, and why.
Drea DiMaggio’s story, “It’s Okay,” has two people trying to reconnect. The trans woman, Lonnie, left the other behind when she left home. There was guilt, and anger, but also longing and love. It took many painful steps, because the past could not be saved. The story felt very real to me. The people felt real. I thought, Ms. DiMaggio has been through that, or knows someone who has.
Dorothy Colleen wrote a story, “Resolution Evaluation,” about becoming herself. Becoming Dorothy. And Kristine Read wrote “How I Decided It Was Time to Come Out to the World.” Both stories are very autobiographical. The authors are clear about this. And that tells me things. First, it tells me that the authors are brave women. They put their stories out there, for everyone to see. To criticize. I am not so brave.
It also tells me something about this site, BigCloset. I am new here. But if Dorothy Colleen and Kristine Read can put their life’s stories here, and talk about what it is like for them to be trans, then this must be a good place. A safe place. People like us need safe places.
Astrid Eriksson
It Is Safe
I've been here for two decades. Drea, Dot, and Kristine are all long-timers.
Welcome. Enjoy what Erin has established.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
its very safe here
and its the place where I learned how to be brave, by the examples of others here.
I concur, very safe here
It is absolutely safe here to share your stories. I wrote stories here as a form of self therapy for years. The best part of which was the comments from others, who found value in those stories for themselves.
I was away for quite a while, but I am glad to be back, if for no other reason than it is nice to know once again that someone was moved by my story.
Thank you
Your words mean so much more than I can say.
Love, Andrea Lena
Duplicate
I'm thankful in stereo!
Love, Andrea Lena
POV
I always write in first person. Just seems natural to me.
Melanie
So hard to just name three...
I have read nearly all of the entries, and enjoyed them enormously. Several (actually quite a significant number) have reduced me to tears, and some of those will stay with me, like friends briefly met, but leaving an impact.
There are a smaller number that have spoken to me so clearly that I really need to mention them individually. I have about six in this category, but I am a good girl, who follows rules, so I will limit it to three.
The first is Rachel M Moore's "Can you believe we did that?". A story which touches on several themes which have impacted on my own life, IVF, Miscarriage and also a strong and lasting love, which transcends those struggles. Enough to say, that it helped me and those closest to me to re-evaluate the tragedy which had happened in our lives,and moved on from it. The greatest of these is love. A beautiful, beautiful story.
Secondly, Gill Chambers' story "Highs and Lows" is a wonderful tale of village life, something very close to my own heart, and unusually in this environment, celebrates the English Women' s Institute, an organisation impossible to explain, but as a member of my local WI, I can wholeheartedly endorse Gill's depiction of the comradeship and love which the ladies offer, even to a "new girl" like me.
Finally, as Emma has mentioned, there are several outstanding stories from new authors. One of my absolute favourites is SuziAuchentiber's "Hogmanay" which has the huge bonus of Ross the Dog finding not just a new home, and a new Daddy, but also a new Mummy to share his happy ever after. Suzi's writing reminds me of my very very dear Scottish friends, and somehow she manages to bring them to my mind in all her stories.
I don't want to risk getting a detention from Miss Tate for breaking the rules and mentioning any of the other magnificent stories which have made me smile, chuckle and even laugh out loud, so instead I am going to play a brief clip of one of my favourite Simon and Garfunkel songs for your enjoyment.
I do suggest that you dig it out and give it a listen.
"Can you imagine us
Years from today
Sat on a park bench quietly
How terribly strange to be seventy"
I think I got away with it.
Lucy xx
"Lately it occurs to me..
what a long strange trip its been."
Oh, deftly done!
Very circumspect, Miss Lucy. Very circumspect indeed! No detention for you. :)
Emma
Whether, Or Not. . .
. . .it's a good story often depends on how the Bookends.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Tend to like realism...
I don't envy the judges and I didn't even get close to reading all the offerings. So, for me I tend to not only write first person, but also wanna read those types of stories - but if the story is set up to hook me - all bets are off. I enjoyed these of the bunch I did get around to completing. Your results will certainly vary given the plethora of offerings - and the quality on display - super impressive.
The Boat That Frocked - Shiraz
Said this in the comment I left for the story, but this one sucked me in hard and fast, kept me wondering, and with a little history in DJ'ing and a little knowledge of the floating stations - it was just a fun read for me. Well crafted and just a fun read.
Hogmanay - SuziAuchentiber
This story is another of those 'suck ya in' and make you wonder where things are going. I'm a sucker for that I guess and when the pace is good, the dialog feels real - well, I'd read this kind of story day in and out.
Fine Tuning - Steph C / Cyclist
And another story putting me into an attention grabbing scenario, great pace, dialog you can hear, and just masterfully done.
XOXOXO
Rachel M. Moore...
You like realism?
Check this out: Intention’s Path. Also, this: Someone I Can Believe In. The author ROCKS!
Emma
Heard...
That author isn't much for short stories, something about liking to add all kinds of fluff. I think the author's of Hobson's Choice and Wednesday Knights are the true ROCK STARS chicks! :-) <3
XOXOXO
Rachel M. Moore...
My three favourites
What a dilemma you have all created for yourselves. Very few of the respondents have made the same choices from the plethora of riches. I have selected three very varied stories which have in their own way touched a nerve with me.
Normally I overlook stories of fantasy, magic and alien encounters. Nothing wrong with them but just not my personal preference. However I couldn't overlook Convergence by Avia Connor, an almost believable SF tale, expertly told
Fifty and Out by Dee Sylvan is a heartwarming example that every cloud has a silver lining and eventually the skies will turn blue again and life will look up.
Trust your Gut by Marissa Lynn appealed as an example that with the right people supporting you and with positive attitudes all difficulties can be overcome.
Having made my choice I must add that every entrant in a small way deserves the thanks and kudos from us all
Gill xx
This Was Indeed Difficult
I started with a working list of over 40 out of the 100-plus I didn't write, then progressively narrowed it down, the cuts becoming more of a challenge-- down to 26, then 17, then 12, 10, six and finally four. Reading and re-reading reminded me of just how many of you explored avenues I found worth following
I could have written down over 20 story titles, put them into a hat and drawn a list of three that would pretty much the equal the three I've chosen.
That said, the rules are in place and, not leaving it up to random placement in a hat, these are the three I've picked, in alphabetical order by title.
Intentions Path by RachelMnM
Sometimes, at the end of the day, a little love and affirmation can go a long way, even if it takes a painful and uncomfortably long journey to get to that point. Rachel tells this tale of a closeted trans woman in the role of caregiver for an unaccepting father in the declining stage of dementia, with only a supportive sister halfway across the world for support. By the time one gets to end of this story of love, heartbreak and hope, you may need to reach for tissues to wipe away the tears.
Love Never Dies by Jenny Walker
Sometimes, a well-done twist can elevate a story. But other times, no twist is needed at all. It was obvious where Jenny's story was going, but it was so well executed that it didn't matter a bit. There's an inviting humanity to the two adult characters that draws in the reader and the precocious child is likeable, not annoying. This engrossing story is a most welcome return to Big Closet for the writer.
Why is the Robotic Weasel On Fire?! by Sunflowerchan
The title of this story is a bold gambit and Rebecca delivers on its promise. Chock full of visuals that brought to mind a late '80s into the '90s cinematic sensibility with its recognizable tone, it's the story of a teenage trans girl dealing with dysphoria and stuck in a dead-end job at a theme restaurant. Her only co-workers on this day are a rude girl with a terfy disposition and a well-meaning cook in over his head. If things can go wrong, they will during this darkly comedic slice-of-life gem.
Such a blessing
Marissa, you not only contributed eleven stories for the contest, you read, analyzed and thought about other entries and gave a lovely tribute to the authors whose stories touched you the most. I am so delighted that you decided to become a member of this community!
Emma
What Emma Said
eom
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
My choices for three best stories
I admit, though I started out trying to read every story, I soon fell too far behind. From the ones that I have read here are my picks.
Anyone that has ever read anything I have written would know that for me the best stories grab you and make you cry,
Treehouse by Marissa Lynn is a wonderful story with a family situation that is all too real, but I love stories where characters are redeemed. Marissa’s tale does this very effectively.
As this contest was intended to bring new authors, my second story is also from a new author. I am admittedly a bit biased towards her, since we have been married for 36 years, but I am choosing it because I truly love it, and I think it is something different, and written from a perspective of not the normal writers here in the Big Closet. Annie’s Story by Kimberly Read is a fantasy story whose main character is on a quest, and meets up with a brother that she had left behind. His band of adventurers are able to help her in finding her way to happiness.
And finally from an author that has been here a long time,
Love Never Dies by Jenny Walker is an excellent tale of finding happiness where one least expects it.
High fantasy
I was delighted to see a high fantasy story in the contest. When I was young, it seemed like every aspiring writer wanted to write like Tolkien; now, even fantasy writers want to write about vampires. Go figure. Kimberly’s story brought me home to my roots!
But, your own final entry into the contest proves something in addition to the points Ms. Eriksson made above (without taking anything away from them!) — you have a wonderful, understanding, and supportive spouse. You ought to be biased! :)
Emma
Mah-Wege
In ten days, my spouse and I will celebrate our 50th anniversary. Shortly after our marriage, my best man told someone who knew both my spouse and me that we had gotten hitched. Her response was, "She married him?????"
I have to admit I was as surprised as she was and have spent fifty years trying to live up to whatever it was that she saw in me.
So, I would have voted for her story if she had written one for the contest.
Your spouse's story was exceptional, so your duty didn't require heavy lifting.
Jill
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Thank you, and Happy 50th
Thank you, and Happy 50th Anniversary, about 10 days early.
Kristy
A Dweem
wivin a dweem!
Love, Andrea Lena
Doing my best.
The Boat That Frocked
Shiraz had been one of my favorite authors since I joined this site. And her entry "The Boat That Frocked" was among her finest writing. She pulled out all the tops. Her brand of humor that is dry and often jaded really shone through like a lighthouse beam on a foggy night. I really enjoyed it.
Snowed In
How bless we are as a community that such a talented and budding wordsmith such as Marissa Lynn decided to come out from the shadows and join us. "Snowed In" was a wonderful tour de force of what we can expect from her in the future. Welcome to the sisterhood!
Labry's Egg: An Electical Fairy Tale Underground
Pure Gonzo. That all, pure Gonzo and I loved every word of it. Thank you Malady for writing this wonderful story, I call off the twelve hundred Umbreons I had chasing you now.
I think the real winner...
... is everyone.
Congratulations to the BigCloset staff (volunteers? staff? I dunno) for a highly successful contest. Welcome to some new authors and welcome back to some who have chosen to start writing again... which is what it's all about.
I can't say that I read through anything like as many stories as I ought to have (too much going on in real life), but it's really good to know that there's a wealth of solos that I can look at in the future. In this collection of short stories there was real variety, to keep things interesting, depite the common themes of our community and the competition.
Well done!
Sugar and Spiiice – TG Fiction by Bryony Marsh
Like Sir Davos Seaworth
In Game Of Thrones, I'm not sure I get a vote, but here goes anyway:-
My favourites are:
Gooseberry by Steph C. Yes, I am a fan of Steph's stories and I admit to being biased towards this one, in part, because it is set in my home town, but the story of the two girls going out on the town, one eager and one reluctant, really worked for me.
Yes Ma'am by Maeryn Lamonte The girls all making resolutions that supported each other and helped make a memorable New Year was magic for me.
Why Is The Robotic Weasel On Fire by Sunflowerchan (Rebecca) is so original and daring that it has to be included. The heroine is stranded in an awful situation but the story mixes humour and despair absolutely deftly.
Tough Choices
I am going to preface my choices with a couple of comments (just to annoy the judges!)
First of all, there are far too many great stories for me to just pick three, but in the spirit of the contest, I have put a dozen in a hat and picked three for the fates to decide.
Second my criteria is a bit different than our esteemed judges. I don't care if someone writes in first person or third.
1)The story has to hold my interest from the start. I like an author to grab my pigtails and not let go.
2) There has to be an emotional bond that grips my heart. This usually includes dialogue that lets us see into the protagonist's mind and soul.
3) Tears. Referring to the moisture from the eyes. Not very scientific, but a good emotional cleanse is good.
I know my criteria is not one an editor or author necessarily factors into a story, but it's how I judge books right now.
That all being said, I want to thank our glorious judges for this brainstorm of theirs. You really have inspired a whole lot of awesome stories and have even caused me to break my drought. I don't envy you ladies as you make your choices and Jo- I still wonder what you were thinking taking on all of the comments. But this contest also resulted in not only great comments, but an entertaining back and forth with the authors which imho, adds a whole new dimension to the stories.
My selections:
New Years Trans - Rachel Moore. Interesting banter, a gripping story and yes, tears. Thank you Rachel.
Image Resolution - Daring Diane. It is a story that you kind of think you know where it is going, but it is very fun. At the end, Diane brings all the characters together in way that brings a smile to your face. And tears, not sad or heart wrenching, but happy tears. Well done Diane.
Urge to Purge - NN1. This one had my attention from the git go. Why do we all do it? It's universal, stupid, wasteful, useless, etc., etc. etc. It's not a new concept but the dialogue and development of the characters were very well done. And tears of joy. The ideal woman for many of us. I think it's your best story so far. Keep writing NN1.
DD: TAF
DeeDee
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