The story of the week for August 15 to 19 is…

Five minutes until I do by Mark Farley

What a great metaphor.

The story of the week for August 8 to 12 is…

What Carries Us Through by Jennifer L. Freed

The theme of persistent, growing love is a special one. We should all work towards love that burns longer, steadier, and no less fiercely for the absence of youth.

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.

The finalists for July were:

Mind Your Own by Bob Thurber
Aunt Peg by Jennifer L. Freed
White Elephant Sale on the Town Green by Matthew Eichenlaub
Once, and Forever by Angela Brett
At the Zoo by Scott Ragland

The winner of the July 2016 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

Aunt Peg

Such an unassuming story about an unassuming character, and then you read it again, and again, and the poignancy grows. Don’t we all take Tomorrow for granted? A simple, powerful statement, told quietly and poetically in a tone that perfectly matches the message. Fantastic.

The story of the week for August 1 to 5 is…

Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse by Viv Burgess

It’s fun, creative, and layered with multiple punch lines.

The story of the week for July 25 to 29 is…

At the Zoo by Scott Ragland

So much story behind so few details. Great use of every word.

The story of the week for July 18 to 22 is…

Once, and Forever by Angela Brett

Angela gets us inside the character’s head and implies a deep, rich story from the character’s own perspective. That’s a great accomplishment, and very difficult to do in this format.

The story of the week for July 11 to 15 is…

White Elephant Sale on the Town Green by Matthew Eichenlaub

There’s so much character development packed into this story, for both the character being described and the narrator. Great work.

The story of the week for July 4 to 8 is…

Aunt Peg by Jennifer L. Freed

From concept to execution, this is one of the most striking stories I’ve received this year. Brilliantly done.

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month.

The finalists for June were:

The Last Gig by JD Lone Bear
There Be Monsters by Eva Lucien
Could You Please Direct Me to the Self-Help Section? by Ozzie Nogg
The Daily Check on His Enchanted Girlfriend by Mark Farley
The Leaking and the Legacy by Bob Thurber

The winner of the June 2016 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

There Be Monsters

The final sentence of this story is haunting and darkly beautiful. So much is suggested by these 50 words, written in between the lines. I love the world-building. Great work, Eva!

The story of the week for June 27 to July 1 is…

Mind Your Own by Bob Thurber

Good emotional core, and a great example of “show” rather than “tell.”