The story of the week for February 29 to March 4 is…

An Apartment on the Moon by Cathy Ulrich

This story really sets the imagination free, both in world-building and in emotion.

The story of the week for February 22 to 26 is…

Salt by Lee DeAmali

This story may have sucker-punched my parenting emotions, but I think it says a lot more than the words themselves convey. Life is short!

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

Unicorn Heaven by Brenda Anderson

This story hits a rare  threshold of creativity, with a complex emotional backing. Nicely done.

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

Chance Encounter With a Dream Girl by Guy Preston

There’s so much to think about with this story, set into the foundation of complex emotions. More great work from last year’s Story of the Year winner.

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

S.O.S. by Alison Cooper

The intensity of the story sets up the twist really well.

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

The finalists for January were:

New Year’s Resolution by Mary Steer
Waiting to be a Good Samaritan by Paul Beckman
Obsessive by Brandon Barrows
Her Finest Work by James P. Spitznogle
The Dead’s Weight by Eldar Levin

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

Waiting to be a Good Samaritan

I love how much this story catches the reader off guard. It’s just dark enough to get me emotionally invested, but light enough to really make me laugh. Good work, Paul!

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

The Dead’s Weight by Eldar Levin

Artistry and adventure well combined.

The story of the week for January 18 to 23 is…

Her Finest Work by James P. Spitznogle

The unexpectedness of the twist was what really did me in!

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

Obsessive by Brandon Barrows

I like the strong implied character development and the sharp-edged humour.

After deliberating over the 12 finalists, I’ve made my decision…

The winner of the 2015 Story of the Year, along with the $50 prize and enshrinement in the Hall of Fame, is:

One Job From Retirement by Guy Preston

Join me in congratulating Guy for his tremendous work, including two Story of the Month wins and multiple other strong contributions this past year.

Honourable mentions go to Head Case by Mark Farley, one of the most creative concepts I’ve seen delivered in a 50-word story, and to Mr. Moon by Dan Niederloh, which produced the most immediately intense reaction I think I’ve had from any submission to the site.