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

Handyman by Kathryn Trattner

There’s so little room in 50 words to set up emotional tension like this, let alone a thematic parallel. Very well done, Kathryn.

The Story of the Week for May 10 to 15 is…

The Stranger by Gaghe MacWilliams

This week was packed with great stories, mostly provided by a writing class from Prince Edward Island! It was hard to pick just one, but I picked Gaghe’s incredibly imaginative adventure.

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

The finalists for April were:

Note Left on a Car in a Grocery Story Parking Lot by Cynthia Franks
Duplicitous Haunts by Sarah Scott
The Things We Preserve by Bob Thurber
Smaller Than You by Mark Farley

The winner of the April 2015 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

Note Left on a Car in a Grocery Story Parking Lot

Congratulations, Cynthia! What a poignant character exploration. Excellent work!

The Story of the Week for May 4 to 8 is…

The Beast by Holly Coombs

By re-imagining a character who is seldom thought of as an actual character, Holly really created something unique and special.

Check out this contest, which has a 50-word stories connection via judge Bob Thurber, who is a member of the 50WS Hall of Fame!

Pulp Literature “Hummingbird Prize for Flash Fiction” Contest

Got something short, sharp and snappy to tell? Wow us with 1000 words of your economical and brilliant storytelling. Final contest judge is flash fiction master, Bob Thurber. Entry fee is $10 until May 14, then $15. Prize is $300 and publication in Pulp Literature Issue 9.

More Details:
Want feedback on your story? Get a professional critique from one of the Pulp Literature editors for only $15 more.

Contest opens: 1 May 2015
Deadline: 15 June 2015
Winners notified: 15 July 2015
Winners published in: Pulp Literature Issue 9, Winter 2016
First Prize: $300
Runner up: $75
Judge: Bob Thurber
Entry fee: $15
Editorial Critique: $15
Early Bird fee (before 15 May): $10

Read more about the contest on the Pulp Literature blog.

The Story of the Week for April 27 to May 1 is…

The Week the Circus Came to Town by Bob Thurber

I had to appeal to my wife to break a tie for this week (Vlad Barbu penned the runner up, for what it’s worth). Bob’s combination of surrealism, humour, and edginess took the cake, though!

The Story of the Week for April 20 to 24 is…

Duplicitous Haunts by Sarah Scott

Redemption is a favourite theme of mine, and it’s at the core of this great story.

The Story of the Week for April 13 to 17 is…

The Things We Preserve by Bob Thurber

We certainly choose strange things to remember sometimes, small moments that stick with us for our whole lives. Another fantastic contribution from the author of the 2014 Story of the Year.

The Story of the Week for April 6 to 10 is…

Smaller Than You by Mark Farley

What can I say? Parallel and metaphor are easy paths to my heart (among, let’s be honest, many other literary soft spots). Strong writing, Mark.

The Story of the Month is chosen from the Story of the Week winners announced from the past month. (Editor’s Note: By mistake, I included a March story, “Paradise”, in the list of February finalists, and left out “Tripping” by Caitlin McGill. To rectify the mistake, I am including Tripping in the list of March finalists.)

The finalists for March were:

Tripping by Caitlin McGill (see note above)
Striking Twice by Gina Lyle
On Fire by MJ Marggraff
Be Okay by Corey Niles

The winner of the March 2015 Story of the Month, and the $10 prize, is…

Striking Twice

Congratulations, Gina! What a creative, unique, and beautiful story.