Our 2025 Fall Writing Contest has two winners—the overall winner and the winner of the teen category.
Thanks to everyone who submitted stories to this contest! It takes real guts to put your work out there, and we received a number of great submissions.
We asked for your best short stories on the theme “Out Of Time.” We read about dystopian worlds, missing herbs, and failing space ships.
This contest was judged by The Company’s second-year apprentice, Lucy Grecu! All submissions were judged “blind.” Lucy did not receive the name or any information about the submitting authors. Winning stories were selected based on literary merit alone.
Now, drum roll, please…
Grand Prize Winner
We are pleased to announce Janzen Lee Taylor as the winner of our Fall Writing Contest for his short story, “The Black Box”!
“The Black Box” immediately hooked Lucy’s attention.
According to Lucy, “Right off the bat, there was this sense of urgency and time running out. I loved how the apocalyptic world slowly revealed itself, and how it all came together at the end.”
Janzen Lee Taylor is the second oldest of nine siblings. A follower of Christ, he loves writing stories that exemplify His character and truth.
When he’s not writing, you can find him playing piano or rambling about just about anything with his family.
Janzen Taylor’s story will be published to The Pearl. He’ll also receive a $100 Amazon gift card to Amazon.
The Pearl is publishing new short stories, essays, and poetry every week. Check it out at PearlMag.co, and subscribe so that you don’t miss “The Black Box” when it’s published.
Teen Winner!
“Oblivion” by Ava Murbarger has claimed first place in the teen category!
Lucy said, “I found the world painted in Oblivion to be very interesting. It immersed me in a unique setting with a distinct mood, and I saw it all happening in my head.”
Ava Murbarger is a young author of fantasy and science fiction, passionate about crafting stories that find the light without ignoring the dark. She’s currently working on the Orythian Journeys series.
Readers can stay connected and up to date through her newsletter at avamurbargerauthor.com.
Ava will receive $50 to spend in The Company Store. Check out some of the stuff that’s been added, including cool t-shirts, mugs, and more. You won’t want to miss our new Company beanie!
Honorable Mentions
There were a few other stories that Lucy thoroughly enjoyed, and those deserve some special recognition:
“Golden Hour,” by Hannah Stiff.
“Out Of Time,” by Crystal St. Clair.
“Time-Less,” by Lillian Keith.
“Out of Thyme,” by Karissa Chmil.
Thanks for the privilege of reading your stories! We know you’ll find a home for it soon, and we can’t wait to see you share it with the world!
Thank you for submitting
Thank you to everyone who took a risk and submitted to this contest. It takes guts to put yourself out there. We hope that you’ll try again!
While our judge can’t give feedback on the submissions we received, we encourage you to bring your piece to our next writers workshop or procritique. This is an awesome opportunity to hear real, unbiased critique of your work so that you can improve it.
About the Contest Judge: Lucy Grecu
The Fall Writing Contest was judged by Lucy Grecu, who’s currently a second-year apprentice at The Company! (Learn more about becoming an apprentice here.)
She has a short story published in the Fantastical Summer anthology.
Lucy grew up in Los Angeles, California, and spent nearly every summer doing musical theater camp.
Lucy spends her time drawing fictional characters, reading novels very slowly, and getting her friends to watch every movie she considers a classic.
You can find her at LucyGrecu.com, where she blogs about the mundane curiosities of life!
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Congratulations, everyone! 😀