We are pleased to announce the winner, runner-up, and honorable mentions for our Winter Writing Contest. Thank you to everyone who submitted their work. 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 “A Peculiar Invention.” We received so many fascinating applications of this theme. We read about AI, mad scientists, and all manner of intriguing inventions!
This contest was judged by The Company’s intern and a graduate of our full-time apprenticeship program, Alli Prince, in celebration of her debut book: Copper Lies!
One secret can lead to many lies…
If you make something, and then that something accidentally comes alive and destroys your entire town…would it be fair to say that you destroyed the town, or can we just blame it on the thing?
Lillian Booker is dying to experiment on the strange glowing rocks hidden inside her adoptive father’s workshop—but the professor forbid it before he left on his journey. As Lillian learns all she can about the stones without breaking the professor’s rule, she finds herself stuck between two worlds.
Will she live the life of a brilliant inventor or give up on her dreams and become a respectable lady instead? What will make her happy? Most importantly, which will prove to the professor that he didn’t make a mistake when he chose her?
When Lillian secretly builds a mechanical dragon, one mistake leads to another—the strange glowing stones collide with her creation, and her dragon roars to life! Lillian must make a choice…lie and keep her dragon a secret or finally face the truth?
Will any of it matter anyway if the town’s already been destroyed?
Grab your copy of Copper Lies on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3BuJvYI
All submissions were judged “blind.” Alli did not receive the name or any information about the submitting authors. Winning stories were selected based on literary merit alone.
Grand Prize Winner
We are pleased to announce N. A. Walters as the winner of our winter writing contest for her short story, “A Peculiar Invention”!
After much deliberation, “A Peculiar Invention” rose above the competition.
According to Alli, “I found the world and concepts of ‘A Peculiar Invention‘ to be inviting and fun. The characters were heartwarming, the world charming and intriguing, and the invention dazzling.”
N. A. (Nicole) Walters is a fantasy novelist and avid reader who lives in Ohio with her three plants and two hundred books. A chemical and biomolecular engineer—who has only ever witnessed one lab explosion—Nicole prefers her fantasy seasoned with science and math. She has multiple fantasy novels in the works and would love to connect with you at nawalters.com!
N. A. Walter’s story will be published to The Pearl. She’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 “A Peculiar Invention” when it’s published.
Runner-Up
“The Steeds of Bronze” by Kamryn Weaver has claimed our second-place prize.
As Alli said, “‘The Steeds of Bronze‘ immersed me in a unique ancient world. The prose captured my attention, and the humor made me laugh out loud multiple times.”
Kamryn Weaver is a homeschooled bookworm from the forests of Appalachia. She is in her junior year, and hopes to one day use her writing to make a difference and point people toward Jesus Christ.
Kamryn 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 “Write Your Way Out of the Dark” design.
Honorable Mention
There was one story that was a close contender for a prize and deserves special recognition:
“Singularity,” by Gina Pottenger.
Thanks for the privilege of reading and considering your story! 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: Alli Prince
The winter writing contest was judged by Alli Prince.
Alli Prince lives in Cambridge, Ohio. She graduated from The Company’s full-time apprenticeship program in 2024 and is currently an intern for The Company.
Alli Prince was the creative mind behind Lawless, an anthology of short stories inspired by the book of Judges, and is the author of Copper Lies. On her website, she currently encourages others to fight back against the lies of the enemy.
Learn more about Alli Prince on her website, alliprince.com
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