We are pleased to announce the winner, runner-up, and honorable mentions for our Spring 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 “Buried.” We received so many fun applications of this theme. We read about pirates, long lost love, and heartfelt memorials.
This contest was judged by The Company’s first-year apprentices: Noah Matthews, Vella Karman, and R.J. Catlin. These are young writers that you’ll want to watch! Visit their websites and join their mailing lists today.
All submissions were judged “blind.” The judges did not receive the name or any information about the submitting authors. Winning stories were selected based on literary merit alone.
We are pleased to announce Alyssa Durst as the winner of our spring writing contest for her short story, “Passing.”
After much deliberation, “Passing” rose above the competition to become the unanimous choice of our judges.
As Noah Matthews said, “The only word I had after reading this story was ‘Wow.’ It’s a masterfully artistic piece brimming with raw human emotion and relatable events.”
And according to Vella Karman, “It held a masterful complexity and vivid prose. It’s worth reading twice.”
Alyssa Durst is a fiction writer who explores Christian themes for a general audience. She received her MFA from the University of New Orleans, and her work has appeared in Pithead Chapel and Blue Earth Review, among others. She lives in central Illinois with her husband and four sons.
Alyssa’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 ever week. Check it out at PearlMag.co, and subscribe so that you don’t miss “Passing” when it’s published soon.
Runner-Up
“Til Death Do Us Part” by Levi Matthews has claimed our second-place prize.
Levi’s story of a horrific accident is full of complex emotions and surprise.
According to Vella Karman, “I’ll remember this story for a long time because it drew me in from the first line.”
Levi Matthews is a homeschooled Christian artist, author and musician hoping to bring quality art to the world through his work and shining God’s light in the process. He currently resides in a small town in northern Michigan.
Levi 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 “Write Your Way Out of the Dark” design.
Honorable Mention
Two more stories were a close contender for a prize and deserves special recognition!
“Heart of Sea Glass” by Madi Kanagy
“Unfaltering Heart” by Ava Travis
Thanks for the privilege of reading and considering these stories! We know you’ll find a home for them soon, and we can’t to see you share them 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 writing contest judges
This contest was judged by The Company’s first-year apprentices:
R. J. Catlin is a storyteller from the shores of West Michigan who loves Jesus, weird fun facts, and talking about movies with her friends.
Connect with R.J. on her website RJCatlin.com or find her on Instagram @rjcatlinauthor.
Vella Karman is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas who loves God, people, and stories of all kinds, especially the ones told in writing or dance.
Find Vella at VellaKarman.com and connect with her on Instagram @vellakarmanauthor.
Noah J. Matthews is a writer and amateur filmmaker hailing from the backwoods of Northern Michigan.
Follow Noah’s writing at NoahJMatthews.com.
Would you like to join The Company as an apprentice? Learn more and apply here.
Fall Writing Contest
We’re taking the summer off from writing contests. Make sure that you’re subscribed to our mailing list below so that you don’t miss the next one. We’ll announce the details of the Fall Writing Contest in September.
Never miss another contest!
Use the form below to sign up for The Company’s free newsletter and never miss another contest.
