In Field Guide to Flash Fiction, edited by Tara L. Marsh, Robert Olen Butler states that “a short short story [is] not a prose poem because it has at its center a character who yearns.” To play on the exercise he provides in the book, let’s write about two characters in a romantic relationship who yearn for different things.

Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.

The post Yearning appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Grand Prize

Alison Luterman, “Charring Lemons” (non-rhyming poetry). Read the winning poem here.

Children’s/Young Adult Fiction

1. “The Order of Ordinaries” by Cathy Lepik
2. “Rowan’s Greatest Hits” by Akash Arun Kumar Soumya
3. “Autumn Lies” by Cathryn Smith
4. “Camels in the Clouds” by Gina Steeves
5. “A Shot Fired” by Becky Franklyn
6. “Under the Covers” by Shae Harper
7. “Santa’s Crazy Year” by Thomas Donahue
8. “Grandma’s House” by Thomas Donahue
9. “Ari’s Bathroom Map” by Rebecca Thapa
10. “Death and Theft” by Aspen Hite

Honorable Mentions

• “Higher Ground” by AB Cromer
• “Just Another Ordinary Day” by Jolea Broome
• “The Magic In Ming’s Hands” by Maureen Tai
• “Putting Toys To Bed” by Alan Elliott
• “Good Whine Gone Bad” by Jay Lehmann
• “Stuff As Dreams Are Made On” by Heidi M. Rogers
• “Lizzie’s Napa” by Lori Pelliccia
• “Talk To The Trees” by Angela De Groot
• “Things We’ll Ask God” by Rachel Wierick
• “Mom’s Superhero Story” by Jiwon Yoon
• “Blood Raven” by Becky Franklyn
• “A Zip Code from the Heart” by Sandy Cameli
• “The Last Gate” by Anna Alsup
• “Gotta Fly!” by Debbie Austin
• “The Night of the Magic Light” by Doug Geyer
• “Mia’s Puppet Party” by Megan Erin Hamilton
• “A Bellyful of Fireflies” by Marcus McGee
• “Dockson Billie” by Sherri Ashburner
• “The Arrowhead Game” by L.S. Scott
• “The Book Boat” by Jenny Nelson
• “Afraid of Rain No More” by Michael Harley
• “Simply Extraordinary” by Emma Bowen
• “Sequin the Snake—Explains World Peace to Children” by Carol Ikard
• “A Life Unfinished” by Brynda Wolf
• “Here, There, Everywhere” by Sabrina Powers
• “Baking a Cake” by Jobie Scarborough
• “What Will You Call Me?” by Shannon Mae
• “Ace Ferreira, Multiverse Mechanic” by Ridley Adams
• “Turning Back Time” by DM Reynolds
• “Just Tyler” by Tom Olds
• “Garage Sale Religion” by Susan Jensen
• “The Last Acolyte” by David Weinkauff
• “The Synonym Family” by Thomas Donahue
• “Streetlight Halo” by Kyrie Jade
• “Kyler and the Garbage Men” by Megan Churchman

Genre Short Story

1. “Poison Pills” by GK Daffu
2. “The Kimchi Contest I Never Signed Up For” by Rachel Desiree Felix
3. “Laney’s Rescue” by Deborah Boucher Stetson
4. “Bite Like Chocolate” by Bruna M. Barbosa
5. “A Spare Moment” by Emee Camp
6. “Morty’s Farewell” by Carrie Hachadurian
7. “Realm of the Grotesque” by Clarence J. Croxford
8. “Rwanda 2265” by Sig Watkins
9. “Lilacs” by Mark Mrozinski
10. “The Light Collector” by Christina Trujillo

Honorable Mentions

• “Cotillion” by Kejana Ayala
• “Our Lady of Life Support” by Amber Fenik
• “At the garden of the gods” by Frank Biro
• “Twice” by Penne Hawkins
• “A Complication” by Jennifer Slee
• “The Beast at the Door” by Eric Reitan
• “Thirteen Coins” by Teresa Michael
• “The Keeper” by Lucas Tremper
• “The Legend of the Red-Haired One” by Raw
• “Twice Pierced” by Joseph Tappero
• “The Clichéd Crime” by Bill Glose
• “Unknowing” by Andrew Hoffmeister
• “The Cycle” by Robin Nixon
• “A Morning at Diedre’s Cafe” by Richard Sutter
• “Treading Water” by Alison Wright
• “The Zenith of Her Powers” by Leslie Wibberley
• “The Voice That Lies” by J. P. Bellipanni
• “Nisha’s Revolution” by Judith Pratt
• “After” by Joslyn Lois Bartholomew
• “Hotel Room” by Andrew Kass
• “Willow” by Holland Poole
• “Tempest” by Kyla Paterno
• “A Reckoning at Trail’s End” by Albert Morrow
• “An Extra Scoop of Revenge” by Rachel Cyr
• “Without a Chaperone” by Susan Matley
• “Ring of Deception” by Michelle Hess
• “Everything Burns” by Jennifer Slee
• “The Currawong” by J.A. Clarke
• “More Than a Second-Hand Find” by Mary Jo Wyse
• “Dash Into Love” by Dorothy Wills-Raftery
• “The Last Mural Frances” by Aurelia Gold
• “Grains of Sand” by Peter Ball
• “Habits Don’t Lie” by Amy Collins
• “Beginnings and Endings” by Kelly Thomas
• “White Tooth” by Cody Pearce
• “Today I Shot Desmond” by Louise Bailey
• “The Porcelain Garden” by Cara Boynton
• “The Departed Dancer—A Las Vegas Mystery” by A.L.Padden
• “At Birth” by Kate Fitzgerald
• “A Castle in the Ocean” by J.H. Schiller
• “A Realm Of Smoke And Sins” by Alison Arico
• “Then I Became Us” by Victoria Lalayan
• “War” by Useless Assistant
• “The Big Smoke” by Jennifer Frost
• “The Hunger Pattern” by Jason Bellipanni

Humor

1. “Burnt Toast” by Don Michalowski
2. “A Vulgarity Smithsonian” by Greg Bauch
3. “A Textually Transmitted Disease” by Monda Kelley
4. “Nuts! A Regrettable but True Tale” by Michele Miles Gardiner
5. “I Will Come In Last With Grace and Good Eyeliner” by Mia Lazarewicz
6. “How to Write a Novel in 10 Years” by K. Ashby
7. “The Shade of the Bodhi Tree in a Basket of Waffle Fries” by John Garvey
8. “Revealed: The Hidden Secrets of Male Bonding!” by Gary Alexander
9. “Fore!” by A.J. Schmitz
10. “Faux pas” by Mary Finnen

Honorable Mentions

• “My Broken Zipper” by Geoffrey K. Graves
• “Finding Mr. Right” by Mary Ellen Humphrey
• “G-Man: And other humorous anecdotes taken from the teaching profession” by Dr. Donald Robertson
• “An ‘Intercoursal’” by Stroke Mary Finnen
• “HUH? The Story of My Broken Ears” by MerriLee Anderson
• “Newly Unwed” by Jamie Lockwood
• “Controversial Sermon Sparks Brouhaha Over Biscuits” by Lori Drake
• “Astronauts And Panty Hose” by Nanny Treadwell
• “Is Breaking Bad? Celebrating My Birthday in a Rage Room” by Karen Scholl
• “Dear Merriam-Webster” by Christine Petzar
• “Fishing for Seniors” by Steve Holland
• “Yakov the Supplanter” by Laurie Rosenwald
• “The Fainthearted” by Lisa Chow
• “I Swear I Skipped the Poison Apple” by Evelyn Aucoin
• “The Easter Dress Karen O Conway” by Kay McKay
• “Hello, this is Your Overly Talkative Captain” by Deanna Hahn
• “What’s for Dinner?” by Allia Zobel Nolan
• “Cupid: Chubby. Ornery. Mischievous!” Tammy Lough
• “The Great Holiday Light Display Race of Appleton Ave.” by J.C. McKenna
• “Breakfast with a Ghost” by Bison Scribe
• “Violets” by Jessalyn Haefele
• “Friends of the Earth Urgent Appeal” by Tom Gable
• “Why I Exercise, and Why I Don’t Care to Get Any Better” by Jacob Summerville
• “The Third Grader’s Manifestation of Queerness” by Risa Hasebe
• “The Sabbath” by Christopher D. Pence
• “Fifty Shades of Gruyère” by Jennifer Becker
• “Final Cut” by Don Michalowski
• “Ten Pounds in Three Days” by Joy Alicia
• “Easy Riders” by Joe Haines
• “A Half-Carton of Eggs and Getting Published” by Lori Drake

Inspirational/Spiritual

1. “All the Way to Mystery” by Stacy Clark
2. “Where the River Narrows” by David Paul Goins
3. “No Ordinary Love: Agnes and Leonard’s Visit” by Leonard Scovens
4. “One Samhain Night” by SamiJo McQuiston
5. “The Miracle of Ordinary Gifts” by Tracy Cranford
6. “The Boy From Somewhere Better” by Robin Farnsworth
7. “Grandma’s Garden” by Celeste Handfield
8. “Fireflies” by Heidi Botkin
9. “The Dakini’s Ants” by Robin Nixon
10. “The Initiation” by Holly Ma

Honorable Mentions

• “At the Feet of Sleeping Giants” by Kelli Sullivan
• “The Great Exchange” by Maureen Miller
• “The Pew by the Window” by EW Bradfute
• “30 Pieces of Silver” by John Tucker
• “Hummingbird” by Linda Peterson
• “Hope Came in the Mail” by Colleen Black
• “The Inevitable Sameena Topan” by sam riot
• “Spiritual Resilience in Opioid Withdrawal” by Donna Fado Ivery
• “Walking on Water” by Kristy Mabe
• “Rock of Ages” by Thorne Everet
• “Sustaining Hope in Uncertain Times: Jewish Strategies for Faith” by Carly Levy
• “The Garage” by Natasha Jo Benevides
• “Volleyball and the Virgin Mary” by Mary Ellen Collins
• “Fragmented Stones” by Rhonda Larson
• “Enmity” by Andrea Hayes
• “Her Birthday Is The Least of Her Concerns” by J B Nicholson Hunt
• “Mary Did You Know Controversy” by Kathy Ferrell Powell
• “Into the Light” by Kay Lesley Reeves
• “In The Forest & Field” by Katherine Tyler
• “The Valley” by Antionette Duck
• “A Gnome Knows” by Michael Gregory Whitfield
• “Radiance” by Jewel Garcia
• “Searching for Silence in India and Nepal” by Blake Plante
• “You’ve Got to Believe; It’s Not Magic” by James Meyer
• “Hortus Creatoris” by Aria Stewart
• “Water in Motion” by Ashley C. Shannon
• “Crazy, Mismatched Socks” by Holly Karpovich
• “The Traveler” by Lori Griffin
• “A Midwife’s Hands” by Bruce Graham
• “Bleak Midwinter” by Eric Beversluis
• “Breath as a Blessing: The Transformative Power of Breath” by Angela Waldron
• “Pilgrim” by Ashlen Renner
• “Learning To Swim” by Katie McGuire
• “The Paradoxes of Prayer” by Robert Pechman
• “What You Don’t See” by Sarah Boury

Mainstream/Literary Short Story

1. “The Memory Eater” by Eric Reitan
2. “Dugga Boys” by Greg Jones
3. “The Absence of Cut Grass” by G. Thomas Fin
4. “The Gas Line” by Colin Kostelecky
5. “J.C., Little Susie and the Music Seen” by Pat Rooney
6. “Cave Art” by Nathan Tobler
7. “Thankless” by Cynthia Liu
8. “Rise, River, Rise” by Taylor Brown
9. “Variation with Fan” by Karen Novak
10. “The Hugging Machine” by Nancy Lederman

Honorable Mentions

• “Terms of Haunting” by Caroline Hall
• “Tapestry” by John Garvey
• “Short Story/Fiction” by Susan Eastham
• “Olive Theory” by Serrina Zou
• “My Family Tree” by Mary Upton
• “The Raccoons” by Kyle Wong
• “Mama’s Baby” by Haley Bebout
• “His Forest” by Meredith Gebhardt
• “Rejection Letter” by Ty Green
• “Gold and Bones” by L.J. Longo
• “Dream Journal” by Sunthorn Capellini
• “An Ordinary Guest” by Tamar Mezvrishvili
• “The Bad Luck House” by Cath Bibeau
• “Bloom” by Gwendolyn Bellinger
• “Boys Like Us” by Siavash Saadlou
• “Downed” by Gabrielle Glaslyn
• “Mourning Dove” by Christine Roy
• “Smile for the Camera” by Jessica Junqua
• “The Quiet Howl” by Garin Demirjian
• “My First Body” by Baird Harper
• “The Divide” by Ferrell Jennings
• “Time and Time Again” by Ryne
• “Johnny Appleseed” by Katie Harms
• “The Blue Road” by Robert Ziegler
• “Reaching For The Sun” by Elizabeth Conte
• “The Good Mother” by Dana Rodney
• “Aliens Are Us Shelley” by Jones Clark
• “So Long as the Earth is Spinning” by Sharan Yaso
• “Liberty” by L. M. Filarsky
• “The Gingerbread Boy” by Lide Dawson
• “Lost and Found” by Bruce Jay Baker
• “Lifeline” by Natalie Moore
• “Rooted Jane Hershberger” by Jane Hershberger
• “Little Angels Of God” by Mark Lyn Campbell
• “Where the Walls Remember: Grete Samsa’s Unraveling—A Metamorphosis Adaptation” by Meghan Hanily
• “December First” by Katie McGuire
• “R&R” by Owen Goodwyne
• “The Neighborhood Marketplace” by Rose Sampley
• “Prairie Grass” by John Cheesebrow
• “Don’t Tell the Boys” by Jacob Mayer
• “Sapling” by Helen Vidrine
• “Wild Hymn” by Ashley Berry
• “Animal Husbandry” by Aili Whalen
• “Dirge for the Divine and Departed” by Irene Hwang
• “A Nice Girl” by Jane Corey
• “Nighthawks” by Jeremy Stelzner
• “The Conversationalist” by Rosanna Watts
• “Undertone” by M.C. Blandford
• “Who We Were Yesterday” by Josh Rosen
• “Nightlight Marianne” by Malloy Kirby

Memoir/Personal Essay

1. “The Dead Whale” by Carol Keeley
2. “Salvage Rights” by Cheryl A. Kelley
3. “Turning Pages” by Landon Porter
4. “Bleed” by Catherine Dorian
5. “The VA Destroyed My Body — and No One Will Help Me” by David Lee Condrey
6. “Friendly Fire” by Lide Dawson
7. “Crushed” by Carrie Osborne
8. “Ask Me How My Mother Died” by Liam Carnahan
9. “Center of Gravity” by Kristina Kasparian
10. “In Pieces” by Jen Shepherd

Honorable Mentions

• “First Job” by Geoffrey K. Graves
• “The Human Touch” by Sukhwinder Sukh
• “By Chance” by Darlene Junker
• “Wire Mesh and Memory: A Craniotomy Forgotten” by Krystal Renee
• “Giving Up My Ghost” by Esther Raday
• “Resting Places” by Beth Christiano
• “Couch Mom” by Stacy Johnson
• “All He Needs” by Quincy Trochue
• “Memoir Essay: Still Small Things” by Erin Schalk
• “We Were Here” by Colleen Black
• “Jew” by Jane K Stern
• “Raising Lambs” by Michelle Nicolaysen
• “Behind the Red Door” by Renee Roberson
• “Intervention: Fully Loaded” by Maddy Nye
• “Let Him Go” by Mari Harrison
• “No Questions Asked” by Lorraine Lai
• “I’m Not Normal” by Amy Jean Hetland
• “Dear Lorraine” by Michael Creger
• “Medical Jenga” by Janet Yeager
• “Puppy Love” by Kristen Wilson
• “Hungry Animals” by Ashley Berry
• “The flags we didn’t earn” by Faye Zasada
• “Turning Point” by Mary Mortensen
• “When the City Began Again” by M. Lea Gray
• “Hey Dad, It’s Me” by Don Michalowski
• “The Folder Called Not Ready” by Kathryn Johnson
• “The Subtle Art of Falling From a High Place” by Alex Tricarico
• “The Art of Falling Apart While Smiling” by Nicole Duff
• “Child’s Play” by Jerome Goettsch
• “Disassembled” by Alyssa Holly
• “Unsprouted” by Haley Russo
• “Muses Work Best When They’re Far Away” by Francesca Willow
• “Trickles” by Tracy Cranford
• “Little Owl” by Tracy Cranford
• “Shaved Heads” by Heide Brandes
• “Was His Love Worth My Life?” by Phiiip Alexander
• “Where the Hell is Ordway, Anyway?” by Philip Alexander
• “A Thing With Fangs” by Cynthia Singerman
• “Lone Staircase” by Christen Makhoul
• “Burning for Sully” by Jen Shepherd
• “Steak Tartare” by Alison Foster
• “Bad Fortune” by Janet Guthrie
• “Sweet Lemon Grass” by Jen Shepherd
• “Running With Eunice” by Carol Marks Stopforth
• “Eight Shots” by Owen Ryan
• “My Grandfather’s Fathers” by Karen Gravelle
• “How to Play Kings Corner” by Fay Falcone
• “Process: An Excerpt” by Steven R. Perez
• “Rotten Sunflowers on Grandpa’s Grave” by Chia Lam
• “The American Goldfinch” by Aimee Seiff Christian

Nonfiction Essay or Article

1. “Little Black Book” by Rebecca Victoria Blanchard
2. “A Witness to History” by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds
3. “Analyzing the Role of Photography in the Depiction of Native Americans in the 19^th Century” by Tsi’Ani Washington
4. “With Kristi in the Garden” by Ramona Scarborough
5. “Out of Many, One People: The Origins of Jamaican Ancestry” by Vilma Ruddock
6. “A Dog Leads the Way” by Margie Gray
7. “The Tangled Web We Weave” by Dana Zartner
8. “Meaningful Metamorphosis” by Julie Jacobs                
9. “The Bare Truth” by Leslie Wibberley
10. “The Holy Righteous Queen Tamar” by Angela Waldron

Honorable Mentions

• “The unsettling chic is our modern aesthetic of ugliness” by Denis Bozic
• “Would You Be My Pen Pal if I Paid You?” by Naomi Horne
• “Of Snails and The Hundred Yard Dash” by Larry Menlove
• “Time Traveler” by Jill Sisson
• “Beethoven and Napoleon: Decomposing Symphony Number 3 ‘Eroica'” by Mark A. Fulco
• “Four Times I Fled the Flames” by Tamara Nowlin
• “Dance Movement Meets Psychotherapy” by Ember Reichgott Junge
• “The Language Of Love” by Pat Matthews
• “Holbein’s Ambassadors” by Patrick Tyman
• “Black Lives on the Titanic” by Douglas Walters
• “Underground Anthologies: Public Transportation Meets Poetry” by Emma Arden
• “Writing Like Hemingway” by Azalea Lucile
• “Gender Bias in the Polls: How Sexism can Prevent Female Leaders” by Leslie Rutledge
• “For Gentlemen Only” by Cheryl Bailey
• “The High Life: For circus artists and aerialists, something’s always up” by Kathy Bradshaw
• “Close Encounters of the Animal Kingdom Kind” by Krishna “Krash” Jackson
• “Swimming Beyond Fear” by Elaine Howley
• “Triathlon’s Spiritual Side” by Elaine Howley
• “‘Heart of the Eternal’ Opens the Second Chapter for A.J. Croce” by Sheryl Aronson
• “Showcasing Female Power in Ballroom Dance” by Ember Reichgott Junge
• “Call to Action for Social Prescribing” by Ember Reichgott Junge
• “I’m Not Going to Live in God’s Waiting Room” by Ember Reichgott Junge
• “A Powerful Presence in the Ballroom World” by Ember Reichgott Junge
• “Oui the People” by Kathy Bradshaw
• “Take a Walk on the Tiled Side: It seems that everyone is playing mahjong these days” by Kathy Bradshaw
• “Oh Generous One, Oh Noble One, Oh Hero: The Path of the Akhi in Anatolia” by Angela Waldron
• “Anatolian Sikke” by Angela Waldron
• “The Evil Eye” by Angela Waldron
• “English as both Gateway and Barrier to Legitimacy and Success in Post-colonial African Literature” by Douglas Walters
• “A Pilgrimage to the Holy City of Lhasa” by Angela Waldron

Non-Rhyming Poetry

1. “Wiffle Ball” by Gary V. Powell
2. “留下街道 [Liuxia Street]” by Yan Zhang
3. “Another Supermarket in California” by Judith Chibante
4. “What Kind of Fool” by Alison Luterman
5. “Untitled” by Michael Olson
6. “16^th Street Flight” by Kent Neal
7. “Day Trip” by Paul Tifford Jr.
8. “Horsie—A Sestina for Mommy” by Kendra Aya
9. “Human Binoculars” by Todd Friedman
10. “Where Water Meets the Sky” by M. G. Field

Honorable Mentions

• “The New England Aspect” by Jeffery Allen Tobin
• “Snow on the Brain” by Paul Tifford Jr.
• “Ordinary Birds” Erin Murphy
• “I Need To Be Something Worth Losing” by Jacob Reisinger
• “A Garden of Penitents” by Redd Ryder
• “A Used Up Year” by D.T. Christensen
• “Passages” by Paula J. Lambert
• “Spring Light” by Stephen Burns
• “We Discover Fire: Elkhart Indiana, 1962” by Julie Novak-McSweeney
• “A História da Criação” by Lauren Michelle Finkle
• “Nice Clothes” by Brian Evans
• “A Class for Almost-Mothers” by Adele Evershed
• “Bluebeard: A Sestina” by Serrina Zou
• “A Night at Fort Stevens” by Brian Evans
• “ippississiM Backwards” by Michelle Alexander
• “Riding from Synesthesia to Metaphor on a Bicycle Built for Two” by Stephanie Saywell
• “Deadweight” by Rebecca Buller
• “Sophomore Year” by Rebecca Buller
• “The Post Office” by Rebecca Buller
• “what to do when your ex-husband stops by for your last signature on legal forms” by Kathy Lenney
• “The Bird of Your Life” by Alison Luterman
• “Grief Potatoes” by Alison Luterman
• “El Tapatio” by Paula Wagner
• “The Pepsi Guy” by Kimberly Shaw
• “The Sun Does Shine in the Ghetto” by Elizabeth Smith
• “We Love Uncle Mengele” by C. Lynn Shaffer
• “The Tip of the Wip” by Ockert Greeff
• “Into the Last Nights” by Ockert Greeff
• “All the Way to This Heavy Tree” by Ockert Greeff
• “Dance Studio on the Assabet” by D.T. Christensen
• “Toward an Understanding of Summer” by D.T. Christensen
• “Yellow Grass” by Ayla Walter
• “The Tyranny of Maps” by Dennis Todd
• “R2-D2” by Kay King
• “Green” by Suellen Wedmore
• “Mastered the Art” by Jane R. Snyder
• “Two Doors” by John Gibson
• “on anxious attachment” by Leta Rebecca Cunningham
• “I Speak” by Mel Diyarza
• “i stood on america’s shoulders and looked up at you” by Dean Gessie
• “A Reading from the Book of Sidewalk” by Jill A. Melchoir
• “Jumping From a Cedar Lake Pier, circa 1970’s” by Rebecca Evans
• “What She Does with Fire” by Meg Taylor
• “Witness to a Murder” by Michael Shoemaker
• “The Net” by Emily Portillo
• “a force of nature” by Dean Gessie
• “It Is Still Good” by Anissa Lynne Johnson
• “13^th Street” by Lyn Caldwell
• “Oh, How He Washed, and How She Pitied” by Magiel Ockert Greeff

Rhyming Poetry

1. “Plaints of the Old Git” by Peter Hankins
2. “Servant by the Sea” by P.D. McMilian
3. “Barn Cats” by Linda Lee Bowen
4. “The Black Mare” by Jorge Rojas, MD
5. “Third Grade Redemption” by Victoria Mary Fach
6. “If You Come to a Gathering of Trees” by Judith Chibante
7. “Where Lost Cats Dance” by J.R. Roland
8. “A Looking Glass Tribute” by Janet S. Qually
9. “The Time of Mud” by Kurt Luchs
10. “Heavenly Ocean Views” by Leslie Charles Stanford

Honorable Mentions

• “On Visiting Berlin’s Empty Library Memorial” by Laurie Clark
• “A Sonnet for All Our Broken Angels” by Adele Evershed
• “Aelios” by Jafar Cain
• “Nana’s Lament” by Anne Madigan Murphy
• “The Future Bird Scientist” by Shannon Miller
• “Rhyming Poem” by Falsetto Prophet
• “The Cardboard Underneath” by Christopher Williams
• “Olathe” by Amber Wommack Fox
• “Lovers of Chaos” by Elena Tolstova
• “The Latch Lifter” by Barry Childs
• “As One” by Fig Aster
• “Darkest Before Dawn” by Stephen Torrens
• “Buried” by asha anand
• “Sturdy Joe Sonnet” Paul Tifford Jr.
• “Father’s Lullaby” by Grant Moore
• “The Moon is Always Round” by Landon Porter
• “The piano in the alley” by Hagai Perets
• “Hair Like That” by Rocky Lepliin
• “Our Stain to Lament” by Jennifer Roberts
• “The Tale of Fanny McGree, No One as Famous as She” by Briana Melton
• “Daddy’s Smile” by Tamiko Nesbitt
• “The Longest Goodbye” by Holly Emery
• “The Porch Lady and Her Feral Friend” by Katrina Soto
• “The Ship” by Labertha McCormick
• “Seed Corn Should Not Be Ground” by J.W. Rose
• “Resolution” by R. Spencer Dooley
• “The Box” by Aimée Doyle
• “On The Night You Were Born” by Terri Michels
• “All that Glitters” by P.D. McMilian
• “Inside” by Freeman Ng
• “Parody of Hush Little Baby” by SunYeong Still
• “Reign of a Cloud” by Matthew Wenzel
• “Bells On The Wind” by Kimberly Shaw
• “The Chair Beside the Window” by Rhys Evans
• “The Chicken’s Wedding” by Julia Griffin
• “A Necklace of Words” by John Wagner
• “Disappearing” by Villanelle Kurt Luchs
• “myths” by Michael Miller
• “The Dream of Crossing the Water” by Mary Brennan
• “Did You Call Me?” by Mary Brennan

The post Announcing the Winners of the 94th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In the Greek myth, Hera cursed the nymph Echo to only repeat what’s been said to her. For today’s prompt, reinvent this myth—or bring it into the present day.

Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.

The post Echo Echo appeared first on Writer's Digest.

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 Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita 

Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First-Century Life

(Nonfiction, November, Avid Reader Press)

“ An infectiously edifying, not-so-saintly self-help book that dives into the wild, wise, and unconventional lives of 16th- and 17th-century nuns, offering advice for our modern age and proving one thing: no matter the century, nuns know best.”

Writes from: Halfway between Madrid (Spain) and New York.

Pre-Convent: We like to think that the seed of Convent Wisdom was planted the night we first met in August 2016. We weren’t the only prospective graduate students visiting Brown University that summer, but we were the only two ones matching our very specific freak: a passion for the lives and texts of 16^th– and 17^th-century nuns. That night, we knew that we would spend years of sleepless nights trying to reduce our fascination for nuns to the rigid formulas of academic writing.

What we didn’t know was that, four years later, in 2020, we’d decide to take our nuns out of dusty archives and aseptic academic journals and bring them to more playful realms. “Las hijas de Felipe,” our podcast devoted to unearthing hidden stories from the 16^th– and 17^th-century stories, confirmed what we already suspected: 16^th– and 17^th-century nuns were refreshingly relatable today. By the time we embarked on Convent Wisdom, we were used to spending most of our days writing—whether our PhD dissertations, academic papers, or podcast scripts—but this book demanded something new. It required us to craft a new voice—the two of us merged in one—and a new genre—rigorous academic research turned into a playful self-help guide.

Time frame: Once we started writing, we finished Convent Wisdom in about a year. But we had been researching, first separately and then together, for more than a decade.

Enter the agent: Our agent found us! She had been listening to our podcast for a while, and she had the feeling that we might have an idea for a book. In fact, when she approached us, we were already conceiving the general idea for the book with our Spanish editor.

Biggest surprise: When we received all the offers at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2023—nine countries plus an auction between seven U.S. publishing houses—we were shocked. It was both a huge surprise and a well-deserved confirmation that our intuition was right: in the crumbling 21^st century we live in, we all need a portable convent to find solace. It was comforting to see that, after all the years spent in libraries and archives, we had found a way to share the stories of those nuns who had captivated us and helped us survive throughout the most challenging moments of our lives.

What I did right: We were not in a hurry to publish, and that helped. Well before the 2023 Frankfurt Book Fair, we were approached by a couple of publishers, but we decided not to go ahead with them. We felt it was hasty at that point, and that their aim was to make a hurried and shallow translation of our podcast into a book. Instead, we decided to wait until we had reached a more elaborate and nuanced idea of the book.

What I would have done differently: We had no idea how to navigate those situations, but somehow our intuition was right. However, we would happily erase all the anxiety and the self-doubt that we went through.

Platform: Our podcast and our social media are great platforms, but only for Spanish-speaking audiences. We’ll have to work on English content to try and gain new international readership

Advice for writers: You don’t have to write on your own. Sometimes, it can be so much better with friends. It worked for us, and it worked for many of our nuns.

Next up: We’re working on a historical audio fiction. We’d also love to launch some episodes of our podcast in English.

Website: LasHijasDeFelipe.com

Mia Jay Boulton and Laurel Boulton 

Of Swamp & Sea 

(Romantasy graphic novel, November, 23^rd Street)

“A woman possessed by a monster must embark on a dangerous and magical journey, accompanied by a monster hunter who could be friend, foe, or lover.”

Writes from: Gulf Shores, Ala.

Pre-Swamp: We’ve really been building the bones of this story since 2014 (the year we got married), and back then, it was almost unrecognizable aside from the characters’ names. It really evolved and transmuted throughout the decade as we worked on the story back and forth alongside our other projects. Of Swamp & Sea began in prose form, as all our work does, before making the leap to an illustrated comic in 2019. We finally wrapped up the art for it earlier this year, meaning it took us around six years to write, illustrate, and color close to 5,000 individual panels. But it only took us less than a year to format them into a five-novel series, the first of which is coming out this November.

Time frame: When we first went searching for an agent, there were still very few Webtoon properties that had made the leap to print—we think the industry was still really figuring out how that could work. We searched high and low through online databases like Manuscript Wish List, looking for someone with a mind for art, romance, and the supernatural. We were so happy when our agent, Lane Clarke, decided to hear us out.

Enter the agent: We were surprised by just how difficult it could be to take a vertical-scrolling comic and reimagine it for print format. Every new page felt like a puzzle to solve and an exercise in problem-solving. The goal was always to have the art look as natural as possible, like it was born for the printed page. We really do think we accomplished that goal, and we’re looking forward to current and new readers discovering the story of Mercy and Jonah in a whole new format.

Biggest surprise: Measured persistence has really been one of the keys to getting this far. Every step of the way from creating to publishing has felt like a new obstacle course to learn to navigate and overcome, but we never let a failure steep for too long before trying again. However, we also didn’t let an output goal control our lives, and we still made time for the things we love, for our hobbies, and for each other. It’s important to never give up, while never letting it burn your candle down entirely.

What I did right: I joined a writers’ group. I’ve been in my writers’ group now for over seven years, and I’ve learned so much and grown so much from being in that group. When we started, none of us had books published, and most of us didn’t have agents yet. Now, everyone has at least one book published. Seeing my friends in the group go through that process taught me a lot about what publishing is like and what to expect. So actually, not a lot of things were a surprise to me about the publishing process because I’d already seen how everything plays out through my writers’ group.

What I would have done differently: We do plan on doing it all again, because we want to keep creating forever. Next time, we’ll put more of a focus on future-proofing our projects, mainly through the way we’ll keep our files organized and prepared for both digital and print outcomes.

Platform: Our platform of readers on WEBTOON has followed us through the whole Of Swamp & Sea saga, and we’re endlessly grateful for their loyalty. We hope that many of them will pick up its first print installment for their shelves when it hits storefronts, as a print edition has been much requested since the very earliest days. Of course, we also want to bring the story to the eyes of a new audience, which we’re working on building via social media with the help of our publisher, 23^rd Street.

Advice for writers: Never stop loving what you do: people change, and it’s okay for their stories to change with them. You can’t let the fear of losing what you already have in a project stop you from exploring what it could be. In the end, your finished work is always going to look different than how it started, and that’s a good thing. You just have to see it through to find out what your story becomes.

Next up: After book one, we’ve got four more Of Swamp & Sea volumes on the way. After that? We want to write more adventures about love and magic, and continue telling stories through art. 

Website: Linktr.ee/ofswampandsea

Marco Anderson

This Book Is About Nothing

(Children’s picture book, November, Moon + Bird)

“A hilarious and colourful picture book about a child’s unique journey to making new friends.”

Writes from: London.

Pre-Book: I wrote this book coming out of COVID lockdown. I had not written a book before, so when I had the idea, I definitely did not think that it would get published. But, as the idea kept growing, I became more and more confident in this idea and the reality of it actually being published. 

Time frame: I originally wrote this in a PowerPoint, and we developed the story into what it is now over the next couple of years. I had this idea back in spring of 2021, and we just got the ideas out into a basic PowerPoint presentation. About a month or two later, I first met with the publishing team and showed them my concept. We continued working together over the next four years and turned the idea into a real book.

Enter the agent: I do not have an agent. After coming up with the concept, I was introduced to Etan and the team at Moon + Bird. They helped me do this, and I worked with my dad on this book as well.

Biggest surprise: One of the things that surprised me most was simply how long it takes to get a book published. I originally had the idea in 2021, and now four years later, it’s about to get published.

What I did right: I was really lucky because I didn’t know what I was doing and the team at Moon + Bird was really amazing at guiding me through the process.

What I would have done differently: I really don’t think that there’s anything that I would have done differently with this book, but there are a lot of skills that I learned over the process of creating this book, which I would apply to future books.

Platform: No, I don’t currently have a platform because I’m too busy with my middle school studies.

Advice for writers: The best piece of advice that I can give you is to just keep on going and trying to make what you want a reality.

Next up: Honestly, I have too much homework right now to think that far into the future.

The post Breaking In: November/December 2025 appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Prompt: Write a short story of 650 words or fewer based on the photo prompt above. You can be poignant, funny, witty, etc.; it is, after all, your story.

Email your submission to yourstorycontest@aimmedia.com with the subject line “Your Story 140.”

No attachments, please. Include your name and mailing address. Entries without a name or mailing address with be disqualified.

Unfortunately, we cannot respond to every entry we receive, due to volume. No confirmation emails will be sent out to confirm receipt of submission. But be assured all submissions received before entry deadline are considered carefully. Official Rules

Entry Deadline: February 24, 2025.

The post Your Story #140 appeared first on Writer's Digest.

One of our most challenging experiences as writers is to capture the way that an emotion feels in the body. Today, let’s practice by translating the way that loneliness feels to the page.

Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.

The post The Way Alone Feels appeared first on Writer's Digest.

Want an opportunity to win a WD award? Keep checking our competitions page for upcoming competitions.

1. “How to Read Your Work Aloud” by Sonja Livingston
2. “Borrowed Time in Wild Places” by Heide Brandes
3. “I Came Here to Burn” by Cheryl Kelley
4. “Passthrough” by Cheryl Kelley
5. “Mouth Full of Grass, Facing East” by Karen Bellerose
6. “Singing in the Valley of Death” by William Ablan
7. “When a Tree Falls..” by P. James Norris
8. “The Year I Wrote Myself Back” by Kathryn M. Bowman Johnson
9. “the wolf” by Cheryl Kelley
10. “Magpie at the Mirror” by Nadia Alavosius
11. “The Empty Tattoo” by Elizabeth Ciufo
12. “My Belly’s Breathing” by M.K. Been
13. “Mugwort” by JoAnn Stevelos
14. “Lying Down with Wolves” by Laurie Paternoster
15. “The Moonlight Hotel” by Charles Lutz
16. “Sounds of Freedom” by Kiki Cunningham
17. “Until” by Kelly Stallard
18. “When My Secrets Were No Longer Mine” by Jean Romano
19. “Girlfriend ~ the short and longing of it” by Mo Conlan
20. “What Sisters Do” by Rebekah Rossman
21. “The Rock” by Christine Cameron
22. “Crystal, Clear” Gordon Portman
23. “That First Night” by Bari Benjamin
24. “The El Salvadorian Motorcycle Accident” by Michael Fitzer
25. “Unchosen” by Cheryl Kelley

The post Announcing the 6th Annual Personal Essay Awards Winners appeared first on Writer's Digest.

As much as I adore still life paintings, I think that modern still life photographers have an extra layer of challenge—they have to capture the feeling of a still life painting in a digital photograph.

Let’s give ourselves that challenge. For today’s prompt, create a flash piece that feels like a still life.

Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.

The post Still Life appeared first on Writer's Digest.

For today’s prompt, write about someone handling a sacred text.

Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.

The post Sacred Texts appeared first on Writer's Digest.

For today’s prompt, write about something cyclical. It could be something physical, like a Ferris wheel, or it could be more metaphorical, like time.

Post your response (500 words or fewer) in the comments below.

The post Revolutions appeared first on Writer's Digest.