Spring Writing Contest

The judges considered the entries, we invited you to vote for your favorite story to win the Readers’ Choice Award.

The winner of the Readers’ Choice Award is Shovel of Souls by Shane Fitzpatrick. Congratulations, Shane!

WRITING CONTEST SPONSORS

The prizes for this contest are provided by the following sponsors:

Story Grid: The Story Grid is a tool developed by editor Shawn Coyne to analyze stories, see what works, pinpoint problems, and inspire original creation. With over 25 years of experience, Coyne has worked with some of the best selling fiction authors in the world. As a sponsor to this contest, he provided a digital copy of his book The Story Grid to each participant and a print copy for the price of shipping.

Book Launch: For the last eight years, author and book marketer Tim Grahl has helped top bestselling authors like Daniel Pink, Hugh Howey, and Jeff Goins launch their books and reach the bestsellers list. As a sponsor to this contest, he gave one free copy of his book Your First 1,000 Copies to each participant.

Becoming Writer: Becoming Writer is the premier workshopping community from The Write Practice. Contest participants receive six weeks’ access to the workshopping community to get feedback on their short stories, novel chapters, and other writing pieces.

Spring Writing Contest Stories

You can find all the stories writers chose to publish in the contest below.

If you entered a story in the contest, we encourage you to read this guide to help you get the most out of publication on Short Fiction Break.

Cowboys and Indians by Jared Abraham
Inhuman Bonds by Trynda E. Adair
Dark Star by James Adam
Underworld by Shanna Adams
It Could Be Worse by Tammy Adams
The Margin of Error by Evrim Akyilmaz
Time Watches by Kayla Aldan
Painful Memories by Dorothy Al-Ghosien
Hearing the Fall by Ebony Allum
“Eve and Lilith” by Alexandra Aloia
Obsession by Evin Baris Altintas
Blossoms and Blooms by C.J. Anderson
The Fraternity: Her First Mission (The Prelude) by Lisa Arpino
Just a Little Bit Germy by G. Wayne Ashbee
Her Next Move by Cade Athens
The Neighbor Next Door by Betty Badgett
Black Orchid by Adrienne Baile
Deeply Buried Jealousy by Kitty Bartell
In at the Deep End by James Bartlett
Carnal by Austin Bartolo
Raise a Glass to Freedom by Alejandro Bastidas
You Can’t Buy Happiness by Rebecca Baulch
Cowardly Brave by Zeina Bazarbachi
Pymeterite by Michelle Becker
The Adventures of James and Timothy by Bryan Bell
Everything Happens for a Reason by Sabrina Beretta
The Hole Turned Me Whole by Lou-Ellen Bissell
Remember by Amanda Blundy
Monsters by Christy Brown
Keep It Simple by David J. Brown
The Midlothian Wrangler by Kyle Brown
Penny by M.W. Bodily
Till Death Do Us Part by Rhianna Bonsall
Dancing to the Future by AL Botsford
Mistakenly Broken by Kayla Bouy
Change of Life by Mike Boze
Tired by Antonia Bryan
Roll the Dice by Karen B. Call
A Love Without End, Amen by Katy Ruth Camp
The Goggles by Debra Campoli
Death in Yellowstone by Mark Casper
Lost by Frank Catanzano
1889 by Michelle Chadburn
Stealing Back My Life by Frank Charon
A Simple Glass of Water by Joslyn Chase
Lex Talionis by Jeremiah Chersin
The Writer’s Fall by Abigail Persaud Cheddie
Lost in Train—Experience of a Little Girl by Kaartika Chitturi
Call of the Night Spirit by Anindita CSH
What Could Have Been by Kevin Clawson
Another Summer Tour by Kristen Codey
Kyndegast by J.G. Cole
Consequences by Alicia Collymore-Igbonoba
Maarko’s Tree by Erik Colthirst-Reid
Shadows in Light by Carly Commiato
The Birth of Jacob Cutler by Charles Cooper
Vikings by Elizabeth Cooper
To Safety by Taralyn Cooper
The Genius by Joseph Couper
Scintilla by Candace Cox
The Price of Love by Janiquwa Dais
Gracie the Avenger by MC D’Alton
Soul Seeking Retribution by Lisa Darnell
Chasing Antenna-Man by KC Dassi
Forbidden Book by Jennetta Dawson
When Stars Fall by Olivia DeBoard
Ways to Tell by Jackson J Debruzzi
Fatalistic Love by Natalie Delgado
Rebel White by Amanda DeLong
Everything You Touch by Rachel Denhollander
The Alley by Anna Mae Dickinson
End Date by Lina Dimitrov
Somebody Somewhere by Stu Ducklow
A Ghost and a Man by Maxwell Dyke
Be Strong and Courageous by Marie Elrich
Never Leave Me Again by Samsa Eunoia
The Nature of the Thing by Christa Ewing
Crime in the City by Gregory Faraone
One Way Out by Loring Felix
Incubus on My Shoulder by Susan Walker Finlay
Shovel of Souls by Shane Fitzpatrick
The Journal of Knowledge by Natashia Floyd
Digging by Lori Fogle
The Ruru by Katherine Forster
Fresh Meat by Ken Frape
The Technician by Nick Franck
The Bounce by Kimberly Gamauf
Die-Lan by Emily Gannon
“Hello! How Are You?” by Haylee Gardner
Until My Dying Breath by Kaylee Garling
Hitting Rock Bottom by Luke Geldmacher
Betrayed by Casey Gibbs
Cleaning Catastrophy by Joy Gillingham
Off-Piste by Jessica Gilmartin
Cold Feet by Wesley Ginther
On Borrowed Time by Gloria
My Friend the Vampire by Dale Gorny
Sam’s Dilemma by Janet Leigh Green
“Vincit Que Se Vincit” by Zorah Green
The God With No Name by Logan Groll
Flowers in the Sun by Laurel Grube
The Epiphany by Melissa Guckin
Desert Diamond’s Everything Cafe by Michael Guishard
Like Never Before by Anna Gur
Under Whiskey Hill by Faith Hakimian
The Stuff of Fairy Tales by Pat Hare
Sandcastles by Rebecca Hardy
Where Are You Going? by Philip Brent Harris
Providence Comes Calling by Tony Hawley
Dive Buddies by Thomas Heaven
The Demon in the Box by Lori Hendricks
Character Development by Laila HEwitt
It’s the IRS by Pamela Hodges
Love of a Monster by Phoenix Hoekstra
The Sky Belongs to the Dreamers by Jake Hostetler
Jailbreak! by Michael Hotchkiss
The Surrender by Day Howell
First Step on Mars by Ralph Hua
The Resignation by Desiree Hunter
That Darn Dog or How I Looked Fear in the Eye by Melissa Iteld-Jurin
Beach Day by Theresa Jacobs
Through a Window, Darkly by Rebecca d. Jarmas
Death Isle by Colleen M Johnson
Jerk-Face Bastard by Elizabeth Jones
No More Games by Jericho Jones
You Have No Idea by Veronika Jordan
On Three . . . by Victoria Kaderbhai
Seeking Normal by Amanda Kauer
An Overlooked Email by Jennifer Kelly
The Cannery by Melody Kenoyer
Six Feet Under and On Top of the World by Wanda Kiernan
Worst Vacation Ever by John King
Glider by peter king
Sightless by Hannah Kretzing
Trippin’ by Karishma Krishna Kumar
Trapped by Donovan Kundiger
Winter’s Wrath by Ross Lacey
Redarr by Jonathan Lagunez
A Ride for Your Life by Laura Landau
Letting Go by Kathi Laurino
Bad Move Blues by Barbara Lee
Where Dreams Lie by Laura Diane Lee
The Baby Rose Mystery by Jeanne Lemire
A Secret Gift of Love by Lilian
Ties That Bind by Sheila Lischwe
A Drift by Gary Little
The Last Lesson by Kyle Lockhaven
Reclaimed by Maxwell Long
Who’s Got Who? by Roy Lord
The Proposal by John MacILROY
By Sundown by Veronique Manfredini
The Woodlands by Nick Mannis
Guillotine by Miguel Sta. Maria
Unfettered by Elissaveta Marinova
Two Worlds Collide by Karen McCandless
The Interview by Ruth McCracken
The Hitchhiker by Sara McEvoy
Blind Faith by Elizabeth McKenna
The Choice by Kelly McLain
The Rule of Saint Francis by ROBERT MCNEILL
My Father’s Final Wish by Amber Meyer
Midlifecrisis by Valerie Meyer
Rooftop to Rooftop by Garrett Mickley
Mind Over Matter by Kat Mueller
Goliath’s Find by Dawn C. Munnings
The Hardest World by Kelly Murphy
Repentance by Myah
Nice to Meet Me by Sophie Myers
An Intimate Stranger by Rashed Nabi
Distracted by Paul Nader
The Happy Struggle by Aneri Naik
Bend on the Road by Prema Narayanan
Anyone Else? by Anne Naylor
Rum Before You Can Walk by H. A. Nickerson
The New Amazons by Therese Noble
It’s Just College by Armeen Noorshahi
Who Are You, Really? by Valerie E. Nye
Forgotten Memory by Susan Olson
When the Chestnuts Bloomed by DANKA H. ORIHEL
Breaking Out by Tia Oshel
Partners in Crime (Fighting) by Michelle Pak
An Outrageous Tattletale: The Man of the Hour! by Barry Herbert Parmeter
The Parachute Filler by Mary Patrick
Three Little Words by Rachel Payetta
The Invisible Orphan by Wendy Pearson
MUD by Marianne Pen
My “Hero” Journey by ross perkal
Ada’s Choice by Patricia (Trish)Perry
The Island by Amanda Peters
Old Man Owen’s House by Dinalee Peterson
On a Limb by Éowyn Peterson
Innocent Racist by A. Polzella
Blackout by Sarah Ramharrack
Second Chances by Tammy Ramsey
Mira: The Rockstar! by Shekar Rangarajan
Misadventure in Murder Capital by Grace Rankin
Chaos by Rebecca
Dugout by SD Reid
The Directive by Kimberly Dawn Rempel
So, What’s New? by Jeane Rhodes
The Grave at Boot Hill by Jim Rhyne
The Asylum by Raymonda Rice
Desdemona’s Handkerchief by Antony Norman Ricks
Honey, I’m Home! by Natacha Rioux
The Last Perfect Day on Earth by Gavin Ritchie
Down the Hole by Donald Robinson
Down the Hole by Lorna Robinson
The Oldest Star by Sam Roche
Ribbons of Lion by Kayla Ross
The Dressing Table by Marie Ryan
Protecting Borders by Cassie MB Rybka
Beyond Medicine by Anja Sagan
August 16, 1977 by Katie Sauer
Trisha’s Mustang Revenge by Anna Savastano
The Forest Woman by Peter Schaeffer
A Miner’s Song by Justin Schottmuller
Lost by Heather Scrooby
Encrypted by Taija Sensei
The Spider by Mackenzie Scherer
No Justice No Sleep by Peter Shabelsky
Dark Moon by Heather Shannon
The Liar’s Burden by Jennifer Share
My Alien Abduction by Philip Shepherd
The Sentence of Anxiety by S.J. Siedenburg
Allegations by Lauren Sisley
A Well-Kept Secret by Sipho Sithole
Never Assume by B. Shaun Smith
Hole in Your Head by Shariden Anne Solis
12th Round by Doug Spak
Not a Choice by Nick Stals
Dismantled Grace by Renette Steele
Rescued by Nicole Stewart
‘China’ by Sherrie L. Stewart
The Sandrock Tree by Stuart
A Time to Fly by Anna Suanco
Unexpected Guest by Tammy
A Journey Too Traveled by Georgia Taylor
The Pain Behind Her Paint by Jasmine Taylor
Blue by Calysta Thompson
Phoenixes by Hollis Thundercroft
Adolescent Fortitude by Zane Tomich
Zephyra by Hannah Tussing
The Well by Terry Lynn Tuttle
The Beep by Sam Vale
Snookered by Dawn Van Beck
The Carousel by Nancy VanPatten
The Lonely Mountain by Melody Veen
The Heat of Sacrifice by Abbie Wainwright
One Last Treasure by Collier Ward
A Girl Named Jordan by Reginald Washington
Finding Pam by Krystal Watkins
Waiting for the Tulips by Sue Larkins Weems
The Holding Place by Corrine Weiss
Gaia’s Gardener by Samantha Weldon
Too Deep by Joya Williams
Say by Christiane Williams-Vigil
Justice Served by Johanne Winwood
The Definition of Innocence by Tracy Woodfield
Ghost Story by Abigail Woodside
Their Ears, Not Pierced by Selma Writes
Sprucing Shards by Lisa Yew
True Freedom by Dre’Vian Young
The Grand Ninja by Elly Youngstrom
Copying Pain by Atiya Zaidi