Her Essence by Talia Semeniuk

We are pleased to bring you the 5th place winner of the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest. She’s the girl next door and he can’t stop sketching her face. Used sketchbooks pile like growing mountains in his room, each filled with the same dainty nose, the same arched brows, the same shadow under the tapered edge…

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The Winter Wolf by Sef Churchhill

Today we present the 6th Place winner of the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest. Sef lives in the UK with her small child and works full time in IT. She’s been writing stories since I was twelve. She won a national writing award when she was sixteen and promptly did nothing about it. She is now trying…

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Animation by Christian Opperman

We are pleased to bring you the 7th place winner of the Becoming Writer Anniversary contest. Christian Opperman is an emerging writer currently based in Tokyo, Japan.  When not writing, he enjoys reading anything and everything he can get his hands on, and good food.  You can follow him on Twitter @cjaopperman. The cigarette stub crackled…

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The Magic Pen by Thomas Heaven

We are excited to present the 8th place winner of the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest. Thomas Heaven Ph. D. is a retired Psychologist, Physician Assistant, and United States Air Force Captain. You can follow his work at www.mancreatedall.com   While Josh waited in line, he focused on counting the books on the shelves. He was then able to…

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Overnight Success by Kieran Meyer

Today, we are excited to bring you the 9th place story in the Becoming Writer Anniversary contest.  If you enjoy Kieran’s story you can find more of his work at his blog: kieranmeyer.wordpress.com.   Darren shielded his eyes. Harsh white light blinded him. Beeps and pings assaulted his ears. “Mmmmm… hello?” A woman’s voice said “Oh my…

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Shadows of the Past by Logan Hammonds

We are happy to share with you the 10th place story in the Becoming Writer Anniversary Contest.  Logan Hammonds is from a small town in northeastern Texas. He is an IT professional working for TexarkanaIT. He has loved fantasy and science fiction ever since he was a small boy, and has been writing and drawing…

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Butterflies and Whiskey

Today’s story comes to us from guest author Heather Marie Maieli. Heather Marie Maieli is from upstate New York. She is currently studying Creative Writing and Fiction at Southern New Hampshire University. When she’s not writing, she enjoys painting and binging on Humphrey Bogart movies with her cat, Astrid. They say that you meet the…

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Black Friday

Today’s short story comes from guest author Phil Temple. Phil Temples lives in Watertown, Massachusetts, USA and works as a computer systems administrator at a university. He has published over eighty works of short fiction in print and online journals. Blue Mustang Press recently published Phil’s murder-mystery novel, “The Winship Affair.” And his new paranormal-horror…

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Pitch

Today’s short story comes from guest author Paul Corbett. Bio – Paul Anthony Corbett is an emerging writer based in Dublin, Ireland. He has been short-listed for the Over the Edge New Writer of the Year Award 2015 and specially commended for the Carried in Waves short story competition. Follow him on Twitter @pacorbett &&&&&&&&&& I…

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The Day My Dad Wanted A Son

Today’s story comes from guest author Bridgette Ramirez. Bio: Bridgette Ramirez has been an avid reader since birth and an avid writer since the sixth grade.  She has written poetry and fiction in various genres, including fantasy, romance, and comedy.  Currently she is an undergraduate student studying Creative Writing: Nonfiction at Scripps College in Claremont,…

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It's Your Call

BIO: Gayle Newby has been published in Grit Magazine and in The Pontotoc Progress Newspaper. Her work is forthcoming in the Hiram Poetry Review, Passagers, The Voices Project, and Leaves of Ink. Gayle is a retired social worker.  A long time resident of the South , Gayle now lives in the mountain West. &&&&&&&&&& As…

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A Charmed Life

  BIO: Victoria Fullard has over fifteen years experience as a professional writer and editor. She is currently revising her first novel, a publishing company–set mystery, inspired by her years working as an editor in the industry. She lives in New York City with her partner and their dog, and she hasn’t left the apartment…

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The Fly

William Quincy Belle is just a guy. You will find Mr. Belle’s unbridled stream of consciousness here (http://wqebelle.blogspot.ca) or @here (https://twitter.com/wqbelle). Murray looked at the definition of seven across, Movie Award, and then looked back at the puzzle. Five letters. He silently spelled out O-s-c-a-r. It fit. Nevertheless, he used a pencil to write it in….

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The Pigeons

The following short story is from guest author James Case. He received a degree in English Literature from the University of Connecticut, and in 2013 an MFA from Boston University. &&&&&&&&&& No one noticed the problem at first. There were few early setbacks when the carrier pigeons were introduced, except a slight up-tick in the common cold….

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Jack’s Beanstalk

John McCloskey is a writer and digital artist living in Indiana. He can be found on Twitter by his pen name JS Green. The pressures of maintaining the Beanstalk aggravated Jack’s already moribund condition. Each morning, Jack squinted irritably out the window of his cottage at the approaching tourists who came to wonder at his legendary Beanstalk….

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Unholy Racket

Today’s story comes from guest author Elias Keller, who earned degrees in Anthropology and Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. His fiction has appeared in Every Day Fiction, APIARY, Slush Pile, Forge, Pindeldyboz, and The Legendary. He currently lives in New Orleans and teaches creative writing at the New Orleans Academy of Fine Arts. www.eliaskeller.com….

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The Other Side

Today’s guest post comes from Seth Silverbush. Seth is currently relocating from Los Angeles to North Carolina, where he plans to open a bakery and continue writing. June Stacey takes up most of my computer screen, but I mostly find myself peering at my own face in the box at the bottom right hand corner,…

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Abandon

Today’s story comes to us from DG Knight, a young and previously unpublished author. His Twitter handle is @DGKnightWriter. Enjoy. Being in a plane crash was the best thing that happened to me. Every night as I watch the sun sink behind the dazzling blue ocean, I feel so thankful for sudden engine failure. Does that…

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Incomplete Self-Portrait of Us

Today’s SFB story comes to us from Michael Mungiello. Michael is from New Jersey. His stories may be found in Nanoism and McSweeney’s. Enjoy. #### She was an actress: BORING There was always some makeup left in her hairline when she returned from the set, which reminded me of the ink smudges my pen had…

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Demon of the Mount

Today’s SFB story comes to us from Eric Lewis, a synthetic organic chemist in the Pittsburgh area. Enjoy. ##### Allard held his breath and drew the bowstring taut. The stub of his amputated pinky made the grip feel strange, even though it was healed at last. He had his target. Half a second to take…

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On Writing – Angels and Demons

Today’s On Writing Blog is presented by guest author Carla Lee Suson. You can learn more about Carla and her work on her website http://carlaleesuson.com/   Angels, Demons, and the Fairy World The polar relationship between good and evil exists in some embodiment in all cultures. For Western cultures, that symbology takes the form of…

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Sometimes

Today’s SFB story comes to us from guest author Chris Palmer. Chris is a high school teacher, and has had stories published in Liquid Imagination of the Mind, and Helix, Central Connecticut State University’s publication. Enjoy. ***** Sometimes is an odd word when you’re ten. Like everything else, you form a literal understanding and the rest of the…

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The Monster Awaits

Today’s SFB story comes to us from guest Jason Huebinger. Jason’s forthcoming novel, FATE’S PAST, is a supernatural horror work scheduled to be published by Pandamoon Publishing in 2015. You can find more of his work on his blog, on Twitter (@jasonhuebinger), and on Facebook. An old man stood lurched near two shoulder-high torches.   Sunken green eyes darted up…

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Stoned Love

Today’s SFB story comes to us from guest author Mike McCarthy. Mike lives with his family in Germany. He has published several stories on fictionontheweb.co.uk. Enjoy. **** How the hell am I going to tell her? There´s an old couple, mid seventies, at least. They´re like us, not age wise, but in their habits. Every evening we all…

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Confession

This hilarious short story comes to SFB courtesy of guest author James Stuart. James received his degree in Creative Writing from Colorado State University. He is the contributing editor of www.ambitionzasawriter.com. Instagram and Twitter profiles are: @TheStuniversity. ***** She lets the door slam behind her, rattling the windows, and walks through the foyer. I know it’s her because I can…

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First and Last

The following story is by guest contributor Madeline Gressman. Madeline is a recently graduated English major from the University of Minnesota Morris. She has completed two course with The Institute of Children’s Literature and hopes to begin a career in publishing. Madeline Gressman lives in Lakeville, Minnesota and spends her time writing, reading, and doing…

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On the Cheshire Plains

The following story is a guest post by Graham Reiboe. The Polo bucked. I stamped on the accelerator, and we were slammed back in our seats as it thundered down the street. I slowed down, checking the rear-view mirror as I did so. My date looked at me, understandably puzzled, and turned to look through the…

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Don't Text and Drive

The following story is by guest contributor Angela Trevino. A francophile born in Mexico, raised in Texas and schooled in Connecticut, Angela once climbed an erupting volcano and swam with sharks on a night dive. And yes, she would do it again in a heartbeat. A short story writer as well as a filmmaker, she loves…

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Walking Away

The following story is by Michelle Chalkey. Michelle writes romance, women’s fiction, and young adult fiction. She has short stories published on Short Fiction Break and Wordhaus and is currently drafting her first novel. Michelle also writes articles for Iowa Living Magazines and for 4-Layer Cake, her blog about desserts, fitness, books and writing. “Young…

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An Empty Nest

The following story is by guest contributor Shaleen Driscoll. I always knew you were different. I knew that little boys should play baseball, not Annie, but I was so grateful you had the courage to be yourself, I didn’t care. You were right though. Your father did. He never said it, not out loud, but he…

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