This fall, Short Fiction Break is partnering with The Write Practice to host a writing contest in which everyone gets published.
Fall 2022 WRITING CONTEST
This fall, we invited all writers to write a new story inspired by the theme of our contest; workshop it in The Write Practice Pro, our partner writing community; and submit it for publication here at Short Fiction Break.
The theme of this contest was Haunted.
WINNERS OF THE SPRING WRITING CONTEST
We received hundreds of excellent submissions. After much deliberation, our judges selected the following winning stories:
Grand Prize:
Forever Yours by Joanna Dunn Samson
Runners Up (alphabetized by author):
The Walkers by Kate Murphy
The Bone Children by Nicole Rebentisch
Honorable Mentions (alphabetized by author):
Airlock by Paige Guerra
Pumpkin Pie & Formaldehyde by Allie April Knox
Walk Alone by Cullin F. Morgan
An Occurrence in Pumpkin Falls by Alexandria Olivarez
The Aroma of Coffee by Cheri Powell
SHORTLISTED STORIES
There were so many good stories in this contest, the judges were hard-pressed to narrow their selections to just a handful of winners. While the following stories didn’t win a prize, the judges noted them as some of their favorites.
Dead Mail by Paige Aoki
The Doll by Delaney Conroy
Other Side of the Tracks by Caroline Craven
Night of the Shadowling by Marius de Kock
The Message by Robert Dyer
Haunted by K.M. Hotzel
THE HORROR by Rob Hunt
The Following by Stephen James
Our Nightly Routines by Rebecca Jean
Insomnia Haunts Me by Susan Keller
Have Mercy by S.E. Laughter
The Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet–a Grotesque Trinity by Barton K Mann
The Offerings by A.K. McCutcheon
Secrets by Nathan
An Unexpected Guest by Elizabeth Nettleton
Our Little Town is Dying by Katherine Ruud
Right Around Sunset by Heather Ann Shannon
Claude’s Pipe by R.C. Wilson
Alone by Ann Worthington
READERS’ CHOICE AWARD
The judges are deliberating over the winners of the grand prize. As they sift through 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 “Sunken” by Dobrina Angelieva. Congratulations, Dobrina!
SPONSORS
The prizes for this contest are provided by the following sponsor:
The Write Practice Pro: The Write Practice Pro 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.
FALL 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.
The Search by Mike Adkins
The First Week by Sandeep Aggarwal
Pumpkin Pie & Formaldehyde by Allie April Knox
Beyond the Veil by Nelly A
The Soulless by Todd Anderson
The Kiss by A.J. Aisling
Sunken by Dobrina Angelieva
A Killer by Jean Sylvia Anker
Home Before Midnight by Kimberly Anne
Dead Mail by Paige Aoki
The Woman in the Pale Gown by Norma Archibald
Dance for your soul by Malik Atwair
Haunted by Sandy Belford
Flinders Reap by Andy Betts
Unlocked by SilverRose
Sweeping Broom by Judy Blackburn
Willful Destiny by April Bly
The Growing Pains of an Emotional Cripple by Marion Bolton
Death Calls by Larry Bone
Amish Underground by T. Bontrager
An Unordinary House by Jovie Briggs
Haunted by DeAnna Shae
The Ghost and the Sword by Stephen Brown
Ghost Man by Charm Harris
Unfinished Business by Denise Burrows
The Ghost of Cassiopeia by Scarlett Boleyn
Spectral Revenge by Condor Caruncle
The Brannigan by David A. Chase
Wallflowers by Phoebe Clegg
The Way to No Man’s Slough by Karen Clemens
The Terrifying Incident at the Rooftop Tennis Court by Tonya Colson
Alex and the Haunted House by Mike Conradt
The Doll by Delaney Conroy
Failing by Yoana
The Collective by Brad Cote
Tortured Truth by Victory Jo
Other Side of the Tracks by Caroline Craven
A Monumental Loss by Page Craw
The Country Gentleman, 1789 by Lori Crispo
Sissy by Jacie Crump
The Well of Bitter Tears by Stephen Dale
Night of the Shadowling by Marius de Kock
The Message by Robert Dyer
Haunted House by Mara Eason
The Haunting of 1322 Terra Street by Laura Eiras
The Most Terrifying Ghost by Darlene Elder
DEAD MAN’S CURSE by David Elderton
The Promise by Anne Kenney Ettel
Window Chopping by C. Thursby Flynn
Ghosted by Kimberly Pankonin
Chambre Ardente by Eva Adair
The Librarian and the Old Tea House by Jude Garnier
Rebirth by Mae Jordan
Secrets by Nathan
The Lost Child by Jewel Eliese
Haunted Girl by Madison Greer
702 Sweetbottom Place by karen gref
Paging Dr. Skittleberry by Danielle Grosse
Teddy Bear by Gigi Guan
Airlock by Paige Guerra
Love Bites by Robert L. Harrell
The man in the lens by Corinne Harrison
Travelogue by Michael A. Hemmings
The Initiation by Sharon Hetherington
An Eerie Event at Erie View Park by Rose Ann Hirsch
Dark Prospects by M. Hoff
It Doesn’t Make Sense by Eric Holdorf
Haunting is an education by Tom Housden
Fortune by Sara Huggins
THE HORROR by ROB HUNT
The Bringer by Clay Huston
The Keep by B.E. Jackson
The Following by Stephen James
Rory and the Aura by Kathi Jenkins
Blood on the Bayou by Hannah Jenkins
The Ghost Light by Lola Johns
In The Eyes Of Beasts And Men by Leigh-An Johnson
TAKE THE LEAP by Sandy Juker
Haunted by K.M. Hotzel
Insomnia Haunts Me by Susan Keller
The Night Bus by Taylor Kimble
Justice by John N. King
The Offerings by A.K. McCutcheon
The KNOCKS of life by Tzvi Klitnick
My Silence Shatters His Eardrum by Shulamit Kopf
The Maze by V L Kurtz
The Return by Maddie Lama
An Old Enemy by Gabrielle Lamontagne
Have Mercy by S.E. Laughter
Should We Sell Park House by DM Lawson
Ghosts That Follow, Demons That Remain by Willow Layne
The Session by Christie Lessman
Mom’s Return from Hell by A. R. Harlow
The Right Choice by Susan J Liddle
Haunted by Laurine Linden
The End of the World by Joan Maccarrone
Le Mistral by John S Malnor
The Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet–a Grotesque Trinity by Barton K Mann
Undead by Rock Martin
A Haunting Experience by Connie Martinez
All Hallows’ Eve by Maureen Duffy
The Grateful Haunting by Ann McDonald
The Ominous Escalator by Jane McGowan
The Constant Companion by Darrell Eugene McGuire
Thug Love by Mary McKeone
Wraith in a Wake by Anita Meiszies
Benevolent Spirit by Sarah Meredith
The Unseeable by Francesca Michels
Raudonas by Alma Mikaliukas
Haunted Heads by Shantel Brunton
The Lost Creek Inn by Rachel Milne
The Circle of the Call by Laura L. Morgan
Walk Alone by Cullin F. Morgan
Requiem for Ray by Deborah Morrison
Why Did You Leave Me? by Amy Mouharir
The Walkers by Kate Murphy
The One who Seeks by Natdia
The Deer by Sabrina Nelson
An Unexpected Guest by Elizabeth Nettleton
Possession by Julee Nicklaus
Subject Three by Jennifer Horgan
An Occurrence in Pumpkin Falls by Alexandria Olivarez
Unseen by Lori A Paradis
Volcano by LJ Peacock
Afraid of the Dark by Carmella T. Penny
Bastard by D Peterson
Sylvia, Monty and Me by Philip J Palmieri
House of Magic by Gordana Plemic Agostini
The Aroma of Coffee by Cheri Powell
The Whispers of the Sea by Sue Pugh-Rankin
The Bone Children by Nicole Rebentisch
Neighborhood Watch by Katie Redington
Newfield Lament by Paula Jean Reinbold
Haunting Melody by Janice Rider
One More by Joshua D. Riesland
Words that Bite and Words that Follow by Antonio Roberts
The wanderer by Africa del Carmen
Family Superstitions by Linda Rooney
Hail Mary by Krista Rosa
A Haunted Man by Steve Rush
Our Little Town is Dying by Katherine Ruud
Forever Yours by Joanna Dunn Samson
Purging Belief 1332 chatelaine st. by Doug Sandelin
Where Two Rivers Meet. by Eva Saunderson
Haunted Rose by Kimberly Schramm
Right Around Sunset by Heather Ann Shannon
A New Old Friend by Mark Shields
Tethered by Emily Courte
Christmas Past by Wila Cather
Ghosted by Camille Simonds
The Green Chapel by Robert Singler
The Secret Lies with Bixby by Kristin Skelton
Dark White House by Linda Slater
GRIEF ENCOUNTER by Will Smeaton
Death Penalty by Robert Smiley
Dreams by Holli Sperti
Trick or treat by Seshadri Sreenivasan
Help, My Computer Is Haunted by Kathi Stait
Our Nightly Routines by Rebecca Jean
The Cemetery by C. A. Stewart
MIRROR,MIRROR by Joy Sullivan
Danced With You Too Long by Tania Sholes
Midnight Revenge by Carol Taylor
The Haunting on Fairview Lane by Laura Porter Taylor
The Geddon Possession by Aung Thura
Otherworld by Catharina Hof
Haunted Lullaby by Julie Strøm
The Haunted Consumption of Lydia Raveneaux by Deborah Trahan
Fate of the Voidseer by Graden Trenary
Synaptic Damnation by Frannie Tull
Haunting of the Stone Cottage by Vivien Turner
Lover’s Lane by Jeanne Vaughn
Deer Haunting by Liisa Walimaa
The Monster Who Lives Beneath the Wooden Deck by Jean Walker
The Sound Of A Sail, Catching The Wind by Daniel Wier
A Push of the Button by Joshua Wilson
Claude’s Pipe by R.C. Wilson
Alone by Ann Worthington
Listen by Miguel A. Zamora
Congratulations to everyone who entered the Fall Writing Contest!