Announcing the Winners of the 25th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition

Congratulations to the winners of the 25th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition!

Out of many great entries, WD editors selected the following 25 winners:

1. "A Beautiful and Everlasting Moment of Pleasure" by Hanna Bahedry

2. "Scratch" by Gordon B. McFarland

3. "Toward the Thermosphere" by JL Perling

4. "The Piano" by Jenna-Marie Warnecke

5. "The Creation of Art" by Jenna-Marie Warnecke

6. "Initiate" by Coby Kellogg

7. "The Way Back" by Eric Jacobs

8. "At the Lochshore" by Sarah Dollacker

9. "Revival Reatha" by Thomas Oakley

10. "The Western Reaches" by Caitlin A. Quinn

11. "Vivid Warm" by Richard Jespers

12. "Red Bird (or, Eleanor at the End)" by Juliana Delany

13. "Witness Marks" by J.M. Lake

14. "My Father the Telepath" by Sophia Hyland-Wolzak

15. "The Bobby Pin Box" by Carol Elizabeth Larson

16. "Nature's Decision" by John Arthur Lee

17. "What Wasn't There" by C. Piper

18. "Something for the Children" by Katie Wills Evans

19. "Side-Step" by Laura Guilbault

20. "Echoes of Silence" by Nicole Disney

21. "An Infinite Capacity" by Mark D. Mrozinski

22. "An Odd Number" by Coby Kellogg

23. "Open Secrets" by Tim Lynch

24. "Dinner Date" by Jenna  Merritt 

25. "Choices" by Minh-Tam Le

Since obtaining her MFA in fiction, Moriah Richard has worked with over 100 authors to help them achieve their publication dreams. As the managing editor of Writer’s Digest magazine, she spearheads the world-building column Building Better Worlds, a 2023 Eddie & Ozzie Award winner. She also runs the Flash Fiction February Challenge on the WD blog, encouraging writers to pen one microstory a day over the course of the month and share their work with other participants. As a reader, Moriah is most interested in horror, fantasy, and romance, although she will read just about anything with a great hook. Learn more about Moriah's editorial services and writing classes on her personal website.