Announcing the Winners of the 20th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition

Congratulations to the winners of the 20th Annual Writer's Digest Short Short Story Competition!

Author:
Cassandra Lipp
Publish date:
Jun 17, 2020

short short story

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

Read the Grand Prize winning short story here.

1. “Qutting Time” by Gregory Jeffers

2. “The Pride” by Jane Eaton Hamilton

3. “An Indefinite Progress of Existence” by Sara Lynn Burnett

4. “Frankie’s Mother” by Beth Burnett

5. “The Jury Pool Puzzle” by B. P. Barker

6. “Just a Little Old Lady” by Antoinette Berthelotte

7. “Dad” by Dennys Estevez

8. “A Child’s Night” by Mary Eastham

9. “Ripples” by Angela Sungaila

10. “The Hermit’s Tattoo” by Leslie Kirk Campbell

11. "Mythical Places" by Jessica Hollander

12. "Tear Mine" by Laurel Nathanson

13. "Loretta's Great Deal" by Stephen Michael Berberich

14. "I'm Still Here" by Barbara North

15. "Russell" by Melissa Murphy

16. "Six Pains Over Nine" by Sheilah Michaels

17. "Reflection" by Peter Mayne

18. "April Fool" by Ross N Phillips

19. "A Single Plate" by Liz Waltzman

20. "The Wedding Day" by Ann Menschel

21. "Call Me Pretty" by Mary Maeve McGeorge

22. "On Her Knees" by Susan R. Barclay

23. "Scavenger" by Marci Martin

24. "Sharing Worlds" by Diane Talbert

25. "The Win" by DJ O'Toole

Learn more about first place winner Gregory Jeffers and his writing process in his winner profile.

What Is Pastiche in Literature, and Why Is Sherlock Holmes Perfect for It?

Mystery/Thriller

What has made Sherlock Holmes so adaptable and changeable throughout the character’s original inception? Author Timothy Miller explains.

By Timothy Miller

3 hours ago

How to Write Through Grief and Find Creativity

Overcoming Writer's Block

When author Diana Giovinazzo found herself caught in the storm of grief, doing what she loved felt insurmountable. Here, she shares how she worked through her grief to find her creativity again.

By Diana Giovinazzo

19 hours ago

writer's digest wd presents

This week, we’re excited to announce our new “Get Published in 2022” digital guide, six new WDU courses, and more!

By Writers Digest Staff

Jan 16, 2022

5 Tips for Keeping Your Writing Rolling

Writing Habits and Practices

The occasional bump in the writing process is normal, but it can be difficult to work through. Here, author Genevieve Essig shares five ways to keep your writing rolling.

By Genevieve Essig

Jan 15, 2022

From Script

In this week’s round up brought to us by Script magazine, exclusive interviews with screenwriter Steven Knight (Spencer), Mike Mills (C'mon C'mon), and David Mitchell (Matrix Resurrection). Plus, how to utilize your vulnerability in your writing and different perspectives on screenwriting structure.

By Script Magazine

Jan 15, 2022

Writing Mistakes Writers Make: Forgetting To Read

Writing Techniques

The Writer's Digest team has witnessed many writing mistakes over the years, so this series helps identify them for other writers (along with correction strategies). This week's mistake is forgetting to read.

By Michael Woodson

Jan 14, 2022

Tapping Your Memories for Emotional Truths on the Page

Writing Techniques

Sharing even a fraction of our feelings with our characters will help our stories feel more authentic. Here, Kris Spisak explains how to tap into our memories to tell emotional truths on the page.

Jan 14, 2022

Poetic Forms

New/Invented Poetic Forms

Poetic Form Fridays are made to share various poetic forms. This week, we look at the trinet, a seven-line form based on word count.

By Robert Lee Brewer

Jan 14, 2022

Tammye Huf: On Real Love That Sparked Inspiration

Debut novelist Tammye Huf discusses how her own familial love story inspired her historical fiction novel, A More Perfect Union.

By Robert Lee Brewer

Jan 13, 2022

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE

CLOSE