Second Place for “The Gift”
"God, if this is the path for my writing, please let me know."
I recently said that prayer when I submitted my entry for the WritersWeekly.com 24-Hour Short Story Contest.
Here's how it works. You receive a prompt and word count, and you have just 24 hours to write and submit your story. The expectations are simple: the story must touch on the topic, and the more original it is, the better.
It was a dreary, cold day, but the cast iron stove kept the passenger car warm. Outside, cobblestone streets covered with orange and red leaves started to appear as they approached the town. She glanced around, wondering why the train wasn’t slowing down. As the locomotive hurtled past the depot, she and the other passengers stared wide-eyed through the windows at…
I've entered this contest before and even received an Honorable Mention once. But I always failed to come up with a unique idea that stood out from the rest.
This time, though, I had a sense my entry would be distinct. I mean, how many other writers would read "cobblestone streets" and incorporate a snow globe as the key element in a Halloween contest?
I repeated my prayer and held my breath as I opened the notification email. Would my name be among the winners? Would I finally have confirmation that this was the path forward as I balance life with cancer and the need to write?
As always, God is good! There it was... My name, second on the list.
Finally!
