Fine Lines » Contests

Winners of the 55 Word Fiction Writing Contest!

Jeff — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 18:55:47 +0000

2010 – Final Results – Congratulations!

55 Word Fiction Writing Contest

1st place: $100 and a one year subscription to Fine Lines

Edie Goodwin (Council Bluffs, IA) is a pediatric physical therapist at Loess Hills Area Education Agency in Council Bluffs, IA. She is a lover of people, has 2 children, 11 step-children, and 30+ grandkids. She believes in giving children the foundation they need to help them become successful adults. She dabbles in writing, piano-playing for musicals, and dreams of being a New York City Rockette. Of course, she’s not 5′ 7″ and can’t dance, but one can always dream! One of her greatest joys is teaching Creighton University PT students, who she hopes to steer into a pediatric PT career, so she can one day retire and just dance!. She has a wonderful husband, Bob, who lives with her long work hours and supports her outlandish dreams. She considers herself one very fortunate woman!

2nd place: $50 and a one year subscription to Fine Lines

Peggy Adair (Omaha, NE) “I write because I have to. The very first humans scrawled their life experiences on cave walls. It is in our DNA to leave a permanent record of bits and pieces of our lives – to make sense of our existence, and to leave something meaningful behind. As a lobbyist in the state legislature, I write testimony and drafts of legislative bills to encourage state government to be more receptive to the needs of young people who have no vote and other people who have no voice. I am also a photographer, videographer, graphic designer, copy writer, speaker, non-profit board member, bird feeder, tennis player, cat lover, and matriarch of a grand and fun-loving family.

3rd place: $25 and a one year subscription to Fine Lines

Deborah Ramirez (Oahu, HI) “To satiate a deep craving for personal satisfaction, I write. I don’t create delicious meals or complete crosswords puzzles. Unfortunately, I never listened to my Italian, Spanish, French or Japanese teachers. I hated playing the flute. I failed home economics and quit decades of dance classes. Oddly, I haven’t given up on writing, or it hasn’t given up on me. A few months ago, I joined a writer’s group in Hawaii. Our prompt for the week was this Fine Lines contest. I’ve been reading Fine Lines on-line since then. I write and review grants for non-profit organizations to pay my mortgage. During the day, I enjoy the company of background actors and crew members on the set of Off the Map (ABC Television). After I earned my BA in Communications, I wrote radio commercials for WOR Radio, wrote restaurant reviews for Here’s Brooklyn, worked for HOPE magazine as an editorial assistant, and submitted essays, poetry and short stories to various journals. I love discussing films and photography with my son who is a dedicated film student and an amazing human being. Mahalo for your consideration. Aloha.”

Read the top ten! Click here!

Winners of the 55-Word Fiction Contest!

Jeff — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:50:10 +0000

These are the Winners for 2009 as announced by David Martin:

First Place

The Truth

By Marc Magisana, Omaha, NE

The cards said murder. The old woman’s tarot readings were never wrong. To win the contest, I would need to kill. Who? She pretended not to know. Enraged, I beat the truth out of her. Her murder made me a famous writer. Now I’m framed: “Winner: First Prize Fiction Contest” hangs on my cell wall. (55)

Second Place

In Montana

By Marge Barrett, Minneapolis, MN

By campfire light near Many Glacier, she snaps, crackles, pops. He strives to snuff out the flames, steaming water, sifting sand. Like paint pots in Yellowstone, they bubble, sizzle, while cedars crash and swans soar. Yet as fields seared in the fall, they spring up renewed, sip Beaujolais, curled together in Rising Sun’s fireplace lobby. (55)

Third Place

Toddler Turnabout

By Alberta Lee Orcutt, St. Paul, MN

Chubby fingers clutch the peach to her mouth. Juice trickles down her chin and wrist on its way to her elbow, sugary orange passing through yesterday’s scratch and today’s dirt, finally sticking to the squirming kitten trapped between her knees. Then – the bolt! And Huntress drops the hallowed peach to devotedly stalk her panicked prey. (55)

First Honorable Mention

Spinach Salad

By Shawna Mayer, Springfield, IL

“It’s pure green sunshine,” my mom always declared while planting. The tilled earth was cool, moist, and forgiving against bare feet just released from winter confinement, but by the time the bumpy leaves unfurled, my feet had thick calluses. Come harvest, I ate deliberately, savoring each leaf draped across my tongue, turning my blood red. (55)

Second Honorable Mention

Animated Acting

By Johnnye Gerhardt, Omaha, NE

Chaz congratulated herself on landing the speaking role even though it was only one line. She delivered it with gusto. As she exited the scene, Chaz went cold and rigid. She remembered then that she was a cartoon character doomed to spend eternity in a file until someone deleted her. She wept flat dry tears. (55)

Third Honorable Mention

Rage Against Machines

By Angie Schendt, Omaha, NE

Jennifer honked her horn as a dirty, red, rusted Neon nearly nicked her car in a large traffic snarl. Two other close calls (and finger exchanges) later, she came home to the sound of loud machine guns. She screamed at her son to turn off the video game. “But Mom, I haven’t killed anyone, yet.” (55)

Fourth Honorable Mention

Limitations

By Steve McKenna, Albion, NY

The honest truth is every one of us is a toad. Remarkably, my mother was a toad, but she never knew it. She grew up in the large, green pond next door, never fully grasping the idea that being a toad had its own limitations. I, on the other hand, know that I cannot fly. (55)

55 Word Fiction Finalists

Jeff — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:14:03 +0000

1

“Sweet Memories”

Edie Goodwin

word count: 55

He was a delightful, young man and so full of life. Blonde-haired and blue-eyed, he was the boy every girl dreamed about. They had great times together, full of laughter and love and hopefulness.

On one, bright, October day, he said, “Will you marry me?”

“Oh, sweetheart, I can’t,” she replied, sadly. “I’m your Grandma.”

2

“The Legacy”

Peggy Adair

word count: 55

He watched unnoticed from the shed as uniformed men with guns dragged his father away. He knew what to do. He found a shovel, trod silently to the meadow and dug a hole as deep as a 9-year-old can. He dropped the plastic-wrapped package in and filled the hole. The last banned book was safe.

3

“Coping”

Deborah Ramirez

word count: 55

I make wishes at 12:34 a.m. I tape fortune cookie slips to the refrigerator, read horoscopes, and cross my fingers at ATMs.

Laid off again at 50, there’s little work for island women. I avoid my overstuffed mailbox, because foreclosure notices haunt me.

Hopefully wine at Sack-n-Save is reduced-for-quick-sale, and my home is not.

4 “A Moment with Benny”

Kim Justus

word count: 55

I run my fingers through his close cropped hair. My hands feel the muscle, as I tenderly caress him. His breath is familiar, as his tongue offers a kiss. Our longing eyes meet expectantly. Playfully, I push the Bulldog away. The ringing phone steals my attention, as Benny nods off again in his little bed.

5 “Contact”

James Salhany

word count: 50

Mom and I always talked. Growing up had its pains. Adjustments, things I didn’t understand. We would talk often. Very often. Mom passed away last November. I’ve moved on. Yesterday, while scrolling my cell phone contacts, Mom’s number appeared. I tried to remove it, and accidently pushed call. She answered!

6 “Internal Debate”

Carolyn Tobias

word count: 55

Idea sighed. She had appeared in dreams day and night, but Fear had always squashed her growth. “Maybe you’re just supposed to be an inspiring thought?” I told her.

A lone tear slipped from her eye. “Or maybe I’m the key to your untapped potential?”

I hit SEND. Masters application emailed. Fear would not win.

7 “ART/Fate”

Kerrie Baldwin, Woodstock, NY

The syringe inhaled twice the directed amount of hormone. Fearing another failed cycle, she took reproductive matters into her own hands. With suspended breath and desperation, she flooded her body with possibility, disregarding the psychic’s promise that she will eventually mother three children.

“Yes, a toddler and twins,” she tells her therapist one year later.

8 “The Battle”

Frank Daman

Word count: 55

The new surge of soldiers faced the fully-embedded enemies. It’s time to take care of them. Time is of essence. A life is at stake. The brave soldiers charged as the stubborn enemies bloated to face their opponents.

Chaos!

Then, silence and peace.

“I think the antibiotics are working. The fever’s breaking,” said the physician.

9 “Wrong Time for No Time”

David Prinz Hufford

Word count: 52

“No time! No Time!” but he answered the phone.

“Ace Surveys. Now, we’re not selling anything . . . .”

“I know. Goodbye.”

The doorbell rang. He answered.

“Swifty Roofers.”
“No, thanks.”

The phone rang.

He answered, “I’m not interested.

“I’m sorry,” she said and hung up.

It was the girl he had been waiting for.

10 “Himmelberg’s Feed and Seed”

Marilyn Dorf

Word count: 55

In our town, fat ol’ Helmut Himmelberg operated Himmelberg’s Feed and seed, opened up like clockwork every morning and spent the day astride a bag of chicken feed counting up his profits, telling old-time tales, wondered why nobody came one day, then saw at quitting time he hadn’t changed his sign from CLOSED to OPEN.

55 Word Contest

David — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:01:18 +0000

Fine Lines announces its first-ever writing contest! For more information, download the pdf file and look for contest highlights in the current 2009 summer issue. Looking to pay via PayPal? Click on the button below.