I was one of ten judges for NYCMidnight’s 5^th Annual Short Story Challenge, and I’m pleased to report the winners have been announced.

From the website: The Short Story Challenge 2011 is an international creative writing competition, now in its 5th year, that challenges participants to create original short stories in as little as 24 hours.  The event is organized by NYC Midnight Movie Making Madness, an organization dedicated to discovering and promoting a new wave of talented storytellers.  NYC Midnight aims to provide the prizes and exposure necessary for writers to take their next big step towards writing professionally. (http://www.nycmidnight.com/Competitions/SSC/About.htm)

There are two rounds, and writers who place in the top 5 of the first one get a shot at writing again for the second. The top four winners receive cash prizes, with 1^st place taking home $1500.

The final round’s genre/theme was “Horror—A Prodigy.” And the top three winners are:

First: “The Presentation” by Jeffrey Osgood Alister Primmings knows that serving up a memorable meal is all in the presentation. (To read “The Presentation,” click here: http://www.jeffosgood.com/html/thepresentation.html)
Second: “Immortal in Death” by Ram Sundaram A former taxidermist visits his old student’s store and discovers that his prodigy has surpassed him in the “art” of immortalization.
Third: “For all time, dear friend” by Lauren McMenemy Come, settle in by the fire and I’ll tell you an old family tale. A tale of a boy, and the mother who demanded he play piano to acclaim across the continent…

To see the complete list of winners and information about the Short Story Challenge, visit http://www.nycmidnight.com/Competitions/SSC/Challenge.htm