The 86th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition Winners

Grand Prize

Children’s/Young Adult Fiction

1. John Buentello, “The Terrible Troll”
2. Barbara Layman, “Day Dreamer and the Sleeping Giants”
3. Brooklyn West, “The Curse of Sap River”
4. Lindsay Leslie, “Wanted: Dusk Raiders”
5. Emma Tennier-Stuart, “1558”
6. Asha Azariah-Kribbs, “The Teacup Fairy”
7. Sara Hale, “The Pride of Calhoun County”
8. James Roth, “Zoo Day”
9. Sandy Quandt, “Splintered and Shattered on the Inside”
10. Pamela Love, “A Handful of Rain?”­­

Honorable Mentions

• Catherine Arguelles
• Asha Azariah-Kribbs
• Tracy Bilen
• Lynn Bleau
• Robyn Buttars
• Naomi Caplan
• Ashley Christiano
• Scott Cyre
• Emma Fox
• Roslyn Gallagher
• Fiona Gold Kroll
• Nicole Green
• Linda Hargenrader
• Michael Harley
• Carrie Harvey
• Pamela Haskin
• Lana Krumwiede
• Elizabeth Larkin
• Amy Leskowski
• Faith Markle
• Lee Ann McLeod
• Randi Mrvos
• Leslie Ralph
• Patti Richards
• James Roth
• James Simson
• Maria Singh
• K.T. Stanley
• Trinity Suh
• Christine Van Zandt
• Rebecca Vesperman
• Sandra Wright*
• Terri Yannetti
• Ellen Ziegler

Genre Short Story

1. Leslie Wibberley, “A North Wind”
2. Gretchen B. Phelps, “Genesis”
3. Jill Bisker, “Beyond Measure”
4. Rowland Creitz, “A Meeting of the Minds”
5. Diane Walker, “The Last Tea”
6. Ronan Takagi, “Ake Ome”
7. Rebekah Newcome, “The Burning in My Chest”
8. Cassandra Flores, “Of Gods and Dragons”
9. Alexandria Simmons, “A White Rose for His Lady”
10. CJ Montgomery, “Rogue”

Honorable Mentions

• Laura Adams
• Tania Aguirre
• David Altman
• Summer Baker
• Michael Bergman
• Eric Beversluis
• Rich DiSilvio
• Damond Fudge
• Roberta Gibson
• Mark Harwell
• Catherine Hawkins
• Andrea Hayes
• Madaline Hoy
• Sera Hunter
• Andrew Italia
• Frank Karl
• Ashley Kent
• Elle Linder
• Taja Longley
• Morgan Lynn
• Nancy McLane
• Jessica Medero
• Christine Newcombe
• Thomas Perrin
• Jessica Rein
• Sharon Renfroe
• Kari Rimbey
• Arin Roberson
• Thomas Roggenbuck
• Shayla Schmida
• Ruth Simerly
• Mark Stiller
• Kelly Thomas
• Jenny Tilley
• Mahriah Wray

Inspirational Writing

1. Mary Novaria, “Change of Heart”
2. Kristina Raven, “Pea-Sized Lumps”
3. Marybeth Cobble, “Raspberry”
4. Paula Drake, “Mission of Hope”
5. Joyce Putman, “Be There to Meet You”
6. Tinisha Price, “Hello ‘ME’”
7. David Allen, “Crossing the Sun”
8. Jan Stagg, “A Surprise for Samurai”
9. Nita Carroll, “The Wave”
10. Teresa Weaver, “Best Words”

Honorable Mentions

• Kristine Anderson
• Cheryl Bills
• Lisa Braxton
• Robyn Buttars
• Robyn Coggins
• Rita Coker
• Karen Ferguson
• Robyn Field
• Lois Strobel Fiester
• Virginia Ford
• Dwana Guntrum
• Iva Hartwell
• Norma Williams Lasch
• Toni Lepeska
• Jennifer Libertini
• Vernon L. Lichliter
• Antoinette Lyn
• Joanna Lynch
• Mary Maresca
• Alex Martinez
• Laura Moehrle
• Kaitlin Murphy-Knudsen
• Pamela Nardini
• Tina Outten
• Sharlett Reittie
• Sylvia F. Sauerwime
• Sarah Schmidtberger
• Lisa Singer
• Judith Smith
• Anna Unkovich
• Paul Vasko
• Edith Weigand**
• Joan Whetzel

Magazine Feature Article

1. Dyan Neary, “We Need to Talk About Frankie: Prescribing Anti-Psychotic Drugs to Toddlers”
2. Cheryl Katz, “The Sad Saga of Iceland’s &#$% Balls”
3. Erin Chesnut, “Standing in the Breach”
4. Marsha Porter, “My Breast Reduction Surgery”
5. Debbie Lee, “Local Woodworkers Honor Veterans in Unique Way”
6. Elaine Howley, “Supernova Sarah Thomas”
7. Christy Heitger-Ewing, “‘Mr. Roncalli’ Bob Tully: A Blessing at Roncalli High School for the Past 55 Years”
8. Leslie Wibberley, “The Bare Truth”
9. Don North, “Coon Thien: The Most Dangerous Battlefield in Vietnam 1967”
10. Tiffanie Wen, “What I Learnt Using a Friendship App”

Honorable Mentions

• Doug Alderson
• Sheryl Aronson*
• Elizabeth Bergstone
• Lee-Ann Brodeur
• Don Carter
• Susan Cort Johnson
• Kathryn Dean
• Jessica Farthing
• Katie Giorgio
• Amanda Harnisher
• Christy Heitger-Ewing
• Elaine Howley
• Charles Leitner
• Jerome W. McFadden
• Todd McGee
• Teresa McLamb**
• Leonardo Moran*
• Dallas Mullins
• Marsha Porter
• Michael Ryan
• Karim Shamsi-Basha
• Sarah Shaw
• Candace Simar
• Shirley Stuby
• Mary Taylor
• Stacy Verner
• Angela Waldron
• Tiffanie Wen*
• CJ Woodring
• Terri Yannetti

Mainstream/Literary Short Story

1. Laine Cunningham, “The Butterfly Tree”
2. Natasha Post, “I, Alphabet”
3. Ilean Tayler, “If All the Stars Went Out”
4. Marcella Cordova, “Warmth”
5. Janita Lo, “The Wise Emperor”
6. Bill Hinthorn, “A Short Guide to West Texas Wildflowers”
7. Paula Matzek, “Good Will”
8. Joey Garcia, “Frank Sinatra Saved My Life”
9. Melissa Crickard, “The Very Pertinent News of Gabriel Vincent de Vil”
10. Kathy Joyce, “Secrets of an Old Maid”

Honorable Mentions

• Judith Bartow
• Sarah Beaudette
• Deborah Bohling
• Valerie Campbell
• Ellen Cassidy
• Christopher Cippel
• Rural Cowboy
• Meghan Dairaghi
• eveghost
• Thomas Dukes
• Mark Fabiano
• Laura Gabel-Hartman
• Paul Grant
• Claire Hagan
• Justan Honer
• Elizabeth Karras
• Karen Kent
• Jen Knox
• Christine LeBel
• Raquel Levitt
• Olivia Lopez-Parsons
• Khia Mercer
• Scott Merrow
• Stephen Picca
• Heather Ricks
• Barbara Ritchie
• Nathan Ross
• Katerina Skedros
• Kathy Stevens
• Kimberly Stryker
• Michelle Tang
• Tanya Uluwitiya
• Brandy Vertrees
• Sandra Walker
• Michele Wong

Memoirs/Personal Essay

1. Tanya Britton, “Colours of Lenny”
2. Bethany Loper, “Everything in Between”
3. Claire Stevens, “On the Nights I Rot”
4. Sandra Staton-Taiwo, “Perfect Peace”
5. Christopher Congdon, “We Had Sandwiches”
6. Vikki Reich, “The Days Are Paper Thin”
7. Leo Atteberry, “The Rats”
8. Ann M. Rezelman, “True North”
9. Kevin Chow, “Your Skin Cells Peeled Off of Your Body and New Ones Did Not Grow in Their Place”
10. Anja Block, “Dog Days”

Honorable Mentions

• Moira Arcane
• Barry Beder
• Emilie Bidaine
• Burcu Chatham
• Kelsey Cleveland
• Christopher Congdon
• Amanda Dedic
• Lettie Duke
• Robert Edelson
• Dawn Emerick
• Robert Granader
• Ida Soon-ok Hart
• Bonnie Healey
• Julie Hornok
• Porter Huddleston
• Linda Kantner
• Karen Kent
• Rachel Klingelhofer
• Valerie Lauria
• Hannah Miller
• Kerry Millhorn
• John Moore
• U. Allen Plum
• Mike Nappa
• Kristina Onder
• Laura Padgett
• Mary Elizabeth Raines
• Joseph A. Reaves
• Laura Redford
• Kimberly Shaw
• Ingrid Silvian
• Billie Smith Culler
• Jillian Thomadsen
• Beth York
• Dea Zullo

Non-Rhyming Poetry

1. Alison Luterman, “Candle”
2. Elizabeth Estella, “Park Avenue, Paterson”
3. Gloria Murray, “Wedding Dream”
4. Terri Paul, “Stills”
5. Elizabeth Estella, “Kid”
6. Vincent Hiscock, “High Sierra”
7. Pattie Palmer-Baker, “In Terms of Black and White”
8. Ondrej Pazdirek, “To K.H. Macha: A Confession”
9. Chivas Sandage, “In the Beginning”
10. Joan Peck Arnold, “Hey Doc”

Honorable Mentions

• Latasha Alexander
• Pat Anthony
• John J. Bowman
• Rebecca Buller
• Olivia Caldwell
• Carol A. Calhoun*
• Charlotte Cox
• Carol Despeaux Fawcett
• Linda Dini Jenkins
• Pamela Moore Dionne
• Lori Drake
• Toni Gilbert
• Emily Grelle
• Caitlyn Griffin
• Roberta Hamburgh
• Leland James
• Kate Jarvik Birch
• Patricia Jellerson
• Margaret Bobalek King
• Alison Luterman***
• Catherine Michaud
• Johne Richardson*
• Dan Shaham
• Alexandria Simmons
• Harvey Soss
• Shelley Stoehr
• Suellen Wedmore
• Anne Wiese
• Jean Youkers
• Albert Zhang

Rhyming Poetry

1. Melissa Cannon, “Voice Lessons”
2. Tonya Emille Harvey, “The Sisters Belong to the Red-Hot Mamas”
3. Carla Conley, “Four Is Whenless”
4. Leland James, “Alzheimer’s”
5. Herbert Guggenheim, “Poet”
6. Meghan Stark, “Primaveral Pulse”
7. Melissa Cannon, “The Angel of Death”
8. Patricia Powell Hundley, “North Georgia Hyacinths”
9. Brian Timmerman, “An Overnight Nest”
10. Harvey Soss, “Alice’s Very Own Alarm Clock”

Honorable Mentions

• Marla Alupoaicei
• Anna Amatuzio
• Mavis Armmer
• Melissa Cannon*
• Cordell Caudrom
• Carla Conley
• Dorothy Holocombe Damiano
• Morgan Driscoll
• Grace Eder
• Valerie Forde-Galvin
• Emily Grelle
• Herbert Guggenheim
• Francesca Huemer Kelly
• Margaret Bobalek King
• M.L. Kobus
• Kassia Kristoff
• Kathleen McClung
• Helen Mesick
• Michael Miller
• Ondrej Pazdirek
• Alexandra Penland
• Kate Piersanti
• Patricia Powell Hundley
• Jacqueline Sawyer
• Susan Smith
• Bruce Taylor
• Michael Thompson
• Gabriela Vascimini
• Diane Villeneuve
• Michael Waterson
• Rhett Watts
• Vickie Weaver
• Suellen Wedmore
• Holly Woodward

Stage Play and Television/Movie Script

1. Emily Hughes, “Juniper Hills”
2. William Gebby, “North Star”
3. N. Christopher, “Picking Up”
4. John Pisano-Thomsen, “Pride & President”
5. Christin Haws, “Stateline”
6. Simon Bowler, “Insurrection”
7. Donna McCullough Noval, “Easter Rising”
8. Jessika Scott, “Don’t Call Me a Millennial”
9. Barry Brennessel, “Anh Sang”
10. Miki Kim, “After the Fall”

Honorable Mentions

• Eric Barry
• Bob Canning
• Oliver Ciborowski
• Dennis Clausen
• Jordan Cox
• Colin Crowley
• Julie Daniels
• Craig Donald
• Daniel R. Doyle and Eric Schantz
• Michelle Felix
• Ernestia Fraser
• Joanne Guidoccio
• Robert Holmes
• Robert Hunt
• Nicholas Kats
• Lynne Kaufman
• Patty Kiernan
• Paul Kodiak
• Mary Lloyd
• Melinda Loomis
• Blair Lord
• John Martins III**
• Lisa M. Mouhibian
• Caron Parker
• Alex Paulk
• Jack Petersen
• Ron Radice
• Michael Shayan
• Gene Franklin Smith
• Heather Somers*
• Dan Tomasulo
• Julian Winter