Rochester Media Sponsors Writing Contest

Rochester Media is a sponsor of the annual Rochester Writers’ Conference and the writing contest associated with the event. Currently, two contests run per year. The 2014 summer writing contest had four categories with cash prizes for first, second and third places. Each category had a different judge from the local writing community. To acquire the best results, the judges could only see the title and body of the work they were reading. They did not know who wrote and entered the piece. Rochester Media staff had the honor of selecting the Best of Show from the four first places in their respected categories.

Yasmin Moore took second place in the First Page category of the summer writing contest - photo by William Dwyer

Yasmin Moore took second place in the First Page category of the summer writing contest – photo by William Dwyer

First Page of a Novel Award

The first page of any novel has to grip the reader and make him or her want more. This category limits the entry to 250 words to grab your attention. Judging this category was Sonya Julie, a local freelance writer and on staff at Rochester Writers. She selected Deeds Not Words by Karen Hildebrandt from Farmington Hills, MI as first place winner. Second place went to Yasmin Moore from Rochester, MI for Chromanaut, third place went to Jan Rydson from Clarkston, MI for Broken Strands and an Honorable Mention was awarded to Maria Allard from Warren, MI for her story Rock Stars Make the World go Round.

The Margo LaGattuta Poetry Award

Named after the local Rochester poet, teacher, and writer, Margo passed away in 2011. “Margo was a friend, as well as a colleague,” said Michael Dwyer, founder of the conference. “I was pleased when her family gave their blessing to use her name for the poetry award.”

Karrie Waarala, a poetry editor, judged the poetry category. First place was awarded to Anthony Stachurski from Bloomfield Hills, MI, for his poem Truth Seekers. “This is a spare, efficient poem that is all the more effective for its narrow scope. Through just a handful of carefully chosen details, this poet provides a very specific snapshot that manages to summarize two lives,” said Waarala.

Carrie Mattern from Davison, MI, took second place with her poem Abba. “The slow unfurling of imagery in this poem tells us much about the fisherman — but it’s all of the things that remain unsaid that make the piece stand out.”

Third place was award to a poem titled The Devil, by K. Michelle Moran from Harrison Twp. “It’s the simple directness of this poem that makes it work. The creepy power of the last stanza is all the more effective for the matter-of-factness of the entire piece.” Honorable mention went to James A. Knoop from Eastpointe for his entry, Unmoved.

333 Flash Fiction Award

New to this contest was the flash fiction category. For this category, entries needed to be 333 words or fewer, have three characters in the story, and have a three-word-title. Dorene O’Brien, an award winning writer and teacher, judged this category.

Into the Wash by Nan Jackson of East Lansing won first place. “The writing here is so tight and sophisticated that multiple histories–that of the protagonist’s mother, her friend in Michigan and the imagined history of the man on the ferry–are delivered in less than 333 words. The motif of cleansing is quietly but clevery woven throughout, implying the necessity of writing “a Laundromat story” each time we must purge ourselves of grief. The analogy of the bay to a Laundromat at the end is aptly placed so that the message is subtle but resonant,” said O’Brien about the winner.

Ron Herron Reads his Entry Are We Lost, which took second place in the 333 Flash Fiction Category - photo by William Dwyer

Ron Herron Reads his Entry Are We Lost, which took second place in the 333 Flash Fiction Category – photo by William Dwyer

Second place went to Ron Herron from Lake Orion, MI for Are We Lost, “This dialogue-driven story is fast-paced and suspenseful, gripping the reader immediately and holding on until a perfectly timed and executed ending. The author strikes the notable balance between relaying and witholding information, giving readers a foothold into the story while offering clues that move them forward through the plot as they make connections alongside the characters. We feel something for these characters–fear, anxiety, hope–as we read that final chilling line.”

Third place went to Abigail Bostwick from Tohmahawk, WI for her story, Paint the Stars. “The structure of this story is fascinating–the first conflict–a graffiti artist facing arrest while painting a tribute on a rock face above a  raging river–generates an even more immediate conflict: should the stranger who suddenly comes to the rescue be trusted? The suspense is good, as are some of the descriptive details: the sallow flashlight beam, the fingernails breaking on unforgiving rock, the stranger who is “all hard edges and dark eyes.” The darkness in the story is restrained but ever-present.

Micro Fiction Award

Within a hundred words, entries needed to tell a complete story. Kelly Fordon holds an MFA from Queens University; and was the judge for this category. First place went to Roberta Brown from Royal Oak, MI for her story called Hammer Time. “Beautiful writing. The metaphor builds throughout the piece and works to enhance the story line. I enjoyed the surprise ending,” said Fordon. Second place went to James A. Knoop from Eastpointe for his entry The Point Is. “I had to read this a couple of time before I figured it out. Very clever!” Finally, third place went to Ron Herron from Lake Orion, MI for Apparition. “This is very well written. I enjoyed the spookiness of it.”

Roberta Brown Best of Show Winner - photo by William Dwyer

Roberta Brown Best of Show Winner – photo by William Dwyer

Best of Show

Roberta Brown who took first place in the Micro Fiction category was selected as the contest’s best of show winner. In addition to her cash prize for first place, she may attend one of the two conferences in 2015 hosted by Rochester Writers for free. Congratulations to all the winners.

The new contest begins November 1. Details may be found on the contest page for Rochester Writers.

Additional information is available at www.RochesterWriters.com

 

About Michael Dwyer

Michael Dwyer is a freelance content provider. Michael writes about happenings in the Rochester area, travels across Michigan and destinations around the world. Contact him at michael@rochestermedia.com.

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