Hi all, there we go – September is over. It’s been a great month, with some very nice entries in our Flash Story contest.
First, I wanted to address some questions that folks ask quite regularly. I’ve also added the answers into the contest rules.
(a) Does the author retain copyright? — Absolutely.
(b) Can I post a story that’s longer than 55 words? — Nope.
(c) Can I submit more than 1 story in one month? — Please do so, if you’d like.
(d) Can a non-fiction piece enter the contest? — By all means.
(e) Where’s the button to post my story? — Right here.
Okay, with that done, let’s get to the winners. Are you ready? 
From all the excellent stories this month, I want to highlight these five, which, I believe, were truly marvellous:
- The Art of Dragon Taxidermy by A.R Vincent.
- As the Sand Falls by Anwyelle Arkais.
- The Doublecross by Michael Coady.
- Boiler Room by Emma Alder.
- Subconscious Deception by r.j. saxon.
It kills me not calling out the other stories (simply check out Julia Becca‘s Just Kidding to see what I mean). I even thought of launching a more controlled voting system to lift some responsibility off my chest. But I want this contest simple and straightforward, without mucking about with vote counts and deadlines… so I’ll have to keep “judging”, as imperfect as this approach is.
Alright, let’s get those drums rolling.
September 2012′s winner is — ta-da! — Hold on, I really can’t make up my mind this month.
I’ll go with two winners.
These are two wonderful stories that have everything in them: the conflict, the dry irony, the dialogue and the evocative milieu, and even some character development — all in 55 words. Well done, guys!
Let’s roll those drums again…
Winner # 1: The Doublecross by Michael Coady.
Winner # 2: As the Sand Falls by Anwyelle Arkais.
These two aren’t listed in any order, and both receive the monthly prize of $55 each. Congrats again, Michael and Anwyelle.
Now, for October, let’s talk about Love, but in a dangerous, Halloween sort of way:
“Love is…”
