2023 Annual Writing Contest
In the spirit of our theme “Woven Pathways,” this year the contest featured 15 categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and art.
The contest received 177 submissions and was adjudicated by a team of 21 writing professionals. Each entry was scored by at least two judges with a composite score determining the rankings. The writing contest committee was led by Debbie White whose outstanding organizational skills kept us all going smoothly forward.
An anthology of the winning entries is available – more information is available at the bottom of this page and by clicking here.
Congratulations to Our Winners!
L to R – Writing Contest Committee Members Chris Allen, Evelyn Neil and Debbie White distributing writing contest awards at the 2023 SWW Annual Meeting on October 14, 2023.
Short Stories
GENERAL
1st Place Joe Cappello They Only Showed Elvis from the Waist Up
2nd Place Roger Floyd Annabel
3rd Place Maralie Waterman The Man in the Truck
Hon. Mention Lynne Sebastian Retribution
Hon. Mention Terence Cady A Reunion at Hotel Meurice 1974
SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY
1st place Kimberly Rose Here Be Dragons
2nd place Vanessa Foster Secret Beach
3rd place Allen Herring 3 Wallflowers
Hon. Mention Kathleen Holmes The Man from Jalisco, Mexico
HUMOR
1st Place Jeff Otis The Gift
2nd Place Lisa Haneberg Welcome to the Neighborhood
3rd Place Judy Castleberry The Announcement
Hon. Mention Carla Petree The Morality of Nuts is Nuts
Flash Fiction
1st Place Amy Purcell Arrivals & Departures
2nd Place Lyn Gullette Anonymous Gifts
3rd Place Jennifer Trotter A Bicycle Conversation
Honorable Mention Kathleen Holmes Kim’s Luck
Honorable Mention Charlene Dietz The Dinner Hour
Contest winners who were present at the SWW Annual meeting showing off their award certificates.
Poetry
FREE VERSE – NATURE
1st Place Kathleen Holmes The Dream
2nd Place Kathleen Holmes The Icicle
3rd Place Lawrence Kilham Always the Cactus Blooms
FREE VERSE – RELATIONSHIPS
1st Place Betty McCreary In Gratitude to Poetry
2nd Place Melanie Peak Halloween Babies are Special!
3rd Place Carla Petree X Memories
Hon. Mention Jennifer Trotter Train Wrecks and Boxcars
LIMERICKS
1st Place Rose Marie Kern Just Plain Selfish
2nd Place Rose Marie Kern Garden Gripes
3rd Place Carol Rawie Economics 101
Winners not able to personally attend the meeting in Albuquerque learned of their awards while watching the zoom presentation. Following the ceremony the certificates and awards were sent by mail.
Non-Fiction Memoir
GENERAL
1st Place Patricia Walkow The Contemporary Car
2nd Place Carolyn Kilgus Heirloom
3rd Place Robin Cutler The Musty Smell of Books
Honorable Mention Elaine Montague Onslaught 2020
Honorable Mention Kathleen Hessler Precious Penny
PETS
1st Place Kathy Louise Schuit Weightless
2nd Place Sally Rodgers Special Cat
3rd Place Ruth Heidi Marshall Requiem for Another Soul
TRAVEL
1st Place Christopher Frechette Moroccan Epilogue
2nd Place Jennifer Trotter A Castle to Ourselves
3rd Place Charmayne Samuelson 6am Christmas Morning at the Grand Canyon
Opening Pages of a Novel
PUBLISHED – GENERAL
1st Place Maralie Waterman Inspiration from the Ashes:A Christmas Tale
2nd Place Lynne Sebastian One Last Cowboy Song
3rd Place Carol Potenza Unmasked
Honorable Mention Jonathan Miller Rattlesnake Funeral
UNPUBLISHED – GENERAL
1st Place Robert Sheppe Gyre
2nd Place Louise Bergen Her Rogue’s Reform
3rd Place Lyn Gullette Grizzly Streets
Honorable Mention Amy Purcell The Great Dying
UNPUBLISHED – MYSTERY/CRIME/THRILLERS
1st Place T.K. Sheffield Vintage Model
2nd Place Rose Marie Kern The Art of Vengeance
3rd Place George McFall Bosque Moon
Honorable Mention Jonathan Miller Hotel Carrizozo
UNPUBLISHED – SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY
1st Place John Crain Infinity Times Four
2nd Place Kathryn (K.L.) Wagoner Wayward Trail
3rd Place Carol Rawie Finding Earth
Honorable Mention Joyce Hertzoff Ride Into the Night
Artwork
Artwork and photos submitted were not awarded placement. The only requirement for submission was relevance to the contest categories. Items submitted were voted upon by the SWW membership.
COVER ART – COLOR
Woven Pathways Kathy Louise Schuit
INTERIOR ART – BLACK AND WHITE
Princess Jasmine Tritten
Birch in Fall Brenda Cole
Victorian Romance Rose Marie Kern
Woven Pathways
2023 SWW Annual Writing Contest Committee
Chair: Debbie White, Christina Allen, Evelyn Neil
These pieces were all winners in the 2023 SWW annual writing contest. The contest theme “Woven Pathways ” is to encourage authors from all backgrounds and walks of life to participate, thereby enhancing the range of viewpoints and experiences portrayed.
Fourteen categories of prose, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction as well as art and photography are featured here. The Annual Writing Contest allows both new and seasoned writers to sharpen their skills by taking them out of their comfort zone. Most of the categories were reviewed by our team of experienced authors, but three categories were adjudicated by the membership at large. All entries are submitted anonymously to the reviewers in order to retain impartiality during the contest.
Winners are listed here by category and place standing. Winners are also listed in the November 2023 issue of our newsletter, the SouthWest Sage, and in Woven Pathways, the 2023 Anthology of Winning Entries.
