Huge congrats to Markie, Ping and Ophelia 😊- they each brought something very different! I enjoyed all the stories and thought all were very good. As others have said, I wouldn't have wanted to be a judge on this one - some very difficult decisions with the wide range of interpretations on the theme, and with a couple of my favourites not even in the top ten, showing hard it must have been to choose.

Thank you once more to Molly and the hard-working team who put this one together, and without whom we wouldn't be able to enjoy these competitions. Looking foward to seeing what the next challenge is 😳.

Finally got a couple of days where I could sit down and write. Didn't think I'd be ready until after the weekend, but it sort of came together (I think / hope...) so I submitted this morning - and bingo! It's up 😊. I hope people like it - now I've got some reading to do...

Guardian Angel

Quote by Ping
Although not on the list, I’ve always enjoyed competition themes where writers interpret a supplied picture. It’s intriguing to see how differently people are inspired by the same image. In addition, if the picture portrays, for example, a crime scene or historical image or something, that can help focus the theme of the competition.

Agree!

Only just seen this thread. Whilst I like Flash, I also like stories of 2k, 3k, 3.5k words - long enough to develop your characters and story, but still short enough that you need to keep it quite tight. I also enjoy broader themes in comps and think sci-fi, history, fantasy, crime, and horror are all good genres to explore for comps. By all means, narrow it down, but not too much as it also narrows the creativity.

Just my two-penneth, for what it's worth 😊.

What a competition! Well done Verbal on your win, and congrats also to Anna - an honour to share the podium with you both. I wouldn't have wanted to judge this one - all the stories were so good! I enjoyed all those I read and I think everyone who submitted a story to this comp deserves a well-deserved pat on the back 😊!!

As ever, thank you so much to Molly, the moderators, judges and everyone involved in running the site and these competitions 😊. Keep them coming!

I did not know him, but that is very sad news - especially for one so young.

Quote by Mendalla
10! We're at 10!! And it's TheShyThespian so I know it will be good when I get to it later this evening.

I was gonna say 'I'm in!' and promote my story but some Crazy Old Ape beat me to it 🤣. Not sure about it being good, though - I tend to replicate the WriterGirl school of thought (have idea, write story, read story, realise it's crap... oh well).

I see I have some reading to do.

Molly, is this to be a personal piece, or are we allowed completely fictional stories with a 'sound of silence' theme? Does it have to be 'real' - which I was sort of taking from your description?

I like this one, too. Might even get time to write an entry Especially as I'm struggling elsewhere to put pen to paper.

Wow! I really can't believe that. I really am the most awful poet (or so I thought), so am over the moon with this result!! Just don't ask me to make anything rhyme...

Huge congratulations to Kat and Verbal - I'm honoured to share the podium with you. And another massive pat on the back to the rest - there were some fabulous reads in this competition. Special mentions to those who are new to StoriesSpace or who haven't entered before.

Thank you Molly, for arranging this competition - it was good to have another crack at a poem (despite my initial reaction - oh, no - not poetry!!) Thank you also to the judges and everyone involved in organising the comp 😊

Wow! I did not expect that at all 😊. The idea came to me as I was driving back from walking the dog. Had to rethink it a bit as I couldn't fit it all in (70 words really isn't very many lol). Chuffed with that - thank you for organising, WriterGirl!! I loved reading all the entries. First time I've won anything for a story. Clearly the key is keeping it short...

Surreptitiously following the freckle-faced girl through the summer heat of the forest, I gulped as she reached the haunted cave.

Petrified, I watched as she calmly walked inside.

The things I heard that night chilled me to the bone. Yet soon after dawn, she emerged unscathed. Serenely, she smiled, commenced to glow, then disappeared!

The buzzing in my head grew to a roar as I tiptoed towards the cave entrance…

Well done to everyone - particularly WriterGirl, Tom and Mendalla for your podium places 😊. I enjoyed reading them all, but Bear, yours was one of my favourites!

Mine was undoubtedly too raw. I wanted to paint a picture of a very emotional time for me and my wife, and perhaps laid ourselves a little too bare, and shared too many secrets. Unfortunately, I don't think I was able to do it the justice it deserved. I ran out of words. This competition was perhaps not the best place to share our story, and it didn't really meet the theme. My fault. It's not worthy here and I'll probably rewrite it at some point when the time is right.

WriterGirl - thank you so much for all your support with my story, and all my writing. And thank you to Molly and all the others who make these things happen.

Quote by Mendalla
And that brings us to eight! Would be nice to make that magic number of ten again! Anyone else chasing the deadline?

I'm really hoping mine makes nine! Is Annie still hoping to get in? Really hope so!

Okay - I've submitted my story. I hope it gets approved - I've not had the time I wished I'd had (too much going on elsewhere at the moment), and I'd love another week to wordsmith it properly, but hey-ho - hopefully I will get to be part of the competition 😊. I will try and read all the entries now - I've got a long weekend so will have some reading time. I'm looking forward to it!

Quote by WriterGirl
Happy Anniversary, Mt T! Now, get that story done! Or else… 😈

Yes, Miss!

Just got back from a week in Dubrovnik celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary. I managed a few handwritten notes (my wife banned me from electronics of any kind) - question is, can I turn them into a story in the remaining week? Hmmm...

I will do my best, but it might be a very last-minute entry.

Congratulations, Verbal and WriterGirl! I have to say I'm chuffed to be on the podium with you both. Well done, also, to all who entered. And as Verbal rightly points out, especially to those who have not entered before - it can take courage to write a story and enter it into a competition, especially when so many of the entrants have been on the podium in previous competitions - a talented field for sure!

Thank you so much to Molly and the unnamed others who organised, read, voted and judged in this competition. It wouldn't happen without your hugely appreciated efforts!!

WriterGirl sends a huge congratulations and a big thank you to everyone and is super chuffed to be on the podium! She's just had eye surgery and cannot read or write anything at the moment - I'm sure she will be on here as soon as she can to add a personal message.

Okay, I've had a story published ( I think) and I've added the cover pic. But no notification has been sent/received and follower's haven't received. No note from moderator (Molly - where are you!!) I'd still like to add an audio.

I've just realised that a number of my older stories (from last year) seem to have disappeared - including my competition entries. Also, will there be options to print and download as before?

I'm unable to publish a story - like you, I just get the wheel of death. Is there a FAQ? How do I upload images? I can't send messages (wheel of death again). Where are all my replies to comments? They seem to have disappeared. And is there a way of having a story loaded for edit? When I copied and pasted my story into the 'publish story' page, it took out all the line breaks - not too bad for a micro, but not helpful for longer stories.