There were more than 30 entries in Xpress’ second Indie 500 flash fiction contest, making for a lot of compelling reading and steep competition.
The grand-prize winner is Lucky Stars by Black Mountain-based author Amy Manikowski.
Entries for the short-form writing competition had to be no longer than 500 words and include a recognizable local landmark. The final judge, author, playwright and educator Jamieson Ridenhour, says, “Lucky Stars does what a good piece of flash fiction should: give a quick sketch, setting up a situation and moving it forward without feeling the need to give back story or full explanations.” He adds, “Extra points for the deft historical setting.”
Runners up are Winsome by Eugene McLaughlin and Small-town Superhero Trains a Sidekick by Zack Lindsey. The winning entry and runners up will be published in full in Xpress’ Aug. 23 and 30 issues (the paper reserves the right to delay publication due to space limitations).
Thanks to all who entered! We look forward to reading more flash fiction stories in 2018.
