I first scooped up a copy of Writer’s Digest at the recommendation of Stephen King’s “On Writing” years ago, still a new writer and looking for any resource that could help. That, and I’m a method actor: Playing the part of a writer meant doing shit like reading King and picking up writing magazines.
That’s where I encountered the “Your Story” contest. Flash fiction under 650 words based on a preselected photo prompt. The winner that month wrote a story that resonated with me, and I told myself I’d win one of those things some day.
I’m lying. What I actually told myself was “Your writing is absolute trash compared to this.”
But the origins don’t matter. It doesn’t change this:
Today is the day I won one of those things.
The competition was pretty stiff, and I’m incredibly fortunate to have won. For what it’s worth, I didn’t know I had to provide a story title, either, but I’m not sure what I would have named it even if I did.
I’m mostly just surprised Writer’s Digest selected my super weird (and kind of gory?) story. Really didn’t expect them to go for a piece that features some pretty visceral head trauma.
Anyway, READ “UNTITLED” HERE!
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EDIT (03/10/22):
Story is now officially in print! I still can’t believe I walked into Barnes & Noble and purchased something I wrote. Did I die? Is this Heaven? I don’t know, but if I did, please don’t Photoshop my face into some clouds and put it on Facebook. That’s my literal nightmare.
Jake Jerome 