The Lodestar Contest

If you've never judged a writing contest, you just don't know how difficult it can be sometimes. The winner of this round truly deserves it, with a story full of emotion and a heartbreaking premise. The Runner-Up was very close, with another story full of emotion, this one beautifully atmospheric. They both introduced intriguing characters that made me want to see their full stories. To me, the winner used the prompt more clearly and solidly, however.

Winner of the July round:

I've Got A Dog  (13+) You and me were meant to be for each other.--The Beatles #2344141 by Lynn McKenzie

Runner Up:

Knowing me, Knowing you   (18+) He swallowed, his throat suddenly gone dry. "What are we going to do, Jimmy?" #2344466 by deemac

Thank you all for a fantastic round! I hope to see you all in every round, but I'm not quite that naive. You can all prove me wrong if you want to, though. I'm cool with that.

Everyone but Lynn McKenzie can expect a shorter-style review from me in the next week or two. Lynn can expect an in-depth review in January of '26.


As a reminder of what they were working with: