Spec Faith Winter Writing Challenge Finals
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Thanks so much to all of you who participated in both Phase 1 (posting entries) and Phase 2 (giving thumbs up to the ones you liked best) of the Winter Writing Challenge. We now have our three finalists. I’ve reposted their entries below, followed by the official poll to determine the 2013 winner. You will be able to vote only once for only one entry to determine who will receive the $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes and Noble. The poll closes at midnight (Pacific time), Sunday, January 20.
The entries are re-posted in alphabetical order by last name of the author. The poll will randomize the selections.
Selection A by David Alford
If the reports were true, Galen had reached the right spot. 2018. Winter Olympics. Westfield Investments. His finger paused an inch above the play button. Then descended sharply.
He remembered this one. That was the year he’d gotten that really bad flu and missed work for like 6 or 7 days. He’d rolled his eyes each time it had come on, muttering parodies of the advertizer under his breath. Now he couldn’t take his eyes off the screen. It was in here somewhere.
He punched the pause button. Bottom left corner. He wiped sweat from his forehead as he jotted down the ten digit number on his hand and rose. They were probably in the building already.
His hurried footsteps echoed on the marble floor of the Repository. One more glance behind and he reached the back stairwell. Call! He pushed the door closed behind him, breathed, and pulled his phone from his pocket.
2-0-4
He was taking the steps two at a time now.
3-8-5
Today, a bad flu didn’t seem so bad.
1-7-4-2.
He put the phone to his ear.
Selection B by Austin Gunderson
If the reports were true, Galen had reached the right spot. If they were false, he’d likely never stumble upon a wronger spot at a wronger time. And, if that neurotoxin hadn’t yet cleared from his brain stem, their veracity wouldn’t make much difference either way.
“Fitgers?” he whispered, blinking against the incessant drizzle and the blackness vignetting his vision, “Fitgers, where are you? I told you to keep this channel open!” His own voice warbled in his ears as if it’d bubbled up out of some viscous pool. With effort he lowered his head, remembering to breathe. The great black pit yawned patiently at his feet.
His earpiece stuttered to life. “Sagacity to Away One. Get out of there immediately! Sir.”
“Can’t,” Galen warbled, “Shuttle’s gone.” He glanced up at the red smoke bleeding all over the green sky.
“Are you mad? You’re risking hundreds of lives for the sake of one—”
“I made a promise to his wife, Fitgers. You’re acting captain now. Start acting like it.”
A long pause. Galen, not without amusement, imagined the man’s reddening face. “Fine,” Fitgers bit out at last, “I’m instituting an emergency command reconstitution. Captain Galen Kolbeth, you are hereby relieved—”
Galen smacked his wristplate with the heel of his hand, silencing the acting captain. He’d never before thought of his aethercom power switch as a point of no return. No, he corrected himself, you passed that point two weeks ago. With a brief grimace and few rapid breaths, Galen launched himself out over the pit.
Selection C by Timothy Hicks
If the reports were true, Galen had reached the right spot. He glanced down at his chronoguage, then tapped the display with his index finger in frustration. A green LED pulsed a steady rhythm, illuminating the chrongauge faceplate and his jumpsuit’s silver sleeve.
“If this is it, where is my contact?”, Galen yelled. A cold wind howled in answer, stirring up little dust devils in the sandy desert floor. Galen folded his collar higher around his neck, and shoved both hands into his pockets. He stamped numb feet,turning in a slow circle.
Moonlight lit the sands a harsh white, and cactus shadows wrote long, capital letters in black. The wind stopped; replaced by total silence. The sound of small rocks and sand crunching beneath shoes drew near. Galen turned to watch a figure approach and stop a few feet away.
“Oh, you’re here already? Has it already begun, then?”, the figure said.
Galen straightened, and slid his hands from his pockets. “Are you my contact?”
The figure laughed and stepped closer. “You might say that. We’ve met before.”
“No, I don’t remember you.”
“You will.” Galen’s face stared back from the figure. “Hurry now to your future, and my past”
‘Tis fascinating that all three finalists were science-fiction story-starters.
Does that say something about Spec-Faith readers, or Spec-Faith readers who are also aspiring writers, or the same but only a subsection of those who entered the contest, or the speculative story-enjoying population as a whole? Or is it a coincidence?
Even if I could vote (as editor here, I’m not sure I can!), I’d have a hard time choosing.
Stephen, I’m planning on voting. We’re readers as much as any of our visitors, so we can give our opinion, too. Now entering, with a prize on the line, might not have worked.
I think, like Lauren, that the fact that all three are sci fi has more to do with the execution of their opening than it does with the genre. I prefer something that feels fresh and is well written, even if it is outside my preferred choice of epic fantasy.
Becky
Congratulations, Austin. You wrote a great story.
Thanks Becky for the opportunity to read so many different stories and writing styles. It was a fun competition.
Oh, and I like fantasy better too. Sometimes it’s good to try new genres. 🙂
Thanks, Timothy! In Round One, I voted for your entry as soon as I read it. Your “capital letters” metaphor alone would’ve justified a win by you, I deem. I love me a good metaphor, and that was one of the best I’d read in months. A distinct image of saguaro-like cacti popped into my head without any need for further description on your part. Loved it.
And I, too, am a high fantasy kinda guy. Thought I’d use this contest to give myself a brief change of pace. It was thoroughly enjoyable. So much so that I might have to figure out what happens next to Captain Galen. Hmm …
Ah then, now I truly do need to spend some time making this very tough decision.
For a while I’ve tried to settle on a preference between fantasy and science fiction. It hasn’t worked; I enjoy each genre, and their combinations, for identical reasons!
Personally, as a Spec Faith reader, and aspiring writer, I’m usually more drawn to high fantasy. In this contest however, my favorites were also science fiction. Although the writing prompt was broad enough to work either way, it was especially well used in the science fiction genre.
Wowzers. Thanks all who voted for me. I’m not really a regular Spec Faith reader (I pretty much only read whatever Austin G or Paul C repost on Facebook). But it’s usually thought provoking when I do.
I am an aspiring writer and am working on a sci-fi novel write now. For me, writing is about characters and their interactions. I am very bad at keeping the reader up to date on random things like setting.
Everyone who can’t make up their minds who to vote for should vote for Austin’s (as I will be doing) because his is by far the best of the three. Disclaimer: I am a huge fan of Austin’s writing style and creativity.
I ended up voting for Austin’s, but I very nearly voted for yours. It was a bit hard to follow the first time I read it through. I loved the suspense and curiosity raised by this urgent, mysterious phone call. It had the feel of something important and epic. Well done!
I looked at the stories on the previous round, but didn’t have time to vote then. I’ve voted now, although, to be honest, I wish I could have voted for all three stories.
I really do hope that those voting are paying attention to the fact that the names in the poll are not posted in the order of the entries. That threw me for a minute.
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