Remarks by Contest Chair Judy Castleberry
The 2024 SWW Contest relies on the contributions of many talented and generous people. This year we had over 400 entries across twenty-four categories. This was the largest contest in several years and took many long hours of work from many people to make it a success. I would like to thank all of the people involved in the contest.
Thanks to the 2024 Committee, Brenda Cole, Chris Allen, Dollie Williams, Kathy Wagoner, and Rose Kern, for providing support, ideas, and guidance. This would have been impossible without you!
Second a huge thank you to everyone who judged. As the number of entries continued to grow, I sent out numerous pleas for help with judging more entries. The judges stepped up time and again to thoughtfully evaluate the entries and provide careful critique. Thank you all!
I would also like to thank each person who entered the contest. Entering a contest like this takes courage. As writers, we work in solitude and then bring our creations into
the harsh light of competition and critique. We hope this contest provides a way to take that first step. For those of you who won, congratulations! For those who weren’t among the winners, I hope that you continue to hone your craft and enter again next year. Thanks to all of you for sharing your creative journey with us.
Judy Castleberry
You can enjoy these unique award winning tales by purchasing Mosaic Voices. Published by SouthWest Writers, it contains winning entries and art from the 2024 Writing Contest. Click here for more information on this unique publication.
Photos of the winners are appended at the bottom of the list.
*NOTE: The number of awards was determined by the total number of entries in each category.
| Placement | Category | Author |
| Flash Fiction | ||
| First | Don’t Forget Us | Mark Jones |
| Second | Hung Up | Ivan Calhoun |
| Third | Stay Put | Linda Triegel |
| Honorable Mention | The Wingless Dragon and the Death of Honor | Helen A. Jack |
| Honorable Mention | Yellow | Janet Greger |
| Short Stories – Fiction | ||
| General Fiction | ||
| First | The Wolf Gray War Bonnet | Robert Temple |
| Second | Holy Child | Maria Meier |
| Second | The Sun and the Moon | Ramona Gault |
| Honorable Mention | Summer Snow | Amber Train |
| Honorable Mention | Manhattan Rodent Control | Roberta Summers |
| Humor | ||
| First | Enlighten Up | Bonnie Hayes |
| Mystery | ||
| First | Effie’s Tale | Suzanne Stauffer |
| Romance | ||
| First | The Dance | Rhenna St. Clair |
| Second | Mary and the Gypsy | Linda Triegel |
| SciFi/Fantasy/Horror | ||
| First | The Leader | Charles Botsford |
| Second | Soulkeeper | KL Wagoner |
| Third | Deliver Us From Evil | Caleb Castleberry |
| Honorable Mention | Retirement in Hell | Mary Therese Ellingwood |
| Children & Young Adult Fiction | ||
| Young Readers (ages 8-12) | ||
| First | Mrs. Weakly’s Weekly Challenge | Mary Therese Ellingwood |
| Second | Joe and the Princess | Rose Kern |
| Third | Chasing a Wish | Mary Therese Ellingwood |
| Young Adult (ages 13-18) | ||
| First | Brena the Brave | E. A. Rickman |
| Second (tie) | Definition of a Lady | Rose Kern |
| Second (tie) | Inheritance | Hayley Nations |
| Published Memoir | ||
| First | Flying Fancy | Wanda Whittlesey-Jerome |
| Third | Beyond Brooklyn | Edith Tarbescu |
| Unpublished Memoir | ||
| General | ||
| First | Grand Canyon Alchemy: A Memoir | Kimberly Feldman |
| Second | Changing Woman Speaks | Brenda Beck |
| Third | X-Rated Trout Fishing | Michael Andryc |
| Honorable Mention | When Tough Cookies Crumble | Eva Nevarez St. John |
| Honorable Mention | Tipping Point | Claire Wilcox |
| Nonfiction Article/Essay | ||
| Animals | ||
| First | Alaskan Migrations | Paula Nixon |
| Second | My Furry Feline Family | Kathleen Hessler |
| Third | The Dogs in My Life | Neill McKee |
| Humor | ||
| First | The Easter Goat | Rosie Kern |
| Second | Only Champagne | Jasmine Tritten |
| Third | Why I Didn’t Write | Annette Thies |
| Honorable Mention | Bullfrog Bungle | Michelle Smith |
| Memoir – General | ||
| First | Village | Katy Hammel |
| Second | An Unsolicited Testimony | Lynne Sebastian |
| Third | Garlic | Charles Garcia |
| Honorable Mention | Tales of a Working Man | Mark Fleisher |
| Honorable Mention | Blossom Ladies | Terence Cady |
| Memoir – Travel | ||
| First | La Posta | Cornelia Gamlem |
| Second | How to See an Elephant | Theresa Nichols |
| Third | Children of Panamint Springs | Suzanne Stauffer |
| Poetry | ||
| Free Verse | ||
| First | Notes from Jerome, Arizona | Kathleen Holmes |
| Second | A Cure for Procrastination | Sarah Kotchian |
| Third | Desert Rain | Kathleen Holmes |
| Honorable Mention | Driving North | Jefferson Carter |
| Honorable Mention | Notes from the Gila River | Kathleen Holmes |
| Honorable Mention | Notes from Hawaii | Kathleen Holmes |
| Haiku | ||
| First | all hallow eves night | Michelle Smith |
| Second | pale water lilies | Wanda Whittlesey-Jerome |
| Third | Deep within the Earth | William Stotts |
| Limerick | ||
| First | The Belle from Aurora | William Stotts |
| Second | Haiku? | Rose Kern |
| Third | The Sage Named Olanthee | William Stotts |
| Honorable Mention | Love Hurts | Rolf Janson |
| Honorable Mention | The Hack from Ohio | William Stotts |
| Opening Pages Published Novel | ||
| First | The Sunshine Solution | Rosalie Rayburn |
| Second | Running in Place: A Novel | Maralie Waterman |
| Third | Raptor Lands | Jeff Otis |
| Opening Pages of an Unpublished Novel | ||
| General Fiction | ||
| First | Expiration Date | Russ Gritzo |
| Second | Angel of Tolleson Gap | Michael Grady |
| Third | Bodies of Water and Dust | Sarah Kotchian |
| Mystery/Crime/Thriller Fiction | ||
| First | Spirit of the Gazelle | Rodney Walther |
| Second | Mama’s Boy | Michael Avery |
| Third | Deadrun | John Riley |
| Honorable Mention | The infinity Thieves | TK Sheffield |
| Honorable Mention | Sunriver Heart | Aiden Clark |
| Romance | ||
| First | The Valentine Lines | TK Sheffield |
| Second | The War Zone | Barb Simmons |
| Third | Cuffs and Kisses | Dita Dow |
| Sci Fi/Fantasy/Horror | ||
| First | Essex | Charles Botsford |
| Second | Tall Boy Sun | Neal Holtschulte |
| Third | The Thorn King | Helen A. Jack |
| Honorable Mention | Sundog | KL Wagoner |
| Honorable Mention | Moonlit Skies and Canyon Lies | Carol Potenza |
We want to thank SWW member Florence Cunningham who shot and donated the photos below.
Winners attending via zoom: Charles Botsford, Hayley Nations, Paula Nixon, Eva Nevarez St. John, Michelle Smith, Rodney Walther, Brenda Beck.
