Storytime with Writers' Playground

Sixteen-year-old Eve takes part in the Rite, during which she will be matched with her future husband. All she has to do is prove her worthiness... "Break Glass" won 4th Place, out of 691 entries, in our Eighth Playground Challenge... Sabina Trojanova is a talented writer from London, UK and you can follow her on Instagram @girlvsglobe - Read more of the winning stories from our challenges on our website, writersplaygroundllc....

An arranged marriage between a young Japanese woman and an older Japanese soldier bodes well until a new presence threatens to divide them forever... "Three, Three, Nine" won 4th Place, out of 570 entries, in our Sixth Playground Challenge... Pauline Marie Morris is a talented writer from Albany, NY. She is currently seeking representation for her thriller, Water on The Grid, and she is actively working on her new novel, a dystopia...

Between a fouled swimming pool, a school bus fight, and a half-packed runaway bag, a girl comes face-to-face with anger, loyalty, and the quiet ways love shows up... "Have You Seen Me?" won 2nd Place, out of 639 entries, in our Twelfth Playground Challenge... Sarah Newman is a talented writer who lives in Richmond, Virginia, where she splits her time working for the local children's museum, battling neighborhood groundhogs who won'...

Long-held secrets unravel when an estranged son returns to the family house for a graduation party... "Graduation Cake" won 1st Place, out of 639 entries, in our Twelfth Playground Challenge... Originally from Beacon, NY, Charlie Rogers is a talented gay writer who lives in New York City. He is a former photographer and aspiring hermit. He finds himself writing the same story over and over, ignoring birds and their portents, and he...

Gordon navigates the social complexities of a new family dynamic. Meanwhile, astronauts explore new frontiers in space... "One Small Step for a Man" won 7th Place, out of 642 entries, in our Ninth Playground Challenge... Erin Brandt Filliter is a talented writer from New Brunswick, Canada, and you can follow Erin, and find more of her work on her website, erinfilliterature.squarespace.com. You can also read more of the winning stor...

An eighteen-year-old girl, two young boys, and a reclusive elderly neighbor work together to survive the aftermath of a destructive hurricane during the summer of 1969... "Despite the Wind" won 1st Place, out of 691 entries, in our Eighth Playground Challenge... Holly Grover Brandon is a talented writer from Petal, Mississippi. She is a preschool teacher and mother of four who squeezes bits of writing ...

Hank Whitaker, a journalist, stumbles upon Don Mateo Corvalán, an ailing Argentinian widower who claims to hear the voices of the dead from a dry well..."Somewhere Between" won 7th Place, out of 716 entries, in our Tenth Playground Challenge… Russell Mickler is a talented writer from Vancouver, WA who enjoys writing fantasy, science fiction, magical realism, and horror… He is an avid participant in writing contests an...

Fifteen-year-old Sophia retreats to her childhood treehouse as she grapples with the weight of expectations and a future slipping beyond her control... "The Hothouse" won 3rd Place, out of 697 entries, in our Eleventh Playground Challenge. Natalie Minaker is a talented writer from Worcestershire, UK and you can follow, and read more of Natalie's work on her website, nfminaker.wixsite.com/my-site. You can also read more of the winni...

A science-fiction piece that takes place once Earth has become uninhabitable, and humanity is sending some of its survivors to Mars, and others on exploratory missions through space in search of other habitable planets... "Suicide Protocol" won 2nd Place, out of 553 entries, in our One Year Anniversary Challenge. Lucy Joyce is a terrific writer who has placed multiple times in our writing competitions. She lives in New South Wales,...

A young girl finds peace by the river while the world finds itself once again at war... "A World of Men" won 3rd Place, out of 642 entries, in our Ninth Playground Challenge. Alex Atkins is a talented writer from Utterson, ON, Canada, and she is a chronic genre-hopper. She won the NYC Midnight Prize for Flash Fiction for her science fiction short story “The 4:10 to Tarick” but also enjoys writing horror, romance, c...

A story about an adolescent girl and her relationship with her father... "Shane Lives in Allouez Now" won 3rd Place in our Second Playground Challenge. Michael J. Vowles is a talented writer who lives in London, UK and works as a copywriter in financial services. You can follow Michael on his website, tumbleweedwrites.com/ and check out his book of short stories, Fractured Threads, which you can find on Amazon. Read more of the win...

Tired of waiting for God's justice, a priest is compelled to take action in this classic tale of revenge... "The Tragedy of Montague Bellot" won 1st Place, out of 553 entries, in our One Year Anniversary (Fourth) Challenge. Ryan Fleming is a Hospital Administrator from Birmingham, Alabama. He is a talented writer and frequent guest on the writing podcast "Writing in Progress" hosted by Justin Creps and Jon Woolley. Ryan also won Ho...

A colourful journey on a train for a young girl... "A Suitcase of Colours" won 6th Place, out of 606 entries, in our Seventh Playground Challenge. Anne Wilkins is a sleep-deprived primary school teacher from Auckland, New Zealand, and she is a talented short fiction writer who, one day, hopes to actually get around to publishing some books and longer work… Check out her website, annewilkinsauthor.com and follow her on Facebo...

An ancient shape-changing being haunts a pool of water, feeding on passersby. Can it change its nature for a man who refuses to fear it? "Time Like Water" won 5th Place, out of 570 entries, in our Sixth Playground Challenge. Ashley Evans lives in Bethlehem, New Hampshire with her husband and one very spoiled dog. She enjoys working from home as a graphic designer by day, and dabbling in making art and writing by night. Check out he...

When 14-year-old Ivy learns she’s moving, she retreats to her childhood treehouse to work through her complicated feelings about her mom, her dad, and what it means to let go... "Holding Pattern" won 2nd Place, out of 697 entries, in our Eleventh Playground Challenge: A Fiction Short Story Competition. Corrie Haldane is an award-winning short fiction writer whose work appears in numerous online and print publications, includi...

A frustrated teen spends summer holidays at his grandparents' vineyard while his parents try to work on their marriage. Personalities clash in this Australian coming of age tale... "The Whole Mosquito" won 1st Place, out of 697 entries, in the Eleventh Playground Challenge: A Fiction Short Story Competition. Louise Walton lives in Australia on NSW's mid-north coast with her husband and three children (and chickens, rabbits and a do...

In the winter of 1937, a young girl and her parents seek safety in the prelude to one of the greatest tragedies of World War II... "The Snow Shrine" won 3rd Place, out of 606 entries, in our Seventh Playground Challenge. George Cooksey is an officer in the US Air Force who likes to write in his spare time. He is a part of the "Suggestion Mode" writing group alongside lifelong friends and fellow writers Miguel Flores and Sami Teeny....