Finalist: Armadale Writer’s Awards

Writing competitions are a great way for aspiring authors to get our work noticed, as well as adding a few strings to the all-important bio.

For me, with a young family and a full length manuscript on the go, finding the time to write something suitable has been a challenge. But I recently bit the bullet, writing my first ever short story and submitting it into a local writing awards here in Perth.

Lo and behold, I made the finals! The annual Armadale Writer’s Awards is open to adult writers living in Western Australia. Works must be original unpublished prose and have a 1000 - 3000 word count.

The story was tricky to write, as it involved a fictionalised account of a true event – the day I flew interstate to attend a dear friend’s funeral, while heavily pregnant. It was one of the hardest days of my life, during which I found myself confronting some fairly complex emotions I was feeling about her passing. But it was an invaluable exercise from a craft standpoint, as the word limit forced me to be economical and consider whether each line was necessary to move the story forward.

I have always been somewhat intimidated by short story competitions. The good ones really pack a punch, and do so in such a short amount of time. So to make the finals with my first effort was a very unexpected but pleasant surprise.

The judges were so friendly and generous with their feedback. If you would like to read the entry, you will find it here.