WCCW Writing Contests 2024

The winners of the 2024 Writing Contests have been announced! This year we received more than 440 contest entries — a record for WCCW — and the judges agree that this year’s entries were better than ever. Special thanks to all who participated in our contests this year.

And, as always, special thanks to all contest sponsors!

2024 CONTEST WINNERS

Here are the winners, as announced at the 29th Annual WCCW Writers Conference. Congratulations to all the winners!

1. Nobody Believes Me, But …

Non-fiction story. Sponsor: WCCW

1st Place: Barry Brown
2nd Place: Christy Sesseman
3rd Place: Peggy Sanders

1 Honorable Mention: Peter Bellone
2 HM: Sandy Jordan
3 HM Shelly Anne Richter

2. Surprise Me!

Short Story — Suspense or Mystery. Sponsor: PenPoint Writers Group

1st Place: Gary Rodgers
2nd Place: Kristen West
3rd Place: Kristin Castleberry

1 Honorable Mention: Mary Cambron-Collard
2 HM: Trish Copeland
3 HM: Marlon Hayes

3. Motivation Monday

Motivational Essay. Sponsor: BCC Freight Haulers

1st Place: Kimberly Vernon
2nd Place: Irene Buss Hunt
3rd Place: Gary Rodgers

1 Honorable Mention: Del Garrett
2 HM: Susan Grant
3 HM: Sherri Croom

4. Because I Said So

17 line poem, any form. Sponsor: WCCW

1st Place: JC Crumpton
2nd Place: Kristen West
3rd Place: Dee Dee Chumley

1 Honorable Mention: Emory D. Jones
2 HM: Prix Gautney
3 HM: Sara Gipson

5. The Tallest Tale

A Tall Tale, any genre. Sponsor: RobertsFamilyArk

1st Place: Mary Cambron-Collard
2nd Place: Sara Gipson
3rd Place: Mike Bass

1 Honorable Mention: John McPherson
2 HM: Susan Grant
3 HM: Brenda Rawls

6. Trail Ride

Western Short Story. Sponsor: Little Red Writing Hood

1st Place: Gary Breezeel
2nd Place: Trish Copeland
3rd Place: Del Garrett
4th Place: Regina McLemore

Honorable Mention: Shelley Anne Richter

7. Cliff-Rick

CliffsNotes meets the Limerick. Sponsor: Barry Brown

1st Place: Prix Gautney
2nd Place: Mike Bass
3rd Place: Teresa Lee

Honorable Mention: Nathan Roberts

8. Author’s Anonymous 2.0 Award

Short Story, mixed genre. Sponsor: Author’s Anoymous 2.0

1st Place: Mary Cambron-Collard
2nd Place: Regina McLemore
3rd Place: Gene LaViness

Honorable Mention: Christine Anthony

9. Del Garrett’s Gimme the Creeps Award

Ghost Story. Sponsor: Del Garrett’s

1st Place: Mike Bass
2nd Place: Barry Brown
3rd Place: John McPherson

1 Honorable Mention: Julia Zellner
2 HM: Marlon Hayes
3 HM: Dr. Rebecca Foster

10. Scrivenings Press Clean Fiction Award

Short Story, any genre. Sponsor Scrivenings Press LLC

1st Place: Dee Dee Chumley
2nd Place: Fay Smalling Guinn
3rd Place: Gary Breezeel

Honorable Mention: Julia Zellner

11. The Day AI Took Over

Short Story about Artificial Intelligence. Sponsor: Anonymous

1st Place: Don Money
Honorable Mention: Clarissa Willis

12. Mystery Chocolate Caper

Short Story. Sponsor: Debbie Archer

1st Place: Desiree Stipp-Bethune
2nd Place: Mike Bass
3rd Place: Lisbeth McCarty

Honorable Mention: Trish Copeland

13. Newby Award

Short Story about a Storm. Sponsor: Dot Hatfield

1st Place: Bick Satterfield
2nd Place: Jane Sconce Worley
3rd Place: Marlon Hayes

1 Honorable Mention: Patrick Gray
2 HM: Brenda Rawls
3 HM: Luci Best

14. I Love the 70s

Short Story taking place in the 70s. Sponsor: Steve May

1st Place: JC Crumpton
2nd Place: Gary Rodgers
3rd Place: Susan Grant

15. Granny Prewitt Award

Short Story about family heirloom. Sponsor: Anthony Wood & Micaela Campbell

1st Place: JC Crumpton
2nd Place: Nathan Roberts
3rd Place: Gary Rodgers

1 Honorable Mention: Desiree Stipp-Bethune
2 HM: Julia Zellner
3 HM: Shirley Howard

16. When I Was 17

Poem, 40 lines or less, any form. Sponsor: Gayle Glass

1st Place: Pat Laster
2nd Place: Laurel Starkey
3rd Place: Fay Smalling Guinn

1 Honorable Mention: Lisbeth McCarty
2 HM: Kimberly Vernon
3 HM: Shelley Anne Richter

17. Much Ado About …

Essay about something that gets too much attention. Sponsor: Glassworks

1st Place: Mike Bass
2nd Place: JC Crumpton
3rd Place: John McPherson

1 Honorable Mention: Bick Satterfield
2 HM: Barry Brown
3 HM: Lisbeth McCarty

18. A Job Well Done

Children’s Story. Sponsor: Rhonda Roberts

1st Place: David Sumner
2nd Place: Don Money
3rd Place: Dee Dee Chumley

1 Honorable Mention: Sam Sullivan
2 HM: Gary Breezeel
3 HM: Marlon Hayes

19. A Walk in a Shoe’s Shoes

Flash Fiction with a shoe as main character. Sponsor: Alyssa Darby

1st Place: Sam Sullivan
2nd Place: Fay Smalling Guinn
3rd Place: Irene Buss Hunt

1 Honorable Mention: Gary Breezeel
2 HM: Peggy Sanders
3 HM: John McPherson

20. Gin Creek Poetry Award

Acrostic poem. Sponsor: Gin Creek Poetry Group

1st Place: Catherine Moran
2nd Place: Prix Gautney
3rd Place: Emory Jones

1 Honorable Mention: Mike Bass
2HM: Teresa Lee
3HM: Kimberly Vernon

21. Show Me Mystery

Short Story – Mystery. Sponsor: Ellen Withers

1st Place: Kimberly Vernon
2nd Place: Gary Rodgers
3rd Place: Gary Breezeel

1 Honorable Mention: Lisbeth McCarty
2 HM: Del Garrett

22. Whodunnit? Award

Short Story – Murder Mystery. Sponsor: Gary Breezeel

1st Place: Gary Rodgers
2nd Place: Christine Anthony
3rd Place: Lisbeth McCarty

23. A Twist in the Story

Change a fairy tale or legend. Sponsor Lindsey Plumbing

1st Place: Don Money
2nd Place: Barbara Barbre
3rd Place: Rhonda Weaver

1 Honorable Mention: Barry Brown
2 HM: Kristin Castleberry
3 HM: Mary Cambron-Collard

24. Love Your Neighbor

Minute Poem. Sponsor: Donna Nelson

1st Place: Alyssa Darby
2nd Place: JC Crumpton
3rd Place: Catherine Moran

1 Honorable Mention: Prix Gautney
2 HM: Naomi Sechrest

25. Four For Fantasy

Short Story – Fantasy. Sponsor: Carol Hodges

1st Place: Albert Morrow
2nd Place: Peggy Sanders
3rd Place: Lydia Cheatham

1 Honorable Mention: JC Crumpton
2 HM: Don Money
3 HM: Gary Rodgers

26. The Creative Spirit

Personal Essay. Sponsor: Harding University English Department

1st Place: Cynthia Bandoind’Ajoux
2nd Place: Irene Buss Hunt
3rd Place: Sunny Stiner

1 Honorable Mention: Bick Satterfield
2 HM: Lisbeth McCarty

27. Cozy, Seasoned Romance

Short Story, older characters. Sponsor Renee LaViness

1st Place: Del Garrett
2nd Place: Trish Copeland
3rd Place: JC Crumpton

1 Honorable Mention: Marlon Hayes
2 HM: Lisbeth McCarty
3 HM: Kimberly Vernon

28. Drabble Story

Fiction story told in exactly 100 words. Sponsor: Don Money

1st Place: Gary Rodgers
2nd Place: Sara Gipson
3rd Place: Kimberly Vernon

1 Honorable Mention: Kristin Castleberry
2 HM: Jan Hamlett
3 HM: Sam Sullivan