Today is the day, dear writers! The day we announce the winners and celebrate with them this momentous achievement! I cannot even tell you how excited I am to share about these five fantastic stories . . . which are, none of them, anything like I could possibly have imagined would end up in this collection, believe me. I am still surprised by the variety and creativity demonstrated by these talented novelists!
But don't take my word for it--go have a look at the contest page on our website. See for yourselves!
Don't forget to come back and leave a comment or two. Congratulate the winners! Tell us about your own experience writing for this contest! Let us know which of these five stories intrigues you the most (though we're only revealing the short summaries today . . . longer summaries coming with the March issue of the Rooglewood Quarterly!)
Take a moment to congratulate our Top Ten authors as well. While they may not have won this year, they accomplished something really exciting making it as far as they did, and they deserve the applause!
Everyone who leaves a comment down below will have her or his name entered in a drawing to receive an Advanced Reader Copy (print, of course!) of Five Magic Spindles . . . just as soon as it's available (which won't be for a few months yet).
Well done, all of you, on this year's contest. It's been a crazy journey for all of us, but a tremendously exciting one! I can hardly wait to work with all of you again on the 2016 contest, which is coming very soon now. (Actually, I just received the final cover design for it yesterday . . . and oh, my! Is it gorgeous!) I look forward to June 1 and getting that whole new creative venture underway for all of us.Celebrate your own efforts, every one of you who finished a story and submitted it . . . that took courage and fortitude! Celebrate the authors who won . . . they agonized right along with everyone else, and today they are enjoying a well-earned victory! Celebrate as readers . . . you've got one thoroughly engaging collection of novellas just around the bend!
It's a good day for fairy tales and creative writers alike.
78 comments:
Congrats to the winners and those who didn't win as well! Writing a story is a huge accomplishment no matter what! :)
Congrats to all 10 finalists!!! Great job! :D
Congratulations, to all! The winning stories sound truly amazing and unique! And man, I wish the book could be larger, cause all those runner-ups look wonderful too!
Congratulations to all the winners. I am very much looking forward to reading the stories. And how I'd love to win an advance copy because I live overseas, only returning to the U.S. in early summer, and I am still waiting to read "Five Enchanted Roses" because it hadn't yet come out before I returned to Kenya. Only this June can I get my hands on a copy!
Congratulations everybody! I'm just glad the wait is finally over.
Out of the collection, I'd have to say that "Out of the Tomb" intrigues me the most. A Tomb raider? How cool is that?
Disappointed I didn't make it this year, but excited to try again this year.
Congrats to all the winners and the other finalists! I think we accomplished something great here, win or lose. I know for me personally, just finishing and being able to submit was a huge personal achievement because, hey, life is rough sometimes.
Looking forward to reading the collection!
Congratulations to the winners and the top ten finalists! So exciting for you all. The winning stories sound so creative. I'm looking forward to your book...you know, the one with the gorgeous cover with your names on it! :D
Congrats to the winners!! I can't wait to read this one!!
I LOVE all the variety here . . . I never would have thought of any of those settings! Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up and all of you who finished stories!
Congratulations winners! You're stories sound so good I can't wait to read them! And congrats to the runner ups! Well done! And congrats to the fellow writers who put their all into stories and actually submitted them!
Now I can't wait for the next contest!
Congratulations! The titles sound so interesting! Can't wait to read them.
This collection sounds amazing! What an incredible variety of stories. Congrats to all who won! Not only am I super excited to read this collection, but I'm super excited for the announcement of the next contest in June. This has been such a fun and enriching experience and I can't wait to do it all over again.
Congratulations to the winners! All these stories sound very unique; I look forward to reading them! I'm not sure which I'm most excited about; they all sound great.
Looking forward to the next contest!
Congratulations to the winners and finalists! So excited for all of you. Bask in the glow of seeing your name on that list today. And for the five winners get ready for some of the most intense editing you've ever done (as well as some incredible learning!)
So excited about all these stories! Every one of them sounds exceptionally original... I think I'm looking forward to the Ghost of Briardale the most... or Out of the Tomb.
Congratulations to the winners! And the finalists :)
Congratulations to all of the winners! You all deserve your win! And congratulations to my fellow finalists! :)
Congratulations winners and finalists! All of you should be so proud of yourselves! The creativity and variety shown by all of you has me astounded. I cannot wait for this new collection!
A hearty congratulations to all the winners and great job to all who entered! I can't wait to read this collection! =)
Congratulations to all the amazing winners! I'm sure this year's collection is going to be awesome! I can't wait to read it!
Congratulations to all the amazing winners! I'm sure this year's collection is going to be awesome! I can't wait to read it!
Congratulations to all! The stories sounded very, very intriguing and I can't wait to read them!
Wohoo!!! I am so psyched to see a Western story--I think this is the first time one of that genre has been chosen in these collections. And I was thinking of doing a tomb raider story for this contest, so of course that one has snagged my interest. As well as the one that sounds like it could be set in Egypt!!! And the ghostly ones sound so epic and intriguing as well!!!! Asylums and evil cousins, oh my! Y'all should be so proud. :D This shall be a wonderful collection, and I am excited to read it!
Lots of love to all the authors and authoresses who got involved! High fives all around!
I'm so excited! And kind of in a shocked daze :-) Congratulations to all my fellow winners, and to all the finalists as well-- and really, congratulations to everyone who put in the time and effort to write and polish and submit a story, because you are brave.
Congratulations to those winners! 2, 4, and 5 intrigue me the most, but they all sound interesting.
I wish I'd finished my entry in time ... but I've found that the six-month reveal-to-deadline doesn't give my brain the time to mull and build that I require. I hope to have POISON KISS ready to self-publish as part of the celebration of my first book (incidentally, also a Sleeping Beauty retelling) fifth birthday this summer.
Can't wait for the next contest, though! I'm already mulling ideas for a few different fairy tales, so hopefully I'll already be on my game by the time you reveal it! (There is one Fairy Tale in particular that I know EXACTLY what I'd do for it).
But again, congratulations to the winners - and the finalists! These collections are always amazing.
Wow, congratulations to all the winners! They all sound super exciting and unique! I can't wait to read this collection, and to find out about this year's contest! And congratulations to those that rounded out the top 10! ^_^ I know everyone worked so hard!
Congratulations to the winners, the stories all sound fantastic! I'm especially stoked for The Man on the Buckskin Horse; a western retelling of Sleeping Beauty sounds exciting!
This collection looks absolutely brilliant!! Excellent work, Rachel, Kat, Grace, Michelle, and Ashley! I simply cannot wait to read it! :D
Wow! All of those are just incredible! Congratulations!
Congrats to the winners! :)
Another congrats to the runners-up! (I love that we get to see some of those this year! :D)
And fellow contestants whose names aren't on there -- you are still so awesome!! Congrats on having a finished story!
Everyone: read Jenelle Schmidt's post to everyone concerned: http://jenelleschmidt.com/five-magic-spindles/ It's wonderful.
(@Tracey: Oh my goodness! I'm sorry you weren't quite on the top five, but I'm so excited/proud of you to see you on that runners-up list!!! YOU ARE AWESOME! Someday you'll make it!! *HUGS* <3)
congratulations! I can't wait to read them all! And I can't wait to see what the next collection is, you're killing me with saying you have the cover art, but not showing it!
Congratulations to all the winners! I'm looking forward to reading all of your stories. The cover is absolutely gorgeous. Congratulations also to the top ten.
Oh, wow, what a variety of stories! Congratulations to everyone, including those who made it to the top ten! I know you all worked hard! I can't even decide which story I'm looking forward to the most. They're all intriguing, but I think that last one about the tomb raider is making me the most curious right now.
I'm still a little disappointed in myself for not finishing my story in time to enter, but I'll never regret how much I learned just by trying. I know so much more about retellings now than I did last year, and I've also learned a lot about myself as a writer and how to streamline my writing process so that it works better for me.
I don't know how successful I'll be, but I'm going to try again to write a story when this year's contest rolls around. (In June! In three months! Gah! 0.0) Here's hoping the fairy tale is one I'm at least somewhat familiar with! *crosses fingers*
Too say that I'm thrilled and overwhelmed to have my story chosen for the collection would be an understatement. I cannot wait to read the other four stories and see how mine turns out after the rigorous editing process. Congrats to the top ten and to all who entered. Good luck everyone who will be editing their stories for future readers to enjoy!
Woohoo! Congrats to the winers and runners up! All of these stories look super intriguing and I look foward to reading them somday! Number 4 looks especially interesting to me.
Even though I was not on the list of winners or one of the top ten, (and I was not expecting to be, indeed I would have been surprised if I was) I am still so glad I went through the process to enter!
Great job to all my fellow writers who won, who entered, and those who began but couldn't find time to finish!
Congratulations, everyone! To the winners - mah word, have fun! And to the rest of us? Write on, enjoy every step. It's not the ending, it's the journey. (That probably sounded more logical in my head XD)
I wonder what the next collection will be!
Congratulations Rachel, Kat, Grace, Michelle, and Ashely! I'm sure you all must be so excited :). And congratulations to the runner-ups as well! (especially to you, Tracey!)
And to everyone who didn't get chosen: congratulations for just FINISHING your story! Knowing you completed your novella can be a reward in itself (I know it is for me).
Thank you so much for doing this contest, Anne Elisabeth! I had so much fun, and I can't wait for the next one!
Congratulations to all the winners and runner-ups! I'm very much looking forward to reading the winning stories when Five Magic Spindles comes out.
And I'm already looking forward to the next contest. *closes eyes and folds hands* 'please be Rapunzel; please be Rapunzel...'
Congratulations to all the winners!! I'm excited to read your stories when Five Magic Spindles is released! :) :)
And congrats to the top ten, and EVERYONE who submitted a story! Great job everyone! Now for editing and continued writing! :D
Blessings to all!
Three cheers for everyone! Hip hip hurrah! I am so excited to read the winning stories... and so tantalized by the runners-up! Let us know when you find other venues to publish those, guys... we want to know! I can't wait to see how the Western story and the sci-fi tomb-raider tale use the Sleeping Beauty framework... and I can't wait to see how ghostly Arabella and comatose Roselee solve their problems!
I had to go to work this morning, so I'm just finding out that I won. Like, this doesn't feel very real. Thank you all for the kind words!
Congrats to my fellow winners, and the runner ups! And congrats to everyone else who participated. You all deserve applause for even just finishing a story and having the courage to submit it. That is an accomplishment in and of itself. :-D
Congratulations to all the winners! Hurrah for you!!! I am looking forward to reading your stories!
I was super-excited to find some familiar names in the top ten. I love participating in a contest with "community" so that I can cheer for the stories and authors that I've already come to admire. The Show and Tell in September helped with that, and I'm so glad we did it.
Thank you, Anne Elisabeth Stengl and Rooglewood, for hosting this contest. I learn so much each year that I enter!
~Esther
Can't wait to read all of them really. Congratulations to the winners! All of your stories sound intriguing. Congrats to the finalist!
@ Tracey, I basically screamed when I saw your name, all your hard work payed off. I wish you would have won, but you made it to the final round. I'm so happy for you! :D
I am so thrilled for the winners of this year's contest: from the brief tidbits shares about your stories, I am sure this is going to be an amazing collection. I will be thinking of you he next few months as you dive into your revisions, and if I can help encourage you along the way, don't hesitate to ask. The next few months will be amazing and challenging! You're going to do amazing!
For those who made it into the final running, please know how desperately we all wish we could be reading your stories too. They all sound incredible and you have accomplished so much by completing this project and coming this far.
To the rest of the entrants: Please please please don't give up! Every story you write is helping you develop your craft as an author and what you learn and accomplish cannot be defined by just winning. From someone who has lost many contests and received many rejection letters, I know how much it can sting. Let yourself cry a wee bit and then blow your nose, get out your red pen and go over your story using the notes Anne Elisabeth so kindly shared yesterday. Use this as an opportunity to learn and grow and polish...and then dive into the next project. Don't give up. You each have stories begging to be told and someday you will get the chance to share them with us. If anyone needs a shoulder to cry on, a friendly chat or whatnot, send me an email and I would love to be your friend, dragonwriter84@gmail.com
Congrats to the winners, but congrats to all the other writers too! Never give up even if you didn't get it the first time. If you fail once you must try try again! Good job everyone!
Fantastic job to all, and congratulations to the winners! As with the previous collections, I love how varied the selections always are, so I'm super excited! God bless and best wishes with your revisions and polishing. I think I'm most intrigued by the one with the evil cousin! Am going out West this summer, so it'll be neat to read a Western version of Sleeping Beauty, too. I'm always amazed that there are such varied settings in these stories. That's wonderful and makes me think how I limit myself in my own writing. I need to research more cultures and settings to get more versatile.
To everyone: Remember to continue writing, because any art form is about self-expression, and as long as you continue to find ways of expressing your feelings and desires, you will always have a voice. It's only when we don't pursue our gifts that God weeps. Please find ways to show His work within you, for we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus to bring Him glory. Praise God for creativity!
Meredith and Savannah, your comments bring tears to my eyes. Thank you. I'm sure your comments are an encouragement to all the writers.
AAAH HOW EXCITING! Congrats to all of you! I hope that editing will go smoothly and you won't be too nervous for it to be released to the world. <3
Number 3 + 4 sound so cool. o.o I want to read them right now so badly. :P Can't wait until I get to!
Congratulations to our five chosen ones! Now your hard work starts!
And I hope for those shortlisted, it gives you a real confidence boost.
And for my companions -well done for committing and entering. In a little while, when the emotions have settled, go back to the story and with fresh eyes let us see how we can be better!
Congrates everyone! If I'm not mistaken, I saw a boy's name in the top ten. So awesome to see guys taken part in fairytale retellings. Now if only I can convince my brother that there cool.
Congrats to the winners and the other top ten finalists! The brief summaries already look so intriguing. I'm excited to read the collection!
To those who didn't make the cut - keep persevering. Disappointment is hard, but learning to take rejection graciously is such a character-builder (I am a slow learner of that truth, so speaking to myself too). Anne Elisabeth, I love your post from yesterday with critiques and words of encouragement.
There were many things I knew could've been better in my own story when the deadline rolled around, and plenty more that I'm likely still unaware of. Looking forward to learning and growing and refining the craft!
@Bookishqueen That was my brother!! He's pretty amazing.
Also, congrats to the winners! Woo hoo!
A ghost in an insane asylum?! That sounds ah-mazing.
Congratulations to the winners! Soak up this moment; commit it to memory; bask in it. Now, brace yourselves: you're about to embark on a journey that may very well test your sanity. But remember: editing and revising is part of the journey, and critique is part of THAT journey. Your team only wants the best for you. I can't wait to read your amazing stories :)
To my fellow contest entrants who did not win: we may not be getting published, but that doesn't mean that we didn't create something amazing. I don't know about you guys, but I put a lot of time and energy into my story, and I am proud of it, even if it didn't win. If this contest has proven one thing, it's how many people love the Sleeping Beauty story; just because we might not be getting published in this anthology, we still have a chance to get published. Remember: not even the winners created perfect stories. So if you truly believe in the story you created, don't give up. Go back to it; nurture it; help it become what it is destined to become.
High fives to everyone!
Congratulations to all the winners! I can't wait to read all these amazing looking stories!
Congrats, you guys!!! I've always enjoyed the story of Sleeping Beauty and I'm excited to see what kinds of creative reimaginings you've come up with. The synopses all sound super intriguing! And kudos to ALL you creative people who entered! That in itself is a great accomplishment. :)
Congratulations! I can't wait to read those stories! They sound really interesting!
@Savannah and @Meredith Thank you both for your sweet comments, they really encouraged me :).
Huge congrats, winners! Your stories sound so enticing, and what a diverse collection they'll make. I can hardly wait to read your beautiful words. And to my fellow finalists--well done!
Thanks to everyone who's left encouraging comments for this year's participants! Your kindness warms my heart.
@Deborah: *bear hugs* Aww, thank you!! I'm thrilled to see my name on the Top Ten. And I absolutely MUST read the story you entered one day. ^_^
@Savannah: Thanks, girl! :D
@Skye: You're so sweet--thank you! (I just about screamed too. XD) I hope you know that you did amazingly this year with your story as well!
Once again, I'm eager to read FMS--and to see what's in store this June...
I didn't see any brief summaries. Did the internet gremlins eat them?
I'm loving reading everyone's encouragement to each other. Thank you, Ms. Bekk and Ms. Savannah. We all can encourage each other.
The comment about everyone loving the sleeping beauty story made me smile as it's never been one of my favorites. However, this contest really made me think of what the story is about, and I learned to appreciate it so much more. To me, Sleeping Beauty is a story of moving away from other's expectations, of being reborn and awakening to who you really are. God bless.
@Galadriel: I didn't see them at first either. Go to the page linked (http://www.rooglewoodpress.com/#!writing-contest/c22i6) and scroll down past the titles and cover... under "Awaken the Magic" there's a list of brief sentence summaries for each story. :)
Since I "know" two of these bloggers, I am all the MORE excited for this collection. But all of the stories sound amazing and I cannot wait to read them all - congrats to everyone who won or submitted a story (that alone is a brave, big accomplishment). Well done, everyone. :)
Yea!! Congratulations to everyone who submitted a story - just creating something uniquely yours and having the courage to share it with the world is an amazing accomplishment. You are amazing! Can't wait to read all these fabulous stories!
Congrats to the winners! This is such an amazing accomplishment for you. I look forward to reading your stories and seeing where your writing career takes you.
Congratulations to the writers!! So exciting :) I'm very, very curious about the western!
Congrats winners, honorable mentions, and participants alike!
Congratulations for coming up with stories...and for FINISHING them (that's a very important part ;) ). Keep writing! <(^.^<)
Paranormal, sci-fi, western and more...AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA, they all sound amazing!!!
And the titles of the honorable mentions have me curious. :D
There are now officially two sci-fi fairy tell retellings in these collections. I wonder if there were any sci-fi entries for the Beauty and the Beast? Ooh, maybe I could write one...
*leaves inspired*
@Merenwen: Doooo iiiiit! A sci-fi version of Beauty and the Beast could be so cool, and I think it would give you a lot of freedom to do your own thing with it.
Oh the possibilities! Now I might have to write one too. :D
*also leaves inspired*
Congrats to the winners! I got to read a couple of the entries and have to say I can't wait to read the final picks. Though I wasn't able to enter I got a great story idea from this contest.
CONGRATS EVERYBODYY!!!! You're so inspiring...now I want to write, haha!!
Congratulations on all the winners! The titles and stories seem all very thrilling and exciting, and I can't wait to read this fairy-tale retelling of Sleeping Beauty! :)
A huge congrats to everyone - especially Grace Mullins who I have been following on blog/social media for a while! I'm sure the book will be awesome
Congratulations to all the winners! I can't wait to read the stories. They all sound so creative!
I'm excited for the creativity and variety we'll be able to enjoy when the collection is available. Congratulations to the winners, the runners-up, and everyone who entered!
Woohoo! Congrats to you all, and I can't wait to read these! They all sound great! :)
Congrats to the winners! I love the ideas of these books!
Congratulations on all the winners! Reading is my favorite hobby and my TBR pile is getting higher by the minute.
I can't wait to read this book! I'm especially looking forward to The Ghost of Briardale. Sounds amazing.
Congratulations RACHEL KOVACINY, KATHRYN MCCONAUGHY, GRACE MULLINS, MICHELLE PENNINGTON, ASHLEY STANGL, IAN THOMPSON, NESS KINGSLEY, REBECCA SKUBAN, TRACEY DYCK, and SELINA ECKERT!
You thoroughly deserve it! Winners, your stories all sound amazing! I applaud each of you (along with the many other contestants) for your hard work and dedication. Mazel tov!
Oh my goodness each story sounds amazing! Congratulations to all the writers! So excited about this collection.
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