Impact – Queer Sci Fi

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Impact – First Place Winner

July 24, 2018 by scott

Hey all… The big moment has finally arrived. Impact will release tomorrow, and we’re counting down the winners! First place this year goes to Brenda Noiseux, for the story “You Can’t Rush the Kimchi:” “HOW WE RECOVER memory constitutes the heart of this beautiful, lyrical story. Our judges found a poignancy in the search for something from a missing childhood and the incredible relief of recovering that kind of memory. The author’s depiction of this recovery is warm, sensory-laden and striking, and the inclusion of characters of color and the connection between the queer characters and family made this story … Read more

Impact – Second Place Winner

July 23, 2018 by scott

Hey all… The big moment has finally arrived. Impact will release in just three days, and we’re counting down the winners! Second place this year goes to dave ring, for the story “Clickbait:” “THIS STORY TOOK RISKS—IN format, presentation and subject matter. Our judges found it both unique and hard-hitting, with excellent charac‐ terization. The challenge in a flash story is to construct both a complete world and a complete story inside the tight confines of a few words and our judges felt this story accomplished both all while offering a clever narrative and a dual use of theme.” Congrats, … Read more

Impact – Third Place Winner

July 23, 2018July 22, 2018 by scott

Hey all… The big moment has finally arrived. Impact will release in just three days, and we’re counting down the winners! Third place this year goes to Amir Lane, for the story “Indestructible:” “OUR JUDGES WERE STRUCK by the imagery in this story, and the utiliza‐tion of that imagery to convey a powerful message. While the use of theme was a literal collision, the type and meaning of impact in this case was unique, and the dark superhero protagonist was one that spoke clearly to the judges. They wanted more of this story.” Congrats, Amir – well deserved! Preorder now: … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: The Second Three Judge’s Picks for “Impact”

July 21, 2018 by scott

It’s time to announce the second three of our Judge’s Picks (well, technically the two Judges’ pics and one Director’s pick) – stories that did not win the contest, but that at least one of our judges (or I) absolutely loved. For our picks, feel free to use the badge above. :) Misfortune by A.M. Leibowitz Judge: Angel Martinez “Given a theme that lends itself to disaster, the stories that opted for a humorous, lighthearted take on Impact stood out for me. This one gives us a complete world where household mishaps are likely to be magical and real trolls … Read more

ANNOUNCEMENT: The First Three Judge’s Picks for “Impact”

July 20, 2018 by scott

It’s time to announce the first three of our Judge’s Picks – stories that did not win the contest, but that at least one of our judges absolutely loved. Stranded at the Mouth of the Time-Tunnel, Gilchrist Loses a Lucky Penny by Carey Ford Compton Judge: S R Jones “I loved this one because it was clever- not just with the use of the time tunnel, but also the introduction of the character’s pronouns and their feelings about them. It was also a story that did not rely on romance to show queerness, which made it stand out, and one … Read more

Impact – The Honorable Mentions

June 25, 2018 by scott

The “Impact” flash fiction anthology has a publication date – July 25th – one month from today. It will be up for pre-order a couple weeks before that date. So to celebrate, we thought we’d announce the Honorable Mentions for the book. If your story has received an honorable mention, it means that you were one of the high scoring stories in the average of all the judges’ scores. It also means you are *not* one of the top three winners, but you might still be one of our Judge’s picks, which will be announced in a few weeks. The … Read more

Impact is Coming!

June 6, 2018 by scott

Hey all, It’s time to announce the stories chosen for the Impact flash fiction anthology. There was stiff competition this year – 182 stories submitted, 110 chosen – we wanted to thank everyone who submitted, regardless of whether or not you’re in the anthology. I also wanted to thank the judges – Angel Martinez, SR Jones, Siri Paulsen, Ben Brock and Carole Cummings – for an amazing job winnowing down the stories to choose three winners. In the next week or so, we’ll announce the honorable mentions, then a little while after that, the Judges’ Picks. The winners themselves will … Read more

“Impact” Contest Launches Today

March 1, 2018 by scott

FOR WRITERS The fifth flash fiction contest launches today, and runs for the whole month of March. The theme is “Impact.” Take that however you will – an asteroid impacting the earth; the environmental impact of climate change; two paranormal entities crashing into one another in combat; the impact an action by an individual can have as it ripples through society. Heck, even an impacted wisdom tooth can work, as long as you sell it. It’s up to you. Full details here: https://www.queerscifi.com/flash-contest-rules/ So, in the spirit of the theme, I’d like our authors to talk about other authors who … Read more

FOR WRITERS: Impact Story Ideas

February 15, 2018 by scott

FOR WRITERS Today’s writer topic comes from QSFer J. Scott Coatsworth: It’s just two weeks until the official start of the 2018 Queer Sci Fi flash fiction contest. This year’s theme is “impact”, so I thought we’d have a little fun and brainstorm ways “Impact” could be used in a story. Go! Note that all ideas posted here are free game for folks to use without compensation/recognition. Join the chat

QSF Seminar: How to Write Good Flash Fiction

January 13, 2018 by scott

FOR WRITERS AND WANNA-BE WRITERS In about a month and a half, we will launch our fifth QSF flash fiction contest. The theme this year? “Impact.” We thought we’d kick it off with a seminar for folks considering writing a story for this or any other flash fiction contest or collection. We’ve invited past winners: Jenn Burke Aidee Ladnier Carole Cummings Siri Paulson Jerome Stueart Cari Zee Alicia Nordwell Clare London And the judges: Angel Martinez Ben Brock J. Scott Coatsworth We’ll do a roundtable discussion first, and then open the floor for questions. Join the chat