The Writer's Workout

What the Body Refuses by Aneisha Gupta First Place The first time my throat tightened at the temple, I thought it was God. I was ten years old, standing barefoot on the cool stone floor of our local Hindu temple, waiting for my offerings, waiting for my prashad. As far back as I can remember, my birthdays always began with prayers at the temple alongside my family. Incense curled toward the ceiling, blurring the golden edges of the deities. The priest’s voice rose and fell

Nail Biter by Jade Josie Second Place My cheeks feel warm buried in the crook of my elbow. I am something dead to the world, bloated and still. My scrawny limbs bend and spread across my desk as my mind floats anywhere else but here. I feel more comfortable than I ever could be in my bed, even in all of the clattering noise before first period. A chirping voice and a tap to my shoulder drags me from my haze. “Hi!” A hand waves in front of my face, making the pale school li

She's Back by Claire Beaver Third Place 1. On her hands and knees, loose pieces of grout piercing her skin between tiles, Avery scrubbed. The sponge was chunky with bits of vomit and fingernails intended to land in the toilet, but she didn’t stop until the splattered bits were gone. Avery couldn’t remember the last time she had thrown up, really thrown up. Maybe in college after a night of binge drinking with her sister; May knew how to drink. Avery pulled herself up by the

We interviewed the Magicfest First Place Overall winner, Brian Lockwood! WW: What encouraged you to participate in Magicfest? BL: I submitted pieces for the Writer's Games in two different years. I enjoyed the challenge, but weekends are a difficult time for me to find time to write. All-day or out-of-town plans can develop fast, and I didn't want to abandon premium family time for the sake of the Games. When Magicfest was announced as a competition that took place during the

We interviewed the Magicfest Second Place Overall winner, Bea Sage! WW: What encouraged you to participate in Magicfest? BS: I’m a Writer’s Games diehard, so the Fests feel like a natural addendum - having said that, the last time I participated in one (Leapfest), I didn’t manage to submit anything for one Event and ended up with a very hastily completed 500-word story for another, so I also wanted to redeem myself on the Fest side of things! WW: What were you worried or nerv

We interviewed the Magicfest Third Place Overall winner, Alyssa Beatty! WW: What encouraged you to participate in Magicfest? AB: I’ve been in a bit of a writing slump and wanted to remind myself that writing is something I do for the joy of it. In short fiction I find fantasy the most fun genre to write in; I always end up with characters or a voice that I really love. I’m deep in the weeds of writing a fantasy novel and it’s becoming a slog, so I wanted to re-ignite that spa

Twenty-Five Yards to Life by Deidra Whitt Lovegren First Place That’s my name and my number, but it’s not me. With a flick of my thumb, I pop open a black umbrella and square up behind a rusty chain-link fence. Fresh cut grass takes me back to the start of my own NFL career—before the chronic pain, relentless lawsuits, and crazy carousel of ex-wives ruined my life. Did it always rain like hell during training camp? The players don’t seem to notice the wet jerseys stick