The Games showed me that I could do something I never would have thought possible; write a complete story and edit it within 72 hours. It boils everything down to the basics. How can you tell a great story with only a few characters and a limited amount of description? It's no easy task to bring characters and a story to life in so few words and so little time. It taught me to strip everything else away and only use those words and sentences that propel the story forward. Finishing in the top 10 out of over a hundred people also showed me that I am a better writer than I was giving myself credit for and every year that I finish at a higher place, I know I am getting better.

About the author: Rachel Kolodziej is the team leader of the two-time Writer's Games champion team, The Red Herrings. You can follow her on twitter: @RachelsWorldx2.