First Chapters Writing Competition Winners List by Round

Kevin Mcnamara; Some Lovely Parting Gifts
Marilyn Thompson; Outlaw Children
Ian Meyer; Parallel Opposites

These could've made the second round.

Nice to see them all in one spot.

When's the next competition, please? An article in today's New York Times says the industry will need a new blockbuster once the last Harry Potter is released. Maybe it'll be Terry's or Geoffrey's book. Maybe both! Meantime, please start up a new chapter contest. Thanks.

The following is an excerpt from mine. I'm currently editing further and adding a few subplots, which means I will need to put some scenes into summary.

Either from seeing no one was like her or from seeing she couldn't be like the rest, something always seemed to be missing from her life....
Sunlight from outside hinted her calm presence and sparkled through the glass of water as she put it beside the sink. Laura had already contemplated various things to say. After all her attempts at speaking her mind, trying felt useless when no one else seemed to. In life before we die, was this not important to people? Here was her mother, her legs crossed, her endless happiness, poised at the television in her sincerest beliefs of a wonderful time and place and its people, as though she had believed in it this way since childhood. Laura didn't have to look at her mother to know this. She remained at the window, watching the trees sway in the wind at the road. In front was the pear tree and the locust tree. The yard was mowed, a sign of her father who was gone.
Beyond the trees at the road, the cattle gathered near the water. One looked toward Laura. They could recognize being in the same world as people but too often with the fear of being neglected. Did they want to remain immortally under the sun, arriving at spring, to bring children to smile? There were no children now.

Congrats to all! It was a pleasure to be in your company.

-Judi
Top 20 Finalist, Beauty and The Best
www.JudiFennell.com

Thanks for posting this here. It's a nice reminder and a way to touch base with the writers.

Any chance that you'll allow group members here to email the rest of the group, or at least all the competitors? I'd like to send a thank you or a word of encouragement. Even like to see who's still participating on Gather. I realize that something like that COULD lead to problems, but I was curious to know if it could be done. Over 2,000 writers with completed manuscripts are out there. I wouldn't mind sending a general "thank you" and "success to you" note.

I second what Beth has just stated. We should form an operative group for posting excerpts again for more feedback. Check ianbradley.gather.com for my excerpts.

You may post a synopsis of your work at readyfiction.gather.com and share a link to your first chapter on that same article, please. This process is to attract attention to agents, and to receive feedback, but only if you think your work is "ready."

great :)