Welcome to the Atlantis Short Story Competition 2012
"I don't believe you have to be better than everybody else.
I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be." -Ken Venturi
>> International Call For Entries - Writers from all around the world are welcome <<
1st PRIZE: $300 + IN-DEPTH FEEDBACK
2nd PRIZE: $100 + IN-DEPTH FEEDBACK
3rd PRIZE: $50 + IN-DEPTH FEEDBACK
TOP 15: IN-DEPTH FEEDBACK
TOP 40: NAME AND SHORT STORY'S TITLE POSTED ON WEBSITE
***EVERY PARTICIPANT: BRIEF COMMENT AND EVALUATION TABLE (altogether about 1 to 2 pages)***
WINNERS OF THE ATLANTIS SHORT STORY CONTEST 2012 (162 participants):
TOP 15
1. Ramone Vasquez - Remnants of an evolution
2. Michelle Labat - I can't
3. Layal Rafeh - After the beard
4. Zhiling Gow - Books are Harmful
5. Dora Haller - Naked Sundays
6. Sean DiLizio - The Dog in the cellar
7. Jim Runyan - Brilliant Paradise
8. Richard McGee - The Windows of Cumberland Hall
9. Nikola Vukoja - WHO AM I REALLY?
10. Rhonda Candlish - Love and lies.
11. Peggy Hyland - NELL
12. Margaret Grundstein - Birth
13. Saima Arif - A Walk
14. Kevinne Ann Moran - The Precious Child
15. Matthew Couch - Definitive Holographic
TOP 16 - 42
(in alphabetical order)
Andy Gallagher - The Wanting bell of Gudrun Bunderchook
Cosima Armstrong - Belgrade, Olga and Jade Earrings
Chloe Krawczyk - 500 Days of a Summer Fling
Christina Lauder - It takes a village to raise a child
Christina Mowle - A Perfect Storm
Dan Gemmer - Jimmy
David Murphy - Old Heron
Evan Shaw - The New Atlantis
Ian Chorlton - The King's Arrow
Ira Spector - Joe Charles
Joseph McCarthy - Boggles The Synaesthete
Karen A. Strauss - Customer Service
Len Hewlett - FIRE
Lane Emmons - Phyllis
Lisa Vankula-Donovan - No Way to Live
Ng Wai Chii - Bamboo Rhapsody
Peter Walsh - The Boy, The Dog and The Hare
Rahul Paul - The Asylum
Robin Mark Walker - Feeding the wolves
Sinead Goddard - Always and Forever
Susan Redden - Seamstress in Spandex
Stuart Hendryx - The Post Office Visit
Tim DeMartino - All the Rage
Tom Szendrei - Forgotten Sons
Wendy Williams - Was it enough?
William G. Doscher - One for the Times
Yvette Maurice - Short Story of a Lost and Wretched Soul
ANNOUNCEMENT:
It's been very difficult to pick the best of the best, but here they are.
This year's contest became even more challenging, as they were a
lot of stories which similarly scored.
A lot of stories have been read twice, even though this postponed the winner's announcement by a week,
it was absolutely necessary to maintain the quality of the contest. Thank you once again for your patience!
Every story had something unique, sometimes something appealing, but also appalling.
Good! We stress once again: There are no theme or genre restrictions!
Thus, the reading of the short stories turned out to be exhausting at some points,
because your stories mirror what it means to live. You wake up one day wondering
if it was worth it? What's ahead of you? Although there were stories with a plot
we've heard dozens of times before, we can proudly ascertain that every partipant has put some thought
into her or his story.
This was not a short story contest; this was a contest of excellence
and you should reread the stories you submitted yourself! That's your own achievement,
a palace of thought - black on white. (There were some that wrote in blue, too!)
Remember: "Excellence, is not an act, but a habit" (Aristotle). Strive for the best and continue writing.
Writing is a craft, therefore you need to make the same commitment over and over again and get on that seat
and bleed. Are you committed enouch to become really good at this craft?
Option 1 (score) & 2 (short feedbacks) all have been delivered by now! Check your spam folder! If you have
not received your feedback, please contact us. And once again: Check your spam / junk folder.
We would be very grateful if you could share your experience with our contest.
The Atlantis Short Story Contest 2013 opens soon.
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APRIL 01, 2013:
We're all looking forward to the results of the Atlantis Short Story Contest 2012.
The good news is: We're almost through.. Option 2 feedback are being sent out batch by batch.. We will post the winners by the end of this week. If you like, we can notify you by e-mail about the results. Many thanks for your patience.
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>> Attention! Those who ordered in-depth feedback should take a look at their spam/junk folder.
Unfortunately, e-mails from us might be displaced due to the negative connotation of the word
"contest" in our e-mail address associated with lotteries. We have no influence on the way how your e-mail provider
filters out spam or which algorithm they use.
At the moment, we are waiting for a couple of replies, since we don't know whether some participants
received their feedback or not.
>> Please check your spam folder.
Thank you.
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JANUARY 21, 2013:
We are all looking forward to the results of the Atlantis Short Story Contest 2012.
Due to the high amount of entries requesting feedback, the results will be posted
on the website between March 15-31. Please be assured that we know how
thrilling the waiting may be, however the quality of the contest needs to be consistent.
The Atlantis Short Story Contest is the only contest offering the opportunity for
writers from all around the world to participate in a contest promoting excellent
stories, while giving everyone the chance to develop her/his writing skills. Our feedback
is widely appreciated and good things simply take time. We appreciate your patience
and hope that you have enjoyed the experience with this year's contest so far.
The Atlantis Short Story Contest 2013 will open its gates in April.
Thank you.
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DECEMBER 31, 2012:
The Atlantis Short Story Contest wishes you a Happy New Year! We hope 2013 awaits you
with new doors of opportunities, overall satisfaction - all framed in health and peace.
We are going to release the latest information on the evaluation progress of the contest
in mid-January 2013. Thank you.
God bless you.
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Anyone who voted on election day - no matter if you chose to support Romney or Obama - can proudly say
that his voice has been made heard due to our exemplary democracy and its institutions. Now it's time
for a politics marked by reconciliation and progress. But how does (individual progress) begin?
It all starts with the tiny things; Obama's support grew steadily which was formerly based on few people who believed in him.
Who would've thought he'd be given a second term ten years ago? Facing and dealing with obstacles systematically,
Obama once more confirmed that the American Dream is still valid. Though, chances are still not distributed fairly.
How can the United States of America shine bright, as a shadow of injustice clouds the American Dream
we all embody and carry on?
That is why we came up with the idea to make this contest greater than just great. By participating you
can win cash-prizes, but you always get a fair chance to win in-depth feedback or buy it at an absolutely
affordable and revolutionary price. That's not enough! We don't want to be good, we strive for the best!
Therefore 5% of our proceeds go directly to PROLITERACY.ORG, a charity set up to reduce illiteracy in the United States of America
and in 50 countries around the globe - in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Their efforts resonate around the world starting
here in the United States of America and shining with an immense international outreach that combines
literacy instruction with development projects in communities.
We strive for a world where chances are distributed equally and literacy is the skill which all others doors of opportunity
depend on. Literacy allows us to dive into worlds of imagination and it's is the key to make our decent flower of creativity flourish.
Each of us has the potential to be not just great, but greater than you ever thought you could be. But there's one thing:
You have to go forward and try; S T R I V E FOR THE B E S T!
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As a writer you probably do not get the attention you expect and deserve. It is often the case that the family
and friends do not appreciate your dedication to writing at all.
But writers want to be heard, right? Why else should they sit and carefully type each character. Word by Word.
Sentence after sentence. Writing allows you to create entire worlds and therefore it would be a real pity, if
nobody got the reading pleasure and the opportunity to proceed your thoughts and ideas.
As an unpublished author of fiction work, it is pretty difficult to actually live long enough to experience your
'lucky break'. Whether you're an unpublished short story writer with the ambition of eventually getting your
work published, or you're an screenwriter, a poet or a playwright, etc. To break in, to get your lucky break
without having contacts in the industry, your work of fiction does need to be excellent, otherwise a
pitching (brief oral presentation: 'What is your work about?') opportunity is a lost shot.
Honest feedback really improves the quality of your work and consequently the chances of being heard.
Our goal is to offer a short story competition that provides insightful feedback that the writer can benefit from.
We want to give everybody the chance to become better, as it does not rarely happen that writers are not
ready when the job comes by.
What do you exactly gain by entering the competition?
Every submitted short story is professionally evaluated. The salient point is that we allow you to see what
we think about your short story. We write for every participant's short story a brief, insightful comment
(approx. one page) and include an evaluation table which gives you a quick overview about the strengths and
weaknesses of your work.
The Top 3 participants are awarded with cash prizes. (see above)
The Top 15 participants will get in-depth feedback (2 - 4 pages, depends on the story's length).
The Top 15 participants have the option to get their story published on our website.
At the end of the contest the author will be asked, if she/he wants her/his story to
be published on the website.
In the case that the author wants her/his story to be removed from the website later on,
she/he can write us an e-mail to inquiry@atlantis-shortstorycontest.com .
Her/his short story promptly will be removed then.
The Top 40 participants will be posted on the website with their story's title, name
(and a sharp two-sentence logline, if they want). The author retains all rights to her/his work.
Thank you for visiting the Atlantis Short Story Contest!
NEWS POSTS
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NOVEMBER 29, 2012:
In the last few days we have received more inquiries than we could respond to before the deadline for the
Atlantis Short Story Contest 2012. Therefore we extend the deadline to December 16, 2012. Please note that
due to the huge amount of questions coming in every day, it may take up to one week until you get your reply.
Please be patient. We will get back to you as soon as possible.
DEADLINE for the Atlantis Short Story Contest 2012: December 14, 2012
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AUGUST 23, 2012:
The Atlantis Short Story Contest 2011 winning participant Edmund Jonah managed to have
his novel published. YESHUA! is an outstanding literary piece that proves one more time
that the law of hard work is no secret. By carefully adding bits of the story's skeleton and
revising them with exceptional perseverance and dedication, Edmund Jonah surely rendered
a work worth to take a look at. Grab your copy here !
YESHUA! is a re-creation of the life of Jesus, from a new and unique perspective.
Set in Roman-occupied Israel, it places the charismatic preacher in the political context of that
turbulent time when Messiahs sprouted like mushrooms after rain! We meet on terms of great
intimacy the people who fashioned his mind and personality:
YOSEPH, his kind and beloved father, brutally killed by the Romans;
MIRIAM, his practical mother, who is unable to understand her firstborn;
YACOV, the brother who resents him but appreciates his knowledge;
YOSSI, the brother who adores him but cannot accept his philosophy;
YOCHANAN THE DIPPER, who leads him into the central drama of his life;
MIRIAM OF MAGDALA, who loves him passionately but cannot possess him;
SIMON PETER, whose loyalty to him is put to the extreme challenge;
CAIUS, the Centurion who befriends him and then must execute him;
PONTIUS PILATE, the Roman Governor, who convicts him, thus sweeping this epic to its powerful and startling conclusion.
Selected reviews:
“Edmund Jonah has created a spellbinding masterpiece. “YESHUA!” begins with a young
Jesus who grows into the dynamic force that created Christendom and changed the world irrevocably.
Jonah, an Israeli, knows his topic in breathtaking detail, blending his own writing with scriptural
writings into a thoroughly believable narrative. Dramatically and effectively woven into the story
is the on-going political and violent tension between the Jews and the Romans, in the midst of which
this man comes to vibrant, thrilling life. “YESHUA!” is historical fiction at its best.”
-Andrew O'Hara, Jimston Journal, USA.
“Yeshua!’s” greatest strength is that it requires the reader to think about the very foundation stone
of his moral and spiritual culture and accept that it has no real supernatural basis; that the Messiah was not,
in any sense, what Western culture understands. This is a quietly corrosive attack, like the sea, and therefore,
something deep inside the Westerner is alarmed by it. This quality will one day make it an important book.
-Conor Corderoy, Agent &Author, U.K.
About the author:
 The author was born in Calcutta, India, the second of two sons of Iraqi Jewish origin,
and educated by Belgian and Canadian Jesuit priests from whom he got his interest
in Jesus. He moved to London, England at the age of 22; then 10 years later to
Tel Aviv, Israel, where he now lives.
The figure of the Christianized Jew fascinated him and this book is a labour of love
that took more than three decades to bring to as close as he hoped it would be.
He has taken two courses in creative writing, one in London and one in Israel.
He lectures very successfully on “Yeshua ben Yosef, the Jew who became the God of
the Christians – How did it happen?”
The lecture enlarges on the scope of the book by explaining how Christianity
really got started. He has had several stories, poems and articles published, as far
afield as in Canada, New Zealand, India, U.K. the USA and Israel.
How to participate in the Atlantis Short Story Contest 2012:
You can submit your short story here !
>> Deadline: November 30, 2012.
To view the guidelines, click here !
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JULY 24, 2012:
Recently we have received multiple inquiries regarding the rights that are attached to your short story.
Yes, authors retain all rights to their short story.
However we always recommend to copyright or register your work, for instance with the wgaw.
Some people complained that we didn't respond to their inquiries. We did answer their e-mails,
however you should make sure to check your spam folder once in a while. E-mails
might be misplaced, especially if you've never received one from us before.
Inquiries are usually replied to within 1 - 4 business days.
If you have questions, simply contact us.
You can submit your short story here !
>> Deadline: November 30, 2012.
To view the guidelines, click here !
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JUNE 23, 2012:
The Atlantis Short Story Contest 2012 is an international contest. We were repeatedly asked, whether
writers from the most distant places in the world may enter the competition. Yes, they may!
However stories have to be in English and meet the guidelines.
We are looking for unique stories, as writing is putting together words in a new, refreshing order.
It's about recombination of elements that people have been passing over from generation to generation.
Literature is the media to culturally express oneself, as it offers writers distinct possibilities to create
fictional worlds straight on a piece of paper. And it's very ambivalent, because each reader
experiences a theater in her/his mind which never is equivalent to someone else's.
What should you write about? There is no theme or genre restriction, you can write
whatever you like. Usually people write about what bugs them the most or topics
they feel strongly about. And that's the way to do it. Stories will be convincing, if
the writer is attached to the theme in some way, so your intuitive decision to
write about what you care about always make a good story.
If you have questions, simply contact us.
You can submit your short story here !
>> Deadline: November 30, 2012.
To view the guidelines, click here !
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APRIL 15, 2012:
The Atlantis Short Story Contest *2012* opens it gates. Authors from all around the world
are welcome to enter the one and only contest that offers a criqitue for every participating story!
You can submit your short story here !
Deadline: November 30, 2012.
To view the guidelines, click here ! Word limitation has been increased to 2,500 words!
(Is my story too short now?)
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older posts:
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APRIL 04, 2012:
WINNERS of the Atlantis Short Story Contest 2011 are officially announced! Congratulations!
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