Open Category Judging Notes

Poppies NZSA CD Branch Short Story Competition 2013
- open category judging notes

Entries in this year’s competition represented the usual range of themes, though there was a dominance of domestic and relationship stories. This is not necessarily a bad thing: our home lives and our emotional lives are a fundamental part of who we are.
And the main function, if not the over-riding purpose, of short story is to show us the world in a way that sheds light on human experience – on our experience.
It is important, however, to go beyond the obvious and clichéd; to push the boundaries, if not in topic then in form; if not in form, perhaps in perspective.
To make sure your voice is heard, the writing itself must secure the reader’s attention – hopefully in a good way!

Congratulations to all those who entered, and especially to those who were shortlisted. This represents a considerable achievement in itself. Your writing has stood out over and above all other entries. Be proud.
Advice to writers of short stories: read. Read the best, read widely, read outside your usual genre and comfort zone. Be open-minded, be analytical.
Don’t be afraid to experiment; always be prepared to tweak and adjust. Edit, edit, edit. And proofread!

To the winners. In third place, a story which doesn’t necessarily traverse new ground, but which is tidily written, uses dialogue well, captures character concisely. The author writes with deft assurance, revealing more of the main character than the surface narrative allows.
(A note to writers: always give your characters room to breathe; your readers room to think.)
In third place, sponsored by Gary Bernsten Accountants, A chance encounter by Vivienne Bailey.

The story that takes second place pushes just a little harder. Characterisation is strong – we certainly don’t like the main character, but we do believe he could and does exist. The theme of bigotry is one that – sadly – never seems to lose relevance; the political commentary is both measured and pertinent.
That I, too, once learned the poem referred to was an added hook, though not one that could be universally relied upon.
A couple of minor cavils that detract from an otherwise smoothly competent and compelling piece of writing. First, subtlety is important in short story, but the writer needs to be aware of the line between being subtle and being obscure. An added word or reference would have given this story a beneficial nudge towards the former.
Similarly, while a twist at the end can be highly successful, be wary of ending up with a piece that feels as if it has been framed around the twist.
One further minor note: the definition at the beginning adds nothing. Leave it out.
In second place, sponsored by Spec Savers, Presumed Innocent by Noeline Arnott.
And in first place:
A subtle, accomplished piece of writing that presents us with small jewels of observation; the connections between them jointly unlocked by the whole.
Understated and yet richly textured, each section carries us into the past, thereby revealing the character’s present and future; showing us the interconnectedness of things, the disjointed amalgam of experience that goes into explaining who we are and what we become. Original in form, the story challenges and rewards the attentive reader.
This story comes from a writer whose work we’ve read before, one of last year’s winners: and what a feat, to win the YA section in 2012 and then a year later to win the Open category. I expect we will see much more of this young writer’s work in the years to come.
Winning the Poppies Bookshops CD Branch 2013 Short story competition, Afterimages, by Beth Rust.

Anna Mackenzie