I have exciting news! A short story I wrote is one of 10 semi-finalists, from among hundreds of submissions, in the annual WriteMichigan competition. I could use your help! If you happen to enjoy my short story (see below link), please consider voting for it to improve my chances of getting it published and winning prize money ($250 for Readers’ Choice; which would be very helpful!). My guess is that several of the other semi-finalists have much bigger followings than I do and that I could use all the help I can get for the Readers’ Choice portion of the contest. Here is where you can read my short story, A Duluth Dusting, and vote:
Gallery View: 2023-24 Write Michigan Adults (age 18+) (submittable.com)
**Note, after clicking on the ‘vote’ button, you’ll be prompted to create a Submittable account if you don’t already have one. Having a Submittable account is required to vote. Deadline to vote is February 12, but the sooner the better.
From the above link, you might be interested in clicking ‘view other submissions’ to see stories of the other semi-finalists**
A little background about my story:
A friend and I were in a city park on a frigid day in March last year when we noticed an old man brushing snow off a bench. Then he did the same at another bench, then another, as he approached us. We had a brief conversation with him. It struck me as a kind thing to do: to clear off benches for others. Five months passed and, for whatever reason, I thought back on that day in the park. During an early morning writing session, I let that thought grow; over the span of a couple weeks, it had become A Duluth Dusting.
For me, there are few joys that match discovering a story that I can tell. I have been putting serious effort into writing short stories for about eight years. I think I have gotten much better along the way, though finding inspiration still isn’t easy. When trying to write, it’s almost like I’m a poor excuse for a hound, constantly checking the air but usually not smelling anything worth following. But when I do catch the scent of something good—a story worth telling—it is more or less all I can think about. I’ve been in the good company of hounds my whole life—actual canines, five of them—and I think that when locked into writing fiction I might feel somewhat like they do while on the trail of something. It is exciting following that path and then a real honor to be able to show what I found to others.
A Duluth Dusting is one of those stories that I’ve enjoyed ‘sniffing out.’ I think I found where this story had to go and hope you get something out of what I discovered.
Thoughts of a Naturalist 