I still get the tingles. When I hear about a StoryStudio writer getting published, I stop and think, wow, we’re really in the middle of an amazing literary world.

And then, when I get a copy of the published piece or finally find the time to read it online, I shake my head and think, wow, there’s some real talent in this studio.

Here are two writers whose stories have recently been published:

• Liz Radford’s short story, Best for Flight, was published in Prick of the Spindle, and


• Mary Bower’s opening novel chapter from The Second Whack. (BTW, Mary’s been in our Advanced Writer’s Workshop and Story Workout so I’ve had the extreme pleasure of reading drafts of this novel!) won a contest.

Liz Radford’s story is a haunting, affecting story of a young man who comes to learn about his own feelings of love. It’s also about a young boy who knows much more than the adults around him realize.

Liz has been an avid Write-a-Thoner and was in our Reading as a Writer class. I know she’s really been working at hard her short stories and the work is clearly paying off.

The Writing Show is an exciting website with lots of information and just a few contests that they run. Mary’s novel chapter won fourth place in their 2008 Novel Contest. The novel has been progressing with good speed (even if she doesn’t think so!) and it’s been especially gratifying to see how she continues to get deeper and deeper into these characters, never settling for a stereotype or a predictable plotline. Definitely take a look at The Second Whack.

Kudos Liz and Mary! If you’re reading this, take a few minutes to read this work and leave some comments!