Twist in the Tale 1000 Word Contest, May 2024 Results
Congratulations to all the winners! Your hard work, talent, and creativity are inspirational.
Judges broke any tiebreaks, so if your story is on the same points as another but rated higher/lower, it was the judges' decision.
Thank you to all participants.
On a mobile/tablet, you can scroll across the results table by swiping.
Top 10
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| timmytimtimothy | Out Here in the West Galaxy | 109 | Sci-Fi | Stellar Westerns | Rogue | $1200 (US) |
| Probably Someone | Little House on the Void | 107 | Sci-Fi | Galactic Gothic Horror | Journalist | $400 |
| MichaelM | Ghost of a God | 107 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Journalist | $250 |
| AutumnBe | The Puddle Paradox | 106 | Sci-Fi | Temporal Tapestries | Rogue | $150 |
| Harpweaver | Queen and Country | 105 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Diplomat | $100 |
| kitcalvert | The Light at the End of the World | 103 | Sci-Fi | Cosmic Romances | Inventor | $50 |
| Alyxbee | Xibalba’s Diplomat Exchange Program | 103 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Diplomat | $50 |
| angrykem | Lest That Your Heart's Blood Should Run Cold | 102 | Sci-Fi | Galactic Gothic Horror | Rebel | $50 |
| AWinterPlace | How to Fix What's Broken | 102 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Rogue | $50 |
| alexatkinswrites | Tempus | 102 | Sci-Fi | Temporal Tapestries | Smuggler | $50 |
Honourable Mentions
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jhenn | The Secret on Sublevel-6 | 102 | Sci-Fi | Mysteries | AI Companion | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| Sanya | The Stolen Mountain | 102 | Sci-Fi | Temporal Tapestries | Historian | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| andersonfiction | The Dan Steel Context | 102 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Rogue | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| jimiflan | If I Recall Your Childhood | 102 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Archaeologist | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| td333777 | This Is How I Hack | 102 | Sci-Fi | Stellar Westerns | Hacker | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| Holly_Realski | The Capture of Bunny and Klyde | 101 | Sci-Fi | Stellar Westerns | Hacker | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ | Laugh Out Loud | 101 | Sci-Fi | Paradoxical Encounters | Smuggler | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| sarlynh | Between the Stars | 101 | Sci-Fi | Galactic Gothic Horror | Journalist | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| Rob Hines | X-15: Investigation Class | 101 | Sci-Fi | Space Noir | Inventor | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
| deidrawhittlovegren | The Kármán Line | 100 | Sci-Fi | Stellar Westerns | AI Companion | Random Pet Accessory (common to rare) |
Subgenre Winners
Top 3 in Stellar Westerns Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| timmytimtimothy | Out Here in the West Galaxy | 109 | Sci-Fi | Stellar Westerns | Rogue | $5 Credits |
| td333777 | This Is How I Hack | 102 | Sci-Fi | Stellar Westerns | Hacker | $5 Credits |
| Holly_Realski | The Capture of Bunny and Klyde | 101 | Sci-Fi | Stellar Westerns | Hacker | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Galactic Gothic Horror Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Probably Someone | Little House on the Void | 107 | Sci-Fi | Galactic Gothic Horror | Journalist | $5 Credits |
| angrykem | Lest That Your Heart's Blood Should Run Cold | 102 | Sci-Fi | Galactic Gothic Horror | Rebel | $5 Credits |
| sarlynh | Between the Stars | 101 | Sci-Fi | Galactic Gothic Horror | Journalist | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Interstellar Adventures Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MichaelM | Ghost of a God | 107 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Journalist | $5 Credits |
| Harpweaver | Queen and Country | 105 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Diplomat | $5 Credits |
| Alyxbee | Xibalba’s Diplomat Exchange Program | 103 | Sci-Fi | Interstellar Adventures | Diplomat | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Temporal Tapestries Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AutumnBe | The Puddle Paradox | 106 | Sci-Fi | Temporal Tapestries | Rogue | $5 Credits |
| alexatkinswrites | Tempus | 102 | Sci-Fi | Temporal Tapestries | Smuggler | $5 Credits |
| Sanya | The Stolen Mountain | 102 | Sci-Fi | Temporal Tapestries | Historian | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Cosmic Romances Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kitcalvert | The Light at the End of the World | 103 | Sci-Fi | Cosmic Romances | Inventor | $5 Credits |
| Joanne | Carbon Dating | 99 | Sci-Fi | Cosmic Romances | Smuggler | $5 Credits |
| LizDiv | A More Colorful World | 97 | Sci-Fi | Cosmic Romances | Diplomat | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Mysteries Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jhenn | The Secret on Sublevel-6 | 102 | Sci-Fi | Mysteries | AI Companion | $5 Credits |
| mtho2233 | The Skyscraper and the Tulip | 97 | Sci-Fi | Mysteries | Archaeologist | $5 Credits |
| S J Snyder | The Progeny Trials | 97 | Sci-Fi | Mysteries | Inventor | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Paradoxical Encounters Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ | Laugh Out Loud | 101 | Sci-Fi | Paradoxical Encounters | Smuggler | $5 Credits |
| kwexler | Dash of Destiny | 98 | Sci-Fi | Paradoxical Encounters | Journalist | $5 Credits |
| lulumacmac | The Inside Story | 95 | Sci-Fi | Paradoxical Encounters | Journalist | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Space Noir Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rob Hines | X-15: Investigation Class | 101 | Sci-Fi | Space Noir | Inventor | $5 Credits |
| Nate Barker | Mississippi Roller | 96 | Sci-Fi | Space Noir | Rogue | $5 Credits |
| Corwin | In the Black | 94 | Sci-Fi | Space Noir | Rebel | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Fantasy Frontiers Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JDBrogan | The Names of Lesser Known Gods | 99 | Sci-Fi | Fantasy Frontiers | Rogue | $5 Credits |
| Freya | Behind the Storm | 95 | Sci-Fi | Fantasy Frontiers | Rogue | $5 Credits |
| OxfordComma4Life | The Youth Machine | 93 | Sci-Fi | Fantasy Frontiers | Inventor | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Alternative Histories Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jayscott | The Maze at the Center of Time | 98 | Sci-Fi | Alternative Histories | Archaeologist | $5 Credits |
| Peter Quint | The Challenges That Face Us | 95 | Sci-Fi | Alternative Histories | Inventor | $5 Credits |
| CoryStevenBrown | Our American President Redux | 93 | Sci-Fi | Alternative Histories | Rogue | $5 Credits |
Top 3 in Strange Encounters Subgenre
$5 credits to each person in the top 3 of their subgenre.
| Participant | Story Title | Total Score | Genre | Subgenre | Character | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rottador | Lazarus Bay | 97 | Sci-Fi | Strange Encounters | Inventor | $5 Credits |
| Caro | The Music of Moon Blooms | 95 | Sci-Fi | Strange Encounters | Historian | $5 Credits |
| Sandra J | Golden Echoes: The Xanthurian Heist | 94 | Sci-Fi | Strange Encounters | Smuggler | $5 Credits |
Judges' Awards
Our judges each picked their favourite stories this contest, and have awarded their Mini-Companion (for your pets), to the following stories.
| Story Title | Author | Award |
|---|---|---|
| The third space | cheezopath | Phoenix awarded |
| Cocoon | HollyB | Fantasy Fox awarded |
| From the Furrows | AggieNovak | Frog Monarch awarded |
These special accessories will be awarded in a few days.