Sledgehammer Writing Contest

04/11/2021

Although the pandemic has limited our writing contests and gatherings, we've still been writing. We hope you have too!

Check out this new book by one of our founders.

New book! Our founder Ali Shaw's "Write Book (Check). Now What?" answers the question we hear so frequently from writers who are eager to pursue publication. This book is a concise guide to understanding publishing paths, choosing the best one for your book, and getting started on it.

https://bookshop.org/books/write-book-check-now-what-publishing-need-to-knows-for-new-authors/9780578995182?aid=7148&listref=books-by-indigo-team-members

14/07/2020

There will not be a Sledgehammer tonight. We are going to take a break, possibly until we can resume meeting in person. Thank you to everyone who has been participating so far. Keep writing, and see you soon!

14/04/2020

The first online Sledgehammer is tomorrow night at 7pm (PST). Join us! We have updated the event to reflect only one Zoom meeting/link needed. Update, here's the event link: https://facebook.com/events/s/april-mini-sledgehammer/242219783587820/?ti=cl

08/03/2020

25/01/2020

"I checked my watch. My haircut was already an hour in. The electric clippers kept popping the fuse and she’d grab a pair of black handled scissors, open them, and stab at the red tab in the middle of the socket the way my mother used to poke at possums playing dead in our yard." —from January's Mini Sledgehammer winning story by Jeremy Da Rosa

Read the whole story at https://sledgehammercontest.com/2020/01/24/mini-sledgehammer-january-2020/.

January’s Mini Sledge is another fabulous piece from Jeremy Da Rosa. Congrats, Jeremy! Prompts: Character: a secret friend Action: going into labor Setting: a coal mine Phrase: “It& #821…

13/12/2019

"The smell rose from her seat. It was neither pleasant nor unpleasant. It was simply grandma, and neither the vapors of mulled wine nor the scent of the Christmas tree could mask the fact she was here...."

—from "Slightly Out of Phase" by Mike Parker, December's Mini Sledgehammer winner

Read the full story at https://sledgehammercontest.com/2019/12/12/mini-sledgehammer-december-2019/.

18/11/2019

"Her hands gripped the steering wheel tight. Her long red nail glistened in the moonlight like talons of an eagle...." —from November's winning Mini Sledgehammer story, "Electric Chapel," by Chris Smith. Read the full story.

Chris Smith’s stories are regular favorites. Check out his latest winning story below, and if you haven’t read his others yet, search his name in the search bar. It’s like you& #82…

10/10/2019

How would you incorporate the prompts a psychic, hitting the brakes, beside an old tree, and "That's incomplete" into a story?

Find out how this month's winning Mini Sledgehammer writer did it (in 36 minutes!) here: https://sledgehammercontest.com/2019/10/10/mini-sledgehammer-october-2019/.

28/08/2019

Great story from Aaron Wheeler-Kay for the August Mini Sledge proverbial trophy. Here's an excerpt:

"September 17 – God sometimes you see one that just makes your breath stop. It’s a difficult kind of beauty to explain to folks who don’t already get it. I know for some it’s about certain colors, or the stillness, or the glimpse of something that startles with its unexpected beauty and presence...."
—from "Excerpts from a Watchers Diary"

Click through to see what the prompts were and read the whole story. Next Mini Sledge: September 10!

Let’s hear it for Aaron Wheeler-Kay’s first-time win! Thanks for coming out, Aaron, and great work. Those of you reading at home, our contest is every second Tuesday at Blackbird Wine a…

20/06/2019

"Because she was finally leaving town, a wasp finally stung her. Housed between the forever-closed shutter and the wavy glass in her farmhouse bedroom, the wasps hadn’t bothered her in the years she’d lived with her father. But on the morning she was to leave, a lost one emerged, and stung her before she could shoulder the last bag...."

—from "Moving" by Anna S. King, June's Mini Sledgehammer winner

Congratulations, Anna!

25/05/2019

“This is the boring part of the robot apocalypse,” Diana says. —from "Pandora," by Tovia Ghel, May's Mini Sledgehammer Writing Contest Winner

Read the rest of the story at the link below.

Want to try your hand with the same prompts? Character: A nosy neighbor; Action: Watering (the plants); Setting: At an outdoor picnic; Phrase: “I’m so glad you brought that.” Set the timer for 36 minutes!

Come write with us every second Tuesday at Blackbird Wineshop & Atomic Cheese.

We love seeing some of our favorite writers pop up again in the winner’s circle. Congrats to Tovia on your third win! Prompts: Character: A nosy neighbor Action: Watering (the plants) Setting…

16/04/2019

"She looks like an angel released from hell. A winged beast bursting through the blood towards my hands as I dangle her over the edge. I want to keep her as a token, but it’s risky to keep evidence on you...."

—from "Bottom of the River," by Chris Smith, April's Mini Sledgehammer Writing Contest winner

We love Chris Smith’s writing style and are glad to see him on the winner’s board again for the April 2019 Mini Sledgehammer Writing Contest. Congrats, Chris! Character: A life coach Ac…