Hal’s Ladder won the Mystery Women Crime Story competition in March 2011. The first sentence was provided: ‘Poor Hal. I knew him well – like a brother …’ The story had to be under 1000 words and crime. This was the first real monetary prize Sue won for a short story and it set her on the road she’s still walking. Find it here.
The prompt was to write a flash fiction, under 100 words with a twist. The Facebook page and details of the next competition can be found here.
‘Before the Fall’ is a short story by Sue Dawes about an old man whose pride gets in the way of his health. This story has had many forms, before finally finding a home in an anthology by Pure Slush Books, an independent Australian publisher.
Sue’s story ‘The out’, won second place in the April edition of the Writers’ Forum (out now). The judge described it as ‘a chilling tale of a woman torn by past loyalties and present dread.’ Originally shortlisted for a local crime competition, and with a year of drawer time, Sue rewrote it extensively before submitting. There’s a lot to be said for distancing yourself from a piece of writing in order to be able to look at your work critically. It also helps to have a judge that understands what you’ve tried to do.
Sue’s flash fiction appears in Pure Slush, the ‘Envy‘ edition.
“The twins reacted differently. I thought they’d be identical. / from No more Wonderland by Sue Dawes.
Sibling rivalry in under 300 words.
After ten years of volunteering, Sue has decided to hand over the reins of the writing project and spend more time focusing on her own work. This is her last postcard, on the theme of ‘Change’.
