Home Fundraising Newsletters Membership    Contact    

 

Photo Contest 2024
Kudos
Join to get free conferences!
 
2023 Youth Writing Contest Winners
2023 Photography Contest Winners
2023 Adult Writing Contest Winners



2022 Writing Contest Winners!


Congratulations to all of this year's winners,
and many thanks to the sponsors
who made it all possible.

Make your plans to enter next year!


Memoir / Creative Nonfiction
Sponsor: Brenda Black

1st

"The Shimmer of War" by Laura Redford

2nd

"The White Duckling" by Brian O'Dea

3rd

"Mountain or Molehill" by Billie Holladay Skelley

HM

"Emma's Gifts" by Margarite Stever



Humorous Anecdote
Sponsors: John "Doc" Crawford and Ronda Del Boccio


1st

"The Enduring Error" by Billie Holladay Skelly

2nd

"Carry Me Back" by Larry Wood

3rd

"Out of Chaos" by Sharon Keathley

1st HM

"Batter Up" by Joy Keeney

2nd HM

"Drained" by Mike Kaminski

3rd HM

"Secret" by Margarite Stever



Crawford Poetry Prize
Sponsor: John "Doc" Crawford

1st

"Receiving Miracles Every Day" by Ronda Del Boccio

2nd

"New Hope" by Rebecca Kight

3rd

"11th Hour Epiphany" by Billie Holladay Skelley

1st HM

"Daily Works of Art" by Russell Gayer

2nd HM

"Breath" by Mike Kaminski

3rd HM

"Triolet at Rader's Farm Civil War Park" by Larry Wood



Haiku
Sponsor: Jan Morrill Vanek

1st

"The Creek" by Lindsey Hobson

2nd

"Raindrop Journey" by Brian O'Dea

3rd

"Deluge" by Billie Holladay Skelley

HM

"Marcescence" by Mike Kaminski



Travel Article
Sponsor: Larry Wood

1st

"Jefferson, TX, B&B and So Much More" by Diana West

2nd

"The Caymans" by Cindy McIntyre

3rd

"Do Sedona's Vortex Sites Have Real Power?" By Ronda Del Boccio

HM

"The Streets of Sarajevo" by Brian O'Dea

HM

"Thailand by Tuktuk" by Annie Lisenby

HM

"Magnolia, Arkansas: Home to Blossoming Flowers and Community" by Elizabeth Attebury

Note from the judge:

These were all so good, it was difficult to pick just three. Thus, the honorable mentions.



Hometown Newspaper Column
Sponsor: Lonnie Whitaker

1st

"Appalachian Decoration Day" by Larry Wood

2nd

"Ice Cream Cones: St. Louis, the Ozarks, and the World" by Billie Holladay Skelley

3rd

"Food Memories at Grandma's House" by Diana West



Creative Nonfiction: My Favorite Hobby
Sponsor: Linda Apple

1st

"Involuntary Murder Yoga: How Brazilian Ju Jitzu Brought Balance into My Life" by Brian O'Dea

2nd

"You're a Malfoy, Mom: the Tale of a Life-Changing Hobby" by C.C Riley

3rd

"Sip, Sip, Hooray!" By Russell Gayer

HM

"Treasure Hunting" by Mike Kaminski



Ozarks History Article
Sponsor: Larry Wood

1st

"Selling False Hope and Empty Promises" by Billie Holladay Skelley

2nd

"A Day in the Life" by Joy Keeney

3rd

"B.F. Little: Farmer, Soldier, and Sheriff" by Russell Gayer

HM

"The Millionaire Indian" by Sandy Jordan



Humorous Short Piece
Sponsor: Russell Gayer

1st

"A Country Surprise" by Marti Attoun

2nd

"Welcome" by Billie Holladay Skelley

3rd

"Bowled Over" by Larry Wood

HM

"Mom's Pizza Recipe" by Annie Lisenby



Humorous Paranormal Short Story
Sponsor: Ronda Del Boccio

1st

"Spooked by the Spook Light" by Larry Wood

2nd

"Date with Grandma" by Annie Lisenby

3rd

"Bigfoot Stole My Dog" by Terry Alexander

Note from the judge:

Only the 1st place winner followed the most basic directions to write about a paranormal investigation.



Romantic Adventure Short Story
Sponsor: Anonymous

1st

"Highland Traditions" by Annie Lisenby

2nd

"Dancing on the Edge" by Ronda Del Boccio

3rd

"Wagonload of Hope" by Marti Attoun

HM

"Patrice's High School Reunion" by Margarite Stever



Flash Fiction
Sponsors: Rochelle Wisoff-Fields and Jan Fields

1st

"All is Calm" by Marti Attoun

2nd

"Bottled Up" by Mike Kaminski

3rd

"Latter-Day Fortunato" by Larry Wood



Juvenile Short Story — Fiction
Sponsor: Anonymous

1st

"Rite of Passage" by Billie Holladay Skelley

2nd

"Harlan Meets the Howler" by Lauri Mays

3rd

"August's Magic Drawing" by Elizabeth Attebury

HM

"Tall Tales and Fishing Poles" by Joy Keeney

HM

"The Cat and His Girl" by Annie Lisenby



Inspirational Romance
Sponsor: Diane Yates

1st

"Order Up" by Ronda Del Boccio

2nd

"The Summer of His Life" by Larry Wood

3rd

"An Oak Tree at Lake Okojobi" by Annie Lisenby

1st HM

"Chemistry" by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

2nd HM

"Still My Everything" by Billie Holladay Skelley

3rd HM

"The Rose" by C. W. Harper



"I Didn't See That Coming" O. Henry Style Story
Sponsor: Bud Hanks

1st

"Secret Admirer" by Lindsey Hobson

2nd

"Rhythm and Glue" by Marti Attoun

3rd

"In the Pines" by Larry Wood

Note from the judge:

Other than Secret Admirer, everyone struggled with what an O' Henry ending is. Many let the cat out of the bag too early. Writing style and punctuation is a challenge for some. Also thinking outside the box in creating suspense.



Western Faction Short Story
Sponsor: Bud Hanks

1st

"Mind over Matter!" by Billie Holladay Skelley

2nd

"Susan and Wild Bill" by Larry Wood

3rd

"Doc at Maggie's House" by Ronda Del Boccio



Western Short Story
Sponsor: Duke Pennell

1st

"Colorado Proposal" by Rhonda Harvey

2nd

"Whatever It Takes" by Billie Holladay Skelley

3rd

"Alice's Law" by Margarite Stever



"Write the Old Stuff" Historical Fiction
Sponsor: Nancy Hartney

1st

"Remembering Sally" by Larry Wood

2nd

"Maiden Voyage" by Rhonda Harvey

3rd

"Holliday at Cat's House" by Ronda Del Boccio



A Western Wedding. In Memory of Jeanie Horn
Sponsor: Richard and Bonnie Tesh

1st

"RSVP to Allie Jane" by Kelly Kirby

2nd

"Huckleberry Cat" by Ronda Del Boccio

3rd

"The Letter" by Joy Keeney



Best First Page of a Fiction Book in Progress
Sponsors: The Prose Squad:
April Brock, Bonnie Tesh, Darrell Lacey, and Margarite Stever

1st

"Planet of the Knaves" by Russell Gayer

2nd

"Mermaids of the Mississippi" by Annie Lisenby

3rd

"Blood-Red Silks" by Ronda Del Boccio

1st HM

"Always and Forever" by C. W. Harper

2nd HM

"One is the Loneliest" by Penny Richards


Best Fiction Book of 2021
Sponsor: Billie Holladay Skelley

Soda Fountain Blues by Lonnie Whitaker

Best Nonfiction Book of 2021
Sponsor: Veda Boyd Jones

Lynchings, Murders, and Other Nefarious Deeds:
A Criminal History of Greene County, MO
by Larry Wood

See you at next year's OWLies!