Dear contestants and readers,

We’re pleased to announce the results of the writing contest on the theme “winter coziness”! Thank you to everyone who shared stories filled with warmth, atmosphere, and inspiration. Each work conveyed a spirit of winter coziness in its own way, so the choice wasn’t easy, but a contest is a contest, and we’re ready to announce the winner!

Aludriea Luna’s story “Wintersong” is the heartwarming tale of a kingly gift and crumbling personal barriers. Wrenna and Ilias are the stars of the show, and Aludriea shows a deep understanding of the two characters’ personalities — Wrenna’s in particular. Aludriea makes a determined effort to capture Wrenna’s brogue in her spoken lines, something we know from experience to take quite a bit of extra work, and convincingly ties the story into the larger world of Alcyone Legends.

Every story has room for improvement, of course, and Aludriea is welcome to reach out to us privately if constructive criticism is desired, but there is much in “Wintersong” to admire. Thus, we are delighted to award it first prize in our winter-coziness-themed short story contest. Thank you very much indeed for your submission, Aludriea.

Thank you, too, to everyone who participated! Regrettably, there weren’t as many participants as we would’ve liked, but we’re hoping to get more next time, when the prizes will be even juicier!

Winner, please write to us in a private message to receive your prizes. Thank you all for your attention, for your stories, and for sharing your creativity with us. Until next time at the next contest! ❄📖