Sinful Stories 2: Results

The last time I ran this contest, picking a winner proved to be, if not easy, then at least relatively clear-cut. It was always unlikely that things would fall as neatly into place the second time, but I’ve still been surprised (and dismayed/impressed) by how hard it’s been to choose three prize-winning stories out of the 15, let alone to elevate just one above the rest.

As of this morning, I still had six stories under consideration. The best I’ve been able to do since then is whittle that down to four. In my view, these are the entries that did the most effective job of taking the source material and turning it into an original, compelling, erotic story. The eagle-eyed among you will notice that none of the four winners used my Sinful Sunday photo – I enjoyed all five of the stories based on that image (especially Tamsin Flowers’ offering), but I have to admit that I found it hard to read them with an objective eye, a failing for which I can only apologise.

I’d like to very quickly thank Charlie in the Pool, @mandapen, and one anonymous contributor for entering this competition – for all three of them, it was a first foray into writing and submitting erotica, and all three stories were really good. Happily, this came as no surprise.

Ok, on to the runners-up. I picked two of these because I thought they made superb use of the image they selected, and one because it was just damn hot. To accommodate the extra winner, I’ve rejigged the prize structure a bit.

Runner-up: GT, by Charlie Powell (Charlie wins a $15 voucher from Dreamspinner Press)

This story shows that some people really do write better under pressure. Several people put a creative twist on Molly Moore’s fabulous photo, but this was at the same time both the simplest and the most effective, in my view.

Runner-up: Dirty, by Oleander Plume (Oleander wins a copy of Candy Box, the latest illustrated anthology from Sweetmeats Press)

This is flat-out filthy, and I love it for that! Oleander knows how to write a sex scene, and in this story she puts a completely different – but equally effective – spin on Molly’s picture.

Runner-up: Pedalling, by Juniper Three (Juniper wins a copy of Chemical Sex – unless she’s already bought one, in which case, um…)

I liked this story more and more each time I read it. In a little under 500 words, Juniper manages to conjure up a really strong sense of place, atmosphere, and deep, intense longing – no mean feat. She was the only one to pick Asa Winter’s super-sexy photo, and I’m glad she did, because the story she turned it into is both original and great.

And now the winner. I would feel slightly guilty about giving her top spot for a second time, if it wasn’t for the fact that the readers apparently agreed with me (more on that in a minute). Without any further ado, I give you…

Winner: Drive, by Malin James (Malin wins a £50 voucher from Sh!, London’s leading sex toy store/website)

At this point, I think Malin and HappyComeLucky should just release their own series of photo-themed erotica, because for the second time, HCL’s superb image has been turned into a really fresh, imaginative piece of fiction by Ms James. It tells a great story, and does it in a way that never feels forced or unnatural – the words were created to fit the image, but it could just as easily have been the other way around, and above all that’s what makes it the winner.

Readers Choice Award

The Readers Choice vote was extremely tight, and yet again I made a rod for my own back by not anticipating the lack of a clear outcome. The top five finished as follows:

1 (=). Cold for July, by Charlie Powell (image: Contemplation, by Understanding Flutterby)

1 (=). Drive, by Malin James (image: Drive, by HappyComeLucky)

3 (=). Your Turn, by Charlie in the Pool

3 (=). Counting Pennies, by Maria Sibylla

5. GT, by Charlie Powell

As there was no clear winner, I’ll discuss prize options with the two who tied for top spot.

Ok, that’s your lot! Thanks to everyone who took part, to Sh!, Dreamspinner Press, and Sweetmeats Press for donating prizes – and once again, a special thanks to Molly, and to all the contributors to Sinful Sunday, for allowing me to tie this contest in with one of the most enduring and valuable memes around.