If I go backward, you will know. So here goes...

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1st Place goes to:

Stitches by EvilMaybeWriter

Title/Cover: 10/10

The cover is startling, with the dismembered hand on the checkered floor of the diner and dark-colored thread coming from it. The title and cover match the story perfectly. I absolutely understand why you turned down the offer for a new cover.

Blurb: 10/10

The blurb was of just the right length and included several substantial hooks that practically demanded the story to be read.

Character Development: 10/10

In the first few chapters, the main characters (Travis, Kendra, Tiffany) are described in detail, as are their personalities.These insights affect how they reacted upon meeting/greeting Miss Della, our matriarch who demands manners and civil words.

World Building: 10/10

This little town in Pennsylvania is in for the shock of its life as its world comes to an end. We can see every aspect of the diner and how it holds the town together within its alternate reality. At least, I hope it's an alternate reality...

Grammar & Punctuation: 8/10

Both judges picked up on a few errors, however, they seemed to be edits you made but somehow ended up back within the story, creating duplicate (but reworded) paragraphs.

Plot:10/10

This is where you shined. Using needles that are almost sentient but bent on destruction is something not seen before. If you add the jilted lover, the woman who feels trapped in the small town, and the disc jockey carrying a horrifying secret–it's a gold mine.

Prompt Usage: 20/20

Using the car radio and music blasting through speakers at the diner was a stroke of genius. I noticed you put the meaning of the prompts where you could include them, but this technique made using each one easy without disrupting your storyline.

Flow: 18/20

The flow from chapter to chapter was perfect, and I would not change a thing. The two points were lost because there were two times (Travis' car accident and Kendra's final walk through the diner) where, in trying to describe the scene, you went into too much detail and ended up confusing your reader as to what the image was you were trying to portray.

Total: 96/100

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2nd Place goes to:

Fractured Petals (Dusk and Dawn) by Cool-cat2023

Title/Cover: 7/10

At the time of judging, the name had been changed from Dusk til Dawn to Fractured Petals. After reading the story, I did not agree with this change, as her love for gardening did not play enough of a part in the story to make the title match. However, the original title of Dusk Til Dawn matched perfectly. I would recommend changing it back. (After the judging, you changed it to Dusk and Dawn.)

Blurb: 8/10

The blurb is beautifully written, but I have to ask if you gave away a bit too much information in it. I would reword and remove some of the storyline while leaving a hook or two to draw your reader in.

Character Development: 10/10

You did well here! Karina and Mrs Oliver were open books to your audience, driven to find out what really happened and who was responsible.

World Building: 10/10

You did so well building this world within the plotline that the last few chapters became mind-boggling. It's hard to create a world within a world. Very nice job.

Grammar and Punctuation: 8/10

I found a few errors and pointed them out to you, but these were minimal and amounted to less than two per chapter.

Plot: 9/10

All writers cannot pull off the plot within a plot or add a mystery. Different is good when it comes to plots, as readers love to see something different. You put hooks in each chapter to keep your readers engaged, too. You lost points over the Beatles' song mystery that was not explained, even though it was not truly part of the plot.

Prompt Usage: 20/20

All prompts were appropriately used and cited correctly. Nicely done.

Flow: 20/20

This is the hardest part of a continuing prompt story. Each chapter must flow into the next while the storyline never wavers. You seemed to achieve this without trying.

Total: 92/100

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3rd Place goes to:

Always More by LilliannaBerry2003

Title/Cover: 10/10

Throughout the story, I wondered where the title came from. You told us at the very end, and it struck home with me. I believe this was a fantastic feat since you named the story as you wrote the first chapter.

Blurb: 6/10

This was your weakness. The blurb was much too short and lacked the hook that would attract your reader. I recommend rewriting it or asking for help if it's not your forte.

Character Development: 10/10

You dove into Melody right away while showing the Aunt and twins for what they were. As the story goes on, you also show deep insight into Stephanie and Majorie. The twins and the girls in the dorms did well as secondary characters.

World Building: 8/10

While you described the areas we were in, especially the school, I felt something was missing but could not place my finger on it. I would guess it may be more building around her previous life at the beginning; however, that would take away the shock of who Honey was. I would ask a Beta reader to look it over.

Grammar and Punctuation: 8/10

I found an average of one mistake per chapter. I pointed out the bigger ones, but it's nothing a quick grammar check can fix.

Plot: 10/10

The plot was common: an abused girl is rescued and flourishes in her new environment, with the nasty cousin attempting to join her life and create havoc. However, you made us root for Melody and desperate to watch her grow. You also managed to insert huge hooks in each chapter to captivate your readers and keep them reading. Perfect score!

Prompt Usage: 20/20

You used the meaning of each prompt in the appropriate chapter, which is a feat in itself. You were the only story to do that for every prompt, and I applaud you for your work.

Flow: 20/20

This is the hardest part, and you did it beautifully. I did not get lost even once, nor did I have to reread something that made little sense. Nicely done!

Total: 92/100

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Top Scorer:

The Happiness Thief by Kmytho

Total: 92/100

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Top Scorer:

Alpha Female's Twisted Triad

Total: 92/100

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I would like to take a moment to congratulate all the authors who prioritized this contest in their crazy lives. It was a hard eight weeks, and I sincerely hope you realize what a feat you accomplished!

If you want your reviews on your individual pages, please let me know, and I will post them for you. If you would like them privately, I can send them via email or Discord.

Thank you all for joining the 2024 TEGSA.

See you next year!