That's right, the deadline for the contest has finally passed. I hear there are many last minute entries and several of the categories filled rather quickly in the last 48 hours. I entered myself, though I have little confidence in my ability to win. I know for a fact who some of the entrants are and I know some of them, who are far better writers than I, are in the same categories as me. Hopefully the judges think better of my writing than I apparently do.

Good luck to all the entrants, and to the judges who have to sift through good and bad fiction alike to find the best three. Having judged before, I know how hard it can be to fit your top five picks into three places. There are just always so many good entries!

Being rather anonymous, I feel that I can tell you I am a judge this year, though for what categories I will not say in case someone can, in fact, guess my identity. (plus, you'd know for a fact who I am once the contest is over.) One of mine is already judged and was rather easy, being small, but my second is rather large and will take some time. I know already that there are at least a half dozen fantastic entries and I don't look forward to deciding which of them just aren't good enough when they actually are. It's a tough job.

Also, it nearing the end of the year for many university students here in US (and, I imagine, many other countries), so I wish to say congratulations on the end of another semester/quarter/etc.; and to all those who are graduating, I wish you the best in your lives.