Congratulations to Kimberlee Akimoto, winner of the ‘night’ challenge with the wistful mystery of ‘Home is Where the Heart Is’.

It’s amazing how much story can be packed into 500 words if you know what you’re doing. This round attracted submissions in many different styles, each with a distinctive take on the theme. Some hinted at intriguing worlds and lifetimes around the scenarios at which we peeked and left us wanting more. ‘Home is Where the Heart Is’ was one of those.

Thank you to all who entered. Kim, a copy of The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr and E.B. White is on its way.

Thanks also to this round’s guest judge, freelance journalist, music guru and former magazine editor, Ara Jansen. Ara was given only the titles and text of each entry, without author names, and agreed not to read the posted versions so was not aware of ‘likes’ or comments. See below for her thoughts on this round.

A reminder that the next 500-word challenge is open. Write up to 500 words around the theme ‘spotlight’ and send them to waxings.blog@gmail.com by midnight 4 March 2011, Australian Western Standard Time (GMT+8). The winner will receive One Year To A Writing Life: Twelve Lessons to Deepen Every Writer’s Art and Craft by Susan Tiberghien.

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Judge’s comments:

I love the way people more often than not find the night something filled with regret, pain, nostalgia and requisite amounts of darkness. Yet it’s also a place filled with so many interesting characters which can be simple, complex, exactly what you see or a total illusion. This selection was interesting because of the numerous pieces offering a twisty finish, which is why Home is Where the Heart Is was my favourite. Just when I thought it was going to be a wistful love story and one of returning home to a changed place, the mention of a shaky trigger finger sent it off in a whole new direction. I could see Edgar so clearly – the rocking chair, the porch and the night. Oddly poor Edgar’s end seemed quite calm as were the elements which surrounded him.