Steady turn out for this prompt, we matched prompt #1 in entries. Hopefully next month we’ll get even more!
I’m going to keep my voice in this post to a minimum as our FANTASTIC judge and co-host of BCF, Ruth Long, has managed to narrow her favorite stories down to the top three!
Words From Ruth:
Wow!!! You guys pulled out ALL the stops for this prompt. I swear there was smoke pouring out of my
little cranium while I was trying to choose which pieces to tag as qualifiers for this round.
I was fascinated to see how you played with the format. I think the more you become familiar and
comfortable with using the image software, the more you’re going to push the boundaries in that
respect. What am I saying?! You going are going to blow the doors off the boundaries!!
I was delighted to see how you played with different word and story formats. Some of you tapped into
your poetic muse, some into your mad wordplay skills, and some into the lilting beauty of touchstone
refrains.
And finally, I was so wildly excited to see how many different places you took the photo prompt! You
guys literally took it from the murky depths of death to the dizzying heights of alien abduction! That is
some off-the-hook writing!
The ‘mother hen’ in me was seriously torn when it was time to pare down my list to the final three but
such is the weight of this black robe and white wig. Le sigh. 
THE QUALIFIERS:
This is a formatting feast for the eyes. Total ocular nirvana. But it doesn’t stop there. The story is a hymn to captive spirits, an anthem to power, and a right hook to the kisser. Shazam!
I was initially curious about the split pane format but as soon as I read the through to the top of the second column, I was simultaneously crying and smiling. This was a wonderfully inventive way to tell the story and beautiful use of the prompt.
The format was perfectly matched to the prompt, no easy trick, and putting those final five words in that color and script was better than a magician pulling a rabbit of the hat. Phenomenal!
HONORABLE MENTION
The River’s Shore by Rob D Young
The sideways title, its intriguing script, and the green trim were a terrific connection to the prompt. The story lures you in and swallows you whole. Beautiful as jade and haunting as a half-remembered dream you can neither bear to remember nor dare to forget.
So you’ve qualified, now what?
Your story will move onto the final round where it will be pitted against all of the other qualifying entries to see whose is the best. The best story will earn its author the title of Monthly Mahatma, the $15 Amazon Gift Card, and all other associated prizes (including a 280 x 280 ad space on our side bar).
YOU ALSO WON A COPY OF ROB D YOUNG’S BOOK PLEASE CONTACT US @ businesscardfiction@gmail.com TO GET IT!
BCF January will begin on the first and will be judged by the wonderful comicgeek, J.M. Blackman. Rob D Young will be contributing his book once again! If anyone else is interested in contributing to our monthly prize please contact us!
TOMORROW WE WILL POST A POLL TO DISCOVER THE COMMUNITY FAVORITE STORY PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO VOTE!