Congratulations on the winners and thank you to everyone else for writing wonderful stories, making the selection process difficult, but well worth it.

1st Place

“Happily Ever After”
By Julie Wilson
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/Julie

2nd Place

“Just Keep Smiling”
By Anna Katsavos
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/AnnaKatsavos

3rd Place

“The Last Gasp“
By Micki Peluso
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/MickiPeluso

*Don’t forget to subscribe to BeYourArt.com’s podcast on iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=317258161

The hard part is knowing how to ask the right questions in order to get the right answers.

By Charles H. Bush

They say “write about what you know.” Unfortunately, if you’re like me and don’t know much, you have to find a way know what you need to know. The method I use is “research.”

For years, before advent of the internet, I found research to be a daunting task, certainly not for the homebound or for the lazy like me. But now most needed research is rather easy. The hard part is knowing how to ask the right questions in order to get the right answers. I’ll give you several case studies a bit later to demonstrate what I do. There are several tools I now use to do my research, so I’ll just jump right in. Read more…

Thank you all for your submissions. It was a very difficult process narrowing down all the stories to our top six. Below is a list, in no particular order, of the finalists with links to their profiles on BeYourArt.com.

“To Be Free”
By Robert Clarita
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/RobertClarita

“The Little Shootist”
By Micki Peluso
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/MickiPeluso

“Gentle Day”
By Jeff Foster
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/JeffFoster

“Good Intentions”
By Jean A. Headley
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/JeanHeadley

“Happily Ever After”
By Julie Wilson
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/Julie

“Just Keep Smiling”
By Anna Katsavos
http://www.beyourart.com/profile/AnnaKatsavos

The winning three stories will be announced in the next week.

*Don’t forget to subscribe to BeYourArt.com’s podcast on iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=317258161

Update: The contest will not continue this year due to staffing. We don’t have the manpower and the magazine we contracted to publish the work is no longer in existence. Thank you all for your submissions and wonderful writing.

BeYourArt.com is holding its first writing contest in conjunction with PhineArtDesigns.com and the North Shoreian Magazine. Submit your stories for the opportunity to win a free custom logo design by PhineArtDesigns.com (worth $500) developed specifically to promote the winner’s career.  The top three entries will be published in the North Shoreian Magazine. Read more…