Short Story Writing Competition Winners: A Q&A with Teen Writers

Written by Admin | Jan 15, 2026 2:58:23 PM

Curious who mastered our Short Story Competition, guest-judged by Cosmic Writers founder Rowana Miller? Read on to learn more about the story behind the winning short stories and peer review. From writing with magical realism to building complex characters and offering thoughtful feedback, these teen writers share what shaped their standout work.

Winner: Weien (China), age 18

Read the winning piece here!

Guest Judge Rowana Miller said "you've done a fabulous job of using magical realism to capture their dynamic." How did you approach the magical realist genre in your winning short story?

To tell the truth, the magical realism came in quite intuitively rather than as an active genre choice. I wasn’t trying to write magical realism so much as I was trying to find a way to approach subjects that felt emotionally difficult or taboo. What I enjoy about magical realism is that it creates a kind of distance, where things can happen without full explanation. Under this veil of magic, the emotional truth of a relationship takes precedence over strict logic. In this story, that distance made it easier to explore the tension between Marianne and Maman without reducing their relationship to something more literal or toned down.

What does the "spider" metaphor mean to you?

I was first inspired by Louise Bourgeois’s Maman, particularly the idea that something towering and monstrous can also be maternal. I’ve always felt there’s something very feminine about spiders, from Arachne to the Black Widow, as well as in the act of weaving, which is often associated with domesticity and femininity. At the same time, spiders provoke a strong sense of bodily horror for me, which I don’t see as contradictory. I was interested in how femininity, motherhood, love, fear, and hunger can intersect. In the story, the spider became a way to hold these ideas together: a mother who is both loving and frightening.

Runner-Up: Peculiar (Nigeria), age 18

Read the winning piece here!

How did you approach the writing process for this wonderful short story? Did you take inspiration from a specific moment or piece of writing?

Actually, I did take inspiration from a specific moment in my life so I wouldn't say the story is totally fiction, but it did happen when I was a lot younger. It was an event that stuck with me. One I didn't have the right words to explain then, and now that I am a lot older I felt it was something I had to share.

Your characters were praised by Guest Judge Rowana Miller in her review of your piece. What insights do you have for other young writers who want to craft meaningful characters?

For me, I do like to keep a piece of myself in my character. I feel like It's easier for a quiet, conservative author to craft a character of similar qualities than to write about a nosy, mean, and probably talkative character. It's not like it's impossible to pull it off, again it's something that works for me. So always leave a piece of yourself with your character.

Best Peer Review: Olivia (Canada), age 16

Read the best peer review here!

Guest Judge Rowana Miller said that "Part of what’s so effective here is that you've framed many of the pieces of feedback as questions rather than as prescriptions." What do you think is the importance of asking questions when providing peer feedback?

I think it's important to ask questions when providing feedback because the story you're reviewing isn't your own story. When reviewing someone else's piece, you can't go into it with the exact same mindset as when you revise a draft of your own. You can analyze and advise, but you can't make the decisions and changes. It isn't your place; it's the author's. That story, the ideas written out, the words chosen, the heart poured in, and the style shaped by the writer's personality, is something that I don't want to take away from the writer. And to write advice to another writer with my ideas, all my word choices, shaped by my personal style, is neither helpful to the writer nor respectful to what they have taken the time to write. I like to go into a review with the mindset of a reader. A reader who wants to better understand and see the story that the writer was trying to write - not change their story to be the way I would have written it. Prodding the writer with questions rather than stating my personal opinion, can hopefully steer the writer in the direction that I feel may make their story more effective without taking away from their creativity. I may think like a writer, but I try to go into a review with the attitude of a reader.

What is your favorite genre to review?

I'm not sure I have a favourite genre for reviewing. I don't choose to review pieces based on their genre, but by how much I liked the piece and the potential I feel I see in the writer. I have a passion for stories and how they're written, and it excites me when I feel I've come across another writer who truly seems to care about the art of writing. And naturally I want to encourage them as they continue to write!

View full post