Second Place: The Haze Between Us by Beth D. Bates
Beth D. Bates (@openlybeth) is a planning consultant and mum of three who began writing fiction six months ago as a way to capture the daydreams to help her unwind. She loves deep character dives and taking up her characters’ hobbies to get in their head which feeds her ADHD need for novelty and adrenaline. Over on her Instagram, she shares her hobbies and writing journey.
What the Judges said:
"Beth, your opening scene hooked me in with its nerdy, witty banter and I wanted to read more after the final page’s promise of supernatural suspense. I got a true sense of your main character in just a few paragraphs, and was already rooting for her to unravel this intriguing, multi-layered mystery."
"What a thrilling combination of science, mystery, morality, and the tantalizing possibility of something even stranger at work. Avery’s character voice is so distinct that I was completely invested within the first page—she's brilliant, self-aware, and willing to take risks that make me desperate to see how it all plays out. The banter between her and Lena is fantastic and naturally funny, and “Mushroom Darling” had me cackling!"
"Getting Ali Hazelwood vibes from this first chapter and I mean that as the highest possible compliment. Your work is the perfect mix of humor and seriousness, and I was impressed with your depiction of epilepsy – it’s rare to find that executed so well. Combined with the small taste of a mystery man at the end of your pages? I was absolutely hooked and ready to read more."
"From your opening paragraphs, I was entranced by the humorous banter between characters, the viral predicament your main character has found herself in, and the intriguing scientific concepts being studied. Your attention to detail is gorgeous. And the mysterious turn the end of the chapter takes? I immediately wanted a second chapter!"
Tell us a little about your writing background. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to start?
Six months ago, I thought capturing daydreams would help me unwind alongside my intense career and life as a mum of three, but that developed into devouring podcasts, books and courses about writing to see me complete my first manuscript. I am captivated by the craft and love to experiment with new techniques. Currently, I am writing a paranormal romance and a horror using the spiral structure. My husband reads dialogue aloud with me because I want it to work hard yet stay natural. I love weaving subtle foreshadowing through dialogue. I adore the research behind each story, from in-depth character creation to taking up new hobbies to help me understand what I want to write.
Tell us more about the inspiration for the novel this chapter is from. Where did the idea come from?
The novel was submitted as Fate of Desire and Decay and now has the working title The Haze Between Us. It grew from my special interest in fungi, which has found its way throughout our home, while Avery’s epilepsy was informed by how my son’s seizures manifest, although her experience remains entirely fictional. I love a conspiracy, particularly one that makes a character question whether the world has been deliberately constructed around them, so I wanted to explore a hidden fae society sustained by conditioning humans not to see it. In my head, the novel brings the reality-questioning conspiracy of The Matrix into the dangerous fae politics of The Cruel Prince.
Where can readers find more of your work?
Readers can find me on Instagram at @openlybeth, where I share my journey as an unpublished author and the inspirations behind my writing along with my attempts to try out new hobbies. I love connecting through DMs, especially when someone has a book recommendation or another research trail for me to follow.
What advice would you give writers on writing a great first chapter?
For me, I aim to create a strong first chapter by planning what the reader needs to understand and what I want them to be asking. I write the chapter in full, then cut the opening until the reader arrives as close to the action as possible while retaining enough context to care. I am obsessed with making dialogue work hard, using each exchange to reveal character and alter the pressure within the scene. My aim is to leave the reader with an urgent question that pulls them forwards into the story.
A Chat with the Author:
