Second Place: The Jackrabbit’s Lament by Katherine Gray
Katherine Gray (@kategraycosplay) is a full-time cosplayer and full-time nerd. When she’s not dressed as a superhero or space cadet, she can be found immersing herself in fiction though writing, video games, and TTRPGs. She graduated from the University of California: Santa Cruz with a degree in Literature and a specialization in Creative Writing in 2020.
What the Judges said:
"Clever, sharp, with a great twist. The world-building was in the details of this rip-roaring, fantastic first page of Nelli Pech’s double life."
"This was a singular piece of writing. What starts off as a magic show gone awry is so deftly turned into something else, and my goodness, what an interesting twist. I felt like Nelli was conning me the entire time, and I came away from this first page hungry to know more about her and what's going on beneath what she's allowing us to see. Great pace. Unique setting. Excellent mastery of giving the right information at the right time."
"Katherine, I love that you managed to introduce your worldbuilding in a clear way while providing such clever insight into the protagonist, while ending on an exciting twist. It made me desperate to keep reading! The writing is excellent on a line level, and you should be truly proud of the tension you’ve built in just a single page. I want to know more about Nelli and the unique Western fantasy world you’ve created!"
"The twists! One after another, and so effortlessly done in such a short amount of time. I loved the wit and voice of your writing, and the captivating concept made me excited to see what happens next."
Tell us a little about your writing background. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to start?
I began my writing journey at twelve years old, and by thirteen, I’d finished the manuscript of my first novel. Over the next ten years, I’d write nine other manuscripts, all of which are gathering metaphorical dust on a flash drive. I attended UCSC and got a degree in Creative Writing, but the pandemic hit six months before I graduated and my momentum faceplanted. So, for the four years following, I battled writer’s block. Until last year when the clouds parted and inspiration for a new novel struck me.
Tell us more about the larger work where this first page is from.
The Jackrabbit’s Lament is a new adult western fantasy novel inspired by The Now You See Me franchise and classic spaghetti westerns. I loved the idea of worldbuilding that leaves it ambiguous as to whether magic is real or simply a well-executed use of misdirection and trickery. The novel follows Nelli Pech, a magician and bank robber, as she attempts her biggest heist yet.
Where can readers find more of your work?
At the moment, most of my writing is locked away in the vault (AKA my hard drive). However, if you’d like to follow me on my journey into the publishing world, and see some cool costumes along the way, you can follow me at @kategraycosplay!
What advice would you give writers on writing a great first chapter?
Don’t dwell on any one element for too long. You have a limited amount of space. It’s important to ground the reader and establish stakes as quickly as possible. Within the first couple paragraphs, I try to work in the setting, the main character’s objective, and an obstacle or complication that is barring them from their objective. That way, right out the gate, readers know where they are and what they’re rooting for.
A Chat with the Author:
