Meet the notable writers of the 2025 Sentence Sweepstakes Writing Contest!

First Place: Karen Casale

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.

Read Katherine’s first chapter of Rot & Ruin, and learn more about her writing process & journey.

Read now!

Second Place: Michael Louie

Michael Louie (@desertedhousepress) is a fifth-generation Asian American and an artist and educator by training, holding a master’s degree in teaching from San Jose State University. 

Read two sentences from Michael’s magical realism novel, Antologia Aeternum Book I Futurum, and learn more about his writing process & journey.

Read now!

Third Place: Scarlett Mitchell

Scarlett Mitchell (@.lady.scarlett) is a fantasy and science fiction author whose prose bridges poetry and myth. Her stories follow the ember-trails of resilience, asking what remains after the fire fades.

Read two sentences from Scarlett’s fantasy novel, A Flight of Faith and Fury, and learn more about her writing process & journey.

Read now!

Honorable Mentions:

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