Second Place: A Visit from Corporate by Danielle Robertson
Danielle Robertson (@danjvrobertson) holds a BA in creative writing from SUNY Purchase and is a Tin House YA Workshop alum. Her short fiction for teens and adults has been published in anthologies by Terrorcore Publishing, Read Furiously, Haunted Words Press, and Once Upon a Book Club. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, their two children, and their overstuffed bookshelves.
What the Judges said:
"Charming, gory, surprising, tense, and a FUN time. This story was a wild ride from start to end. I never knew what was going to happen next!"
"I could not have guessed where this story was going when I started reading and I was beyond thrilled with where you took it! Your descriptions had me by the throat, direct and visceral."
"It isn’t easy to rework old superstition into suburban folklore with real freshness, and it’s even harder to do it well in short story form. This was a well-balanced treat from start to finish: brimming with humor and rich, intense detail."
Tell us a little about your writing background. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to start?
I've been interested in writing since I was in elementary school. I think I became interested in it because I loved reading so much! I read—and still continue to read—widely across genres. I'm so thankful to my mom for taking me to the library so often as a kid, and I'm thankful to my teachers for assigning me writing projects that kept me curious and motivated. I eventually majored in creative writing in college. I hope to traditionally publish a YA novel one day!
Tell us more about the inspiration for this story! Where did the idea come from?
As someone who worked in retail in high school and looks back on that time fondly, I wanted to write a story that featured a teen working a somewhat "mundane" job. And then I wanted to elevate that experience by looking at it through a horror lens. As I was writing this story, I kept asking myself "how can I make this bigger? How can I make this even more ridiculous and scary?"
Where can readers find more of your work?
I'm so grateful to the editors who have taken a chance on my work! I keep a list of my writing credits on my website here. I also write a monthly Substack newsletter found here.
What advice would you give writers on writing a great short story?
Don't be intimidated by the process! I like to think of writing a short story as getting to play in a sandbox: try out different tools, dare to build castles, and don't be afraid to knock it down and start over.
A Chat with the Author:
