Fernando A. Flores, guest judge for our 2019 short story contest, says his favorite stories are those that “take some kind of risk, strive for something greater, unknown, undefined, and afterward leave you lost in the woods of what you read.”
Adam Soto’s “The Prize” takes several risks. First, Soto made the audacious decision to submit a story about a writing contest to a writing contest. Second, the narrative takes readers on a twisting and turning path that’s equal parts magical realism, industry satire, and social critique. Read all the way to the end, where Soto discusses the writing process behind “The Prize.”
