Back in March, Fictionate.Me launched our first-ever short fiction contest, asking writers to send us their best fairy tale retellings with a speculative twist. We were so overwhelmed with the amazing response, and we had some amazing submissions to sift through for the arduous task of finding the best of the best.
On Sunday, May 1, 2022, we announced the winners of our contest, which included the top four stories (Grand Prizes), and the top three People’s Choice winners, chosen by our readers. Eight other stories were also chosen for publication in our anthology, which is coming soon (publication date TBD). To see the full list of winners and anthology contributors, click here.
Over the next few weeks on the blog, we’ll be featuring the Grand Prize and People’s Choice winners, as well as featuring all our contributors on our social media channels. Keep an eye on our Fictionate.Me social accounts to read about the wonderful authors who were chosen for publication.
Our first blog feature is our 1st Place Grand Prize winner, DoubleBlind, with his cyberpunk retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale “The Red Shoes.”
DoubleBlind’s retelling, of the same name as the original story, takes readers on a frenetic journey of one user’s experience with a neural chip called the Red Shoes.
The Red Shoes
In “The Red Shoes”, readers follow a character named Cypher as he experiences the world after receiving the rare and expensive Red Shoes neural chip. The users no longer need to waste time with sleep or three squares a day. Taking care of one’s body is a trivial inconvenience after having the chip implanted. This means the chip’s users, like Cypher, can party all day and all night without needing rest. Even a fight in an alley resulting in a broken arm can’t stop the high.
DoubleBlind’s version keeps the bare bones of the original story, while readers are pulled along at breakneck speed through Cypher’s sex, drug, and rock n’ roll fueled club-hopping. The details are so visceral, immersing the reader in Cypher’s frenzied thought processes and actions as the night unfolds.
The author’s use of a second-person POV narrator also makes the readers feel they are there with Cypher watching his night unfold, yet from a distance, while also at the same time feeling exceptionally close to the action. It’s a unique perspective that isn’t normally utilized, so it makes the story even more immersive.
The result is a surreal, visceral, mind-bending trip that pays homage to the original story in a distinctive way. To read the full story, click here!
I had the privilege of interviewing our 1st Place star author so you could learn more about his writing process, and what it takes to become an award-winning author.
Author biography
DoubleBlind is a gamer, reader, and marketing specialist turned author. Complex worlds and characters drive his subversive narrative style and snapping tropes in half have become a favorite weekend activity. When not creating catgirls or skill sheets, he can be found on the couch with his wife, delving through video games together in search of more ideas for catgirls or skill sheets.
Author interview
What inspired your winning story “The Red Shoes”, besides the original Andersen story itself?
I was watching TCM with my wife when the 1948 movie, "The Red Shoes," came on. I'd never heard of the fairy tale, and after looking it up, I thought the themes would translate well to other settings. I don't get a lot of opportunities to write in cyberpunk settings, nor had I tried second person POV or present tense in a narrative before. I wanted a narrator outside of Cypher to tell the story, and the second-person perspective worked well to immerse the reader in the world.
The present tense gave the story (and Cypher) the urgency it needed to keep the lightning pace going. It was a really fun challenge to maintain Cypher's high for him and the reader without letting it fizzle out or crash. I won't spoil the ending, but it was important to me to keep the same theme from the original fairy tale: that the red shoes always kept going.
At what age did you start writing?
As soon as I could. I wrote and drew “books” in kindergarten that the library spiral bound and put on the shelves for other kids to check out. At one point, I made multiple copies of one book just in case more than one person wanted one.
How did you get into writing?
As a personal passion, wanting to bring my own worlds and characters to other readers was my primary motivation. Professionally, I enjoy helping others build and refine their stories for publication.
If you had any advice for budding writers, what would it be?
Just write. Don’t overthink your plot, don’t get stuck in outlining purgatory, and don’t worry if your idea is creative or “new” enough. No one has ever written your story in your voice. Just write it.
Where do you draw inspiration?
Other books, movies, video games, television shows, really any art medium I can get my hands on. I love finding new ways to push my narrative boundaries.
Who are your favorite authors?
Joe Abercrombie, Brandon Sanderson, Jacqueline Carey, and Patrick Rothfuss.
What are your top three favorite books?
We by Yevgeny Zamyatin, The First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie, and Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey.
Serialized fiction has become increasingly popular over the last few years, and it’s immensely popular here on Fictionate.Me as well. What advice do you have for someone who wants to start writing and publishing serials?
Figure out how long each chapter will be and start writing as much as possible. Have at least [one] month’s worth of chapters in your backlog just in case you need to take time off for any reason. Learn how to separate constructive criticism from empty criticism. It’s easy to be deterred by poor ratings or comments; the hard part is to push through and keep publishing.
Just keep going and trust in your followers. Stay consistent. Even if you publish two chapters a week, keep them on the same days, around the same time. Your readership will appreciate the consistency and are more likely to stick around for more.
Tell us about your hit serial, Everyone’s a Catgirl!. What was the inspo for that story?
Everyone’s a Catgirl! is a LitRPG that tackles and subverts multiple genres; harem, isekai, comedy, gamelit, horror, and more. Games like Doki Doki Literature Club, Omori, and books like We Need to Talk About Kevin [by Lionel Shriver] inspired me to build a narrative that diverts from the expectations presented by the cover. It’s a story that’s best when you go in knowing nothing. It’s just a guy surrounded by cute catgirls in a land called Nyarlea. How deep can it be? Every loyal reader has been surprised by the answer.
Any tips for getting published, whether it be traditional or self-publishing?
I personally will be going the self-publishing route through Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. I’ve found that, for the genre, this is the best direction to take to find new readers and promote my work. Since I’m still new to this, my only tip so far is: Make sure you have a cover that sings. You have about five seconds to grab your reader’s attention; use the cover and your summary to your advantage.
You have a great fandom for Catgirls and wonderful engagement from your fans. How did you grow your fandom? What advice do you have for other writers trying to grow their audience/readership?
Thanks! The fandom around Catgirls has been absolutely amazing. I post on multiple platforms (and have tried others in the past). Right now, Catgirls is available on Royal Road, Scribble Hub, Tapas, DeviantArt, and r/HFY on Reddit. I believe that extending to multiple platforms has drawn in more people, and I utilize Patreon to give back to those who monetarily support the story.
We have a Discord exclusively for Catgirls, and I make sure to interact with everyone at least a few times a day. I think it’s essential to engage with your readers in any way possible. Answer questions about the story, talk about your thought processes and just be open to chat. Always look for new ways to engage your readership. For example, we recently started an ‘Ask a Catgirl’ channel, where readers can ask their favorite catgirl a question or let me pick who answers.
What is your ultimate goal/biggest dream as an author?
To be able to support my family from my personal work.
Where are you from? Where do you live now?
Born and raised in Arizona and am still here now.
What are your top five favorite bands?
Mystery Skulls, Breaking Benjamin, Glass Animals, Infected Mushroom, and Panic! At the Disco.
What are your top five favorite movies?
Inception, Running Man, Predator, Parasite, Terminator 2.
What are your top five favorite video games?
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, NieR: Automata, Legend of Heroes, Ragnarok Online, and Nioh 2.
We want to thank DoubleBlind for taking time out of his busy schedule to interview with us, and we hope you, the reader, have enjoyed a glimpse into the writerly mind of our 1st Place winner!
Check out DoubleBlind’s story and all the winning entries, right here on Fictionate.Me, and stay tuned for more exciting blog interviews and social media features of our contestants.
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