"Mismatch" was the theme for our March competition which was won with this entry from 
Phoebe Overton. Originally from Leeds in Yorkshire, Phoebe is an English Language and Linguistic graduate and is currently taking a 6 month career break in Switzerland with her partner. An incredibly life-altering experience she tells us, and one that allows her to concentrate on her main passion, which is writing. Otherwise, Phoebe loves travelling, hiking and sampling lots of chocolate, so being based near the Alps ticks all of those boxes for her.
The "mismatch" theme for our March competition certainly resulted in a mixed bag of entries with some interesting interpretations. Some of the entries showed promise but it looks as though the Txtlit parameters proved just too challenging to get a complete and comprehendible story across. No such issues for Phoebe Overton whose sad tale has an excellent Txtlit construction. The opening sentence immediately creates tension and we are put on edge in just a few words. Who is she and what is she the last hope for? We read on to learn the predicament of the narrator which maintains the tension and is heightened further still as we are left on a cliff-edge waiting for the phone call. The final sentence takes it up one more notch and by simply interspersing the dialogue with "she said", Phoebe really wrings out every last drop of the suspense. Cleverly, we don't even need the full explanation, "Its bad news" tells us everything. The fact that it's the narrator's daughter who has failed to be a life saving match is like the final twist. Great work.
Other shortlisted entries:
As the countdown ended, the pacifist's hand made a horizontal peace sign. Dejectedly, he gazed at his opponent's clenched fist."Stone beats scissors."
By Sim Smailes
She left the house, with messy hair, smelling of him. Ahead, she saw his wife. "Act natural" she thought, looking down in horror at odd shoes, one his.
By Lu Thomson
"You will never beat him. Look how colossal he is. Such a mismatch. Are you sure you want to do this David? All you have is a sling shot.
By Maxine Burton
