Of course I went back for Round 2 of Create50’s Twisted competition.

Who wouldn’t, after the having such an unexpectedly positive experience with Round 1 (Twisted50 Vol1 and Twisted’ Evil Little Sister)? Comradship, insightful feedback, and the many little horrors from other writers to read (preferably alone, in the dark, with the possibility of unnamed things sliding about in the attic) and comment on.

Where else can a writer find all this and a friendly entry fee as well?

Since submitting three stories to the first Twisted50 competition (and having the honor of two of them going into print) I’ve seen alerts for several other competitions, some of which sounded enticing.

But I always come home to Create50 — most recently, with “Mumma Says,” written late at night in a Bates-ish motel (in which I was the sole occupant). I patted “Mumma Says” on its moldy little head and sent it stumbling on its way to Create50 with high hopes it would be deemed worthy of the next Twisted50 anthology.

(It was. And again, I am honored to join 49 other writers in a Twisted50 anthology.)

Call me Pollyanna (not to my face), but the Create50 experience reinforces my belief there is good to be found in the least-expected places — including unpleasant sights we wish we hadn’t seen or dark thoughts we wish we didn’t have.

Now I’m off to reserve the next hotel room in the middle of another nowhere in hopes that my demons will deliver another wicked tale for the next round of Twisted50.

Chris Jones Filmmaker and Screenwriter

Filmmaker, author, screenwriter and founder of Twisted50. Currently directing splinter unit on Mission: Impossible 8.

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