#265 Bon Voyage with Aja Pollock

This week's contest is a takeover in collaboration with Reedsy freelancer Aja Pollock. Stay tuned for more exciting takeovers with other freelancers and online writing communities, publishers, and magazines in the future!

Hello, writers! My name is Aja Pollock, and I’m a developmental editor and copy editor. If you’ve ever wondered what Bob Dylan, Joyce Carol Oates, Jesmyn Ward, and Ron Burgundy have in common, the answer is: me!

You can check out my Reedsy profile here.

My contest theme for this week is something lots of us have been doing this summer: traveling. I find that being in an unfamiliar environment, or in the liminal space between home and a destination, helps me connect with the present moment, inspires me to reflect on the past, and gets me thinking about new possibilities for the future. I also find that it can intensify human relationships and heighten the good and not-so-good qualities of travel companions. I hope these prompts will help you explore the interior and exterior journeys of discovery that go along with travel.

Special Update: The Results

Aja's top three picks for this takeover were: 1) "Eleven Years of Hope" 2) "Bubbles" and 3) "The Casket Girl's Guide to Ghosts"

Here's what she had to say about the winning story, "Eleven Years of Hope": "I like the author’s interpretation of the prompt, and I love all the unexpected turns of phrase and how well they evoke Alexander’s way of perceiving the world. I also appreciate the economical writing; instead of fighting the short form and trying to cram in a lot of information and detail, the author does a deep dive into a particular moment of Alexander’s life and uses carefully chosen, specific, high-impact details that still manage to convey a lot."