Writing
	October 3, 2025

NYC Midnight 500 Word 2025 – Round 1

Dreamwoven – WON 7th place

”Dreamwoven” by Gant Laborde –     WHAT THE JUDGES LIKED ABOUT YOUR STORY –
JUDGE 1: The prose here was very elegant, contributing to the dreamlike atmosphere of the story. It is clear from the start that this is a memory or a vision thanks to this dreamy opening and the use of phrases like “daydream”, “well of memory”, as well as the lack of setting detail. I enjoyed the way the story slowly reveals, while never being explicit about it, what happened to Starlight and how Galea lost him. The witch was an excellent twist as well, bringing Galea’s pain to the forefront in a rather bittersweet conclusion.

JUDGE 2: The story well relays Galea’s emotions, so the reader first feels her hope at seeing her horse, then her sadness in realizing her vision isn’t real. There’s relatability as well, as anyone who’s lost a treasured pet would certainly give a second coin to replay the vision as Galea does.

JUDGE 3:  One thing that really stands out with this story right now is its ending. There’s a lovely, circular effect created by Galea’s choice to re-enter the daydream. The story as a whole feels elliptical, it feels as if we are witnessing just one small part of a potentially endless submersion into memory and fantasy.