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The Bastards Killed Jerry!

The Bastards Killed Jerry!
Photo by Jan Zinnbauer / Unsplash

"Jerry Was a Bare-Knuckle Fighter" died in the ring on Sunday, March 1st, 2026, at approximately 12:45 PM in the first round.

I got the news while playing Hero Quest with my 5-year-old. who mainly likes playing with the figures. This was disappointing. It was also expected.

The story I was paired against in the genre of Cryptid Fiction in Writing Battle's "Tempest Owl 2026" competition was beautiful in a haunting and unnerving sort of way. I liked it. I also realized it was the exact thing the "professional judges" (I'll talk about my feelings on that aspect another day) would like. I considered "Jerry" to be a creepy and fun read, so I knew I was doomed.

social media image. "Your story finished in the Top 64"
The nicest way you can say "You lost in the first round." Thanks Writing Battle

Despite that, I've been in a funk most of the day. I never really expected to make the finals, but I hoped I would. Once I was in the finals, I didn't expect to win the genre, but I hoped I would go farther than I did.

But as they say: Brackets are going to bracket. I don't know who "they" are or why they keep saying that. I tell myself: "Self, your loss doesn't mean that you wrote a bad story." A lot of peers in the competition enjoyed it. Friends and family enjoyed it. Moreover, friends and family actually READ the thing, which is wild to me.

I enjoy it. Which is probably the most important thing. It's a good fucking story. I just wish the judges enjoyed it more. Whoever these judges are. It's probably "they" again.

I'm in Writing Battle's Tempest Raven competition as well. TempestRaven was also my Juno email address in 1997, so maybe that's a sign? It's a Peer Judged one. I don't have as high hopes for that story, but we'll see. My sword & sorcery short story (maybe novella? I still don't know how word counts work) is on the horizon.

As for Jerry? I was planning on hauling his corpse around to see if any publications might be interested. He did good, and people should see him. There's an allure to that. To be published somewhere. To get validation. A credential.

But I'm in my 40s, which is prime "fuck you, I don't need your permission" age. I have a website for words, and a home studio for audio.

You're gonna live again, Jerry!