How it works

As I'm judging the competition (below), I will also show how it all happens, from my perspective.

The One Page Story Shortlist arrived via email in an attachment from Fish. The pieces are all numbered, as the Fish system receives them. No identifying anythings.

My first task was the print them all off, each to their own page.

My second task was to read them all, a once-over.

Then a few hours later, I sat down and re-read them a few times, slowly. This time I annotated.

Then a day or so later, I listed the ones I remembered, and why.

I re-read the lot, marking 'A' for 'probable finalists', B for 'read again, open mind so far' and 'C' for 'sorry, this will find a home, but not here, this time...'

'C' goes to one side.

'B' list gets read again and a few weeded out into 'A'.

I sleep on it again.

Today I read all the B list. All the A list. One change, upwards.

I read the 'C' list. No change. Put aside properly.

Read A and B. No change. Put aside B.

I'm left with A.

In my mind there's a clear 'winner' and a good cohort of runners up...but I'm sleeping on it again, see if I feel the same tomorrow.