Woody O. Carsky-Wilson (center) with judges Tim Powers and K.D. Wentworth.

        Woody lives in Virginia with his exceptionally supportive wife, Meg, and son Lucas (who inspired a horror short story!). Woody is a stay-at-home dad, also a major in the Army Reserves.

           Born in Heidelberg, Germany, Woody is an Army brat.  The travel and exposure to other cultures has led to some interesting experiences.  In the Gulf War he saw the first combat intercept in history of one missile against another when a Patriot shot down a Scud at Al Khobar.

           Woody’s parents, Woody and Shirley, said he’d be a writer when he grew up.  He didn’t believe them.  They encouraged him, never forcing him into the wrong mold.  Years later, it turns out they were partially right. He never grew up, but he did become a writer.

           Woody had a great year in 2001, selling two stories and winning this contest.  He feels “Worlds Apart” would never have succeeded without the advice of his writers' group when he lived in Cincinnati.  He is eternally grateful to Ryck Neube, his mentor and anarchic leader of the Cincinnati Writers' Project fiction critique group.  He also thanks his other friends and colleagues of the CWP.