Fiction Contest Finalist: Taylor Brown - 2009 Montana Prize in Fiction

Taylor Brown, a TED client and very promising young novelist and short story writer, is now one of four finalists for the 2009 Montana Prize in Fiction for his short story “Rider”.

Taylor came to TED after another of his short stories, “Willy Pete”, became a finalist for publication in storySouth in May 2008. The editors at Storysouth decided it needed one more draft, and since Taylor had just read Self Editing for Fiction Writers, he sought us out for help in redrafting his story.

In the time I’ve worked with Taylor I’ve gotten to read and edit a number of his short stories, and I find him genuinely talented, his writing original, lovely and at times haunting in the best Southern tradition. He comes by that voice honestly, having grown up St. Simons Island, a barrier island off the South Georgia coast.

I could write a whole page on Taylor, his life path and what has brought him to write such gorgeous work, but for now I’ll just say I’m thrilled to be his editor and proud of what he’s doing. He is only twenty-six, but already seems to understand how much work is involved in making it as a writer in this publishing climate.

Along with the two already mentioned, Taylor’s story “Black Swan” was published in The Dead Mule, August, 2008, and Dead Mule editor Valerie MacEwan says she wants to nominate the story for the 2008-2009 Sundress Best of the Web anthology. His story “Home Guard” was performed by The Liars League at the Wheatsheaf in London in November of 2008.

I’m thrilled to be working with such a fresh and sincere writer and am excited each time I get new work from him. I’m also greatly looking forward to digging in to each of his three novels when he’s ready.

More information on Taylor can be found at www.taylorbrownfiction.com.