#349 From the Ashes with Michael McConnell

This week, we're running a takeover in collaboration with Reedsy freelancer Michael McConnell. The winner of this contest will not only be awarded $250 — they’ll also receive ten hours of copyediting services from Michael! For your chance to get insight from a Reedsy professional, read on!

Hello, writers!

I'm Michael McConnell, a published author and a freelance copy editor for three of the Big Five publishing houses. And of course, I’ve been a Reedsy professional since 2017.

I've dedicated my career to helping other writers strengthen their craft and produce highly polished manuscripts. When I’m not editing, I’m reading for pleasure — and one of my favorite genres is post-apocalyptic fiction.

This popular genre lets us explore human resilience and ethics: tales that test characters' limits, highlighting the strength of the human spirit and the moral choices made under high-stakes conditions. These stories often examine societal rebuilding: they allow writers to imagine how new societies are built from the ashes, and what values or technologies from the old world are worth saving.

Through post-apocalyptic fiction, we can explore different kinds of fears — such as pandemics, environmental collapse, or nuclear war — in an imaginary space out of harm’s way, while also offering readers escapism and the chance to experience extreme scenarios from a safe distance.

This week’s prompts are inspired by post-apocalyptic fiction. You can write in any genre for this contest, but try to keep some post-apocalyptic themes in mind as you craft your stories, whether they be survival, preservation, resilience, the loss of technology, or rebirth. Good luck!

Special Update: The Results 🏆

The top pick for this takeover was "The Milk Upstream — Hannah’s Diary" by Scott Christenson. Here's what guest judge Michael McConnell had to say about it:

I loved this story because it imagines apocalypse in a more original and unsettling form — not as a sudden end, but as a world that has slowly curdled under the pressures of war, pollution, and scarcity. The upstream/downstream divide is expertly rendered, and the poisoned milk functions as both a literal threat to health and a brilliant symbol of class, environmental collapse, and moral decay. Hannah's choice is not heroic, but it is entirely believable within the brutal logic of the world the story creates.

The writing is beautifully controlled, and the final effect is so haunting. The story never overexplains its dystopian setting; instead, it lets vivid details — the trembling hands, the clean upstream milk, the law against “pollution” speech, and the deadened rituals of dances and poker games — paint the picture. The result is a story that feels both intimate and sweeping. The ending is especially strong: calm, chilling, and unforgettable.

Sometimes survival means enduring a loveless marriage. But when that endurance becomes unendurable, Hannah — whose hands have finally stopped shaking — is capable of the unthinkable. Well done!

Congratulations to contest winner Scott Christenson and the runners-up, Kayla Wikaryasz and Mirror Lake!