Amanda Harman
Harman’s short story, “Three Walls,” was named Most Creative.
Calvary Junior Amanda Harman recently won “Most Creative” in a short story contest by online literary magazine Bottom Shelf Whiskey. Harman studies in Calvary’s English & Communications department, and originally drafted the piece for a creative writing course. Her piece, “Three Walls,” follows the experiences of a character who realizes she is just that—a pawn in her author’s story. Harman said, “I got the idea for ‘Three Walls’ from my love of humor that breaks the fourth wall, like in The Emperor’s New Groove. That self-awareness is really funny to me, so I figured I could try it myself and see what happened.”
Harman saw an ad for the contest online and said, “I decided to submit ‘Three Walls’ to the contest because it was my favorite story that I wrote, and when I saw the contest, I figured it was worth a shot.” While “Three Walls” didn’t win the contest, Bottom Shelf Whiskey awarded her story as “Most Creative.” Harman said, “It’s kind of hard to explain the feeling of being published. I am very proud and still kind of surprised that someone decided that my story was worth sharing.”
Beyond creative writing, she also writes articles for GotQuestions.org, a database created by a Calvary alum with answers to theological questions. Harman will be entering her junior year this fall, studying English Literature. She said she chose the English program because “I love reading. Books are such an escape; I can go anywhere in the world with the right book. I also love seeing the connections between books. The more you read, the more you understand.”