Published Short Story
Chris Hamilton
At the 2017 Royal Palm Literary Award Banquet, author Chris Hamilton won First Place for his published short story: The Bathroom Door. Each year at the RPLA Banquet, authors experience the joy of earning accolades for all the hard work that is often done in the privacy of the home with little to no recognition. We’re showcasing the best of the best with our First Place winners spotlight. Not only does RPLA recognize extraordinary talent, but we’re giving readers an opportunity to sample excerpts from the winning stories.
The Bathroom Door. A woman and a man struggle with their doubts and demons as they wait for each other on opposite sides of a bathroom door.
Chris Hamilton has been a member of FWA for a long time. He lives in Tampa and doesn’t write as much as he probably should.
Click here to read The Bathroom Door.
An interview with Chris Hamilton:
Q: Where do you get your story ideas?
A: No single place. I just grab random thoughts and run with them. A lot of my writing winds up being about redemption and fresh starts. That was the theme around this piece. Because I’m that age, I wanted something personal and vulnerable about starting over and the very human fears that come with it.
Q: Anything in particular about your award-winning RPLA entry that you’d like to share?
A: I actually had a lot of the thoughts the guy had while writing the piece. The Lombardi thing was real. If I were in his spot, I’d have thought that exact quote. Then I’d have chastised myself for thinking about a dead football coach.
Q: Who do you credit with inspiring your writing?
A: It started with Robert B. Parker, but a lot of it has been the other writers in FWA. Julie Compton was a great inspiration. Jamie Morris really helped me improve.
Q: Any tips for new writers?
A: Butt in chair, fingers on keyboard. And then find a critique group. Honestly, I’m still looking for the right one.
Joni M. Fisher
Congratulations, Chris! Your leadership and humor make FWA a fun community!
JB Hamilton Queen
Congratulations Chris!
Tricia Pimental
I loved reading this brief interview (thanks, Ronnie!) Chris. I could hear your voice and see your body language as I did. Now, on to read your story. Congrats to you, and I hope to see you all in person this October.
Ruth Coe Chambers
Enjoyed the interview and insight on the story. Good advice to new and “old” writers!
Ellen Holder
I loved the interview and loved “The Bathroom Door.” However, on page 10 of the story, a line reads “She’s gonna have the courage to bear it all for you.” The other sentences in that paragraph would indicate that “bear” should have been spelled “bare.” I checked Chris’ website and I see that “The Bathroom Door” posted there does, indeed, have the correct spelling, “bare.” That one word makes a big difference in the meaning of the sentence and the quality of the writing. I guess it’s too late to correct the FWA article now. At least I know the writer intended the word to be correct, and shows it that way on his website. And I highly recommend his website and his writing. He is a terrific, straight-from-the-heart kind of writer.