KATIE SANDERS -- Winner, Canada Writes 2009

It's been one year since that moment of brilliance that won me eternal fame in the CBC archives. My life has changed so dramatically since Canada Writes that even I don't recognize it some days. While the panic of the contest was short-lived, the fallout was enormous. I'm still dealing with aftershocks, and fanning the flames to keep this little fire going.

The qualifying round of Canada Writes is now closed. Thanks so much for participating! We've received hundreds and hundreds of entries from across Canada -- our biggest crop of words ever -- and now we have a big job ahead of us: picking just 20 entries for the Canada Writes 2010 shortlist. We'll be looking for a spark of inspiration and humour and, of course, writing chops -- all qualities that will serve contestants well during the live games. We'll post the 20 names here on March 15, so stay tuned!

KAVEH MOHEBBI - Finalist, Canada Writes 2009

The second I stepped out of the CBC building (after coming in fourth), a private jet landed on Front Street in Toronto, blocking traffic for the next ten blocks. Jean Chrétien, Lance Armstrong, and Bono stepped off the plane and congratulated me on my success and told me how my writing would have a humanitarian impact on the world. (Harper was there too, but I ignored him.) Since then, I have been rolling in the dough, signing autographs, making guest appearances at the finest of Hollywood celebrity events and, honestly, I've lost count of the Pulitzer Prizes. They're falling out of my pocket like lint at this point...