Writers Search Winners 2023

Timothy Jay Smith
"Istanbul Crossing"

Istanbul Crossing Synopsis: In this coming-of-age literary thriller, a young gay Syrian refugee, after watching his cousin executed by ISIS for being homosexual, flees to Istanbul for his own safety. He becomes a smuggler of other refugees to Greece and develops such a good reputation that he’s approached in the same twenty-four hours by both the CIA and ISIS to smuggle high-profile individuals on the run. In the process of juggling the two operations, he falls in love with, and must decide between, two men who offer him very different futures.

From an early age, Timothy Jay Smith developed a wanderlust that took him around the world. En route, he found the characters that people his work. Arms dealers, child prostitutes, and wannabe terrorists: he hung with them all while smuggling plays from behind the Iron Curtain, maneuvering through war zones, and being a stowaway aboard a barge that landed him in an African jail. He’s won numerous writing contests, including the Faulkner-Wisdom Novel Competition and the Paris Prize for Fiction. Kirkus Reviews called his work “literary dynamite.” His stage plays and screenplays have won or placed in dozens of competitions. Connect with Timothy on Facebook or through his website HERE.

Lee Osorio
"A Third Way"

A Third Way Synopsis: Nico and Matt are fine- or so they’d say to anyone asking about their marriage. And that’s true…but less “fine wine” and more “it was fine, but I probably wouldn’t eat there again.” The decision to open their marriage starts an effort to save their relationship, but as they queer the boundaries of their marriage it forces them to question what it means to queer your life. Will their bond survive? Should it?

Lee Osorio (he/they) is queer, Latinx, Atlanta-based actor, audiobook narrator, and playwright. His writing has been developed through Alabama Shakespeare’s Southern Writers Festival (2023), the Alliance Theatre’s Reiser Artist Lab (Rounds 4 and 6), Theatrical Outfit, Working Title Playwrights, Found Stages, Art on the Beltline, the University of British Columbia, and with funding from Idea Capital (two-time grantee). His play Prisontown was a semi-finalist for the O’Neill National Play Conference (2022). Lee received his MFA in Acting from Brown/Trinity.

Learn more about him through his website HERE or on Instagram.

William Avery Mettlach
"Smoke Breaks"

Smoke Breaks Synopsis: This story follows our main character named Leon who is a transgender male who's recently been going through a sexual rut with his long-term boyfriend Roger. After a long day working at the salon; Leon and his friend Cece decide to have a smoke break where she gives him a tarot card reading as a way to find a solution for this rut. After work, Leon and Roger decide to discuss and explore new sexual interests that result in an unexpected surprise.

William Avery Mettlach is an up-and-coming filmmaker who centers on creating stories and documentaries that uplift and show the beauty in stories still untold. Originally raised in South Florida, Will relocated to Pensacola for school six years ago and has developed a deep love for the Gulf Coast ever since. When he’s not actively writing, Will can be seen working on getting his Masters in Social Work, as well as actively training in mixed martial arts. You can find his most recent short-documentary “Hidden Gems” on YouTube via the Bruncleboxtop YouTube channel HERE, or contact him on Instagram HERE.