The SWWJ recently ran a competition for a 500 word story with the title 'TREES'.

I submitted a bit of whimsy about the fair maid Solveig saved from life with Gunnar King of the Trolls by a friendly Birch tree spirit.

My entry was the runner up [out of 31 stories entered]

That was pleasing enough, but the real reward is the judge's comments. 

'This had shades of 'Lord of the Rings' and I liked it for its originality and beautiful prose, which completely pulled me into the magical world of fjords, tr...