Jill Menard, an author and ariel dance in structure at the Flowjo studio in Carrboro, is currently ranked 5th of 244 in an online nationwide competition for short stories. Her story, "The Odd Duck," is about an awkward kid who struggles to fit in. "I think a lot of basis of the story is that as a kid, I was very awkward," said Menard. "Some of the inspiration now is that as an adult, you realize you can achieve anything."