The Plot
The beginning: Writers must seize the reader’s attention through a captivating opening line, a vivid description of the setting or characters, or an insightful revelation into the central problem, theme, or topic of the story. It must establish the mood for the reader, whether it would be cheerful and exciting and ominous and enigmatic.
The middle: this part constitutes the majority of the narrative and elaborates on the central topic, delves into the theme, provides crucial details and keeps the reader engaged with the story.
The end: concludes the story, provides restitution to the central problem, tying up loose ends and presenting the lessons learned or the acceptance of events that took place throughout the story.
Settings
Period: make sure the reader is aware of where and when the story took place. A period can also be a season, a time of day or even a time of the year. Geographical location can also be a real life or an imaginary world.
Physical location: a character's immediate surroundings, like a room or a neighbourhood, can be important to highlight your story. You may also include weather conditions and the climate to give the reader a realistic feel of your story.
Writing your story – Executing your idea
Write from your experiences: you don’t have to write about your life, if you do not want to, but you should use your knowledge of the many aspects of your life and environment to give your story more credibility and authenticity. Also write about what you have known and experienced. For instance, you may attempt to write about a place you haven’t travelled to before; however, it may not be as vivid as you may want it to be, knowing you have no knowledge of it and if you are writing about a city or a town, though the story may be fictitious but the description of the location has to be accurate.
Use language creatively and descriptively. Descriptive language is used to help the reader feel almost as if they are part of the scene or the event being described. It helps readers to visualise what a character or a place looks like. Use metaphors, similes, imagery, personification, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, and rhetorical questions. Use all literature techniques to your advantage.
Let your imagination run wild. Do not be scared of using words as you please. Writing is a way of airing your opinions, and do not be scared of saying whatever you want to say as it is.
Give your characters the grace to live and be human. Do not box your characters into a one way of living. Let them surprise your readers, let them disappoint, let them learn. Let them make your readers angry, let them be pitied, let them be loved, let them be hated. Give them a wide range of behaviours and a level of unpredictability that makes them as realistic as possible.
Guidelines for your submission.
This year’s competition is open to ONLY writers of Ghanaian descent. Writers do not necessarily have to reside in Ghana at the time of submission.
All submissions are free, however you are allowed to submit only one story per person.
Your story should be written ONLY as prose. Any story written as a screenplay will be automatically disqualified.
Any story written with AI will be automatically disqualified.
Words should be 5000 words maximum and 2500 words minimum.
Font style should be Times New Roman
Font size should be 12
The document should be uploaded in PDF and your name or any personal details should not be on the document.
Any enquiries about the submission should be sent to thesimplescriptproject@gmail.com
