Writing Competition - Winner Announced!

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Thanks for the feedback, it´s useful when I try to improve my writing skills. Writing stories by other language than my own is quite a challenge but interesting one.
 
Another thought...

Would it be possible to vote in a ranking fashion for top 3 kind of thing? The way we are not just voting for one article only.

Any thoughts?


:peace:
 
greenhill said:
Another thought...

Would it be possible to vote in a ranking fashion for top 3 kind of thing? The way we are not just voting for one article only.

Any thoughts?


:peace:
Click to expand...

I was discussing this with muezzin the other day, and we came up with a solution for future contests (we`ve never had this many entrants, nor this much consistency from year to year in terms of entrants, so im guessing everyone always felt 1 vote was enough)

What we propose for future contests:
If there are:
Less than or equal to 3 entrants = 1 vote
4 - 6 = 2 votes
7 to 9 = 3 votes
And so on

And in cases of a draw, the host gets the deciding vote.

This is to prevent a unilateral draw I.e in cases where there are only 3 entries, and you are allowed 3 votes, yeah that's ending in a draw which defeats the point of having a contest. Similarly, as we've now just encountered, we may get cases where we have a great deal of entrants and being only able to vote for 1 can seem harsh or too difficult to narrow down.

Inshallah this proposed method will help keep people interested and engaged and more willing to participate - even as hoat (I've got a couple of other ideas too, but I'll discuss them later down the line)

Until then, please read the entries if you haven't already and do give feedback - honestly, the latter is more important than the vote itself. As a writer, and I'm pretty sure I speak for us all here, I need to know if what I wrote worked - did it keep your attention throughout, was the story engrossing, where the characters compelling, and if the answer is no to any of those then I'd love to know why you think that (it is a forum after all) so that I can improve and do better next time.

Yes, I can appreciate that English is not everyone's first language, and yes I can appreciate it can be difficult to put your thoughts into writing. But at the very least, a couple of sentences on each of the stories wouldn't hurt.
Hashtag wall of text
 
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About entries; I liked the most story called Tom. It was simple text, full of imagination and funny too. I liked how it ended (and his name was Tom).

I liked also "Blank paper". When I read it, I saw that who ever wrote it is skillful with English language and clearly speaks it as the first language. I compared it to my text and felt I too would like to write English as good like the writer (well, I need to practice and write a lot more, then maybe at one day I´ll can).

Other stories were quite complicated to my skills to read English text as I don´t read much novels by English (maybe I should to) and I hardly understood their messages. A lot of words and expressions I might not understood at all and using dictionary makes reading slowly.
 
Yesterday I said I would comment on "Ghoul" - Muezzin's story.

I just read it again.

Bloody heck.

Disturbing. Moreso this time round than the other.

I don't even know how to comment - all I can say is, he nailed it lol.

If anything I am slightly miffed that he didn't get any votes. For me, Ghoul was up there with Rusty, as my two faves. Well a close second anyway.

One thing I will say is, I didn't know anything of the characters and was propelled into a plot where the S had hit the F and humanity was not even something present - instead, inhumane ideas were desenstizing me in preparation for what was to come.

It started of weird, and got progressively worse - in a good way. I'm fascinated by the reveal of Daddy Mouse - such a slimeball of a demon. I imagine him in a clowns outfit with a long rats nose prosthetically sewn onto his face - that made his dialogue really sinister (as if it wasn't already).

Marv, Hank, Kat - etc - all played out well in the narrative but I would have liked a little more background on their characters - and the blood hounds history as well as Daddy Mouse, however, with a 5000 word limit and a plot so heavily nuanced, I can appreciate the reason why you felt it unnecessary.

Overall, you showed great imagination and threw yourself into the blood bone and sinew of the horror you wished to portray, and it worked.

I'm still disturbed.

Very well done.

Scimi
 
I was surprised when I knew "Blank Paper" was written by sister Noraina. I thought the writer is about 25 years old, or older, due to maturity that reflected in portrayal of emotional side of the character.

"Blank Paper" was one of two entries that I considered in final consideration before I vote for the best story. If then I voted for "A King Without A Crown", it's because "A King Without A Crown" is 'flowing better' than "Blank Paper".

One thing that I really appreciate from "Blank Paper" is its 'power' to invite the readers to feel what the character feel. This story is strong in portraying the emotional side of the character, although is better if the writer did not add it with poetic style like ... And I wait .... and wait ..... and wait ...., because it could ruin the flow of the story.

Okay, I give special appreciation for sister Noraina. Her writing style is more mature than other writers in her age.

:)
 
:jz: for everyone's thoughts and advice, it's really appreciated. When you write something yourself it can be quite hard too read it objectively, so the critiques and comments of others is enormously helpful.

There was something special about each of the entrants, and I enormously enjoyed reading all of them, so...

Human Life is Very Precious - it was based on real life, and was a thought-provoking piece which really highlighted the fragility of human life and the importance of a responsible approach to the medical profession from an Islamic and ethical perspective. And it did make me pause for thought, especially in light of the recent media spotlight on A and E department of NHS hospitals here in the UK.

The King Without the Crown - as I said before, this has such a nostalgic charm to it of those tales that used to be written way back, reminds me almost of the Grimm brothers or Hans Christian Andersen, an era of writing which has seem to have past us. So it was the one I voted for because it was such a nicely-flowing story and more than that it had such a profound message underneath it.

Rusty - yes a classic sci-fi story, I really enjoyed its fast-pace and the interaction between Hal and Rusty and how, even in such a little amount of words, their friendship just deepened and developed so much and there was such a sense of loss when Rusty sacrificed himself (I almost don't like it when writers kill off your favourite character, lol). And a Muslimah heroine - yay!

Ghoul - nothing short of horrifying, maybe you should have put some sort of disclaimer at the top warning of possible trauma, lol. I used to read a lot of horror stories a while back and it appealed to that interest of mine. The title 'Ghoul' through me off, I thought it would may be some kind of subtle haunting-type story, what I found myself reading was very physical, supernatural thriller and I can easily see it being lengthened into a novel. Daddy Mouse, the catacombs, the blood hounds....all of that has a lot of potential for writing.

Tom - I actually really liked this. It was just such a charming little story, it was almost like a brief glimpse into the feelings of childhood that I can remember, that pure delight from simple things, those meandering, trailing thoughts leading from one thing to the next. I mean - having a beard which you can climb to the clouds, that's just so paradoxical but delightful at the same time :D.
 
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:salam:

I actually like Muezzin.. Maybe make it more bloody next time lol. :D Maybe I should write too..Muezzin, you are my rival! xD LOL.

Though, i like Rusty quite a lot too. Mixing Rusty and Ghoul together would make for a splendid story, If Allah wills. I feel soo atleast. I like Rusty a lot too!! So many rivals!! So good.

What I like about Rusty is the whole sci-fi thing and the refreshing atmosphere. I like the whole "science feeling" of it.

For example:

“You can call me Hal for short. I am your new pilot from here on out. Destination: Outpost Hijrah. System report”
Systems currently at 10% and counting
“Good, that means the battery I just put in is actually working, and that in 30 seconds, you will have enough power to move and at least get us as far as my home. I need to stop by for supplies anyhow. What’s your name?”
I do not have a name
“Ok, well what do I call you, what’s your designation code?”
Refurbished class, service tank unit, designation RST 1138
“RST-1138 huh? Well that’s a mouthful, so how about I call you Rusty for short and you call me Hal” she said as she tuned Rusty’s personality settings to a more playful mode.

Mixing Science Fiction and Ghoul / Horror and gore... Amazing! That is my style lol. :D
 
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Yes yes bro Serenity. It's ON!!!

You should backtrack to a story written by Aamirsaab titled "Qareen" - that was one amazing story.

A search should have it turn up,

Scimi
 
Serinity said:
:salam:

I actually like Muezzin.. Maybe make it more bloody next time lol. :D Maybe I should write too..Muezzin, you are my rival! xD LOL.
Click to expand...

More bloody? :omg:

Maybe we need to create here the writing corner as it´s a long time to wait the next writing competition and it´s stories.
 
sister herb said:
More bloody? :omg:

Maybe we need to create here the writing corner as it´s a long time to wait the next writing competition and it´s stories.
Click to expand...

well, bloody... my style is a combination of Rusty and Ghoul - although I might be wrong on that. I like being unique. So while I do like Rusty and Ghoul's style / elements. My stories may be completely different.


What I like about Ghoul is its suspense. With Rusty, I like the sci-fi and the flexibility of expresssing one's sciency ideas - in a sci fi - imaginative way - i.e sci fi, mixing fiction and science.

Good idea on the writer's corner suggestion. I am totally up for that! There we can write and train our fingers whenever we want. Tho, I'd like some formalities in there.

Your story had a very good morale to it. That many times we pursue what we want but fail to see that we already have what we want. Kind of. Like pursuing something you think you need, but actually you had it in front of you the whole time.
 
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Writer's corner? Well, we have a whole section dedicated to creative writing. It's actually called, the creative writing section! :shade:
 
Reviews!

Emotional Abyss
A well-written meditation on the transitory nature of what some people believe is ‘love’. The use of language and rhythm was good. I liked the extended metaphor of the entire piece. Inshallah it can be entered into the forthcoming Poetry Contest :)

Blank Paper
Excellent use of language throughout, with a lovely flow and message. I liked the metaphor of a ‘dense forest of coat-clad trees’, and the repetition of ‘And wait’ effectively communicates the monotonous passage of time. I like the characters and the old man’s philosophy – a blank piece of paper, infinity itself, is nothing more and nothing less than potential, not something to be feared. An important message, a literary approach - excellent work and I hope to read more :)

Human life is very precious
This was a good description of medical procedure and educational for non-medics. It had an excellent message regarding the sanctity of human life. I feel that perhaps it could be even better if for example it was told from the little girl’s point of view, to really ratchet up the tension, while retaining fidelity to the actual events. It has a good message and I am glad I read it.

A King Without Crown
A very well-told fairy-tale, reminiscent of Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm. There were nice touches of humour, such as the king fearing that a too-heavy crown would break his neck. The lessons learned and the final message was lovely and one that all of us, including current world leaders, would do well to remind ourselves of.

Rusty
High-octane mech action. Excellent character work throughout, including dialogue. ‘RST-1138’ – very geeky 1138 reference to George Lucas’s first film THX 1138. The scrappers and Hal’s interactions with them are amusingly insane. In 5,000 words you have a Muslim heroine, giant robots fighting, rocket launchers, a flying train and a guy called Crazy Steve. What’s not to like?

Tom
Jack and the Beanstalk with Beards, spaceships, clowns and a robot called Tom! Very imaginative, short and sweet.
 
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