SA Writers Circle

I must say what a pleasure it was to read the 15 very different entries that were submitted for the November 2011 Essay competition entitled “A fork in the road.”

I enjoyed reading the entries. In general, the stories were well-told, with good atmosphere and terse style. I had to remind myself that the specific brief of this competition was Crime Fiction: Corruption, and it was important for the entries to be on topic.

The general standard of the entries was quite impressive. Most of the reviews were of a fine quality and it was apparent that the writers had a firm grasp of what a review should look like. These were a pleasure to read. A few of the entries were not up to the general standard, and I would advise these writers to expose themselves to more well-written reviews to pick up a few tips, as well as to write more often. In reviewing, one should bring together analytical thinking while also expressing a personal response to the book. The winning review is the one that I feel achieved this balance the best, at the same time displaying a talent for writing. I encourage all the entrants to continue to write, as there are some talented writers in this bunch who have what it takes. Well done to everyone.

These stories were a pleasure to read. The judges are pleased to say that they individually came up with a similar selection of the top four stories. There were many wonderful stories and fascinating ideas. It was a privilege to experience the professional manner in which writers submit manuscripts, and the care that has been taken by them with respect to punctuation and paragraphing.

I found the general standard of the entries interesting and engaging. However,

The skill demanded in this competition was to start the story with ‘There has been an accident’ and make it meaningful, intriguing, and different. It was not an easy task for the 22 entrants. That was to be expected.

 

Judging criteria: literary merit, creative imagination and ability to enthral.