Strategies for Survival: 2

WRITE A MEGASAGA!

This is the WRITING COMPETITION which can WIN YOU A POUND A WORD!

ALERT! UPDATE 2, 24th APRIL! SEE BELOW !

What is a MEGASAGA?

A MEGASAGA is a story in 100 words. EXACTLY 100 words, including the title. This is the third Megasaga Writing Competition I’ve run, and for people (like me) stuck at home with cops outside, feeling like I’m in solitary confinement (apart from YOU of course, my loyal fan!) this is the perfect time to get creative!

ANYBODY CAN ENTER, AND AS A GIFT TO YOU, ENTRY IS FREE!

ANYBODY CAN WRITE A MEGASAGA! Look back at my website for the winning entries in the last writing competition, and some of the Megasagas I have written. See under Short Stories

.http://jonelkon.com/category/short-stories/

SEE BELOW FOR HOW TO ENTER

So here’s a new one by me, just for you!

SHEER COVIDITY

Blake bit his lip. Had he just transferred the virus from the tin of peas to his eye? Rubbed it in? During his trip to the supermarket he had been careful! Be OCD, his mum had said and he had been. He never left the house without mask, gloves, sanitiser. When he got home, he would wash the packaging before storing. In vain? When the tin fell out of the bag half way across the road he had picked it up, rebagged it and then, hand to face! Damn! He shouted as the 261 bus ran over him.

EXACTLY 100 words including the title. Count them!

It doesn’t have to be dark…

I’d love to read some humorous Megasagas. Make us laugh, make us cry, make me SEE the characters, the action. THE SECRET: Editing! The secret of good editing is to cut, cut and cut, even when you feel as if this is slashing your own arm, an act of cruel self-harm as you watch some of your most treasured phrases disappearing into superhyperspace. (There is probably a planet where dearly beloved excised phrases from all the authors in the universe live, eternally weeping for their cruel exile. Now here is a thought that should have been sent packing to that planet!)

And if you want to learn more about good writing, there is a wealth of great tips on this website! Look at http://jonelkon.com/writers-write-feedback-on-a-writing-exercise/

And that’s just Part 2. Read the hints and tips on this website part 3, 4 5 and (I think) 6 too.

THE COMPETITION: RULES

1. Submissions must be exactly 100 words including the title and must be entirely original, unpublished and the work of the person making the submission.
2. Submissions must be emailed to jonelkon3@gmail.com. The subject line should contain MEGASAGA ENTRY 3.
3. No more than 3 entries per person may be entered.
4. No correspondence will be entered into.
5. The DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES is 10th MAY
6. The 10 SHORTLISTED ENTRIES will appear on this website on the 20th of MAY 2020, allowing my readers to make comments and to cheer for their favourites. No entries are accepted after this date.
7. The SHORTLISTED ENTRIES will be submitted to a panel of 3 writers, who will make the decision as to who will win the £100 prize. The judges’ decision is final.
8. The WINNER will be announced on this website on the 31st of May 2020 – and the prize will be rushing his/her way by Paypal or bank transfer!
9. This competition is subject to the laws of the United Kingdom governing competitions.

Be HAPPY. Be CAREFUL. Stay alive please.

I love you all.

UPDATE 16th APRIL

Hello writers!

Exciting times! Entries are beginning to flow in, and some of them are wonderful to say the least.

The first important update is that I have had to change the dates, as a result of a stupid slip-up which was pointed out to me by one of the judges, I hadn’t really given them enough time to select the shortlist, so do make a note of the dates above. The important date is the deadline for submissions, which is still the 10th of May. Very soon! Get writing!

Random thoughts on submissions so far: No Megasaga, no matter how brilliant, will be accepted if it’s not PRECISELY 100 words, including the title. Brilliant as it may be. Here’s another one: one submission IS very good, but contains a glaring grammatical mistake! I’m confused. The judges will confer…

Many of the entries are not really stories. Some are political rants, some philosophical musings, some purely descriptive (as I said to Mariet). I look forward to stories with beginning.middle and end. See the example above, and please look at the other examples under Short Stories on my website.

But please don’t be too self-conscious. If it’s good, I will love it and the judges will too. Or they get fired. Just take a risk, put your writing out there! This competition is free, and is part of my program to encourage writing, especially amongst those who don’t usually write, or enter competitions. And as a South African writer with many of my fans and readers in that country, I am so happy to get entries from my homeland. Although anyone, from anywhere may submit. And win.

Note: Every shortlisted story will get free feedback on their style and content.

I love you all. Did say that already?

UPDATE 2: 24th April

Welcome back! To me, as well as to you. I have had a bitter little battle with hackers locking me out of my website. But luckily, I have friends….and thank goodness, I can now get back to you!

Wow. Some of the entries are awesome, and show that some people actually READ all the wonderful writing tips I put up on my website. Here are some more for you: scroll down through my blog posts, and there are many little gems for you wonderful writers out there.

But PLEASE even if you are not usually a writer, TRY. Everybody has something to say and whether you win or not is not the issue. It’s whether you WRITE or not. Remember, if you want an opinion on a Short Story or short piece, I’m happy to feed back if you email jonelkon3@gmail.com with the heading Please review. If it’s longer, eg a novel or a play etc, different. I am a busy bloke, and can’t promise always to help.

So here’s a little exercise for you, if you find yourself out of ideas: Study this picture –

What do you see?

If I were to say, the title of the picture is LOCKDOWN, now what do you see?

Study the elements in the picture: a man’s gold watch, large. A woman’s silver watch, lurking behind, and in the shadow, of the man’s. Then there is a Chinese coin. And the whole thing rests in a Chinese bowl….Now write the story!

Can you write it as a MEGASAGA in only 100 words? `

Or a Short Story. Email it to me, and if it’s a MEGASAGA 3 entry, remember to put MEGASAGA ENTRY 3 as the title!

Bye for now…

With love!