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  • Category: Miscellaneous
    Points:10

    A theme based short story contest

    I am submitting a theme-based short story contest to invoke the creative writing potential of the members. You are required to submit a short story (please restrict to 100 words) on and around the theme mentioned at the end of this post.

    Please write your story as a response in this thread itself and you can also optionally provide a title to the same. Each member can contribute only one story and should not edit it after submission.
    I wish members would try to spare time for this creative activity and make it interesting through their contributions. The top three entries would get virtual awards from the ISC virtual award gallery. The last date to submit the entry is 12th February 2024.

    Theme:
    Getting admission for higher education in a foreign country and life thereafter including either returning to one's home country or staying in that foreign country.
  • #776673

    Points:2
    So, in this contest, the contestants are required to raise separate Forum posts on the given theme and provide links of those Forum posts here as response. Am I correctly interpreting the rule?
    (a) Those who have forgotten Noakhali, how can they protest Sandeshkhali?
    (b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

  • #776675

    Points:1
    Thanks Partha for pointing out the mistakenly written words 'under appropriate category'.
    I will correct that and you need not to raise a separate post but write your story as a response here in this thread only.
    Thanks.
    Knowledge is power.

  • #776685

    Points:5
    Ramu is from a middle-class family and he completed his B Tech from a private engineering college in Hyderabad. He was planning to go for higher education in the USA. He discussed this with some of his friends who are studying PG in the USA. He managed to get a seat in a prestigious institute there and he approached a bank for a loan as his parents expressed their inability to fund him for his abroad studies. The bank has sanctioned him a loan and he went to the States for higher studies.
    One girl from the institute who is a native of the US fell in love with this boy. Ramu also started loving her. By the time Ramu completed his PG, they decided to get married. The parents of Ramu went to America and attended the marriage. Now Ramu got American citizenship as he became the husband of an American lady. Both of them are happy parents of a baby girl there.
    drrao
    always confident

  • #776689

    Points:1
    Is the word limit still hundred words, or has it been changed?
    (a) Those who have forgotten Noakhali, how can they protest Sandeshkhali?
    (b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

  • #776691

    Points:2
    Seeing the interests of the members and entries already pouring in, I feel that some cushion in word limit would be of great help to all the contributors.

    So, I request for increasing the upper limit to 120 words which is quite reasonable and sufficient for a short story.
    Thoughts exchanged is knowledge gained.

  • #776692

    Points:1
    Short stories are generally within 100-150 words.
    Based on the interest shown, I think we can go for 120 words.

    So I am increasing the upper limit of short story to 120 words. Partha, hope it helps.
    Knowledge is power.

  • #776694

    Points:5
    My humble submission:

    Title: The young man did return, but in a coffin

    The socially conscious boy was academically brilliant. He remained at the forefront of agitations against social evils.

    Activism did not hamper his studies. He passed Board examinations with magnificent percentages and cleared engineering entrance test. He ultimately completed his engineering degree.

    He didn't pause; went for higher studies to a Ivy League University. He planned to return to India after completing PG to utilize his acquired knowledge for the country.

    In the US University, he studied with devotion, but noticed problem of drug-addiction among students. He launched an anti-drug movement.

    The young man completed his PG, but on the last day, he was mercilessly beaten by drug-peddlers. He succumbed to his injuries.

    He returned to India, but in a coffin.

    (120 words excluding the title)
    (a) Those who have forgotten Noakhali, how can they protest Sandeshkhali?
    (b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

  • #776700

    Points:4
    Title: A son's duty

    Pankaj was a meritorious student and did his B.Sc. in Computer Science. He wanted to do his M.Sc. from a foreign University hoping to get a job there. His parents were not able to support so he took loan from the bank and also got admission in US. He did very well and got a job there.
    One day he got a call from his father that mother was seriously ill and there was no one to take care.
    Without thinking much he resigned and returned to his home taking care of parents.
    He got a job though fetching not very high salary like US but was able to take care of his parents.
    Thoughts exchanged is knowledge gained.

  • #776707

    Points:5
    Though Rajesh was a brilliant student but was not sure of getting a seat in the California University for his B.Tech course in the computer science. The luck finally favoured him to have a seat of the said university with the instantaneous approval of the study loan from the SBI Bank.
    Having completed his studies successfully, he got a job in USA in a renowned company. It was a climax situation for Rajesh to see his school classmate Sunita in his workplace. Both of them had the great passion for each other since their acquaintances. Comeback of Sunita in Rajesh's life was really a dramatic event for Rajesh's mother. This reunion culminated in marriage finally with the approval of boy's mother.
    It is absolutely correct that marriages are settled in the heaven and would take place in the time fixed for the same.

  • #776711

    Points:0
    Deleted.
    Thoughts exchanged is knowledge gained.

  • #776712

    Points:1
    I request the members to adhere to the word limit of 120 words. The main characteristics of a short story is that it is short!
    Knowledge is power.

  • #776760

    Points:1
    I hope some more members will participate in this contest before the last date that is 12th February 2024.
    Knowledge is power.

  • #776770

    Points:2
    I think some more entries may come if permission is given to the members to write more than one story. Otherwise, chances appear to be remote. Let us wait and see till 12th February 2024.
    drrao
    always confident

  • #776780

    Points:1
    Dr Rao, your observation is correct but the contest opened quite some time back and now at this juncture it would not be adequate to change the original rules. Let us wait till 12th of this month and I still hope to get a few more entries.
    Knowledge is power.

  • #776789

    Points:5
    It is possible to write very short stories in 100-150 words. In fact I myself organized such short story writing contests on this platform.

    However, most respectfully I want to submit that it is very difficult to write a theme-based short story in 120 words. Generally, establishing the theme properly in the story takes more than 150 words, then I feel that a short story must provide adequate twists and turns, an interesting short story should not move in a straight line, it must provide adequate movement to make it interesting. This will again require at least around 100 words. So, in my humble opinion, it is next to impossible to write an interesting theme-based short story in 120 words.

    Having said this, I also expect that more and more members will attempt to write micro-short stories and participate in this contest, as this contest (organized by Umesh Sir) is providing a good opportunity to hone our writing skills.
    (a) Those who have forgotten Noakhali, how can they protest Sandeshkhali?
    (b) Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it. ---------- Salvador Dali

  • #776797

    Points:2
    I agree with Partha Sir. A word limit of up to 150 words may give us a better scope to write a short story with twists and turns. Anyhow, it is the prerogative of the contest organisers to decide on this. Let us hope for some more entries.
    drrao
    always confident

  • #776809

    Points:1
    Partha and Dr Rao, I appreciate your views. Yes, there are micro stories, short stories, and stories.
    Right now we have to simply wait for a few more short stories.
    Knowledge is power.

  • #776868

    Points:0
    Deleted.
    Thoughts exchanged is knowledge gained.

  • #776869

    Points:1
    Just to humbly remind the members that only one day is left for submitting entry as the contest will close by midnight tomorrow 12th February 2024.
    Knowledge is power.

  • #776885

    Points:4
    Girl named Vanaso went to Canada to pursue her research and settled in US as professor in a university and continued her research as a pioneer in starting a course for medical students. When life goes academically, the life of family members in India coming to end one by one. Her mother forced her to get married as she wanted to see a family of her and short stayed in US and adamantly returned to India though they have sold all the properties and during her stay in Chennai she faced her fatal. Afterwards only, Vanaso got a baby girl and so every one felt it is only her mother re born and living with her in US.
    shasthranaam Ganitham moordhanisthitham

  • #776892

    Points:3
    Title: Family affection matters the most

    An early morning knock surprised everyone. Reema opened the door and excitedly announced that Rohit, her eldest brother, was at the door. Everyone rushed towards the door anxiously.

    The parents enquired about Rohit's sudden return from America. He conveyed about the completion of PhD and got a lecturer's job in a reputed college there but decided to return to India. Everyone expressed their shock at his rejection of a job offer in America.

    Rohit smilingly said that he didn't want his younger siblings to not bond with him. The family is his weakness; thus, he wouldn't compromise. Rohit has an offer of a lecturer's job in India, so no worries. Everyone became jubilant because of Rohit's selfless decision.
    shampasaid

  • #776893

    Points:1
    This contest is over now. I request the concerned editor to please lock this thread.

    I thank ISC for providing this platform for creative writing and also thank all the participants for sparing their valuable time and submitting their entries for this short story contest. I am overwhelmed with the responses of the members and will announce the results soon.
    Knowledge is power.


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