Notes invites you to send stories for our monthly writing contest. Cheryl Rao will choose the most interesting ones
We hope that you will continue to respond to our monthly story writing exercise. Continue sending in your writings. It is always a pleasure to read your work and we hope it is stimulating for you to exercise your creativity.
Remember, the more you practice, the better you get. And if you have a hard time thinking of what happens next, don't despair.
The famous author Joseph Heller, writer of the bestselling book, Catch 22, said: "Every writer I know has trouble writing." So what makes a writer is whether he/she can finish the project! Keep writing!
Idea 1 : Dialogue
Here are some writing ideas based on articles that appeared in Gulf News and in Notes. Web links are provided for the articles in case you missed them in print.
Articles to read:
You may want to use some of the words mentioned in the article to add colour to your writing: criminal, prophecy, booming, out of balance, flood, can be trusted, nasty venture, mines, motors and muscles.
You could start your story like this:
Barrel: Ouch, my muscles hurt! Do I have to be tossed from such a height?
Jake (flashing a fearful look over his shoulder): Who was that?
Barrel: Thought you were alone didn't you? Well you're not - and the odds are against you! So if you continue in this nasty venture, you're likely to be defeated!
(Now think of what the nasty venture is that the barrel is talking about. Ask yourself, what happens next? Then complete the story.)
Wrong conditions for climate changes: Gulf News December 15
Weblink: http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/
editorial_opinion/world/10174873.html
Where is the Earth headed? Notes December 16, 2007
Weblink: http://www.gulfnews.com/notes/
Issues/10175002.html
Write a short story in the form of a dialogue between a glacier and a mountaineer, with the glacier accusing the mountaineer of damaging the environment. Use some of these words: footprint, preconceived ideas, dared, mouth-watering burger and constant reminders.
Ideas for a conversation:
Mountaineer: I knew it! Look at the size of the footprint! There is a Big Foot! Just think of it - if I discover him, I'll be famous!
Glacier: You don't want anything to escape your grasp, do you? Why not just light a huge fire here and wait for the poor guy to get smoked out?
Mountaineer: Did the ice just speak? Tell me, is there a Big Foot hiding somewhere here?
Glacier: Thought as much! You are more interested in ruining the big guy's place along with everything else you've managed to ruin so far!
Now continue the story.
Idea 2 : DIALOGUE
Write a short story in the form of a dialogue between a young girl and her mother/father when she is chosen to attend an important art workshop that will take place in a foreign country just a few days before her exams.
Articles to read:
Start writing...
Guidelines to remember
Slug your mail/story with 'Write Time' on top so we know it is a submission for the story writing project.
You have two weeks to send in your writing. Your deadline: Sunday, January 13, 2008.
The most interesting stories will be published in Notes, issues dated January 27, 2008 and February 10, 2008. Stories that cannot be accommodated in either of those issues will be posted on the Notes website www.notes.ae.
Writing Tips: Types of Stories
Each of us enjoys reading a different type of story. When you write a short story, it would help to decide what kind of story you intend to write.
If it is a mystery story, does it involve the build-up of suspense? Is it a spy story, a detective mystery, a crime story? Do you need to leave a trail of clues for the reader?
Are you writing an outdoor adventure, a war story, or an animal story where a number of exciting things happen?
Is it a ghost story or a horror story involving strange occurrences? Have you built up the atmosphere for this?
Is it a romance? What is the twist that occurs to make it interesting?
Is it a humorous story in any of these categories? Humour can be difficult for a new writer but you may enjoy the challenge of trying it.
Are you writing historical fiction where you need to know a great deal about the time in which your story is set or is it science fiction where you can give wings to your imagination? If it is fantasy, will you be able to carry your readers with you into the place and time you are writing of?
You may have heard or read folk tales from a young age. These include fables, which are short tales that usually have animal characters and generally have a moral; myths, which relate the actions of gods or heroes or explain some truth of nature and legends of the past that may or may not be based on fact.
Do not be afraid to try your hand at creating an original story in the form of any of these.
Nobel prize winning author Toni Morrison has this to say about writing: "If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." Does this inspire you to write the kind of story you want to read?
- The writer is a freelancer based in Hyderabad, India
Fact or fiction? Aahhaad Sajan keeps you guessing about his magic carpet ride.
Boy Pharaoh of Egypt
Unlike Western countries, celebrating Halloween is a rare thing in the Middle East.
I enjoy both horror movies and jokes, which, I must say, at this particular time landed me in hot water. If it was merely a dream, it was the worst I have experienced in my eleven-year life!
During my long holidays, I helped my mum clean up the cozy attic exactly above my room. Out of the blue I found a unique rug in a dusty corner. Then, the yellow bulb switched off with a soft bang. Out of sheer curiosity, I spread the rug across the small veranda outside to have a good look at it.
Soon, a series of magic sparkling stars came out of the rug and surrounded me. I was dumbfounded as the rug next carried me like a flying saucer across the balcony! Scared of falling over, I clutched the woolen fringes as hard as I could.
The magic rug was travelling at great speed just like a zooming rocket, as if heading out to space! Wow, I thought, after journeying through snow white clouds. I peeped down to have a quick glance below me.
Soon I descended slowly in the land of pyramids. My poor little heart was thumping so hard, seeing stretches of barren land. Suddenly, I was transformed into a young, handsome Egyptian Pharaoh named King Tutankhamun with the finest robes on my body.
I landed and was seated on a high throne, all covered with gold and precious gems. My favourite pet, the Sphinx cat, was transformed into a huge blank panther! It stood guarding me from all those strangers in the court.
Suddenly, I started feeling weak and giddy after wearing such a tall, heavy crown. Very shortly a team of medical staff was busy checking me out.
There was a low, murmuring sound in my heart, which was new to me. I was advised by them to have complete bed rest until my last breath! It was mind boggling and I was full of questions and doubts.
Thereafter, my sore mouth was soothed well with honey and herbs to ward off the invading evil spirits inside my delicate torso. From my richly decorated quarters, I viewed rows of slaves slogging day and night, building a huge pyramid.
Everything was decorated grandly and filled with all the important provisions for the afterlife. Clearly my people believed these would be needed for my soon-to-be life after death.
I was fully embalmed and then wrapped in smelly linen. Unfortunately, they were not aware that I was still alive! It was impossible for me to escape from the eight sturdy coffins. My heart fell when I heard the final door bolted to keep away raiders. I don't know after how long this pyramid was discovered by Howard Carter.
My dad was hired as an expert tour guide to tour this very same pyramid where the body of King Tutankhamun lay. Dad also brought his office colleagues who were vacationing there at the time.
My heart was so heavy when I heard his loud voice explaining the details of the pyramid under which I lay on the microphone. His voice echoed through the layers of coffins I was confined to. After saying a few thankful prayers, I forced myself to break free from this awful prison.
You should have seen the faces of the visitors! They simply froze with horror on seeing me, a fully wrapped mummy, struggling to his feet!
"Daddy, it's me!" I shouted loudly to my father.
Dad was thunderstruck and rather angry with me for playing a Halloween trick on him and his business colleagues.
He apologised to them profoundly, saying that I was merely dressed up to celebrate the horror festival. But I was just overwhelmed to be back with the living, back in the present.
To top it all, I received another scolding from my hot tempered mum for escaping to Egypt with Dad without her knowledge, but no one asked how I had managed it.
Playing it safe, I rolled up the rug I found in the coffin and hid it under the bed for next Halloween!
Aahhaad R. Sajan,
Grade 7, International School of Choueifat , Sharjah
n Read the story that Rehna has to tell about the love of Michael's life.
Jenny - The Mystery in My Life
"Hey, Jack, that's not the way to keep that photo. It must be kept in a slanting position. That's the way I saw her for the first and last time."
"Oh! I am sorry, I just kept in the usual manner it should be. By the way, who is this pretty girl?" "Don't be silly, Jack. I have told you many times. That's my Jenny."
This is me, Michael, and my best friend and dearest neighbour, Jack. We were just cleaning up the mess in my home. I am a bachelor and the condition of my home is terrible.
Jack lives next door with his wife and his daughter, Christy. After cleaning up all the mess Jack and I went to sleep. His wife and Christy were with her parents in their home, so he was with me.
We are at present neighbours and were once classmates, and he is my best pal. We had a naughty, freaky gang during our college years. Those were golden days which left a deep mark on my heart.
Jenny and I were studying together in an engineering college. She was beautiful and meant the world to me. I admired her very much. As days passed my affection for her grew in my heart. I wanted to say that I loved her more than anything but I was afraid of her reaction.
Anyway, I finally decided to break my silence. I decided to join her on the benches alone. I went to her and sat beside her but could not break the silence. The next day I decided to join her again at break time to speak to her of my love.
She was having her snack alone, seated on one of the benches. I went to her and sat down. She offered me a share of her snack. I accepted the offer and had a small piece of it. I was tense and there was no one to support me.
I saw a beautiful smile on her face and a gentle look in her eyes. Slowly and with a shaking voice I spoke to her. In a great rush, I said to her, "I love you."
Suddenly everything went silent. I could not hear anything but the sound of my heart beating at twice the normal rate. Her face grew rosier and she took a piece of paper and wrote something on it. She left the note in front of me and left the place.
With fear I took the note and read, "I love you too." I was absolutely thrilled and overjoyed and felt like hugging Jenny. As soon as I leaned forward to hug her, I heard shriek in an all-too- familiar sound. I opened my eyes and saw Jack!
He shouted at me and I realised that it was all a sweet dream. I had never spoken to Jenny. I remember even today, it was at a party that I saw her for the first time. But after that I never saw her again. She was like an angel who disappeared after that party. I searched all the colleges to trace her but I failed miserably.
And after 20 years, at 45, I am still searching for her. I haven't found any girls matching her beauty. Was it love at first sight? Was she just a mystery person in my life? Will I find her today? Or tomorrow? Will she ever be mine?
Rehna Mohammad, Grade 11, The English School, Umm-Al-Quwain
Sign up for the Daily Briefing
Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox
Network Links
GN StoreDownload our app
© Al Nisr Publishing LLC 2026. All rights reserved.