We are delighted to announce the launch of the 2020 YCAA and Western Gazette newspaper mini-saga writing competition.
Each year, the YCAA teams up with the Western Gazette to run a free-to-enter flash fiction-style writing competition that gives writers the chance to take on a theme and word count challenge.
A mini-saga is a short story of exactly 50 words, plus a title of up to 17 words. For example:
The Politician’s Advice to Get on their Bikes echoed loudly around the Empty Factories as Tom Listened (17 word title)
He rode away, bumping over the cobbles, remembering as a child his father running alongside, telling him “balance is everything”. In London, Tom struck gold, married ‘up’, sent his children to boarding school. They never learned to ride bikes because their father forgot about balance, and the need to run alongside. (50 word story)
The Coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 a truly exceptional year, but one which has allowed many people to discover new worlds through books and stories. Such a year needed an inspirational, comforting and uplifting theme, so we have chosen ‘HOPE‘. You can use this theme in any way you would like.
The Mini-Saga competition runs until Thursday 17th December. All entries must be accompanied by an entry form. Entry forms are published in the Western Gazette, along with details of where to send your stories, on the 26th November, 3rd December and 10th December.
Three winning entries will receive a book token and the top stories will be published in the Western Gazette early in 2021.
Good luck!