7 Simple Ways to Make a Good Story Great by Elizabeth Sims

Whenever I think of the word gatekeeper, a little film clip from The Wizard of Oz starts up in my head, where the fearsome palace guard denies Dorothy and friends access to the Wizard. “The Wizard says, ‘Go away!’”

2015 UBA National Essay Competition for Nigerian Students

OPPORTUNITY OFFERED: Essay Contest

BRIEF DESCRIPTION: UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the opening of entries for the 2015 edition of its annual National Essay Competition.

The Bodley Head/Financial Times Global Essay Contest

OPPORTUNITY OFFERED: Essay Contest
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Financial Times and The Bodley Head, an imprint of Penguin Random House, are proud to announce their fourth annual essay prize. The Bodley Head/Financial

Lamentation of a Lagos Resident

                        URGENT CALL BEFORE LAGOS LOST IT

I am very sad today looking back at what started some eight years ago what we all felt would be the cradle of the transformation into the new Nigeria we are all clamoring for now deteriorating day after day.

When love was here;

Our smiles were beautiful and new
Our eyes were lively and blue
Our kiss…long and true
Now that love is gone, where do we go from here?

An Ode to Lucy

Young and soft she was
Her countenance like the soothing sun
Her beauty was divine to us
And our lust after her had only just begun

DISAPPOINTMENT; A Set-back Or A Stepping Stone?

Hey beautiful people!!Happy new month!! I hope this month brings to us our expectations.. Been long I came around, it wasn’t planned that way though, truly sorry!!! Straight to business!,Please read to understand, comment and share.
1st Scenario.

ACHIEVING SUCCESS IN THE DIGITAL AGE MEDIA: SUMMARY BY RUTH OKOLI

 As a Registered member of the University of Lagos Press Club, it is my responsibility and duty to write on Programs that took place in the University and also on issues affecting the University Community (within and outside the school environment).

 On the 26th of September 2015, The 4th Annual Ngozi Agbo Memorial Lecture and Essay

This sect (3)

There is this sect of people.
They see everything as possible.
Their pasts are only seen as a parable, used to set daily principles.

This sect (2)

There is this sect of people.

They see heights as “not my calling”

As, their past is a well soldered road side warning, giving the stop alert on their path to face the future.

This Sect (1)

There is this sect of people
They see heights as impossible,
their past becomes their principle,

Perfect immunity

You hit me painfully hard today,

So painful that I wanted to retaliate;

I wanted to knock you on the head,

Love dilemma

Now it’s in front of me, it’s in the air,

Still I’m shy about it;

Whenever my friends ask me, I won’t tell,

God

People always ask, how can there be a God?

How can there be a God when the world is full of destruction?

How can there be a God when the best of hearts are full of corruption?

How can there be a God when people are taken too early from their loved ones

It’s cold

First, it’s a cold world you’re living in,

The streetz is cold, yes the very one you’re living in;

Expectedly, its cold, this air I’m breathing in,

If I had not…

Permit me to think aloud just this once,

To bare my mind of things locked for months;

Permit me to say things the way they are,

WHEN THE CHURCH IS NO MORE CONDUCIVE

When we can no longer differentiate a church from a social gathering,

And all what we do in church is to just have fun,

When we can't differentiate a choir from an harlot,

And an usher is not different from a waiter,

When the church is no more conducive,

IF ALL THIS ARE FREE, WHAT DO I DO IN RETURN?

Well the truth is nothing is actually free.

WHAT KIND OF WRITE-UP IS ACCEPTED?

Any kind is accepted; poem, journals, how to, novels, motivational, educative, entertainment, critics,

WHY LM2Talk?

We offer more than a platform to write, we encourage, we give advice, we edit on request, we connect you

DO I GET THE RIGHT PUBLIC ATTENTION?

The whole essence of this platform is to boost the writing industry, to get to heights if not more, than its

IS MY WORK SAFE?

Take it as this, it’s safer to have your work where it is known you are the owner than stacked somewhere

HOW DO I SEND MY ARTICLES?

You can send your articles via mail to letsspeak2@gmail.com

PALAVA OF THE LEFTIEST ORDER

        A quick apology mumbled, I hand him my transport fare, and all hell breaks loose.
“Warraido?” I wondered.
And then I made out the words amidst his angry outburst. Ohhhhh! I handed him the money with my left hand. Oga driver went on and on! Spitting fire like Sango (the god of Thunder).
He did not …could not stop …about

Creating and Sustaining Suspense in Writing

Thriller writing? Mystery writing? Literary fiction? It’s all the same: Building apprehension in the minds of your readers is one of the most effective keys to engaging them early in your novel and keeping them flipping pages late into the night.
Simply put, if you don’t hook your readers, they won’t get into the story. If you don’t drive the story forward by making readers worry about your main character, they won’t have a reason to keep reading.
Think: Worry equals suspense.
The best part is, the secrets for ratcheting up the suspense are easy to implement. Here are six of the most effective.

VAINMAN

The rain had had its own, pleasing itself till the last hour of the evening. Little time was left for the sun as it began to hide itself behind the high hills of the west and with it, its last light. The cold august wind brushed against my face as I walked through the green woods of Hervania on my way to the cold river…to see my reflection by its bank.
I had grown up hearing diverse stories of the woods and

Writing Fiction: 5 Tips to Get More Creative

Anyone can sit down and start writing fiction, but not everyone can sit down and start writing good fiction. Learning how to write fiction is an art form that takes a lot of patience, practice and determination (it also is nice to get a little help, which is where we come in). Here are 5 fiction writing tips to help you improve your craft.

RED SNOW

     Long before Truth was born, Deceit lived in tranquility in a little town at the foot of the seven mountains. For a thousand and nine years, Deceit lived among the happy men and broken spirits of the southern valley guarding them from the hurt of veracity. The natives loved Deceit like he was one of their own, and prayed him to tarry in the town that had no name. Deceit loved the land, it loved the people and still made a

THE ‘F’ WORD SERIES

For today’s shalaye, we’re going the nollywood route of remembrance inside remembrance. You gorrit? Leggo
“I really do not understand you people o, you mean you want to go and pay that much for pre-degree in OAU over your daughter?”

MY FEARS #ECOEPHOBIA

I am scared, frightened, afraid, terrified. Call it whatever name you feel you want to call it.

I just know I am scared,

I am scared, when I look at the mirror and I cant link the kind of future I want to the image I see

I am scared, I might live a life not up to what I dream it to be.

FREEDOM

Hmmm, I feel like I am about to drop a heavy load as I write this piece. I won’t say I am free even after this write up, because I know I would be indebted to reply comments of faithful readers, I would want to write more, monitor my website, try to live a good life, and many more comes to mind to do. It is like am never free.

SILENCE

This is one word the dictionary hasn't done enough justice to,

silence could mean stop talking

silence could mean keep talking I am listening

Can you read my mind?

I mean to write you something sweet;

And at the same time tell you a little secret;

It jumps into my head whenever our eyes meet;

But the words get run over in the racing of my heartbeat.

EIYEMI      

Boy… Girl!

There’s something peculiar to some of us boys;

We may be sad sometimes, buh it’s by choice!

Well, in that kind of chaos, I stay poise,

Cuz all I have to do is call and hear ma baby’s voice!

EIYEMI      

Questions

Would it have been better if I didn’t have a mom? Maybe;

Would it have been better if I had not been born? Definitely;

As a child, I had sucked from the breasts of a demon,

I believe there’s God, cuz surprisingly, I’m not deformed.

EIYEMI