The Shortlist – Date from Hell

The judges have been able to sort through all your submissions. They have come up with the shortlist of 6 stories. Please see the links below. The order of the stories does not in anyway indicate which story is at the top of the list. You can read and comment, but the shortlist judge will make their own decision about the winning story based on writing merit.

You will notice that the stories included in the shortlist have not been edited. There will be typos, grammatical errors, even structural blunders. We have left them as is so as to encourage helpful peer review.

So instead of saying ‘nice’ or ‘not so nice’, how about helping your fellow writer out with useful remarks that can be implemented in the edit of their work for possible future enjoyment perhaps even in print? If you only have one worded untruthful comments, please refrain from typing it out and then submitting it. Just text your ‘friend’ the lie instead. Thank you.

So here goes:

Tales from My Sad Love Life: I bumped into him, accidentally, as I scuffed to the Mama Mboga kiosk a few meters from the three storey flats where I lived. It was one of those laid back Saturday afternoons-the laundry was done…

A Horrid Date Night: Her pink lustrous lips matched with her shiny kittenish eyes and bright lashes, perfected with her thick curvy hips and an African behind with an eight figure Coca-Cola shaped frame, I’m starting to think with…

Kath: Katherine did not respond with either a look or sound. She simply stared at her rare steak and poked at it with her fork. She picked up the steak knife and cut into the piece of meat and watched the blood pool around it.

On the Brown Sofa: The two women sit on a brown sofa in a darkened living room. A single lamp illuminates them, revealing one woman who glances furtively across the room, and another who rocks back and forth while muttering softly…

Bring a Friend Along: You and your friends were in agreement, the new boy on the 2^nd floor of ‘Kivuli’ apartments was good looking. Besides, he dressed right and walked right. What didn’t add up though, was his indifference. Even when…

Date From Hell: Standing in front of my mirror, I couldn’t help but stare. I looked so handsome; one would think Adonis was my twin. I knew I had to look my best-I even practiced different smiles and expressions in front of my mirror.