Mini Saga Contest 2005

Arthur's Seat is proud to announce our first Mini Saga Competition.

Mini Sagas first appeared in a competition run by the Sunday Telegraph in 1982. The rules are very simple. A Mini Saga must be exactly 50 words. A Mini Saga must tell a story. The story must have a beginning, a middle and an end. The title may have no more than 10 words, and is not counted as part of the Saga.

To get you in the mood, this Mini Saga by Guy Carter was one of the winning entries in the original Telegraph contest:

The Postcard

Friendless, he despatched a letter to the twelfth century.  Illuminated scrolls arrived by return post.  Jottings to Tutankahmen secured hieroglyphics on papyrus; Hannibal sent a campaign report.  But when he addressed the future, hoping for cassettes crammed with wonders, a postcard drifted back with scorched edges.  It glowed all night.

The Arthur's Seat Mini Saga Competition will close on Sunday 10 April, with a winner or winners announced sometime afterwards. Happy scribbling!

Comments

[Della]

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"He tried to kill my Paw"

Bush thought Saddam had tried to kill his Father. Using the influence of his Father Bush was elected president. A year later America was attacked by people who hated
Saddam, Bush siezed this moment to go and kill Saddam. He invaded Iraq and killed 100000 people, but Saddam still lives.

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Sagalicious

[Hew BG]

Mr Seat,

As promised this evening, an entry to your learned competition:

Title: The Lord of the Rings (somewhat abridged)

A tale of magic and mystery; Of betrayal and intrique, consummate bravery and murderous scullduggery:

“One ring to rule them all. One ring to find them.
One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

Not if a little chap can pop back in the fire though.

[Hew BG]

Every James Bond film ever.

Camera pans over idyllic scenery. All is not well however. Bond thwarts a grisly death. In London, M sends him somewhere exotic. He visits megalomaniac’s underground lair. Again threatened with an ignominious end, he escapes to destroy the hideout and is home in time for tea, medals and a shag.

[Dell Adams]

"Nothing to see here," said the cop. Nothing daunted, Marlowe ambled around the corner, lockpick ready. Nothing in the room looked funny, especially the corpse. Nothing to indicate struggle. Nothing in the ashtray or the wastepaper basket. "Nothing there," Marlowe told his client later, "that explains why you killed her."

[Dell Adams]

Call that one "nothing ventured, nothing gained."

[Alex M]

AMERICA'S PASTIME

First in war, first in peace and last in the American League, they said. A quest for glory; the same old baseball story. But Washington’s Senators leave for Minnesota then, after a brief second coming, for Texas. 34 years in limbo. Widowed city. Then salvation; the happy return. Play ball.

[Hew BG]

Rats. :-[

I am missing a word in my Lord of the Rings entry.

Mr Seat, would care to remove the "; of" between "mystery" and "betrayal" in the first line and replace it with a comma (thereby subtracting a word), and inserting the required "it" between "pop" and "back" in the last line?

[Pollo]

Here's two for you:

Arriving unnanouced
---------------------------
They landed at Farmer Jakes accidently killing his wife. Jake destroyed that scouting party, fired his shotgun at the stars and swore to wipe out their race. Even so, they were surprised some years later when he arrived. Turns out he'd been pointing his shotgun at the wrong star.

A word of warning
--------------------------
In his dreams Brian is still alive.
In his dreams he never shouts to him, "Just remember that he is probably more scared of you than you are of him."
Because in his dreams he learns that little fact actually applies to snakes and not bears a wee bit earlier.

[Virginia hahn]

The Mermaid

Black sand crunches grittily as tide pools froth and swirl. In deeper water, she swims gracefully toward the waiting pod. Her smooth form lengthens; awkward limbs relax into soft green scales, and water, cool and salt, envelopes her psyche. As they turn, under the stars, the water tastes like home

[Destructor]

Quiet goodbyes

He placed his hand on the handle, but did not turn. He stood facing the door, an ordinary moment frozen in time.

“You’re never coming back, are you?”

“No, I’ll be back in a moment.”

The door pulled in a rush of air, and he swept it closed behind him.

[Della]

Saga Saga

"A Mini Saga contest?" she thought, "What shall I write?" She tossed and turned long into the night when it came to her...The answer was in the question itself, a saga about writing a saga, so obvious, but yet...not. The words flowed through her fingers, she hit "Post"

[Della]

A tale of desire on Arthurs Seat

With a turn of her head she takes in the Panorama of Edinburgh and she sees it...the object of her desire. She moves down Arthurs seat, at first slowly, then at a run...and at last, she reaches it..."A chocolate icecream please" she says. "That'll be a pound".

[dijit]

He conversed with God more than most. Not that he thought this was special, in fact he encouraged everyone to do so. Often in their own language. You see, he conversed with people more than most as well. Just like God. But inevitably, God decided to talk back. In person.

Title: John Paul II

[Della]

The minds ghostly etchings

At first there is the question, of course an answer is needed. A plan is required, a concept, a structure in the mind. With time a concept forms, a plan is made, a structure is built, nerves fire, muscles twitch, fingers move, electrons pulse, the answer is etched in light.

[Della]

The origins of Arthur's Seat

Void. Existance explodes, hydrogen pools, stars form; die. A debris cloud coalesces; becomes solid. A crust forms, plates move. Crack! The crust weakens, magma pools, a volcano rises. In time ice builds and scours the volcano. Man evolves, journeys Edinburgh bound. Civilisation develops. Kings rise, one Arthur, his seat...Volcanic.

[Pad]

Title: Rainbow Alchemy

They say a rainbow does not begin or end in any particular place. Today the weather was perfect for rainbows, wet yet shiny, and I knew exactly where one should be. I conjured up its image, so that it began and ended in my mind. My soul glittered like gold.

[Jake Way]

Title: Wife, no sorry- Life swapping.

A man from Caribbean used to work in the far back lot pushing bricks and dirt. Promoted, he left and went to work for another company. There he asked the boss why he never spent any money. The boss responded- “I’m saving up for this little place in the Caribbean.”

Title: 4 minute date

A different girl from the circle sat in front of me each time the bell rang. Another life story wrapped up in a taco. One of these tacos I liked. I took her out on a date but I spilled milkshake in her cleavage- made it another four minute date.

[fofo]

This is a mini saga from me.

I was walking in the jungle when a huge snake stoped me.He looked very hungry and angry.I didnt know what to do,I tried to run away but I couldnt he was very fast and subbenly he vanished and I woke up.
i was dreaming a bad dream.

[khulood]

actoin

the killer was after her .he killed all of her friend.she was alone and she didnt know what to do.she went to hide in among the trees.he found her and he shoot her ith his gun.
"cut,that was perfect.lets keep this up "said the director

[Bianca]

Butterflies

Johnny’s parents never took him to the zoo or circus. They said that all animals should roam free. On the morning of his first day of school he was found covered in blood. He’d slit his own stomach. Somehow he recovered “I had butterflies in my tummy.” he explained.