Pen your own very short story and win

IF YOU think you have what it takes to come up with a compelling very short story then we have just the assignment for you!

The Herald is inviting readers to write a story of no more than 100 words, on any subject of their choice, for the rest of us to enjoy during the festive season.

The setting should be either the Eastern or Southern Cape and the story should have a beginning, middle and end. Your story can be humorous, cryptic, scary, serious...but it must have our readers hanging on every word!

A panel of judges will select 10 winners from the entries received, each of whom will receive a book hamper as a prize. In addition the top 10 stories will be published in The Herald's Christmas edition of Wednesday December 24.

You may use your own name or a pseudonym if your story is chosen (please indicate your preference), but do include your full name and a contact number in your e-mail. You may not submit more than three entries. Please also supply a title for your story (excluded from the word count).

E-mail your story by latest Friday December 12 at 12pm to with the words VERY SHORT STORY in the subject line. Engaging tale to inspire you TO INSPIRE you to come up with your own gripping, mysterious, hilarious or serious very short story, here is one of last year's winning entries, written by Greg Smith:

WITH desperation etched into his youthful countenance, Love sat pleading with Fear.

"Allow me just one minute with her, she needs to experience me," beseeched Love.

Fear, her eyes glistening with understanding, replied, "true, she does need to feel you, but we are two sides of the same coin.

"I am there for her protection, yet she does not want to acknowledge me. If she cannot sit with me, she will never know you. It is her that holds the key, not I."

And so, resignedly Love and Fear sat holding each other, patiently waiting for Courage to develop.