Page 29 - Dainfern Precinct_Issue1_2022

TODAY'S CHILD

STORY TIME

BY CASEY BROWN

ccasionally, one might
hear a comment from
a publisher: “There’s
Oat least one story
in each of us, but whether
it’s worthy of being published
remains to be seen.”

It is indeed true that each of us
is capable of finding something
interesting to share – whether it’s
our inner emotional turmoil and
how we overcame various issues
that impacted our life, something
traumatic that happened during
our childhood and how we found
peace, family conflict and sibling
rivalry, or an adventure to the
amazon forest. We may think
that our stories are mundane,
but there’s someone on the other
side of the world who might be in
complete awe of our experiences
when they read about them.
Think of kids who live in a
village near the beach, who
have to find clams so they can
be sold at the family stall in a
fish market. Would they not be
interested in stories about wild
animals living in Africa? You bet
they would!
To make a story interesting,
there has to be an introduction
(beginning), a middle (where
the story evolves), and an end
(conclusion). Many fiction writers
say that a villain, or a threat of
some kind, is essential. There
has to be some contrast – good
vs bad, light vs dark. And pacing
is important. If the pace is too
slow, the reader will lose interest
and stop reading. If the pace is
too fast, the reader might lose
track of what’s going on. The
pace needs to be varied – in Photo: Rene Benalford
some places, where the story is
exciting, it must be fast. In other ARE YOU A WRITER?
places, it can slow down a bit.
If you would like one of your stories to be published, send it to
In this issue, we have a story
from Tsabane Refilwe Phala. The Editor, Ann Arnott at annar@nowmedia.co.za or you can
Her hero is Bravo the Brave. WhatsApp her on 072 149 0085.
The supporting character
is Giraffe. The ‘villain’ is Who knows? You might see your story pop up on the pages of
loneliness. one of our issues!
Page over to read her story.

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