Third Round Stories - More Judges’ comments

Still keeping within our dates, if a few days late (bear with our Jegas Judges), we now announce the top 10 stories for The Vote Chronicles contest. These submissions came tops according to a total of scores by our three judges. All scored at least 20 out of 30. Each judge awarded a score over 10 and we combined all the scores to select these 10 stories.

1. For The Boy
2. The Drunken Prophet
3. For a Vote
4. In the blink of an eye
5. Behind the Dark Cloud
6. We will live again
7. What Theophilus Did
8. Father of the Children
9. Ghosts of Leaders Past
10. The Neo-Juju

As you know, this contest was modeled after the Nigerian elections, and at this stage of the game, only the votes count. This site is non-partisan, but we believe in the power of the mandate.  So we want to remind all eligible voters reading this in Nigeria - PLEASE GO OUT ON SATURDAY AND VOTE. And remember to cast your votes wisely.

What next? The Vote Chronicles Polls have been set up on the left sidebar of the website. We know you all have your favorites, now is your last chance to get them ahead. Vote for them, and spread the word. The final winners of the poll are the winners of the contest. While non-registered visitors are able to vote, the poll is protected so please do not try to sabotage it by stuffing the ballots. Voting continues till Midnight, Monday April 18, 2011, and winner will be announced Wednesday April 20. May the best story win!

Below is the complete scoreboard for the Top 18 from the second round and more judges commentary.

MORE JUDGES COMMENTARY;

1. Civil Robbery
CI - Election malpractices have practically been a certainty in previous elections and this story felt real and honest. The ending didn’t strike me as being very creative.
SK - Like this for different reasons. For one it also highlights the use of phones and independent monitoring, but shows what could happen if people don’t also feel they are responsible for the outcome of the elections.

2. Father of the Children
CI - This was a touching story that highlights a sad aspect of African elections. It held my attention successfully and was brief but well written. The part about the thugs being present in the courtroom was particularly poignant.

3. My president has Stage Fright
CI - This seemed more like a rant than a story. It was hard to follow, and even harder to understand. Some sentences made sense and had some power in them, but altogether as one piece, it felt disjointed.
SK - This can go any to ways. Yes it addresses some of the concerns but the writer also places himself in a vulnerable position intentionally showing flaws in his rationale.

4. Behind the Dark clouds
CI - This was a very poignant and heartfelt story. I liked that it spoke about an elderly person that still saw the point in voting where much younger people had given up. The end crossed my mind but I don’t feel it removed a sense of remorse on a dream that would never be a reality.

5. The Gene of Greatness
CI - It wasn’t a very engaging story for me, but it picked up towards the end.

6. Addled for the last
CI - It was a somewhat predictable story that wasn’t very memorable. There is more to this story though, perhaps the writer could build a longer narrative around it.

7. For the Boy
CI - I loved this story; it was thought provoking and kept me engaged until the end. It was beautifully written and with a strong theme, that would reverberate in the heart of many readers.

8. Ghost of Leaders Past
CI - This was an interesting idea for a story and it was really creative of the writer to incorporate a conversation between these historical figures.

9. The Drunken Prophet
CI - This was a very entertaining story yet it managed to engage me on a more thought provoking level. This is a testament to writer’s ingenious ability to find that balance between real life and fiction.
SK - Brilliant storytelling. It also covers a lot of detail. I like the fact that though she never believed her dad, there was conviction in his words. Its sad to think that this kind of practices actually exist and the writer has been able to place all these into a story by introducing different characters who act independently but make decisions or actions that affect the entire outcome.

10. For a Vote
CI - This was a really gripping and suspense filled story. Every line had my attention and it was well written. “I think I am crying, but it must be the rain”. This was a really great last line. The power and intensity in many of the words was very poetic.

11. We will live again
CI - This was a very funny and entertaining story. It was also realistic and could be easily visualized. Its conversational tone was enjoyable.

12. An August Visitor
CI - The storyline felt a bit flat. I wasn’t moved by the tale of romantic infatuation. On some level I felt the story could be relating to a sweet talking politician that disappears when you need him, but then again it’s not really clear what the storyline has to do with the elections.
SK - I’m not sure if this is in-line with the subject matter. Was waiting for something at the end that will link it directly to the elections. Nice read, but a bit confusing

13. Neo-Juju
CI - This had an interesting twist and an engaging storyline. I liked the gradual narrative about a change in the main characters situation and the intriguing manner in which she escapes from the poverty she faced. The visual of the young girl selling groundnut and the effect it had on her at the end was a great way to end the story.
SK - I think the first half waters down this piece slightly even though the writer might have been trying to explain her background and how this affected the last sentence when she saw the girl crying.

14. What Theophilus did
CI - The writer of this story had a nice idea, but I didn’t feel any suspense. The descriptive words and conversational style used really helped the narrative but it just didn’t reach the levels of believability I was expecting.
SK - Brilliant! I could almost see this becoming a short-film

15. No Shortcut
CI - This had a good twist, but not entirely surprising.

16. The Heavens are Silent

CI - Good social commentary but with a powerful title like that, perhaps I was expecting a bit more.

17. In the Blink of an eye
CI - I liked the end, a nice suspense filled twist. I wasn’t inspired by the titled but I feel the writer pulled through in the end.
SK - This is brilliant! Its an easy read and grabs your attention from the first few lines. There’s a texture in this piece that’s hard to ignore. You can almost see the events unfold. However will the wife risk not telling her husband she was coming especially with the children? Maybe, maybe not.
There is an innocence in the character of the wife wanting to surprise her husband that makes it a tragic story. Very nice.

18. The Process

CI - I enjoyed the dialogue that was the main thrust of the story but it ended on a flat note.