28 November 2025

*Whispering submission readers*: "I feel a bit mean," … "Me too…" 

Hello, Writer

Congratulations to all writers whose story made the longlist this year! If yours didn't quite make it this time, it might help to know that we had to pass on some very good writing due to sheer number of entries and the high quality of submissions. You can see the adult and youth longlists on our new Ink of Ages website!

This month, I'm joined by Joy Dillon, one of our submission readers, from Trinidad and Tobago, sharing her advice after reading a great many submissions with us!

Helping your short fiction make an impact on readers

To all who sent an entry to this year’s Ink of Ages contest, congratulations, and thank you for your submission! Well done! This year was a rather tough year with many notable entries. We commend everyone for their effort and would love for you to enter again in the future. Here is some guidance that you might find helpful for your upcoming writing:

Keep practicing your craft

Continue to pursue your writing with routine diligence, patience, and consistency. Experiment with different formats, lengths, genres, and topics. The writing world is your playground, go discover it and learn more about yourself too!

Recognise the difference between theme and plot

They might seem similar, but for readers, they aren’t. Your theme is your overall story tone, feeling, and message, while your plot is the events that take your characters, and readers, from start to end. What is the theme that you intend to present to readers? How will you shape your story using characters? What do you want the readers to know about them? Consider your plot. Pay close attention to its specific structure, as well as its relation to the general story. Remember the Who? What? When? Where? Why? How and How Much questions to answer, so that you are able to create a cohesive story that successfully links the introduction, middle, and end for your characters – as well as your readers.

Appreciate that your story doesn’t have to be ‘typical’

Typical is often fine, but that doesn’t mean your short story has to follow that route! How will you make it unique? [This is particularly relevant if you are retelling a myth! -Joanne] Give your readers an ending that will stir and evoke a range of emotions. We don’t necessarily have to feel happy at the end. We can feel sad, angry, scared, excited, surprised, amazed, etc.

Take your time

Like the legendary empire of Rome, your ultimate short story submission is not going to be realistically built in a day. Yes, on paper (or in your mind) you might have the theme, plot, and characters down to the finest detail. But then the long, laborious process of writing and editing (and re-writing) follows. Don’t force the process. Write a first draft. It can be as rough as you like. Give it a day or two, then look at it again with a deliberate, focused eye. You might notice some parts could do with a bit of tweaking or strengthening. Now write again.

Pay attention to grammar etc.

While you won't necessarily be penalised for errors of this nature in the Ink of Ages longlist or shortlist, it can be frustrating to some readers to detect inadvertent inconsistencies and mistakes such as an incorrect spelling etc.

Check your descriptions

Are they detailed enough, or what might be described as ‘overkill’? Given specific word count restrictions and the very nature of a short story, my respectful advice is not to be too descriptive in trying to create a mood, atmosphere, or theme. Less can be more if you practice working and refining your script. If you are unsure, perhaps take a step back for a week or even two, then revisit your short story with a fresh, renewed eye. You might even want to share your latest draft with someone else who can be objective, thorough, and helpful in further guiding you along the process.

Thank you, Joy! We have certainly been treated to some excellent creative ideas and characters across all submissions this year. We’re looking forward to sharing the shortlist on January 12, after we've made a few more tough decisions. Wish me luck!

Happy reading and writing,

Joanne

With a special thanks to Joy Dillon, and all of our submission readers 🙏

PS. Looking for your next dose of historical inspiration for your fiction?

Filled with intriguing characters and events, World History Encyclopedia's The Forsaken 14th Century: A Global History is out in hardback now. Ebook and paperback coming soon!

Ink of Ages Fiction Prize is run by World History Encyclopedia and generously sponsored by Oxford University Press, and more details are available on the contest website.

Joanne Taylor
Proofreader & Editor
World History Encyclopedia
www.worldhistory.org