Task 3

I have always loved psychological thriller because of its ability to reach into the mind of people and create that atmosphere of fear and unexpected violence that will keep you glue to your chairs. But I do find it really challenging because of how complex it is, when creating an atmosphere of suspense

Title : whispers in the dark.

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Scared of the whispers he has been hearing lately, Amobi couldn’t sleep all night. The voices came again to taunt him “you are the chosen one”.

He quickly stood up to see if he could get a glance of the person saying those words but he saw no one. The voice came again but a bit clearer this time “protect them, when they come for you “.

His heart beating fast, he quickly reached out for the torchlight aiming at the shadows on the wall. as if it was alive.

A knock at the door made him almost pee on himself. Scared, he opened but saw no one but muddy footprints heading towards the forest. He followed it till he saw a pair of fiery looking eyes staring at him.

A voice roared, “Act, or lose everything!”

Amobi felt the earth beneath his feet opened up and he fell inside. He tried to scream but it was swallowed by the void around him, unanswered.

Reflection

I don’t know if I actually did a good job making my readers feel immersed with Amobi’s terror with the vivid descriptions to enhance suspense. However, writing this psychological thriller, challenged me to create a thick atmosphere filled with a little bit of horror, tension and mystery. I also tried to follow @joslud advice not to lead my readers on by leaving some stuff unanswered to spark curiosity, I don’t know if I also did that right either.

Least favorite genre (romantic story)

Romance is actually my least favorite movie because 80% of the movies is very predictable. But surprisingly, I do sweat in my eyeballs after watching the 20% that was unpredictable. Romantic genre is really challenging because it’s really challenging keeping the narrative fresh and it requires a deeper emotional layers to be able to create that compelling tension.

Task 4

Micro-Story: The Forgotten Vow

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Amobi stood under the rain, holding a rose flower. He thought of Sharon, her melodious voice, her smile, and the promise they had made, “I’ll always protect you,” he had said. But he didn’t keep to it.

When the bulldozer came to destroy his ancestral land, he hesitated because he was torn between duty and love. Unfortunately, it was too late when he acted. Sharon had died but her spirit still lingers in the forest, whispering his name.

The words of the leopard kept echoing in his head, “You failed them once. Will you fail again?”

The guilt of his past failures kept weighing him down. He went on knee’s crying for forgiveness from Sharon as he press the rose flower close to his chest as if it were the last connection to her, he’d left.

A gentle breeze from the forest carried her soft voice, “Amobi, redeem yourself, your fight is far from over.”

He stood up looking more determined, ready to fulfill his vow.

Reflection

Writing romantic stories isn’t my strength. I tried as much as possible not to make the story unpredictable, that’s why I had to make Sharon die. But the easy part was adding some emotions like guilt and longing for his lover, making him a little bit vulnerable like humans even though he’s seen as a protector of the ancestral lands. I had to give it a fresh twist, by integrating some supernatural elements which is the leopard, the whispers, etc

Cc: @joslud.
@solperez