We have a Winner for “Draw Them Up” Contest

Our apologies for the delay, but we are finally here. The contest this time was judged by Pothi.com founders – Jaya Jha and Abhaya Agarwal.  We’d let them do the talking.

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We’d like to clarify at the outset that it was a writing contest. So, the judgement is on the writing and not on the character that has been written about. Every life is unique and hides many interesting stories to be told.  If they didn’t come out in the sketch, the storyteller must bear the blame.

Before announcing the winners, we would like to point out some common issues we saw with the entries. The task was to present a person to the world. The entry was supposed to make us vividly see the person. But many people got caught up in how they felt about the person, or in fewer cases how the person was always so good to them. A character sketch should bring out the character of the person, make him or her live and vivid for us. That you adore a person, or find her kind and caring does not tell us, the reader, anything about that person.

In other cases people went on a praising spree, listing down the achievements of their subject. It was not a competition for finding the best person the world will know. By themselves achievements do not tell us anything. What a character sketch should look at is the person behind those achievements, or failures, or outward fame or smiles. It should bring out the whites, and the blacks and the shades of grey in between.

So while we read about many inspiring lives and feel humbled by them, most of the pieces failed to provide a unique perspective and thus failed to break out of the crowd. So in choosing the winner, a unique perspective emerged as the top criteria.

Now coming to the winning entry.

The entry from Shamila Jankiraman is set up as a phone call from a mother. The constrained setting keeps the narrative tight and the conversation flows naturally. Without needing to be explicitly stated, the bond between the author and the character can be easily felt.

Congratulations Shamila! Prize details will be sent to you by e-mail.

Another entry deserves a special mention. The entry by Amar was one of the few entries where the author maintains the status of an observer without being a part of the proceedings. The character of Bidhan Chandra Deb is painted in darker shades but author still leaves sufficient scope for him to redeem himself.

Both the entries will be posted on this blog shortly.

In a sense, writing a good character sketch presents a dilemma. On one hand, you need to know the person well enough to make the sketch meaningful. On the other hand, the more you know, the harder it is to write as an objective observer. Striking a good balance between the two is what makes for a good and engaging piece.

Till the next writing contest!