Eat Our Shorts! - The Fabl

What’s the story at the fabl this week? Well, there’s a moment of glory for our writers, who have won another 99fiction.net short story competition.

The monthly competition comes with a simple premise – deliver a compelling story in 99 words or less. It’s a great exercise for any writer as it really does sharpen the pencil.

And the competition is a fitting example of how in any communication – commercial or otherwise, we’ve got to be quick. No-one has time to read long copy these days, do they?

Do people really sit down and peruse extended commercial copy?

Yes and no. Think back to the days of Timberland’s beautifully crafted and persuasive long copy ads. Would they have the same impact today, if we’re now so time poor and constantly hungry for the next thing?

Timberland print, written by Tim Delaney

Cadbury Wispa ad. Long, but not forgotten

A long copy ad can lead you by the hand to bring about a better understanding of a product or problem. And if you’re lucky to have plenty of that precious time, a brand can slowly but surely convince you to part with your hard-earned. But how much time do we really have these days. It’s interesting how Twitter keeps dipping its toe in the water with the idea of one thousand word tweets. Many are horrified at the thought, as the whole point of Twitter was that we can all share bite-sized snippets with the world and then turn the virtual page.

They called it micro blogging, after all. But isn’t a thousand word tweet just a blog?

Who reads blogs anyway? Well you’re reading one right now.

A few quick examples of the other side of the story. The short, or no copy at all ad.

This latest short story win is great news and it underlines the fabl’s storytelling credentials.

Our writing team come from very different backgrounds. Some are versed in long copy, some come from a PR background and some are journalists. Some are advertising types, who use. Short. Sentences. All. The. Time. But we all share one common theme – we all believe that compelling storytelling combined with an effective strategy can bring all marketing disciplines to life.

One or two people have commented on how our latest short story leaves the reader wanting more. What really went on in that house and why did it have such an impact upon its inhabitants. The idea that a house is a living and breathing entity is something that may be explored further, but the point is made that a story can pull you in under a hundred words and sometimes it’s more powerful to just leave it there.

Read the winning stories here:

http://99fiction.net/page/winner-598
http://99fiction.net/page/winner-21
http://99fiction.net/page/winner-13