Since joining SOTA, I’ve written a large variety of short stories in many different genres, including Realist Fiction, Sci-Fi, Supernaturalist Fiction and Fantasy. Personally, I’m a huge fan of Realist Fiction, because Realist Fiction is based in the real world, forcing me to flex my creative muscles to work within a pre-established realm. I think a common misconception is that stories need to have magic, or monsters, or ghosts, or aliens for it to be interesting. I believe that any story can be intriguing and chock-full of tension—it’s up to the author to make it so.

But then, “make it so” is such a vague instruction. In the Literary Arts programme, we learn ways to carry out this command and develop our storytelling abilities. For short stories, we were taught about the 3-Act Structure. In short, the 3-Act Structure refers to dividing a story into three Acts, or sections, with each section containing important elements pertaining to the story. My favourite tip for writing short stories using the 3-Act Structure would be to start as late in the story as you can. What this does is the reader is denied information about the story, such as the setting and background, keeping them on their toes and wanting to find out more.

We were also taught about character development in a story. A satisfying ending is normally one where the character whom readers have grown attached to has evolved in some way. In this case, the famous phrase pronounced by many primary school English teachers has earned its keep: ‘Show, don’t tell.’ Readers want to see how the character has developed, not be told about it. This can be achieved by detailing small everyday actions that the character does, though maybe he or she does it in a different manner by the end of the story.

From the time I joined SOTA, I’ve created a grand total of 9 works for 6 separate modules. Among them, I am most proud of a play I wrote for the Playwriting module in Year 1, titled The Greatest Magician That Ever Lived. To me, the premise of the play is its greatest merit: it is a magic show, with a twist. I love this work because it transcends the presupposed parameters of stage play by incorporating the broadcast system into the play, having actors run among the audience, and making the audience think the show has ended when there is still more to come.

Another work I take pride in is the comic I drew for the One-shot Comic module in Year 2. Frankly speaking, my drawing is bad, but we were taught techniques, such as realistic character proportions and the one-point perspective, which allowed me to effectively relay my story to readers in a clear and understandable manner. In this module, we were exposed to Visual Arts and its connection to Literary Arts, broadening our field of view beyond the limitations of words.

Personally, I really enjoy learning at SOTA because of the community that is offered. It is a rare occurrence outside of writing circles to have so many writers grouped together in one place. This allows one to interact with and bounce ideas off like-minded people from different backgrounds. As the saying goes, no good piece of work was ever created alone.

Finally, to all upper primary students out there who love writing, keep doing what you’re doing! Writing is far more than classroom compositions—start your sentences with “but”, “because” or “and”; imagine worlds upon worlds of fantastical creatures and impossible landscapes; invent new words, if you wish to. The possibilities are endless. And it doesn’t matter how much writing experience you have. Perhaps your only accolades are high scores in English compositions. Maybe you’ve only discovered your love for writing a few months ago. Or maybe you’re an avid reader who’s always fantasised about writing your own stories, but never actually tried to. As long as there is passion for the form, there is no such thing as a literary dilettante—so shoot your shot and aim for the proverbial stars. You can do it!