Weyburn’s mayor, Marcel Roy, wants to see what the creative imaginations of the community hold, as he launched the inaugural Mayor’s Writing Contest. 

Roy explained he was inspired by something from his younger days that he would hear on CBC radio when he was growing up. 

“They would have this great writing contest,” Roy said. “They said a 500-word essay, and they would do an opening line and then they had a closing line – you had to finish it off with the closing line.” 

The contest was announced at the end of the meeting of the City Council last Monday. There are two categories – one for those over 18, and another for youth between 12 and 17. The prompts and ending sentences for each of the two categories are different.  

“We have created our own opening line, our own closing line, so it’s a 500-word story and you fill in those spaces in between,” Roy continued, noting that the story doesn’t have to be about the community. It is open to any genre, from dramatic, to comedy, to a dark 50s hardened detective story.  

To recognize the winners, the mayor has stated he is putting up $100 of his own money for each category. The entries will be judged by a panel of people from the community, including Roy, with a winner in each category plus an honourable mention.  

The prompt for the adult category is “Amidst the darkness of the night, a sudden gunshot echoed through the air, shattering the silence.” and the closing line is “With a resigned shrug he muttered, “Well, I guess that’s the way life goes.”” 

The prompt for the youth category is “On the first day of school, a group of friends eagerly prepared for a new year. Little did they know that their ordinary classroom held a remarkable secret – a hidden trapdoor leading to a mysterious underground world.” The closing line is “Together, hearts pounding and hands tightly clasped, the friends emerged from the underground realm, forever changed by their adventure and the timeless mysteries they unlocked.” 

The deadline for entries is 4:30 p.m. on September 29th. Details on how to submit the entries can be found on the City of Weyburn website.  

The winners of the contest will be announced in October.  

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