Hi Cribbers, we've seen the Judges Review of the first batch of contestants and now it's time to see the next. The contestants in this batch are:

• 007 DNA
• 008 Smeraldo
• 009 The Rising Sun
• 010 Seth
• 011 The Scribes

Without wasting much time, let's call on the first contestant in the batch.

007 DNA

PROMPT: "I hate you but..."

GENRE: Light Romance

Story:

"I hate you, but..."

Alina paused, her words trailing off as she stared across the table at Kelvin. Kelvin looked at her, surprised and confused.

They were at a five-star restaurant, the cool breeze and fresh air surrounding them as soft music played in the background.

"But what?" Kelvin asked, holding his fork over his plate of food.

Alina took a deep breath and sighed, adjusting herself nervously in her chair. She had rehearsed this conversation many times, but now the words felt jumbled. She had known Kelvin since childhood and had recently started developing feelings for him, despite their frequent arguments over little things. She had finally decided to tell him how she felt.

"But I can't stop thinking about you," Alina said nervously.

Kelvin looked at her in surprise, then smiled. "Me too. I can't stop thinking about you, all the times we argued and fought over little things," Kelvin said with a chuckle.

Alina dropped her fork, feeling frustrated. It seemed Kelvin didn't understand what she was trying to say.

"Kelvin, what I'm trying to say is that I love you, and I want us to start something serious and special," Alina said sincerely, emotion filling her voice as she took Kelvin's hands in hers. Kelvin was surprised, but after a moment, he smiled.

"Why didn't I make this move first?" Kelvin said, leaving Alina in shock.

"What are you trying to say?" Alina asked, her heart pounding.

"Alina..." Kelvin began, still holding her hands and looking deep into her eyes. "I have always loved you. You always pushed me to be better. Our arguments and fights over little things made me want to improve. Our differences bring us together."

Alina blushed. "Really?" she asked, feeling relieved and happy.

"Yes, Alina," Kelvin said, leaning closer to her. They shared a beautiful kiss.

After dinner, they decided to go to the beach. The moonlight cast a silver glow over the sand, and the sound of the waves provided a soothing soundtrack. Holding hands, they walked along the shore, their feet sinking into the cool sand. They played, laughed, and talked, sharing childhood memories and dreams for the future.

They sat down on an old bench overlooking the ocean. The stars above were like scattered diamonds against the dark sky, and the gentle breeze carried the salty scent of the sea.

"Remember when we used to come here as kids?" Alina asked softly.

"Yeah," Kelvin replied with a smile. "We'd build sandcastles and pretend we were pirates."

Alina laughed. "And you always insisted on being the captain."

Kelvin chuckled. "Well, someone had to lead the crew."

They fell into a comfortable silence, content to be in each other's presence.

Alina leaned her head on Kelvin's shoulder, feeling a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a long time.

"Kelvin, do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we hadn't argued so much?" Alina asked.

Kelvin thought for a moment. "I think our arguments made us stronger. They pushed us to understand each other better. And look at us now,we've come full circle."

Alina smiled, realizing he was right. Their disagreements had led them to this moment of clarity and connection.

They walked by the water's edge, the waves lapping gently at their feet. They stopped near the ocean, looking out at the horizon where the sky met the sea.

"Kelvin, I'm glad we had this talk," Alina said, squeezing his hand.

"Me too," Kelvin replied, his eyes sincere. "I feel like we've finally found our way to each other."

They shared a passionate kiss, sealing their newfound understanding and love. It was a kiss filled with promise and the realization that sometimes, two wrongs can turn into two rights, and hate can transform into love.

As they walked back to their car, hand in hand, Alina felt excited for the future. She knew there would still be challenges and disagreements, but they would face them together, stronger and more united than ever before.

They drove home in comfortable silence, the sound of the waves and the memory of their evening at the beach lingering in their minds. Alina glanced at Kelvin, feeling a surge of affection and gratitude for the man who had been her friend, her adversary, and now, her love.

Kelvin smiled at her, reaching over to take her hand. "Alina, I promise to always be by your side, no matter what."

Alina squeezed his hand, her heart swelling with love. "And I promise to always be yours."

As they pulled into the driveway, they both knew this was just the beginning of a new chapter in their lives.

A chapter filled with love, understanding, and the beautiful unpredictability of their journey together.

Commentary: Sigh... Childhood friends do end up becoming lovers.

JUDGES REVIEW

JUDGE NADIA SULAIMAN

I'm obsessed with criminals.

Oh sorry, that had no correlation to what I wanted to say.

I don't like this one. That's what I wanted to say. Sorry.

Frankly, there is nothing that stands out to me about this work. I read it with a straight face from start to finish. One thing you need to know is that as a writer, you can't give space for mediocrity. Think outside the box. This is a basic story with even more basic storytelling. I am not impressed, DNA. Do better please. I know you have it in you.

JUDGE OLAITAN DAVIS

Meh.

Too bland, DNA. Too bland. Just there. It could have been better. I'm giving you a yes because I want to see you do better in the next stage.

Good luck, DNA.

JUDGE NINA OGBEIDE

A good story. Could have been way better. And generally speaking for all contestants, y'all are telling comfortable stories and not challenging yourself at all.

JUDGE UMAR HASAN

Your execution of the theme wasn't smooth enough. But you did okay. There's room for improvement.

JUDGE GIWA FALADE

Nice story, but I didn’t feel anything while reading it.

Light-romance is supposed to make you giggle and feel butterflies in your belly, and grin from ear to ear. But this story made me feel absolutely bland… because it was bland.

You were telling, not showing. You were telling us how Alina and Kelvin were feeling instead of showing us how they were feeling. There was hardly any vivid description that made my heart swell and coo.

Please, show… don’t tell.

Commentary: Uh... To the next contestant 🙂

008 SMERALDO

PROMPT: "I hate you but..."

GENRE: Light Romance

Story:

“I hate you but…”
“You hate me? Tch. C’mon babe, you know you don't.”
I glared at him, my lips in a pout.
“I hate you! And stop calling me babe,” I whined, my foot hitting the ground in light stomps.
Relaxing back in his seat, he stared at me, a light smirk forming on his face.
“What then should I call you? Sweetheart, darling, wifey?”
He laughed as I shrieked, my face burning up as if it was on fire.
“You!” Pointing my fingers at him, I glared lightly before stomping out of his office.

*****************************************

“I really, really, really hate him, ughhh.”
I sighed as I plopped down into the seat in front of my best friend at our favourite table.
She stared at me with a light smirk on his face.

“Stop giving me that look Nengi. I really do,” I frowned.
“Yeah, right. Why then do your face go all red and light up with a smile whenever he sends you a text?”
“It doesn't,” I screeched.

Slamming my hands on the table, I stood up abruptly only to notice all eyes in the cafeteria on me. Coughing in embarrassment, I murmured an apology and sat back down, lightly glaring at her as she exploded in fits of laughter.

“Guy, at this point you're totally in denial. Just admit to yourself that you like him.”

“I don't,” I muttered. I turned away trying so hard not to think about it, well trying to deny the truth I knew.

*****************************************

Work day was over and I was tired as hell. Dragging myself across the hall, I was ready to just crash. I stopped in my tracks when I noticed a package in front of my door. I didn't order anything recently so I wasn't expecting a delivery. What then was that?

Picking up the package, I confirmed it was mine before opening the door. Opening the box, I saw a note and a box of freshly baked cupcakes from my favourite bakeshop.

to my beautiful queen,
here's my apology. hopefully, you won't hate me anymore.
~ID

I squealed. It was so cheesy and romantic. I picked up the box and inhaled the smell of baked goodness. “Mhmmmm, yummy!”

*****************************************

I was on my comfort couch, my legs tucked under me, the box of goodness by my side while I caught up with the recent Korean series I was following when I heard the loud blaring of my ringtone. Hissing at my phone, I grabbed it from the stool. My demeanor changed when I noticed who was calling though. Loudly clearing my throat, I picked the call.

“Hello.”
“Hello princess.”

I so badly wanted to squeal but I hid it with a cough.

“Don't call me that. Why are you calling me?”

I could hear the laughter in his voice. Did he catch on that I was blushing?

“Did you receive my gift?”
“Yes, I did. Thank you.”

I wanted so bad to hide the excitement in my voice.

“Anything for my princess. I'll take it you don't hate me anymore?”

Rolling my eyes, I laughed slightly.

“Maybe. It depends on if you behave.”
“Oh, I do plan on that. Cos I do plan on asking you out for a date.”

I choked on air.

“Wh…what?”
“I'm asking you to go on a date with me. Will you?”
“I thought you will never ask,” I squealed.
“I know how this s…wait, what?”

Laughing at his confusion, I shook my head slightly.

“I'm saying yes, you idiot.”
“Wow. I didn't think you'll agree easily.”
“I've been waiting a long time for you to ask the question, you fool.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I've had a crush on you for the longest time. I didn't tell anybody cos I didn't know how you felt. I'd look stupid if it got out. Telling myself I hated you was my coping mechanism. Just so I didn't fall too deep so it'll hurt less if you rejected me.”
“Wow. So you're telling me I could have had you sooner?”
“Yes, you idiot.” I laughed.
“I guess I'm going to be making up for a lot of things then. So, that date?”
“Of course.” I smiled.

*****************************************

It was our anniversary. We were out on a boat cruise with friends. It was the sunset, the water was calm and soft piano music was playing. We were out on the deck, staring at the sea. I had my arms wrapped around him as I admired the scenery.

“This is beautiful.” I sighed
“Yes, it is. But not as beautiful as you”.
I smiled, looking at me to find him already staring at me.
I unwrapped my arms from his and smacked him. “You're still as cheesy as ever”, I blushed.
“Oh well, you love me like that.”
“True.” We both burst into laughter.

I was going to say something and so I turned to face him, only to see him down on his knees, a box on his hands holding a shiny diamond ring in it. I gasped audibly, tears welling up in my eyes.

“Hey princess. I thought long and hard about how I wanted to do this but then nothing felt perfect. I decided to go with my heart and here it is. I honestly don't have fancy words for you. I just wanna say I love you and I really do want to spend the rest of my life with you. So will you do me the honours of marrying me?”

I let out a loud sob. “Yes, a million times yes!” I squealed and stretched my hand out. He placed the ring on my finger and kissed me deeply. I could feel all his emotions and I teared up as I kissed him back. The sound of loud clapping made us separate as everyone was gathered round us.

“You planned this, didn't you? I hate you for it,” I glared at him playfully.
“No you don't, you love me.”
“I do,” I smiled.

Commentary: Let's hear what our Judges have to say about this story.

JUDGES REVIEW

JUDGE NADIA SULAIMAN

Eh?

Omoh.

With all due respect, this one is not really for me. So many issues with punctuations, no spacing whatsoever in the story, and the world generally lacked disorganization.

Work on punctuations. I don't know, read stuff? Check out actual books and see the difference between their punctuations and yours. And, work on general work organization. It was difficult to read this work, because of how messy it was. If you make it to the next stage, I pray you do better.

JUDGE OLAITAN DAVIS

I'm sorry, but what was that chaos?

JUDGE NINA OGBEIDE

I'm not sure what you expected us to feel with the story but whatever it was, it's a complete miss.

JUDGE UMAR HASAN

You need to learn to edit your work thoroughly, though, before you submit. You also need to find a way to fix your punctuation—to make it better. Also, there's a way to make cliches appealing and not-cringe to read. I think you should work on finding and understanding that way.

JUDGE GIWA FALADE

Tch? C’mon? Are you kidding me? What is this? WhatsApp chats?

And sorry - not sorry, your story was extremely cringe. Not light, or romantic, or light-romantic, or at the very least, cheesy. Just plain cringe.

Commentary: Speechless.... Moving on to the next Contestant.

009 RISING SUN

PROMPT: "I hate you but..."

GENRE: Light Romance

Story: The Matchmaker

“I hate you but…” Deji sighed over the phone, “what would I do without you?”

Amara giggled, “you have the rest of your life to figure that out, don't you?” After an hour of I-love-yous and sweet nothings, they ended the call. Leaving her to put finishing touches to the gazebo.

The gazebo was nestled in her garden, surrounded by a colourful, ethereal blend of palm trees, peonies, roses, tulips and orchids. It took her breath away everytime. A bouquet of flowers laid on the table, along with a bottle of red wine, mouth watering delicacies and with her best selection of romantic tunes—everything was set.

“They're a lost cause if they don't get back together after this,” she muttered, taking pictures of her work. In her eyes, despite what Etim or Tumi would say, they were still very much in love. She concluded they were holding back due to childishness, foolishness or both.

Amara shook her head. If they understood how short life was, they'd take advantage of each precious moment they had together. Cancer taught her that, amongst other things. After five months of immunotherapy and group counseling sessions, she found the courage to live life with the time she had left. She took up gardening, photography and traveling (when she had the funds). Falling in love was the furthest thing from her mind, especially not after her first marriage. But Deji, gentle and kind, climbed her walls and stole her heart. It also helped he was quite sexy too. Soon enough her preys—Tumi and Etim, entered the gazebo, animatedly gisting with each other.

“Good afternoon ma,” Etim greeted. 

“Mummy good afternoon. How are you doing?” Tumi said brightly.

“I am well now you both are here!” Amara said and then kissed each on the forehead.

“This is serious o,” Tumi said, eyeing the area suspiciously.

“May I say, you look lovely ma, as always.”

“Thank you my son.”

“Mummy don't let him deceive you o. He's not as gentlemanly as he seems.”

“Like you'd know a gentleman if you saw one.”

“So I'm a bush woman ba?”

“Have fun kids!” Amara chirped, ambling away.

Mischief danced in Etim's eyes. “Your love life must be pretty bad for your mum to set up a date with your ex-boyfriend.”

“At least I'm not a hoe like you Etim.” She quipped. “You know this takes me back to the day Uncle Deji proposed. Man planned it like he was the freaking FBI or something.”

“I heard it was epic. A shame I wasn't there to see it.”

“Shame indeed.”

He shook his head like a disappointed parent. “You are so rude. I don't know how you intend to catch a man with this your bad character.”

She smirked, “caught you, didn't I?”

He froze, then scoffed, “I was young and naive.”

"Objection sire!” She yelled in a faux British accent. “You were a cold, heartless wrench.”

He gasped, feigning hurt. “You lie against me madam!”

“Golddigger I say!”

They burst out in laughter and soon fell into a comfortable silence. Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran started to play.

“Your mum eh,” Etim chuckled. “Will your mouth still remember the taste of my love?” He said in a sing-song voice.

She rolled her eyes, “it wasn't worth remembering.”

“Wow. Wow, nice one. Nice one. Remember I'm still your business partner sha, because it's like you don't like money again.”

“Ah, ah naw,” she pouted. “Ok let's make a toast. To being great friends.”

He smiled and raised his glass to hers, “To being great friends.”

Commentary: One thing I learnt... Life is short, Cherish every moment with your loved one.

JUDGES REVIEW

JUDGE NADIA SULAIMAN

   You're not a bad writer. I can tell you're not. But something didn't feel right with this piece.
Maybe it was the pacing or the messy dialogues, but please learn to be intentional about these things. Everything seemed to be a bit too fast and I understand it's a short story, but there is a way it could still be presented enough to make the pacing a bit more natural. And even when characters are hyper in speech, there are ways to present your work so that it doesn't look too messy. You tried sha. You're a good writer. Your imagery is good to an extent, but could be better. That aside, you tried. But does it mean I will vote in your favour? We'll just have to see then. 

JUDGE OLAITAN DAVIS

Rising sun, this sun is not doing as if it wants to rise oh. Calm down. Nobody is chasing you ehn? I like your storyline, but bad presentation. It looked scanty. You can do better.

Good luck, Rising Sun.

JUDGE NINA OGBEIDE

I'm so lost.

JUDGE UMAR HASAN

Did you, like, actually go through the document you were given? Because yeah, good writing, but I didn't see the prompt in this. They said light romance, not the friendship genre.

JUDGE GIWA FALADE

Is the story about Amara and Deji, or Etim and Tumi? You have confused me and I don’t usually get confused, so you, my dear, have committed a great atrocity!

Commentary: Hmm... Shall we move to the next Contestant?

010 SETH

PROMPT: "I hate you but..."

GENRE: Light Romance

Story:

I hate you but, you always seem to know how to make me laugh no matter the situation we are in; making me forget we are the only Africans in an all white school, and we tend to get weird looks when I burst out laughing, bent over, clutching my stomach, trying to catch my breath,

Because of you.

Last weekend, you said to my hearing alone, with the straightest face ever, as if you weren't about to drop a joke, that the food they served at the cafeteria tasted like what those in the midst of war will reject.

You made me spew the juice I was drinking out of my nose, earning me a backhand insult from that Jenny girl who looks at us like she wishes slavery wasn't abolished so she can sell us off on Shien.

And as if that's not bad enough, when I beg you to stop, in-between trying to catch my breath, you lean into your seat, and with a smile dancing at the corner of your lips, you ask me why you should stop doing things that'll put a hold on the only sound that seems to bring peace to you in the midst of the hellhole your parents had thrown you into.

And even though it sounds cheesy, your words always find a way to agitate the butterflies in my stomach.

But aside from these little things you do, I still hate you because I'm always confused whether you are only nice to me because we have to stick together as the only black kids, whether if we were in a different situation, you would spare me a glance in the hallway.

You leave me wondering whether if things were a little different, whether you would be fine walking with me in broad daylight, with your hands around my shoulder, engulfed in the smell of the intoxicating scent of your rose infused cologne.

I hate how you're the only person in this world to actually find my laughing face attractive, when I've been bullied for how I look laughing, how my laughter sounds, because I know deep down that I love the idea of you loving something about me.

I hate how I love that you see the parts in me that I don't even know exist, how I feel more comfortable with you than I feel with myself and my thoughts, how you hold together the fragments of my flaws and frame it, hanging it around like it's a trophy and not something I'm supposed to be ashamed of.

How I always catch you looking out for me in a crowd before watching your features relax the moment you sight me; and even though you are shortsighted, you still managed to do this when those bullies smashed your glasses.

I hate how you make it hard for me to hate you, how you keep coming back, no matter how I push you away, how you are ready to help me work through my abandonment issues.

I absolutely hate how much I love how comfortable you are with my silence, how you accepted my neurotic side and my mood swings and how you made sure I knew you loved me without having to reassure me daily, almost like you engraved it in my soul.

Maybe someday, I'll be brave enough to fully accept my feelings and confess it to you, but for now, it's safer to hate you.

 Commentary: Something different from a story. Let's see what our Judges have to say about this.

JUDGES REVIEW
 

JUDGE NADIA SULAIMAN

I didn't like the fact that this was a narration from start to finish and had no dialogues, but I guess it's not against the rules, so you're safe. Or, are you? I'm joking. Or am I? You're laughing, who's laughing with you?

Anyways, it was a decent piece. Nothing to stand it out, yet at the same time, not entirely basic. It was just a little funny. If only I wasn't a cold blooded, unmoved Law Student from Coven, I would have laughed.

JUDGE OLAITAN DAVIS

I like.

Congratulations, Seth.

JUDGE NINA OGBEIDE

Sound like a beautiful love confession. I have mixed feelings about it though. Still anticipating to see how you'll dazzle us during the course of the competition. (If you make it past this stage)

JUDGE UMAR HASAN

Hm, I like it. Keep up the good work, human.

JUDGE GIWA FALADE

Beautiful.

You nailed the second person POV. It wasn’t perfect, but you nailed it and that enough for me.

011 THE SCRIBE

 
PROMPT: "I hate you but..."

GENRE: Light Romance

S

TORY:

“I hate you but we can make a good couple,” I said out of the blues, causing him to choke on his saliva.
Coughing his voice raspy, he looked at me mortified, “what did you just say?”
“You heard me,” I chuckled shrugging my shoulders. “I said we will make a good couple.”
“Where is this coming from Dara,” he looked at me incredulously.
“Are you sure you are well sha,” he touched my forehead mockingly.
I slapped his hand away, “leave me joor, you are so rude shey you know and that’s why I hate your guts, but I can't deny that you are totally my type.”
“Okay Dara, for real are you sure you are alright?” He dropped his pen, staring at me in disbelief.
     

Raphael Adejumo is the head boy of Dove College and the smartest in our set. He is the  top student in all the subjects he offers apart from Chemistry as I have been the best student in Chemistry since SS 1, even though I am an average student.
This fact made me the bane of the Almighty Raphael as I am the only one standing in his way of graduating with “the perfect ate”. This slang was coined five years ago when Rhoda Adejumo, his sister, received awards as the best in each of the subjects she offered.
“This lady ate and left no crumbs, this is what you call perfect ate,” the MC had jokingly said. And since then it had been adopted by the students of Dove college.
He hated seeing me. My presence was like a constant reminder that he was not going to continue his sister's legacy and I also made sure I constantly rubbed it in his face every time we had contact.

“And I know I'm your type,” I added. This time he opened his mouth. He was shocked and rendered speechless like someone that was caught red handed in a criminal act.
“I'm right, ain't I?” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows and staring boldly at him daring him to deny it.
“I…I,” he stuttered.
“I noticed the change in the way you looked at me after I was able to successfully complete that practical”
I noticed a change in his expression, a reaction that proved that I was right.
“Did I look so sexy at that moment that you fell for me?” I teased.
“I like you Raph,” I blurted before he could reply. “And I am being the most honest I have ever been in my life.”
He was rendered speechles again and I laughed at his reaction.
“Since cat got your tongue, I will reply for you, I…,” I was cut short with a peck on my lips. I looked up at him, and it was my turn to be surprised. I could feel my cheeks getting warm.
“I like you too,” he smiled.
“The tables have turned now uhn, it looks like cat got your tongue,” he sassed, laughing out loud.
“Reduce your voice,” I chided, using my hands to cover his mouth and I looked around to ensure we had not called attention to ourselves. I fanned my face with my hands, my cheeks were still burning up as I was yet to recover from the kiss.

We were at the school’s cafe patio preparing for the annual inter school chemistry competition organized by the Chevron Nigeria Limited. It is a popular competition amongst schools based in Lekki and there’s a bit of pressure for us to win because there has been a losing streak in the previous ones.
The competition is in three stages: the written exams, the practicals and the quiz and we had reached the final stage.

“Let's continue Raph,” I drew my textbook closer to continue studying. He pouted at my statement.
“What,” I asked, shifting my attention to him as I had felt his burning gaze on me.
“I want to know when you started developing feelings for me,” his gaze so intense that I began to feel self conscious.
“No!” I shook my head stubbornly even though I was melting from the inside because of his stare.
“I'm going to kiss you again if you won't answer,” he leaned in closer, his eyes locked on my lips.
“Okay, fine,” I ducked my head to avoid his kiss. My heart beating fast. “I will tell you.”
“It was in JSS 3,” I confessed, my cheeks burning up in embarrassment.
“Wow!” He exclaimed. “For that long, that's almost three years Dara.”
“Yeah I know,” I turned away feeling embarrassed.
“It was our first time at the lab. You can't blame me, you looked so hot, listening to the teacher with rapt attention. I was intrigued to see another student that isn't me listening so attentively.”
“Awwwwn,” he cooed. “But you hate my guts though.”
“Well you can be a dick sometimes,” I shrugged. “And I also love annoying you. You look so cute when you are exasperated.”
“Ouch,” he said, placing  his hand on his chest and feigning hurt.
“Sowie,” I rolled my eyes mocking him.
“You were so hot though,” he started. “I mean during the practical stage. I was getting agitated because we couldn't balance the chemical equation. The way you shouted at me to calm down and focus was so cool. The climax was when you took a deep breath and started working on it again like you were possessed or something.
“Of course what did you expect,” I sassed.
He leaned in and gave me a quick kiss.
“What was that for?” I whisper screamed.
“That's what you get from being cocky,” he stuck out his tongue.
“Dick,” I cussed.
“But you like me like that,” he teased me causing me to roll my eyes.
“So we are official,” he asked.
“If you want us to be,” I shrugged.
“Of course, my girlfriend,” he flashed me a charming smile a gesture that got my heart beating fast.
“Raphael is my boyfriend,” I squealed.

Commentary: Let's hear what the Judges have to say.

JUDGES REVIEW

JUDGE NADIA SULAIMAN

This was such a cute read!
Frankly, it wasn't perfect. There were a few errors in capitalization especially in dialogues, but besides that, this was a refreshing read! Good job, Scribe.

JUDGE OLAITAN DAVIS

I read the first few lines, and scrolled down to the end. I didn't bother reading the rest.

Okay, I eventually read the rest. This is why presentation is key. Your storyline is good, but your execution, arrangements, punctuation is a big no. The whole thing is just very disorganized. It's discouraging at first glance, and reading through is even more discouraging and stressful. I almost gave up, but I pushed through.

One question: Didn't you read through after writing?

Try again next year, Scribe.

JUDGE NINA OGBEIDE

Punctuations is complete zero. Paragraphing is nothing to write home about. And I honestly don't get the whole point of your story.

JUDGE UMAR HASAN

Unnecessary telling at the beginning of the story. Punctuation issues; fix your punctuation issues. I'll repeat the same thing I said to one of your colleagues earlier: there's a way to make cliches appealing and not cringeworthy to read; find that way.

JUDGE GIWA FALADE

You had a lot things I hate so much in your story. Should I list them for you?
1

. Inability to stick to one tense.
2. Punctuation errors
3. Paragraphing.

For the love of Jehovah, why can’t you stick to one tense? It’s a big ick for me and I don’t usually get the icky. Let’s not even get started on your incorrect use of punctuations all through and the lack of spacing in your work.

Do you want to give me headache?!

Commentary: We've come to the end of this batch and I'm speechless about the reviews.

Oh well.... Anticipate the reviews for Batch 3 and Batch 4.