Tips for Writing a Short Story
Writing a short story can be a very satisfying experience for you and for your reader ... provided you follow a few simple steps ...
STRUCTURE
Novice writers are often given this advice on how to structure their short stories:
Put a man up a tree
Throw stones at him
Get him down
When you come to think of it, it's good advice for any writer.
Start with a situation - a problem to be resolved for your protagonist ( the man up the tree).
Then present the problems that can occur (throw some stones):
Misunderstandings / mistaken identity / lost opportunities etc.
The final step is to show how you can solve the problem - get the man down from his leafy perch - safely.
Love triumphs / good conquers evil / honesty is the best policy / united we stand ...
When you've finished writing, always (always) proof-read your work to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Don't spoil all your hard work by presenting an unprofessional image to your readers.
Put this simple plan into action with your next piece of writing.
THEME
Every piece of writing must have a theme. This theme is the skeleton or framework on which you hang your plot, characters, setting etc.
As you write, make sure that every word is related to this theme.
FOCUS
The best stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. Decide what the point of your story is and even though it's tempting to digress, you must stick to the point otherwise you end up with either a novel beginning or a mish-mash of ideas that add up to nothing.
TIME SPAN
An effective short story covers a very short time span. It may be one single event that proves pivotal in the life of the character or a single day. That event must illustrate the theme.
CHARACTERS
Around three main characters is all a short story can effectively deal with because of the theme.
Never underestimate the power of dialogue in conveying character, but it must contribute to the main focus of the story - don't just use it to pad out your characters.
PLOT
Begin with an arresting first paragraph or lead, enough to grab the readers and make them curious to know what happens next.
Make sure your plot works - there must be a beginning, a middle and an end but don't spend too much time on the build-up, so that the climax or denouement (as in the twist ending) is relegated to one sentence, leaving the reader bothered and bemused but sadly not bewitched.
And don't signal the twist ending too soon - try to keep the reader guessing until the last moment.
If you're telling a fast-moving story, say crime, then keep your paragraphs and sentences short. It's a trick that sets the pace and adds to the atmosphere you are conveying to the reader.
PROOF READ
Readers are easily put off by bad formatting, bad punctuation or spelling mistakes. Don't distract them from your story - always proof read and then proof read again.
Try these tips in your next short story!
STRUCTURE
Novice writers are often given this advice on how to structure their short stories:
Put a man up a tree
Throw stones at him
Get him down
When you come to think of it, it's good advice for any writer.
Start with a situation - a problem to be resolved for your protagonist ( the man up the tree).
Then present the problems that can occur (throw some stones):
Misunderstandings / mistaken identity / lost opportunities etc.
The final step is to show how you can solve the problem - get the man down from his leafy perch - safely.
Love triumphs / good conquers evil / honesty is the best policy / united we stand ...
When you've finished writing, always (always) proof-read your work to check your spelling, punctuation and grammar. Don't spoil all your hard work by presenting an unprofessional image to your readers.
Put this simple plan into action with your next piece of writing.
THEME
Every piece of writing must have a theme. This theme is the skeleton or framework on which you hang your plot, characters, setting etc.
As you write, make sure that every word is related to this theme.
FOCUS
The best stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. Decide what the point of your story is and even though it's tempting to digress, you must stick to the point otherwise you end up with either a novel beginning or a mish-mash of ideas that add up to nothing.
TIME SPAN
An effective short story covers a very short time span. It may be one single event that proves pivotal in the life of the character or a single day. That event must illustrate the theme.
CHARACTERS
Around three main characters is all a short story can effectively deal with because of the theme.
Never underestimate the power of dialogue in conveying character, but it must contribute to the main focus of the story - don't just use it to pad out your characters.
PLOT
Begin with an arresting first paragraph or lead, enough to grab the readers and make them curious to know what happens next.
Make sure your plot works - there must be a beginning, a middle and an end but don't spend too much time on the build-up, so that the climax or denouement (as in the twist ending) is relegated to one sentence, leaving the reader bothered and bemused but sadly not bewitched.
And don't signal the twist ending too soon - try to keep the reader guessing until the last moment.
If you're telling a fast-moving story, say crime, then keep your paragraphs and sentences short. It's a trick that sets the pace and adds to the atmosphere you are conveying to the reader.
PROOF READ
Readers are easily put off by bad formatting, bad punctuation or spelling mistakes. Don't distract them from your story - always proof read and then proof read again.
Try these tips in your next short story!
posted by Jennifer | 12:30 pm
2 Comments:
great advice.
Thanks for the advice!
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