Showing posts with label How To. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

HOW TO START A SHORT STORY

HOW TO START A SHORT STORY

63,440 views

Oct 9, 2019

Reedsy

83.4K subscribers

In a short story, more than ever you want to catch the reader's attention as quickly as possible in the limited space. Here are a few tips to get readers invested from the start!

RESOURCES

How to Write a Short Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxeT...

How to Start a Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8heh...

How to Write a Novel Opening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kduvE...

Short Story Contest (weekly by theme): https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-conte...

The Most Common Short Story Titles: http://neil-clarke.com/top-ten-most-c...

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro

0:32 - The inciting incident

1:30 - Start late on the timeline

2:23 - The fire line

4:35 - The title

5:29 - Interesting actions

FIND REEDSY HERE:

Blog: https://blog.reedsy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wearereedsy/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReedsyHQ

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reedsy_hq/

Grateful thanks to

Reedsy

and YouTube and all the others who made this video possible

Saturday, April 25, 2009

How To-21: "How to Find a Theme for Your Short Story"

How to Find a Theme for Your Short Story

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Writer's block can be a real pain. Here are some easy steps to finding interesting ideas to write about.

Steps

There is not a specific formula to finding ideas to write about, but there are ways to help you brainstorm.
Think about topics that you have expertise in. The cliché that states "write what you know" is absolutely true. If you love baseball, write about a fictional baseball character.
Think about topics that interest you. If you don't have a definite grasp on the subject, find a local library (or Google ) and start researching.
Another way to find ideas is to start noticing the world around you. Is there something about your life that has always struck you as odd?
Take an interesting event in your life and change it around a little. Perhaps you got cut from your city's basketball team, but join the rival team and help them win the championships? You could take the basic idea and have a story if you change the setting and the characters.
Formulate a character. Try mixing traits from people you know. Work with the character and write down their interests, dislikes, desires, occupation, physical features, etc. Sometimes making a character sparks an idea to "write their story."
If you can't make a character, choose a random person who you encounter during the day. Write their story.
If none of these ideas work, Google the term "story ideas" or something along those lines. There are several websites that have lists of plot lines waiting for someone to develop.

Tips

Read, read, read. Lots of writers get ideas from reading the work of other people.
Be observant. You never know when an idea will suddenly formulate.
Write all your ideas down, even the ones that aren't winners. Sometimes a little brainstorming can spark a better idea.
Take a few ideas and "free-write." What you come up with may not be publish-worthy, but it will get you started in the write direction for your eventual Pulitzer.
When you have a good portion of the story, have a trusted friend read and edit it. S/He may give you details for a better direction, idea, etc. Plus, it is always good to get a second opinion about the work. After all, your story will eventually have an audience.
Along this line, think about your audience, is this a story they would want to read?

Warnings

Absolutely avoid plagiarizing the work of someone else.
No one said that writing fiction is easy. These things take lots of time, energy, and reams of paper.
If you decide to write a non-fiction story, don't write about events that never happened. Research James Frey for details.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Find a Theme for Your Short Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

How To-20: "How to Submit a Story to a Magazine"

How to Submit a Story to a Magazine

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You've written a story and want to submit to a magazine. Where do you start?

Steps

Pick up a copy of the Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. This is a book that is published each year and lists magazines that specialize in publishing fiction.
Identify potential magazines where the story might fit (i.e., if your story is fantasy, then look for magazines that accept fantasy stories).
Obtain a copy of the magazine's guidelines. Many now have them online.
Read samples of the magazine to get a feel for if your story will fit.
Format the manuscript in proper manuscript format, including any requirements listed in the magazine guidelines.
Write a letter to the magazine and send your story.
Record the details of the submission for later reference.

Tips

Reading several copies of the magazine will help keep you from submitting to magazines that may not be a good match.
Use Courier/Courier New for the submission letter
Always be professional in all correspondence

Warnings

Avoid fancy paper, fancy fonts, or graphic headings. It's the story that should stand out, not the paper.
Submit only what the magazine is asking for. If you submit a 5,000 word story to a magazine that only takes 3,000 word stories, no matter how good the story is, it's going to get rejected.

Pay attention to the editor's name! It is bad form to spell their name wrong.

Things You'll Need

Novel and Short Story Writer's Market
Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript

Related wikiHows

How to Manage Your Magazine Subscriptions

Sources and Citations

A Quick Guide to Manuscript Format: http://www.writing-world.com/basics/manuscript.shtml
Template for recording submissions (Microsoft Excel): http://www.hackman-adams.com/articles/articles.xls

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Submit a Story to a Magazine. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

How To-19: "How to Write a Children's Story"

How to Write a Children's Story

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Writing a children's story requires a vivid imagination, enthusiastic creativity and the ability to put yourself in the mind of a child. For many writers, writing children's books successfully will require some effort to step back into the shoes of the very young and to see the world from a very fresh and curious perspective. For those who are always young-at-heart, writing children's stories can be a very satisfying craft. And if you are a child author reading this article, (and many child authors have published stories), then these characteristics will be second nature to you but you will still benefit from the steps on how to write a children's story well.

Steps

Brainstorm story ideas.The story is perhaps the most important aspect of a good book. Consult some of your favorite books (children's or not) for examples, but try to be original. Choose a story that fits your interests and talents, such as action, fantasy, or mystery. Smaller children enjoy stories with a play on words or a repeated phrase like, "No, no fat cat. Scat! Scat! Scat!"
Develop your characters. In order to have a good story, you need some interesting characters. Who is the main character of the story? Is there more than one? Are the characters human, animal or fantasy, or do they include elements of all three? Before you begin, it is best to make an outline of the characters and how they fit into the story.
Make a story outline. Use note cards, draw it in picture form, or write a standard outline. The important thing is to have a general understanding of the beginning, middle and end of the story, and of how the characters will interact and evolve. A good story usually has some sort of conflict or obstacle that the main character has to resolve, after which everyone lives "happily ever after". Here's the breakdown:
- Introduce your characters with descriptions of physical and personality traits, their surroundings, and those with whom they come in contact.
- Create a problem/conflict. This could be between two people, an internal conflict, or one in which the main character overcomes an obstacle in the outside world.
- Write the climax of the story, which will include the main character(s) coming face to face with the conflict.
- Show how your character(s) resolves the problem, and what happens next.
Add some pictures. Everyone loves pictures. They can add to the interest level of the story and make it easier to follow. You may like to include a few funny cartoons or pictures in your story. Make sure that you use bright happy colors or sad dark colors depending on the mood of a story.

Tips

Keep it nice and simple. Depending on the age group you are trying to engage, you don't want to make your story too complex and difficult to follow, because younger kids will quickly lose interest.
Use some humour. We all have it. Focus on the 'silly' things that will have both the child and the adult reader laughing together. Use made-up words and rhyme: Dr Seuss knows, it's much easier and more fun to read aloud.
Whenever possible, show the character's personality through speech and actions, not bland statements like "Sally is selfish". Try to differentiate between different characters by having them react differently to the same situation, for a start.
Make sure your diction (level of word usage) and storyline are audience-appropriate:
Age 3-5 years: Slightly larger storyline. More complex sentences explaining the motivation behind actions shown on the page. Adventures. Getting lost and finding your way home. Fighting. Being brave in spite of fear. Telling the truth. Thinking of others before yourself. Explaining how you feel. Learning to spell. Learning to add. Telling parents if someone hurts you or makes you feel bad. How to resolve arguments (though they still need a lot of help at this age, they can be introduced to healthy argument resolution, especially the idea of sharing and thinking how others feel). Disappointment.
Age 5-7 years: overcoming challenges. Learning new skills. Understanding good reasons to do something and bad reasons to do something. Magic. Confusion. Books long enough to read over two or three nights. Use bigger words but be careful to explain them, so as not to frustrate new readers.
Any children's story must have a happy end; children don't like when their favorite characters end up badly. They usually feel sorry for them and are disappointed with the story as a whole.
The realm depicted in the story should be bright, colorful and optimistic; a story about a dark, evil world is certainly not a children's story. The personality of the main character should have mostly positive traits, such as bravery, intelligence, humor, beauty and so on.
Describe characters or places as good as you can, so the young reader may picture it the way you want him/her to. However, do not lose yourself in complicate descriptions, for it may confuse a child and distract him/her from the story itself.
Don't use too many difficult words. Keep in mind that a young audience may find it difficult to read a text written in formal language or one that contains too many complicated words. Make the language clear and easy to read.

Warnings

Avoid using slang words or inappropriate language/situations for younger readers. The writing should be of the best quality, to encourage young readers to love their language and to want to read more.
Try not to give the characters long names, or name them similar or even starting with the same letter. This may confuse the child and make the story harder to follow.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Children's Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Monday, November 3, 2008

How To-18: "How to developan appetite for reading"

How to Develop an Appetite for Reading

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Reading can be a brilliant way of escaping the world's stresses and can help develop your creativity. As a hobby, reading is inexpensive and can be enjoyed at any time and if you can develop an appetite for reading, it can give you endless hours of enjoyment.

Steps

Start small. If you try to begin developing your appetite for reading on a one thousand word tome with many complex issues and a huge cast of characters you may find this stops you wishing to further pursue an appetite for reading. Consider trying to read short story collections at first.
Ask a reader. Do you have a friend who always has his/her nose in a book and may have recommended several books to you in the past? If you ask someone who knows you and reads a lot what books they'd recommend for you this may be easier than trying to find a suitable book yourself. As an additional bonus you will then have a friend to discuss the book with later.
Avoid distractions. Some readers can read on a crowded train or even whilst walking down the street but not all can read with distractions and to truly enjoy a book it might be better to read in quiet places where you can give the book your full attention. Consider creating a reading nook for this purpose.
Analyze your experience. If you don't enjoy the book you were reading then consider why not. Did you feel it went on too long? Try short stories. Was there too much violence? Stay away from horror and crime. Often people do not have an appetite for reading because they feel they dislike reading, when really they have simply read the wrong books for them. If you did like a book see if you like others by the same author or in the same genre.
Join a book club. Or read the same book as a friend. This will allow you to share your opinions of the book and enjoy it in a different way. It may also give you the chance to try books you wouldn't have otherwise have thought of reading.
Enjoy! Having an appetite for reading allows you to get a lot more from books and is an easy hobby to keep.

Tips

Try not to rule anything out. Children's literature can be enjoyed by adults and stereotyped genres such as science fiction are more varied than you might think. Graphic novels often have intriguing plot lines and characters and non-fiction can sometimes be just as entertaining as fiction.
You probably won't enjoy every book you read so don't let yourself be put off gaining an appetite for reading simply because you don't enjoy a few books.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Develop an Appetite for Reading. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-17: "How to Get Inspired to Write"

How to Get Inspired to Write

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Need to be inspired to write? Adopt a few of these practices to keep your mind actively searching for new inspiration.

Steps

Carry a small notebook or tape recorder for sudden inspirations. Record your thoughts into more formal written work at a later time.
Rest in an atmosphere of quiet or surround yourself with noise. Sit in a forest or stand on a busy street corner.
Listen to a variety of music, such as jazz or folk music.
See a movie and write a review based on the setting in time or an elicited emotion.
Read a variety of literature and write a report of comparison.
Write about a craft, such as pottery. Focus on its history or a particular aspect.
Search the internet for a topic. To be a writer, you must love to read.
Reference old material. Reread your first-grade story that describes how you lost a mitten.
Freewrite. Choose a subject and write continuously for a set period of time; while disregarding spelling, punctuation or grammar.
Expand a topic in several different directions; similar to adding different ingredients to a recipe.
Create several solutions to a problem. Write three pages that focus on two solutions.
Write convincing pros and cons about the same subject, such as a boyfriend.
Play a game to stimulate your mind with strategy.
Choose a word and quickly associate it with another. Example: yellow may lead to sunflower, then to summer, then to winter, then to snow, then to a day off from school, etc.
Write in a journal. Focus on events or emotions throughout the day.
Record an event or adventure in your life. Reflect upon your insights.
Record emotion. Write with descriptive detail of anger, compassion or grief.
Create a world of fantasy.
Write about a passion in your life such as gardening or your children.
Utilize writing as a means to escape.
Write about a cause that is of interest, such as global warming.
Record several aspects of a story on small pieces of paper. Mix them together. Choose a setting, characters and plot.
Create a rough draft and return to it in a few days to allow for other ideas to surface.
Sit and observe. Observe people without judgement, attempting to look into their past for character development.
Listen to conversations for an idea. Imagine what occurred prior to overhearing a conversation or what will occur thereafter.
Imagine a story about someone’s life based upon their appearance, attitude or the book they are reading.
Describe a person’s actions while riding a bicycle or preparing a meal.
Create a series of conversations between two characters. Conversation creates a story that is more realistic.
Write descriptive detail about a main character, focusing on their thoughts that have been influenced by past experience.
Write a description about an object, such as a family heirloom.
Remain open-minded. Give yourself a set period of time to devote to a subject before considering a new idea.
Walk in a park. Your mind may be more creative and free to associate in times of leisure or while occupied with other activities.

Tips

Review brainstorming techniques.

Warnings

. Repetitive writing or typing may lead to a stress injury.

Plagiarism is illegal. Always credit sources.

Related wikiHows

. How to Freewrite
. How to Brainstorm
. How to Write a Script
. How to Write Non Fiction

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get Inspired to Write. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-16: "How to Submit a Story to a Magazine"

How to Submit a Story to a Magazine

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You've written a story and want to submit to a magazine. Where do you start?

Steps

Pick up a copy of the Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. This is a book that is published each year and lists magazines that specialize in publishing fiction.
Identify potential magazines where the story might fit (i.e., if your story is fantasy, then look for magazines that accept fantasy stories).
Obtain a copy of the magazine's guidelines. Many now have them online.
Read samples of the magazine to get a feel for if your story will fit.
Format the manuscript in proper manuscript format, including any requirements listed in the magazine guidelines.
Write a letter to the magazine and send your story.
Record the details of the submission for later reference.

Tips

Reading several copies of the magazine will help keep you from submitting to magazines that may not be a good match.
Use Courier/Courier New for the submission letter
Always be professional in all correspondence

Warnings

Avoid fancy paper, fancy fonts, or graphic headings. It's the story that should stand out, not the paper.
Submit only what the magazine is asking for. If you submit a 5,000 word story to a magazine that only takes 3,000 word stories, no matter how good the story is, it's going to get rejected.

Pay attention to the editor's name! It is bad form to spell their name wrong.

Things You'll Need

Novel and Short Story Writer's Market
Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript

Related wikiHows

How to Manage Your Magazine Subscriptions

Sources and Citations

A Quick Guide to Manuscript Format: http://www.writing-world.com/basics/manuscript.shtml
Template for recording submissions (Microsoft Excel): http://www.hackman-adams.com/articles/articles.xls

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Submit a Story to a Magazine. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-15: "How to Edit a Short Story"

How to Edit a Short Story

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You know the characters better than you know your neighbors. You haven't seen the light of day in about a week, but at last, the story is finished. Or is it? Hardly, you still have to edit it.

Steps

Take a breather. It doesn't have to be a long one, just enough to give yourself enough time to achieve an objective viewpoint.
Write a two or three sentence description of your story. You may have done this in creating the original draft, however, characters sure have a way of dragging the writer all over the place and the story may have changed focus.
Cross out any scenes with the red marker that do not relate to the description you have just written. Don't worry if the remaining scenes aren't transitioning well yet, that step is further down.
Circle or underline with the green marker any of the following: character and scenery descriptions, expositions and flashbacks.
Cross out these "pace-slowers" with the red marker until there is no more than 20-40% of the tale for genre and about 40-60% for literary stories.
Print out what remains.
Read this new copy with the red marker in hand. Make notes in the margins.

"T" for anyplace that needs a transition.
"A" for anything that is awkwardly phrased.
"C" for any character based inconsistancies. For example, if your character is allergic to dairy but in one scene he or she is eating ice cream this needs to be explained, eliminated, or altered.
"?" for anything else. For example, if it makes you ask the question "Where in the world did this character come from?" then it needs a "?".

Review and repair any areas that you tagged with a question mark.
Fix any transitions and awkward phrasing.
Print out another copy with the new edits.
Repeat steps 3-10 until you are happy with the way the general story looks.
Read it aloud to make sure the text flows smoothly. Use your red marker like you did in step 7 in case of awkwardness, etc.
Repeat steps 8-12 if need be.
Polish up by fixing grammar and spelling errors.

Tips

When you're taking a breather, the best activities to do are physical ones. Shoot some hoops, take a walk around the neighborhood, play with the kids or anything that is so far distanced from writing it will somewhat distract you from your story.
If the tale required a lot of research in an area you are not an expert in, make sure to double and triple check your facts as if it were an article.
If you'll be submitting the tale to anywhere which requires a specific word count (such as a teacher or a magazine) worry about that after you finish your edits, not before.
A good idea is to chart out a map of any locations that your characters will be at more than once. It doesn't need to be highly detailed, just enough so you don't place Mr. Smith across the street from Mr. Jones in one scene and in another they're next door neighbors. Same goes for any houses your characters may live in so bedrooms don't move from the first floor to the second.
Understanding the direction in which your story takes is crucial. Try and visualise it before writing it!

Warnings

Do not throw out early drafts until you are satisfied with the final one. You never know if you'll need a scene or character that you tossed out in the first or third draft when you're on your fifth.

Things You'll Need

Red marker
Green marker
Computer with word processing and printing capabilities

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Edit a Short Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-14: "How to Think of Topics for a Short Story"

How to Think of Topics for a Short Story

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You don't need to be someone whose life is filled with drama to think of ideas for a short story.

Steps

Think of something that puzzled you in the past-- it could be something as simple as the way your roommate looked at you when you first met. Writers write to explain things, so think of something you'd like to explain. You will want to dramatize your explanation, instead of just saying it.
Search your mind for vivid memories. Along the same lines-- think of something you remember vividly. This is often something that was puzzling, but it also could be an epiphany, a shock, a disappointment, or a victory. Write a story in which the character works towards or experiences a similar moment.
Look at short stories you like and list what the topics of those stories were. Have you ever started to read a story, hoping it would be about a particular topic, but found it was about something else? These are topics that you are interested in.
Listen to the stories around you. People tell you stories all the time. Pay attention to what people are saying to you and you will start to hear them.
Remember to write what you know!
Follow this plot structure (just a suggestion):

Initial Situation: the beginning, the first incentive that makes the story move.
Conflict or Problem: goal that the main character of the story has to achieve
Complication: obstacles that the main character has to overcome
Climax: highest point in the story
Suspense: point of tension (may come before climax)
Resolution: what happens to the character after overcoming (of failing to overcome) the desired result and reaching (or not reaching) those goals
Conclusion: the end result

Look in the newspaper. Find a personals add, a news story, and an obituary. Use these three seemingly unrelated events to craft a short story.

Tips

Cross out your ideas or edit them. Write down everything you think of and think about whether it's a good or bad idea, then think about whether or not they will work in the story

Warnings

You don't always have to start with the topic, and in some cases this may be the wrong approach to writing a story. You can start with an image, a description, or a setting. You can start by creating a character and then as you describe the character you will find that you think of things for him or her to do. Sometimes you discover the topic as you write.

Things You'll Need

Paper
Pen
Positive attitude
Time

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Think of Topics for a Short Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-13: "How to Get Your Stories Noticed"

How to Get Your Stories Noticed

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Here are a few ways that you can get the stories that you write noticed by people.

Steps

Set it up on a site for that kind of thing. A great example is freewebs.com/authorblock. If it is a fan fiction, use fanfic.com
Make sure that wherever you put it, it has a good title, and is easy to understand. Sentences like "Billy took the ball and so he then went to go and play some sports and hang out with Billy's friends then" may seem right at the time, but are bad sentences to anyone who reads them
Believe it or not, a lot of people decide if they are going to read a story on the title. If the story is a fan fiction, then make sure the title follows the usual pattern, for instance, A Harry Potter Fan Fiction would probably follow the lines of Harry Potter and the Nose-picking Zombie or whatever.
Make sure your idea is sound, and you don't repeat phrases too much.
Always make sure that there is room for a sequel, weather your planning one or not. But if your not already planning on it, don't make it so that there are too many loose ends for there not to be a sequel.
Use proper spacing and punctuation for the dialogue! I can't tell you how many times I gave up reading a book because it was too confusing to read.

Tips

I've had tons of stories that i couldn't get noticed 'til i found freewebs.com/authorblock. It always accepts stories, Adan even though it isn't an official company, its a great start. I know this thing sounds like an add for author block, but it really isn't, that is just the site I use

Warnings

Don't be afraid of critcisim

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Get Your Stories Noticed. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

How To-12: "How to Promote a Story Online"

How'>http://www.wikihow.com/Promote-a-Story-Online">How to Promote a Story Onlinefrom wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
There are several ways to promote a story online. This could come as an aid to advertising short stories, or even books you've self published. Many sites allow yoou to. One of such is in the external links.

Steps

Pick a recent story to submit (story should be timestamped or somehow indicative of being very recent).
Use a catchy title that is concise and makes a strong statement. Relevant keywords should be used.
Write a short summary that is controversial. Eye-catching statistics are effective. Controversial stories evoke comments and heated discussion, which are favorable on websites which promote stories.
After submitting the article, appeal to your community to read it and give it good reviews. The faster and more coordinated you can do this, the better.
Remember to be part of the community -give reviews to other stories. Add friends, and review their stories. They will return the favor in the future.

Tips

Build relationships with like-minded Digg users. You can also email/IM them if their profile contains contact information. Many Digg friends will email/IM their other Digg friends asking them to Digg their story
Also consider submitting a story to other social news sites like Netscape and Reddit. Netscape, in particular, may be a better platform for non-tech-oriented stories.
Email/IM your own community that may not be registered on Digg yet. Registration is quick and easy, and extra diggs from your own network can bump up the # of diggs
AFTER building a relationship with a top digger, ask him or her to submit a story for you. Submissions from top diggers are more likely to get to the front page of Digg for 2 reasons: the algorithm weighs a top digger's submission more heavily, and a top Digger has a lot of friends on Digg who like to support each other by digging the same stories.

Warnings

Do NOT send cold emails to top users on the website. A backlash can easily happen if the community thinks you're gaming the system - they can report your URL which can then get blocked by admins.
Getting on the Main-Page of the website will guarantee 20K-30K unique visitors in a very short amount of time. Make sure your server can handle this load. An email newsletter subscription is a good idea to capture some of this new traffic - the vast majority of the new visitors will not return to your site.

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

http://www.digg.com/" rel="nofollow">digg.com

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on http://www.wikihow.com/Promote-a-Story-Online">How to Promote a Story Online. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.5/">Creative Commons license.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

How To-11: "How to Create a Convincing Character For Your Story"

How to Create a Convincing Character For Your Story

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

An editor has suggested that this article be merged with: "How to SpecialCreate Believable Characters" Per the merge policy, if these topics are determined to be similar but distinct, then the articles will remain separate. Please comment on the discussion page. Notice added on 2008-02-27.
When writing a story, a convincing character is a must. Make sure you know your character before you start your story.

Steps

Get a file folder for your character. You want to know everything about her/him.
What does she/he look like? Look online for 'face makers' or, if you have a Sims game, make your character on that and take several screen shots. Put pictures of your character in their file.
What are the essentials? What is very important in their life? If you can, make a fake birth certificate for your character. It's fun, and its a good reference for the person's birthday, time of birth, etc.
Once you have the essentials down, start interviewing your character. How does she/he look at the world? If you're basing it on someone, use their answers. Or, if you're just not good at creating people from scratch, use a combination of several people you know.
Make sure that all the aspects of your character have been written up and stuck into the folder.
Start your story with a strong, convincing character!

Tips

Don't do it all in one day. It can take weeks, maybe even a month, before you well and truly know your character.
Make your character believable. For instance, a grandmother wouldn't say 'That's cool' or 'Sweet!'. She'd say 'That's nice'. etc. Believable characters would not always be mean, or happy or sad. Use a variety of feelings and traits.

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Create a Convincing Character For Your Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-10: "How to Write a Children's Story"

How to Write a Children's Story

Steps

Brainstorm story ideas.The story is perhaps the most important aspect of a good book. Consult some of your favorite books (children's or not) for examples, but try to be original. Choose a story that fits your interests and talents, such as action, fantasy, or mystery. Smaller children enjoy stories with a play on words or a repeated phrase like, "No, no fat cat. Scat! Scat! Scat!"
Develop your characters. In order to have a good story, you need some interesting characters. Who is the main character of the story? Is there more than one? Are the characters human, animal or fantasy, or do they include elements of all three? Before you begin, it is best to make an outline of the characters and how they fit into the story.
Make a story outline. Use note cards, draw it in picture form, or write a standard outline. The important thing is to have a general understanding of the beginning, middle and end of the story, and of how the characters will interact and evolve. A good story usually has some sort of conflict or obstacle that the main character has to resolve, after which everyone lives "happily ever after". Here's the breakdown:
- Introduce your characters with descriptions of physical and personality traits, their surroundings, and those with whom they come in contact.
- Create a problem/conflict. This could be between two people, an internal conflict, or one in which the main character overcomes an obstacle in the outside world.
- Write the climax of the story, which will include the main character(s) coming face to face with the conflict.
- Show how your character(s) resolves the problem, and what happens next.
Add some pictures. Everyone loves pictures. They can add to the interest level of the story and make it easier to follow. You may like to include a few funny cartoons or pictures in your story. Make sure that you use bright happy colors or sad dark colors depending on the mood of a story.

Tips

Keep it simple. Depending on the age group you are trying to engage, you don't want to make your story too complex and difficult to follow, because younger kids will quickly lose interest.
Use some humour. We all have it. Focus on the 'silly' things that will have both the child and the adult reader laughing together. Use made-up words and rhyme: Dr Seuss knows, it's much easier and more fun to read aloud.
Whenever possible, show the character's personality through speech and actions, not bland statements like "Sally is selfish". Try to differentiate between different characters by having them react differently to the same situation, for a start.
Make sure your diction (level of word usage) and storyline are audience-appropriate:
Age 3-5 years: Slightly larger storyline. More complex sentences explaining the motivation behind actions shown on the page. Adventures. Getting lost and finding your way home. Fighting. Being brave in spite of fear. Telling the truth. Thinking of others before yourself. Explaining how you feel. Learning to spell. Learning to add. Telling parents if someone hurts you or makes you feel bad. How to resolve arguments (though they still need a lot of help at this age, they can be introduced to healthy argument resolution, especially the idea of sharing and thinking how others feel). Disappointment.
Age 5-7 years: overcoming challenges. Learning new skills. Understanding good reasons to do something and bad reasons to do something. Magic. Confusion. Books long enough to read over two or three nights. Use bigger words but be careful to explain them, so as not to frustrate new readers.

Warnings

Avoid using slang words or inappropriate language/situations for younger readers. The writing should be of the best quality, to encourage young readers to love their language and to want to read more.
Try not to give the characters long names, or name them similar or even starting with the same letter. This may confuse the child and make the story harder to follow.

Related wikiHows

How To-9: "How to Add Emotion to a Story"

How to Add Emotion to a Story

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Ever write a story, but find it's still missing something? Like you write a sad story, but still no one cries. You write a comedy, but still no one laughs. Or, you just write a story, but no one really can see what you're trying to describe. If so, this article is for you!

Steps

Understand Keywords or Key Phrases. Key Phrases are phrases in a story that triggers the waterworks. They are sentences that make people cry. Such as, a pet dies. You could write, "Goodbye, Old friend." A Key Phrase could also be an action. Such as, there are two pets. One pet dies. The other pet tries to sleep with the other one by cuddling up to the dead body.
Add a lot of relationship between the one who dies and another character, whether that is a human or an animal.
Add comedy to the story. You can find several joke books at book stores or at your local library.
Do some research about your audience. Find out what makes those particular people laugh. A guy who slips on a banana. Kids may not get adult jokes, and adults may think kid jokes are crude. Either way, research whatever makes the person the books intended for (children, teens, or adults) laugh.
Add a couple of twists to the plot. Make something seem like it's going to turn out bad, but doesn't. For example, someone's grandmother is in the hospital, and the doctors think her life is over. Then, by some miracle, or just by luck, the grandmother turns out OK. That, or she recovers. Be creative, and never give up hope.
Paint a picture with your words. Visualize the scene you are describing. Be there. Taste, feel, and sense everything around you. Now open your eyes. Try to describe that picture. Make sure to sprinkle your sentences with plenty of word tools, (examples: Metaphors, Similes, Personification, Alliteration, hyperbole, and onomatopoeia). Instead of saying, "The wind blew through the trees." You could say, " The biting wind howled and moaned as it rustled through the tree's icy limbs, and shook the tree straight down to the core." Make sure it's not a run on sentence either like "Sally went to the mall and shopped for shoes and then for a dress, that was a total of 13 inches in length and then she went to mcdonald's and ate a burger with fries and then met a girl named Jinny who had a dog named frisky who liked frisky dog biscuits and peed on the couch and then went home." Draw a word picture. The text of a book is a portal to an imaginative world.

Warnings

If you just try to use cliches or things you've read to make people feel emotions, your story may fall flat. It's hard to make other people feel something if you don't feel it yourself. Think about times when you've felt happy or sad in real life, not just when reading other books. The more you put yourself into your story, the more real emotion it will have.

Things You'll Need

pencil/sharpener
paper

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Add Emotion to a Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-8: "How to Write a Dark or Sad Story"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Are you writing like Dr. Seuss? Or are you just not writing well, or dark enough? Well, here's how to do it.

Steps

Get an outline. Come up with images in your head and make words to go along with that image.
Wait for a day where it's Heavy rain. And just walk around. So that you get some sort of serious or dramatic feeling or inspiration.
Read some dark literature.
Get a feel going. Play a very sad or depressing song.
Write in a place where you're all by yourself.
Try to get the feel of what you're writing about. If you're main character is a patient with terminal cancer, then go visit someone who has terminal cancer. If you can't find one, go online and look up some journals.
Dim the lights when you write. You don't want any light to blind your sight into the words of your mind.
Write as if you're taking all the sadness, desires, hate, frustration, and hurt in you and turning them into words. This can be immensely cathartic.
Use good punctuation. Full stops at the end of sentences, and if you're not sure about the commas, then have someone with the eye of an eagle and the heart of a grammar nazi look it over for you. Don't overuse ellipses.

Tips

Don't get distracted.
Be sure that your work makes sense... read it a hundred times over if you must.
Give your readers an idea of what you're writing.
You don't have to be a serious person to be a serious writer.
And you don't have to write on paper. With a typewriter or with a computer is just fine.

Warnings

Don't copy other people's work.
Don't mock your own work.
Don't get too detailed!

Things You'll Need

Story.
Outline.
Emotions.
Dictionary.
Thesaurus.
And yourself...

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Dark or Sad Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Friday, May 30, 2008

How To-7: "How to Write a Fantasy Story"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Do you want to write a really good fantasy tale? Here are some tips to help you.

Steps

Decide what you want to write. A short children's story? A novella? A full blown fantasy epic? If it's your first writing project, start small, and don't overwhelm yourself.
Develop a plan of characters and plot for your story. Make your characters complicated, make them real and let them have a personality and a life. Think of fantasy stories you have already read and what you liked about these. Even better - go to the source. Authors such as Tolkein and Rowling borrow heavily from traditional myths and legends, and doing the same is the best way to avoid ripping off the best sellers.
Move from reality into fantasy. Will your characters start off in the real world and discover the magical elements hidden beneath the surface? (Harry Potter) Will they be transported into a world where all the rules are different? (Chronicles of Narnia) Or will they start off in a world entirely different from our own, and go on noble quests to slay dragons and defeat evil? (Lord of the Rings)
Create the world. Add things such as talking animals, dragons or even dinosaurs, along with magic. You can make up your own magical species, or use ones borrowed from folklore, or even not have any at all. The same goes for magic. Try to avoid cliches as much as possible - twist and subvert them.
Write. Just write. Don't just write the story, but write histories of your characters, unrelated shorts, and anything else you can think of to flesh out your characters and your world. If you have the plot and an outline in mind, then write out the rough draft first - and only when you're done should you go back and edit.
When you're finished and ready to start editing, create a checklist to work from:
- Is your plot feasible, at least according to the rules you've set up? Do you explain things enough to create willing suspension of disbelief?
- Is your world and the rules it's based upon consistent?
- Are your fantasy characters identifiable, well-described and interesting?
- Is your theme subtle but well-developed? Don't preach, and don't moralize. People with messages use the post.
- Is your style and diction consistent and appealing to your target audience?
Finally, let others read your work. It can be just a few close friends at first, but once you start getting good criticism and you start building confidence, you might want to consider trying to publish
Its good to look for other books for inspiration.

Tips

Be creative with your settings. Underground dungeons and medieval castles aren't the only places you can find dragons.
Avoid info dumping. If you make your character complicated, don't begin the book with seven pages of introduction to them. Same with the world. Spread information throughout the story: this heightens suspense and makes your book a joy to read.
Making a character is like making an imaginary friend: make sure that it is believable that the person is real. Become the person and write down what you think they might say and do.
Think of verbal and gesture tags for your main character(s) - nail-biting, hair-twirling, calling everyone "love", and catchphrases can all really help with characterization. Moderation, however, is still key.
Think of fitting names for your characters. For exotic species, use exotic sounding names, and vice versa.
If you're having a hard time coming up with an idea, borrow from the classics. That is, after all, where Shakespeare got all his ideas. But don't just rip-off someone else's writing. Add twists, turns, subversions, deconstructions, and your own unique spin.
Don't use an excessive amount of magic. Even if your world is very magic rich, using magic to get out of every scrape becomes very boring after a while.
If you want, you can take a book or fairy tale everyone knows and change it into a new, one-of-a-kind creation.

Warnings

Plan the story before you start writing it. Give it a:

Exposition
Inciting Incident/Conflict
Rising Action
Climax (This is especially important)
Falling Action
Denouement

But not necessarily in that order!

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Write a Fantasy Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-6: "How to Submit a Story to a Magazine"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You've written a story and want to submit to a magazine. Where do you start?

Steps

Pick up a copy of the Novel and Short Story Writer's Market. This is a book that is published each year and lists magazines that specialize in publishing fiction.
Identify potential magazines where the story might fit (i.e., if your story is fantasy, then look for magazines that accept fantasy stories).
Obtain a copy of the magazine's guidelines. Many now have them online.
Read samples of the magazine to get a feel for if your story will fit.
Format the manuscript in proper manuscript format, including any requirements listed in the magazine guidelines.
Write a letter to the magazine and send your story.
Record the details of the submission for later reference.

Tips

Reading several copies of the magazine will help keep you from submitting to magazines that may not be a good match.
Use Courier/Courier New for the submission letter
Always be professional in all correspondence

Warnings

Avoid fancy paper, fancy fonts, or graphic headings. It's the story that should stand out, not the paper.
Submit only what the magazine is asking for. If you submit a 5,000 word story to a magazine that only takes 3,000 word stories, no matter how good the story is, it's going to get rejected.

Pay attention to the editor's name! It is bad form to spell their name wrong.

Things You'll Need

Novel and Short Story Writer's Market
Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript

Related wikiHows

How to Manage Your Magazine Subscriptions

Sources and Citations

A Quick Guide to Manuscript Format: http://www.writing-world.com/basics/manuscript.shtml
Template for recording submissions (Microsoft Excel): http://www.hackman-adams.com/articles/articles.xls

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Submit a Story to a Magazine. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-5: "How to Edit a Short Story"

How to Edit a Short Story

Steps

Take a breather. It doesn't have to be a long one, just enough to give yourself enough time to achieve an objective viewpoint.
Write a two or three sentence description of your story. You may have done this in creating the original draft, however, characters sure have a way of dragging the writer all over the place and the story may have changed focus.
Cross out any scenes with the red marker that do not relate to the description you have just written. Don't worry if the remaining scenes aren't transitioning well yet, that step is further down.
Circle or underline with the green marker any of the following: character and scenery descriptions, expositions and flashbacks.
Cross out these "pace-slowers" with the red marker until there is no more than 20-40% of the tale for genre and about 40-60% for literary stories.
Print out what remains.
Read this new copy with the red marker in hand. Make notes in the margins.
- "T" for anyplace that needs a transition.
- "A" for anything that is awkwardly phrased.
- "C" for any character based inconsistancies. For example, if your character is allergic to dairy but in one scene he or she is eating ice cream this needs to be explained, eliminated, or altered.
- "?" for anything else. For example, if it makes you ask the question "Where in the world did this character come from?" then it needs a "?".
Review and repair any areas that you tagged with a question mark.
Fix any transitions and awkward phrasing.
Print out another copy with the new edits.
Repeat steps 3-10 until you are happy with the way the general story looks.
Read it aloud to make sure the text flows smoothly. Use your red marker like you did in step 7 in case of awkwardness, etc.
Repeat steps 8-12 if need be.
Polish up by fixing grammar and spelling errors.

Tips

When you're taking a breather, the best activities to do are physical ones. Shoot some hoops, take a walk around the neighborhood, play with the kids or anything that is so far distanced from writing it will somewhat distract you from your story.
If the tale required a lot of research in an area you are not an expert in, make sure to double and triple check your facts as if it were an article.
If you'll be submitting the tale to anywhere which requires a specific word count (such as a teacher or a magazine) worry about that after you finish your edits, not before.
A good idea is to chart out a map of any locations that your characters will be at more than once. It doesn't need to be highly detailed, just enough so you don't place Mr. Smith across the street from Mr. Jones in one scene and in another they're next door neighbors. Same goes for any houses your characters may live in so bedrooms don't move from the first floor to the second.
Understanding the direction in which your story takes is crucial. Try and visualise it before writing it!

Warnings

Do not throw out early drafts until you are satisfied with the final one. You never know if you'll need a scene or character that you tossed out in the first or third draft when you're on your fifth.

Things You'll Need

Red marker
Green marker
Computer with word processing and printing capabilities

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Edit a Short Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

How To-4: "How to Think of Topics for a Short Story"

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

You don't need to be someone whose life is filled with drama to think of ideas for a short story.

Steps

Think of something that puzzled you in the past-- it could be something as simple as the way your roommate looked at you when you first met. Writers write to explain things, so think of something you'd like to explain. You will want to dramatize your explanation, instead of just saying it.
Search your mind for vivid memories. Along the same lines-- think of something you remember vividly. This is often something that was puzzling, but it also could be an epiphany, a shock, a disappointment, or a victory. Write a story in which the character works towards or experiences a similar moment.
Look at short stories you like and list what the topics of those stories were. Have you ever started to read a story, hoping it would be about a particular topic, but found it was about something else? These are topics that you are interested in.
Listen to the stories around you. People tell you stories all the time. Pay attention to what people are saying to you and you will start to hear them.
Remember to write what you know!
It is often a good idea to follow this plot structure:
- Initial Situation: the beginning, the first incentive that makes the story move.
- Conflict or Problem: goal that the main character of the story has to achieve
- Complication: obstacles that the main character has to overcome
- Climax: highest point in the story
- Suspence: point of tention (may come before climax)
- Resolution: what happens to the character after overcoming (of failing to overcome) the desired result and reaching (or not reaching) those goals
- Conclusion: the end result

Tips

cross out your ideas or edit them. Write down everything you think of and think about whether it's a good or bad idea ,then think about whether or not they will work in the story

Warnings

You don't always have to start with the topic, and in some cases this may be the wrong approach to writing a story. You can start with an image, a description, or a setting. You can start by creating a character and then as you describe the character you will find that you think of things for him or her to do. Sometimes you discover the topic as you write.

Things You'll Need

Paper
Pen

Related wikiHows

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Think of Topics for a Short Story. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.