![]() ![]() It may seem formulaic or predictable in the beginning but trust the process and you’ll soon see results. Then, we’ll have some fun practising how to apply the generic story structure template to your work.īy the end of this exercise, you’ll have gained the confidence to create short stories that both make you happy and showcase your talent. So now you have your amazing idea, it’s time to structure it and turn it into short fiction, Learn How To Write A Great Short Storyįirstly, let’s look at the various types of structure used when writing short stories structures and how to analyse them. In this article, Jericho Writers founder and author Harry Bingham, explains how to go from a seed on an idea to a novel (or short story)Īnd finally, in this article, Harry is back explaining world building in fiction and how to create setting that will help your story come alive. In this article, award-winning author Patrice Lawrence will guide you through the myriad ways you can find inspiration – from reading poetry and other books, to observing real life around you. But for those of you confident about how to write a short story but need some inspiration to get you going, here are a few Jericho Writers articles to kick-start your creativity. Some people have a great idea but struggle to turn it into a story (in which case you can skip to the next part). ![]() Where can you get your short story idea from? So let us begin there… Getting Started: The Big Idea But you can’t start writing short stories until you have an idea. In this article I will be talking about what make a great short story and looking at the various structures you can use to keep readers gripped. So, if after finishing writing your short story you’re left thinking, This is so boring! Where have I gone wrong? Is there a short story plot or structure I can follow? – then you’ve come to the right place. Because chances are you may need to rework your short story structure. Short stories are notoriously difficult to write, and that’s often because the writer hasn’t understood the basics of good story structure. Simply put, it’s a story you can read in one sitting. You’ll never be free from revising stories, but if at the end of these questions you still don’t know how to proceed, perhaps it’s time to put this story in a drawer for six weeks and work on something else.A short story is a piece of fiction between 1,000-4,000 words (although it can go as high as 15,000 words). What’s the worst thing that could happen if this story doesn’t get published?.Do I know where to obtain this skill(s) or knowledge?.Could it be possible that, at this moment, I lack the skill(s) to write this story?.What specific skill(s) do I need to finish this story?.Is this story similar to another story that I’ve read?.What is this story’s biggest weakness? What am I doing to correct it?.Am I forcing the story, or allowing it to flow naturally?.Which sections do I need to elaborate on? Which parts should I cut?.Where do I want this story to go? What specifically do I need to do to get it there?.Can I sum up this story in one sentence? (If I can’t, then I stop everything and do this.).What’s the story really about? That is, what’s the theme or Central Idea?.In hopes of minimizing future headaches, I’ve composed some questions I like to review whenever a story I’m working on finds itself in parts unknown. Of course, a story’s destination isn’t always obvious. Imagine if you sat down in your seat and the captain announced, “Morning, folks, I don’t know where we’re going today, but hopefully we’ll get there before we run out of fuel.” You hear this and you’d get the hell off that plane - at least I would. Having a clear and definite purpose is to writers what destination airports are to planes. Revelations and sparks of inspiration certainly help, but when these things abandon you, writers must rely on clear and definite purpose to finish the story. This process is different for everyone, and it’s hard to tell how a story will turn out. Writers follow hunches, and act on gut instinct. So how do you know if the story you’re struggling to finish is worth it? However, there are instances when the time and energy you put into a story may not be worth the effort. ![]() I should take a moment to say that I’m not advocating giving up when the going gets tough. In other words, how long will you bang your head against a wall before trying the door? IN ORDER to succeed as a writer, you have to know more than just how to construct a well-written story you have to know when to give up on a story. ![]()
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