writercises | Entries tagged with short stories

Original Posting 2022/01/06

Huh. I was trying to remember Lester Dent's formula, and tried plugging "pulp writing formula" into Google, which immediately coughed up Michael Moorcock's summary of it from Wikipedia. Except... it seemed to suggest dividing your story into four parts, and then gave short versions of three parts? So, I went over to https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Dent and skimmed it... and there it is! Quote:

Dent's "Master Fiction Plot", often referred to as the "Lester Dent Formula" is a widely circulated guide to writing a salable 6,000-word pulp story. It has been recommended to aspiring authors by Michael Moorcock, among others. Moorcock summarizes the formula by suggesting: "split your six-thousand-word story up into four fifteen hundred word parts. Part one, hit your hero with a heap of trouble. Part two, double it. Part three, put him in so much trouble there's no way he could ever possibly get out of it...All your main characters have to be in the first third. All your main themes and everything else has to be established in the first third, developed in the second third, and resolved in the last third.[28]

That's bizarre. Split your story into four parts. Part one, two, three... what about four?

Wait a minute. So I visited http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/dent.html which is what I remembered. Ah, yes. Start with a different murder method, a different thing for your villain to be seeking, a different place, or a menace to the hero (one or more of those). Then the four parts. Get the hero in trouble and introduce everyone. Next, more trouble! Third, yeah, you guessed it, more trouble again. Fourth, the hero climbs out of trouble through his own efforts. But at least here, there is a fourth part!

Keep that pot boiling!

mbarker

Original posting Oct. 23, 2018

Looking for more? Well, how about starting with these little questions. What threatens the character's self-image? What can go wrong, and what does it cost? What blocks the character, and what are they going to do about it?

Or, you might just think about what events you want to put in your story. Or maybe which candy bar scenes, those ones that you know everybody expects, like the chase scene in a movie.

What about starting by thinking about what is the climax, where are we headed? Then back up, and think about what are the small try-fail cycles on the way there, or the bumps in the road?

Now, if you want a little bit more sequential approach, try walking through this list:

1. What is the moment of change that starts things going?
2. What is the hook for the reader?
3. What is the story problem?
4. What is the first doorway of no return?
5. What are the complications in the middle?
6. What is the 2nd doorway of no return?
7. What is the ending? The climax, character change, and the plot answer?
8. Now what backfill and back story is needed to support this?

There you go. Get the story started, get the character committed, complications along the way, kick off the final confrontation, and explode your ending! Wow!

A likable character overcomes opposition and conflicts through their own efforts to achieve a worthwhile goal…

Characters, purpose and theme, plot…

Write!

mbarker

Original Posting Oct. 19, 2018

Aha! What do you want to say, what is the meaning of your story? You might as well start out with that old cliché, "And the moral of the story is…"

This usually ends up being something you figure out after you have finished the first draft, or even during revision, when you can look at the whole story and see what's going on. Although maybe you'd like to start with a general idea or purpose.

Now, one part of this can be thinking about the genre. Here's one list:

Monster in the house
wish fulfillment
dude with the problem (ordinary person, extraordinary situation)
rite of passage
fool triumphant
superhero (extraordinary person, ordinary situation)
buddies (a.k.a. the odd couple, romance, and so forth)
whodunit (the mysteries!)
Institutionalized (individual versus institution)
quest
adventure
love
one against the odds

Go ahead, which genre do you want to write? Then, in that genre, what you want to say? If you had to sum up your story, the meaning of your story, in a short phrase or sentence, what would it be?

Now, for Halloween... I suppose one of the themes is that there are things in the dark that go bump! Or maybe it's scary in the dark?

You know the next step, right? Yeah...

WRITE!

mbarker

Original Posting Oct. 16, 2018

Okay, for Halloween or Nanowrimo or whenever, you want to get your likable character together, so that through their own efforts, they can overcome opposition and conflicts to achieve a worthwhile goal, right? But... characters? What do you need to know about them? What do you want to know about them?

Well, one approach is to think about these questions. Who are they? What are their goals and desires? What are their problems and their faults? That should give you a pretty good idea of who these people are.

You might also tackle it from the situation or plot side of the world. Who hurts? Who hurts the most? What is their self-concept? What changes in the character? That gives you another look at the characters.

Of course, you can tackle it with the simple questions. Who is there? Where are they going? This let you look at their goals and motivations.

Now, you might want to take a look at their desires. One list is:

Power, independence, curiosity, order, savings (possessions), honor, idealism, status, acceptance, social contact, family, vengeance, romance, eating, physical activity, tranquility.

I know, I know, the checklists that some people use are more generic where did they grow up, where did they go to school, what color is their hair, and so forth. But I think looking at what they want to do and why is probably good, too. Names and such, well, yes, you need those details to bring the person really to life. Just think about them sitting there, explaining why they want to make exploding pumpkins, or whatever it is.

Write!

mbarker

Original Posting Oct. 15, 2018

Alright, it's Oct. 15, halfway through the Halloween contest period (opened Oct. 5, deadline Oct. 25, get those cards and letters to [elided]!) and over here, there's an article about writing short stories! by Sarah Hoyt...

https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/how-to-write-short-stories-part-4-go-for-the-feels/

This is part 4, you may want to go back and review parts 1-3, but... let's see what she says here. The feels short story! A short story devoted to messing with your reader's feelings. Aha, like scaring them? Evoking feelings...

Start with something that you think will excite "feels" in your audience. Pick something that you know people will react to. Kittens, childhood, puppies, innocence...

Outline? Sure...

Start with a character who has sacrificed everything to achieve a goal, losing their soul and joy in the process.

BUT the character gets a chance to do something good, something that reminds them of what they have lost. They try to ignore it.

Push the stimuli, make the character do what they are avoiding. Yes, they are trying to avoid those feelings, but... raindrops keep falling on my face...

And pop! Over the edge...

DO IT! But there are adventures and complications. Drat, why did I start this? Oh, yes...

More dealing with the situation, ignoring the goal.

Payoff! Realization that even though the goal is still there, they really need that feel. Go ahead, pull out the stops and make us cry...

Hum. Halloween? Oh, ho, how about the guy who is so wrapped up in his work that he doesn't even realize that it is Halloween, but... there's a knock at the door, and a little ghost in a sheet lisps, "Twick or tweet, mithter?" And he remembers that day when he went with his brother, wearing a sheet with two holes cut in it...

Well, maybe. Anyway, don't forget! Just ten more days to get that story (or poem! Can't forget the poetry!) in for the 2018 Halloween Contest! Go...

WRITE!

mbarker

Original Posting Oct. 12, 2018

[Halloween stories? Nanowrimo plotting... it's all about stories, right?]

Let’s start with a simple definition of a story. “A likable character overcomes opposition and conflicts through their own efforts to achieve a worthwhile goal.”

Simple, right? Likable character, opposition and conflicts, their own efforts, and a worthwhile goal. Mix well, and write!

I’ve also seen people suggest starting with the character and their goals, then add in the opposition and conflicts, and work out the efforts. Same four pieces, just a little different order. Of course, there are people who like to start with the goal, add opposition and conflicts, then efforts, and figure out who is doing it last?

Well, that’s the core of the story, anyway. Now, in the next few pieces, we will take a look at some points about that character, the purpose or theme, the plot, and even the setting. But for now, you might think about how Halloween, horror, and such might tie into ... a likable character overcoming opposition and conflicts through their own efforts to achieve a worthwhile goal. Perhaps little Jack really wants to collect a nice bag of treats for Halloween, but... there’s a black cat in the path? A gang of zombies marauding? A ....

Okay, write!

mbarker

Original Posting Sept. 4. 2018

Writer's Digest, November 1993, has an article by Michael Orlofsky on pages 38-41 with the title "In the End." The subheading is, "The best short story endings do more than conclude the plot: They reveal subtle and sometimes enigmatic shifts in a character's attitude or outlook, and satisfy the reader's sense that something vitally important has been at stake."

So, what does Michael have to say about short story endings? Well, he starts out by pointing out that beginnings of short stories are paradoxically both the strongest and weakest part of a story! Strongest because it has to hook reader interest. But, also weakest because every following line enriches and deepens the narrative.

However, endings do not share this paradox. The ending must be the strongest point in the story. "In its subtlety, the ending will give reason for pause and reflection; in its magnificence, the ending will prompt cheering readers to splinter the author's door from its hinges, to lay hands on him and carry him through the streets on their shoulders."

Now, he might be overstating just how excited your short story readers are going to get, but…

What is the sense of ending? "In the end, the protagonist should be changed by the plot, or have been faced with the opportunity to change." Simple, right?

Endings are resolutions! They bring the plot to a close. However… "Novels need resolutions because of the reader's need to tie up loose ends. A story, on the other hand, is a loose end – which often simply exposes the subtle and sometimes enigmatic shifts in a character's attitude or outlook. The old-fashioned Aristotelian terms for the shifts in attitude and outlook are reversal and recognition, and they are as valid today as ever." Reversal – change in situation. Recognition? "It happens when the protagonist realizes his reversal, realizes the consequences of his choice, or at least lingers on the cusp of realization." And of course, we want "the sense that something humanly important has been at stake in the story: integrity, love, hope, humility, courage or their opposites."

Wow! So... what kind of endings are there?

"Every ending should be unique, and, ideally, the author should say things that have never been said before." However, there are several types that readers really do like. Even though Michael starts with a couple of endings that aren't really useful.
1. Dead men tell no tales. Don't kill off your characters to try and get an ending. Especially not the main character!
2. Recognitions. Don't tell the reader what to think! Idea and theme are useful, but you don't want to be ordering the reader around.
3. Now, framing with repetition. This is a good ending. Closure. Imagery that repeats. Dialogue, setting, characterization, even a single word or phrase may be used for repetition. So frame your story with repetition. Now.
4. Surprise or revelation. Surprise, an unexpected twist in plot or behavior, is an oldie but goodie. Readers enjoy the suspense and delight in Revelation. Don't do it for shock value. "Surprise endings work best when they evoke irony, anguish, pity, or wonder at human capacity."
5. Journeys. Setting out or deciding to leave makes a nice emotionally charged ending. "Leave-taking also satisfies one of the basic requirements of the ending: things can never be the same." Also, a journey leaves the narrative open for a sequel!
6. Responding to the theme. "Of the many ways to end a story, responding to the theme takes the most skill: Too little emphasis, and the ending will seem flat or vague; too much, and it will sound contrived, with the added consequences that the story may appear told for the sake of meaning rather than for the drama." Authorial voice, the thoughts of a character… Sometimes asking questions.

So how do you write an ending? Michael suggests start by free writing. Ask yourself who the story is really about and what is really at stake, and then write. Another approach is to write backwards from the climax. Start by writing your climax, your ending, and then write the rest of the story. Of course, sometimes your story may take off in a different direction, but revision can help a lot with that. Third, save the best for last. Wonderful prose, rich imagery, snappy dialogue… Save it for your ending!

How do you choose the right ending? Well, sometimes it just feels right. But, take a look at your type of story. Plot-oriented? Action, adventure, mystery? Idea-oriented? Religious, romance, historical, experimental? Character-oriented? Slice of life, psychological profile, autobiographical fiction, literary story? Decide what the most important quality of your story is, plot, idea, or character. A plot story usually ends with a surprise or revelation, which satisfies the reader. An idea story, usually comes to terms with the idea, addresses the theme. Don't leave the reader hanging, show them the triumph of that idea. Character… "Endings that work best for examinations of character often come right out of life: dialogue that gives the character of pause to reflect, repeated image that has assumed significance for the protagonist, a journey of escape, or, better yet, a journey of challenge."

There you go. Endings. "If you're confident of your sense of story – if your character has changed as a result of a difficult decision, choice, or moral struggle – then the perfect ending should flow naturally from the events that have preceded it."

Go ahead. Write that ending!

mbarker

Original Posting Aug. 29, 2018

Over here

https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/how-to-write-a-short-story-and-why-you-really-should-learn-to-a-10-part-series/

Sarah Hoyt is going to walk through writing short stories. But where do short stories fit into the new world of indie publishing? Well...

1. In an anthology, your short story can introduce you to other writers' fans!
2. Filling in the gaps and keeping the raving readers at bay while you work on your longer pieces.
3. Use short stories as permanent free bait on Amazon!
4. Trying things out -- characters, writing styles, genres -- and building a collection for later!

So what's a short story? 2,000 to 10,000 words. But... more than that, it's "a satisfying unit of action, character development, and emotional resolution (ideally all three, practically at least one of those.)"

And that's it for this time. Next, she'll be talking about types of short stories. Watch for it!

mbarker

Original Posting Aug. 16, 2018

Writer's Digest, July 1991, has an article by Jeanne Muchnick on pages 20-23. Jeanne is talking about short stories. She points out that Edgar Allan Poe said, "short story should be brief enough to be read at a single seating, but long enough to produce the desired effect on the reader." Then she suggests that one way to get the right length is to think about writing a short story like packing a suitcase.

You don't want to jam everything into a story. That is a recipe for "confusing, overstuffed fiction: too many characters, extra plot lines, unneeded conflicts." You also don't want to make it too sparse or spare, leaving out colorful important details.

Short fiction, like longer stories, uses characterization, setting, action, and exposition, but you need to pack it carefully. So, what are the common mistakes and how do you correct them?

Character Flaws. First of all, don't bother trying to tell your readers everything about your characters. There's no time. All you want are pieces that are crucial to the premise of the story. She gives two examples, first of a beginning that focuses way too long and hard on telling us about a character, and then on another one that drops us into the story problem rapidly.

Setting. Again, don't plan on too many settings. The traps here are describing each scene in detail, so you don't have room for anything else, or making the settings so sketchy that they don't seem authentic. Most of the time, you want a single setting, maybe two or three. Another problem often grows out of trying to make each word count, so you try to "create powerful, well worded descriptive sentences…" And end up overdoing it. Stick to simple descriptions.

Narrative. In this case, we mean the flow of the writing, how everything fits together. Long descriptions disrupt flow. Drop in bits of description. Beware whenever one element starts to dominate. Keep it tight, don't get carried away with description, narrative, or even action.

"Learning to tighten your narratives is a matter of practice. Back to the suitcase analogy: once everything you need for the trip is laid out, look at it with a critical eye. First pack pack the absolute essentials, then see how much room is left, and get ready to leave some things behind."

The sidebar suggests asking yourself these nine questions to help pack your story…

1. Does the story seem realistic? Are there enough details to let the reader visualize the action, characters, and setting?
2. Is the drama introduced early?
3. Does the story rely too much on dialogue?
4. Have I used too many flowery adjectives?
5. Is there a subplot? If so, could it be edited out?
6. Are the transitions clear?
7. How many settings does the story have? Scene shifts?
8. Are there so many characters that even I have trouble keeping them straight?
9. What elements – characters, objects, actions, dialogue – could be removed without changing the story?

There you go. Pack that suitcase, and take your reader on a trip.

mbarker

Original Posting July 26, 2018

Over here

https://www.dailywritingtips.com/how-to-write-a-short-story/

offers a quick rundown of the short story! First, why write a short story? You can finish them quickly, you can try out lots of ideas, it's a good way to experiment with structuring viewpoint, and there are competitions! Then, the six steps…

1. Decide how long your story is going to be. 100, 800, 8000 words? 2000 is a common length, but pick your target!
2. Crank out several ideas! Brainstorming, mind mapping, writing prompts…
3. Pick some characters! Main character, maybe a sidekick or two, the villain? Short story, small cast.
4. Plan your story. What starts it, what ends it, and what's in the middle?
5. Draft. Sit down and write it. Viewpoint, tense -- 3rd person, past is ordinary, but you may want to play with this. Then crank it out! Focus, show, and dialogue.
6. Edit. Big changes, then minor tightening. Do a last polish.

There you go. Six steps, and a short story! Yay!

Write!

mbarker

Original Posting Dec. 14, 2017

Over here, http://www.writingexcuses.com/2017/12/10/12-50-form-and-function/ the Writing Excuses crew tackled how form influences function, or at least, how media influences story. Then, towards the end of the podcast, they added a bonus section. Pretty simple, really. They asked each of the four panel members -- Mary, Wesley, Mary Anne, and Brandon -- to answer the question "Why do I love writing stories?" with a first-person discussion.

Their answers? Well, you can listen to the podcast, or read the transcript. Briefly, they said, "[Mary] It allows me to tilt the world on its side and see what's underneath, and the act of communicating that understanding makes me a better person. [Wesley] It allows me to be somebody I know I can't be in real life. I can be the hero, I can become a better person. [Mary Anne] Stories let me explore taboos, let me process things and say things that I can't any other way. [Brandon] Stories are the closest I can get to magic in real life. I can imagine something, and engage in telepathy with my readers!"

So, how does that make an exercise for us? Well, it seems to me that you might take that challenge -- answer the question, "Why do I love writing stories?" Doesn't have to be a long answer, but it should be a heartfelt answer, if you'll let me push you towards self-examination and reflection a bit.

Who knows, maybe you'll even feel like sharing that glimpse, that moment of looking into the writer's mirror and thinking about just why do I love doing this, with the rest of us?

Write?

mbarker

Original Posting Aug. 1, 2017

Recently on Facebook, someone asked which would you choose?

1. You get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night.
2. Your house cleans itself.
3. Your kids eat everything you serve them without complaining.
4. Someone runs all of your errands.

When I saw it, everyone seemed to be saying they wanted 2, a house that cleans itself. But I have to admit, I looked at the list and thought...

What could go wrong? How could I turn each of these into at least a short story of some kind? While I'm sleeping without interruptions, what happens? When the house cleans itself, who disappears (no, no, don't kill the pets. But how about that uncle that nobody likes?)? Chomp, chomp, wait, stop eating. No, really, quit eating. Or, of course, there's the errand runner who doesn't quite do them the way you expect?

Anyway, pick a wonderful thing. Then think about what might go wrong. And...

Write!
tink

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting Jan. 11, 2017

Writer's Digest, January 1996, pages 35 to 37, have a short article by Darrell Schweitzer with the title "Finding Your Short Story's… True Beginning." The focus here is on finding the right place to start your story. Darrell starts out with the proverbial Western writer's advice, "Shoot the sheriff on the first page." He adds "The science-fiction version may involve denting the sheriff's carapace, but it's pretty much the same." However, a common problem for stories is starting in the wrong place. So how do you tell where the beginning of the story is?

Well, Darrell suggests starting with Krazy Kat! Ignatz Mouse, in that old comic strip, kept throwing bricks at Krazy Kat to get her attention. So... you got it! "The story starts when your character gets hit in the head with a brick."

Not a long description of who the character is, a history of the world, or even what daily life is like. Short stories start "when the protagonist's life is disrupted. When the routine changes. When something extraordinary manifests itself."

Often, this is just a very obvious change. However, some stories do start with a description of routine, showing what life is like before the interruption. Why? It depends on the theme. But even there, it's kept tight. Basically, the archetype is:

"Routinely, Harold Hero went through the motions of his life, doing what he always did. And then, one day…"

Conflict. Get to it quickly. "So, to begin a story, think of the hurled brick: the intrusion, the disruption, the sudden explosion of conflict that yanks your character out of his daily routine, the extraordinary happenstance that gives him a story worth telling."

Now, a short story means everything needs to do multiple tasks. In fact, along with that brick, we need to introduce the tone, the emotional flavor. We need to present a point of view, how are we seeing the brick. And don't forget the setting! Along with some characters. So we're looking at:

1. Introduction. Who is the narrator, what's the point of view?
2. The hook, something unusual to get our attention.
3. Premise. A hint about what's coming.
4. Tone. What kind of a story is this? What emotional strings are going to be played?
5. Conflict. Internal, external, what's wrong?

So, if your beginning doesn't seem to have what you need, where should you look? Well, Darrell suggests looking at your ending. "All too often, the amateur story stops where the professional one starts." That's right, that climax might be the best place to start!

Darrell has an exercise to check this. Write a sequel! Suppose all the characters know and take for granted what happened in the original story. But now they are going on. Write that story. Don't build up to an idea, use that as the beginning.

And don't forget to throw a few bricks.

All right? WRITE!
tink

Current Mood: belated

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting Dec. 2, 2016

Let's see. Someone was talking about pulp fiction recently, and I pulled out Lester Dent's plot. They seemed surprised to learn of it, so... what the heck, let's review!

http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/dent.html has a copy, if you want to follow along.

First off, Lester recommends brainstorming about four different things. They are:
1. A different murder method for the villain to use
2. A different thing for the villain to be seeking
3. A different locale
4. A menace which hangs like a cloud over the hero
You need at least one, two is better, and three is great! Okay? So do some thinking about what's going to be your unique points.

Next, divvy up the story into four parts. Lester was doing 6000 word stories, with 1500 word parts, but adjust to taste.

First part.
1. First line, or as near as possible, introduce your hero and hit him with a bunch of trouble. Hint at a mystery, menace, or problem that the hero has to deal with.
2. Make the hero pitch in to deal with the bunch of trouble.
3. Introduce all other characters as soon as possible, bringing them on in action.
4. Near the end of the first part, let the hero's efforts get him into an actual physical conflict.
5. Also, near the end, drop in a complete surprise twist in the plot.
Suspense? Menace to the hero? Logical sequence of events? Make sure that your action does more than just move the hero around in the scenery. Let him learn things, and surprises.

Second part
1. Load more trouble on the hero.
2. The hero keeps struggling, leading to
3. Another physical conflict and
4. Another plot twist!
Make sure we have more suspense, increasing menace, and the hero is getting in more and more trouble. Also, we still need that clockwork logic progression.

Show! Make the reader see things.
Try to put at least one minor surprise o each page.
Use tags to keep your characters easy to remember.
Continuous action!

Third part
1. More trouble for the hero!
2. Hero begins to make some headway, and corners villain or someone in
3. (You guessed it!) a physical conflict
4. And yet another surprising plot twist.
Whoosh! More suspense, that menace is turning solid black, and the hero is really in trouble! All in logical lockstep, right?

Feel free to make the physical conflicts different, just to avoid monotony.

Action: vivid, swift, make the reader see it.
Atmosphere: all the senses.
Description: scenery and details.
Make each word count.

Fourth part!
1. More troubles for the hero!
2. Get the hero almost buried in trouble.
3. Let the hero pull himself out using his own skills!
4. The big mystery gets cleared up during the final confrontation.
5. Final twist, a big surprise.
6. Punch line ending!
Keep the suspense going to the last line. Keep the menace there until the ending. Make sure that everything is explained, and that the events all happen logically. Use the punch line to make the reader feel warm and fuzzy! And, make sure that your hero kills or defeats the villain, not someone else.

There you go. Simple, right? Get the character in trouble, keep them fighting and finding out new twists, build it up to another fight and twist, build it up to one more fight and twist, and then kaboom! Let the hero fight their way out, with a final big twist.

Got it? Now write it!
tink

Current Mood: pulpy

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting Aug. 30, 2016

Over here,

http://rockrivertimes.com/2016/08/29/outrageous-inexplicable-situation-prompts-wnij-fiction-contest/

They are talking about a flash fiction contest. 500 word stories. And the prompt? Well, your first sentence should contain an outrageous, inexplicable situation. Then deal realistically with that for the rest of your 500 words. You don't need to explain the situation, and probably can't, but make the story good!

There's a short video, and more about the contest (WNIJ, in DeKalb?)

But for the fun of it, even if you don't want to enter their contest, go ahead and spin a story. 500 words, with an incredible beginning.

After all, once you eliminate the ordinary and the improbable, whatever is left, no matter how unlikely, is impossible? Isn't that what Mycroft Holmes told his brother?

Write!
tink

Current Mood: inexplicable

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting June 4, 2016

Writer's Digest, May 1996 (yes, 20 years ago! That's why it's moldy!) on pages 27-29 had an article by Monica Wood with the title Your Short Story Shape-Up Plan. It's marked as the Technique of the Month, too! So, here's the three steps to tightening up your first draft into a great story. I'll just mention that you really should read the original, with the example of Teresa, the ornithologist on a wild woodpecker chase.

Step 1. 3 questions! These are aimed at making sure we know the general shape of the story and whether there's enough material in the draft to shape into a story.

1. What does the main character want? Start with the simple answer, but then push it a bit. Why do they want this?
2. Does the story have a beginning, middle, and end? What are they?
3. Does the story have the makings of a central (or unifying) metaphor? This is optional, but... nice to have.

When you finish answering these three, you will probably have new material to work in. So...

Step 2. The Classic Story Shape! Setup, complication, rising action, climax, denouement. Walk through these, and see how your story fits.

Setup: the beginning, that sets the stage.
Complication: an event or person that disrupts the setup and propels the story into motion (aka the inciting event!)
Rising action: all the events in the middle that expose the character or add more complications.
Climax: Kaboom! The end of the story, where there is a reversal, transformation, or realization.
Denouement: let the readers absorb the climax and relax.

The trick, of course, is to consider how your story fills these steps. Go ahead, consider the information from your 3 questions, and then make sure your story has a good solid shape, full of interesting and exciting events and characters.

Step 3. Weight and balance. Think of your story as one of those wonderful hill-shaped curves that English teachers love to show us. Does it have a setup and complication that fit nicely into the left-hand side of the curve? How about rising action filling in the middle? And do the climax and denouement take us smoothly down the right side of the curve? Don't make it too even! You want us to feel the rise and fall of dramatic tension. Don't unbalance it, though, with too much time on the setup or a long, meandering denouement.

Simple, right? Just three questions, a bit of shaping, and a final check for the right balance.

That's the way to make your story sit up and get some attention!
tink

Current Mood: bouncy

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting 23 August 2010

Writers Digest, December 2007, pages 77 and 78, has some notes on short stories. There's several different pieces, by Simon Wood.

It starts with a two paragraph description under the title, "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff." This points out that short stories are hard. They're concentrated, streamlined, storytelling. You have to focus on key elements, without wasting words.

So how do you write a better short story? Simon Wood offers six points:

1. Get to the point. Begin with a crisis or conflict, weave backstory in and keep going. In novels, by the end of Chapter 1, you've established the story's conflict. In short stories, you need to do that by the end of the first page. Action, dialogue, provocative statements by characters... get to the point.

2. Scope. Short stories are limited in size. Think of a play -- limit the set changes, and the characters. Short stories are intimate snapshots of a handful of key characters.

3. Think small. Not in terms of theme or complexity, but in execution. You can have big conflicts, but the resolution needs to be fast.

4. Short stories need beginnings, middles, and ends. They may be snapshots, but they need to start with a conflict and end with a resolution. You need a series of actions that the characters take to get to the resolution. Take readers on a journey with a destination. Conflict, obstacles, and resolution -- make sure they're all there.

5. Too much information. Short stories don't need long character histories. Keep the story moving. Snappy descriptions, simple yet elegant sentences. Hint, don't go into details.

6. Show, don't tell. Actions -- characters doing things -- show the readers everything they want to know.

And Simon Wood provides a questionnaire that can help guide your short story.

1. When is the story's conflict introduced? (On the first page?)
2. What action starts the story's conflict? (Dialogue or physical action)
3. How many major characters are in the story?
4. What are the pivotal plot developments for the beginning, middle, and end?
5. Does each sentence push the story forward or show readers something about the characters? (If not, delete it)
6. Does each word move the story forward? (If not, get rid ot it)
7. Is the story focused or are there irrelevancies and redundancies in characters or plot?
8. Are descriptions simple, but effective? (Do they make people and places seem vivid without a lot of words?)
9. Is the dialogue tight, and sound genuine? (Read it aloud)
10. Do we see how the characters act?
11. Is the story's conflict resolved?

There's even an exercise. Pretty straightforward -- first try using the questionnaire on a short story of your own. Are there things you can improve? Next, take a favorite story written by someone else and try out the questionnaire again.

Write?

Current Mood: soggy

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting 30 Dec 2009

Go right over here http://madgeniusclub.blogspot.com/2009/11/plot-is-king-to-catch-spirit-of-thing.html
and you can read the original Sarah Hoyt posting. Or...

Here's the headings:

Title:
Character:
Problem:
Goal:
Action:
Mirror Moment:
Resolution:

In the text around this, Sarah suggests that the three key elements are character, problem, and resolution. You might also want to think about setting and the plot -- what your character tries to do to get to the resolution.

That mirror moment thing? Basically that's a point where the character realizes that the goal he's been aiming at isn't what he really wants. It's the sudden realization that what we say we want and what we actually want aren't quite the same.

Anyway, I thought some of you might enjoy trying out yet another worksheet. It's a way to help organize your thinking. And no, you don't have to do it this way.

Current Mood: linked

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