samedi 15 octobre 2016

Things To Know To Submit Short Stories

By Peter Wilson


A short story is a piece of prose that can be read in one sitting. It is usually less than 6000 words and can be written within fifty hours. This kind of prose is different from a novel in the sense that novels can be as long as whatever you like and may contain hundreds of plots or characters. Knowing the differences between this kind of prose and a novel can give you an edge over others in a submit short stories contest.

Every good writer starts with a premise. By the end of the day, it gives a good feeling when what the reader saw at the beginning of the page is exactly how the writing is concluded; this is what a good premise does. The premise does not need to be long but it is important that it carries a powerful message which the reader understands as he goes through the write-up.

Writing requires some tools for those ideas to flow. These tools include a table, chair, pens, books, dictionaries and jotters. Your sitting posture should be good to prevent early fatigue. Try to organize your ideas before sitting down but do not be too apprehensive about it since you can always edit.

Sometimes, the main points that make the story superb are not gotten when the writer sits down to start. Instead, the main inspiration can be gotten when you are doing something odd and least prepared to start narrating. This makes it needful to always be with a jotter and pen so that you can always put down those ideas when they come.

Another thing to bear in mind is the characters of the story. Choose your characters and define them by their actions. When defining the characters, it is not good to give them roles that counter their underlying premise. For example, if you have initially defined a character as one that fights corruption, it will be wrong to give him a role that shows he takes bribe without remorse.

There should be a confinement when writing to win a story contest. Unlike novels where different scenes are allowed, a story is not supposed to take up more than one scene even though two scenes may be permitted. The characters should also operate within a specific time frame or season.

Also think about the narrator of the story. Narrators of stories may be first person, second person or third person. In first person narration, the writer of the story is the narrator who gives a breakdown of events while in the second person style, the reader is considered as one of the characters. Third person narration enables the writer to explore the thoughts of his characters even though this is also risky if done improperly as the reader may not know the character to focus on at the point where he becomes confused.

It is awkward to let your fears prevent you from writing. Every expert once had the same experience of not knowing how to start and the only way they overcame was by writing something down even if it meant editing it later. Only make sure your first line can grab attention and the rest of the matter becomes easier.




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