Steve's Short Stories
This page will feature short stories, some published and some not (yet). The stories range from inspirational, to devastation, to humor and fantasy.
This Month's Featured Poem:
Excuse Abuse
(From an Article Published in Word Press January 2010)
Many writers are Wanna-B's because they have a story or see stories all around them and don't know where to start writing. In the two writers clubs and writing workshops that I run, I tell Wanna-B's there is no secret beyond putting fingers to keys. However, I don't recommend they start on the story until they think through a few basic elements about the project.
First they need to give some thought and type their understandings of the six items below. It is important to actually see the answers on the page, not just assume they have a clear understanding in their minds.
- Decide on your writing goals – Family Record, a book to Gift and Sell Locally, a book to Sell Broadly, including people you've never met.
- What is the intended type of story and writing genre – Fiction, Non-Fiction or Creative Non-Fiction, Children's Book, Family Saga, Mystery, etc?
- Think of at least three stories you might write before you decide on the one you are going to write as your first effort.
- Think through the overall arch of the story? For example, is it an "n"- starts good, goes to pieces, comes back, ends badly, an "r" – starts good, goes to pieces, comes back to end in a bang, a "w" – starts good goes to pieces, comes back... The idea is that every scene, every word needs to support or forewarn of the overall theme and outcome of the story.
- Most books are written in scenes, especially fiction, so you need to outline the story and list the scenes you will need to tell the story.
- The main characters need to be described along with their goals and emotional state. What do they love? What do they hate? What do they fear? This can keep you consistent on little things like a characters looks as well as important things like his hot buttons and goals.
Read the full article
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