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Main ideas of how to write I short story - Coggle Diagram
Main ideas of how to write I short story
Where to Find Story Writing Ideas
Every novelist or short story writer has heard the question many times: “Where do you get your ideas?” The answer is always the same: from everywhere. Many aspiring writers believe they need to wait for a sudden flash of inspiration, but generating ideas is more of a process than an epiphany.
Pay attention
Pay attention to what’s going on around you.. Those snippets of conversation you overheard at dinner, the car you witnessed going the wrong way down the freeway during rush hour, the elderly man trudging down a dark alley calling the name Maryanne repeatedly, all could spark a story.
Jot things down.
Make a habit of noticing what’s going on around you, from the exciting to the mundane, by writing things down as they catch your attention.The act of writing things down will remind you to focus and be in the moment.
Ask “What if?”
Events aren’t stories. But events can germinate stories when the writer plants the seeds by asking questions.
Creating a Story Framework
Stories are not just sequences of events—they have to go somewhere. Any good story begins with a character who wants something. The story describes the character’s journey toward getting what he or she wants . . . or not.
Keep your character’s struggle to get something he desperately wants in mind as you build your story framework by answering these questions.
Who is my main character? What is he like in his ordinary life?
What does he want? Is there an extraordinary event that calls him to action?
What is he willing to do to get what he wants?
How do the character’s flaws prevent him from achieving his goal?
What obstacles, internal or external, thwart him?
Does he finally overcome the obstacles or is he unable to succeed?
How is the character changed as a result of the struggle?
The Fundamentals of Plot
The story must have a beginning, middle, and end. The character follows a path called the story arc. It begins with an event that sets the wheels in motion. That’s followed by rising action, which means that every step in the story’s progression raises the stakes just a bit, increasing the conflict and tension.
The final piece is the end, or denouement, which wraps the story up in a satisfying way and solidifies both its outcome and its theme.