Short Story Writing Tips
Don't know how to start writing a story? Here are some tips:
#1. For our story division, a story must be at least 200 words. However, to write a winning story, it will probably take at least 500 words to make a complete story. Any less than that and it's not likely to be interesting.
The maximum is 2500 words. If you write more than that, only the first 2000 and last 500 words will be judged.
#2. Try starting with a character. Make the character interesting, someone you want to read about. Then give them a problem and see how they will handle it. For example, a blond haired girl who can't walk well, or a tall man with deep green eyes who knows what you are thinking.
#3. Try starting with an interesting place--such as a haunted house with black windows or a sports stadium where you can smell hot dogs and pizza in the air. Think of what might happen there.
#4. Try starting with a problem. A bomb? Being late? Looking for a treasure? Think of how the climax of the story will take place, and then work back to how the characters got to that point.
#5. Try writing about your real life experience. What happened to you? How can you describe it so that someone else can understand your feelings?
#6. Try changing an existing story into something different. For example, write how Cinderella was really an evil witch who tricked the kind prince. Or how the Big Bad Wolf was never really bad at all.
#7. Take a look at a list of Common Story Themes.
#8. Still no ideas? Try one of the Story Prompts.