How to avoid mistakes with your story

Published on by Jean M. Cogdell

Avoiding writing mistakes is not as easy as it sounds.

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At least for me. So I loved finding more helpful tips.

I enjoy short stories. Especially flash fiction. Maybe it’s my imagination. I think Flash Fiction leaves a lot to imagine. Having said that, this article helped me think how I write both short stories and Flash.

In the following post:

Mistakes to avoid in Short Story Writing By  

Ms. Parrish explains not only what mistakes to avoid, but also what is and is not a story.

What she said really resonated with me.

The reader should leave a story, seeing something they didn’t see in the beginning.

That’s a story, it’s not a description goes how things are or were, it’s not a sensibility, or a mood. These things are elements of the story, but not the story.

I don’t know about you, but I’m guilty of getting bogged down with too much detail and description which can slow down the story.

Read the post by  and let me know which part of writing a story do you have difficulty with.

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4 thoughts on “How to avoid mistakes with your story”

  1. Not to be repetitive – but, as the commenter above, I totally agree with the idea that the reader must walk away with a new insight, a slightly different lens on the world. This is why I write. Great post.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Jean, I absolutely agree with the first point – ‘Not telling a story’. But it has become fashionable in modern times to write stories that begin nowhere and lead nowhere. Then they are also sadly acclaimed as masterpieces that describe human emotions at their best, that there is something “deeper” inside that story, that the “wisdom” escapes the rest of the lay crowd, the hoi polloi, which does not know better. Somewhere down this line we have lost the notion that a story is ultimately for entertainment not just for metaphysical eureka moments or for greater wisdom that is not easily apparent to the reader. I am not suggesting that people write dumb stories (which is another extreme that the world has also embraced too easily), but to remember the fact that a story stands out only when it is a “story” not just dialogues or descriptions of moments in the character’s life. Anne’s viewpoint is laudable and refreshing in these days of “hyper-hype” and nonsensical reviews.

    But the last point slightly baffles me. What should an ending be like? I might be mistaken in this, but I do believe that neat endings work too. The Murakami-inspired dangling and unresolved questions do not appeal to me at all. But that is my personal opinion – as opposed to the entire world which seems to love these sort of things. I don’t like neat endings either, but I see nothing wrong in them. Will send you a short story if you are interested 🙂 That is, if I don’t end up sounding like a vain little writer who wants to show off to another writer. Bah, never mind, just kidding..

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    1. I couldn’t agree more. Some of the books of the month, or chosen Oprah Book Club books left me scratching my head. I read to be entertained or educated. My time is valuable. Thanks for all of the input. Loved your passion!

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