Author of three children’s books encouraging kids to always reach for the stars. Now available at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com.
Additional flash fiction, short stories, and essays are featured in various publications.
If I read your post, I tweet it. Plain and simple. I believe it’s the polite and courteous thing to do. My time is valuable, so I’m not going to waste it reading a post if I’m not going to send it on to the social world.
However, if the connection is broken… Well, it’s very frustrating. I feel my efforts to share have been thwarted. Ooh, I love that word, thwarted.
If you’re worried that may happen to your website. Head over to hughsviewsandnews.com and read the following article. Make sure your website is set up so people can send your post out into the world-wide-web.
I’ve come close a few times, but sigh… I’m still working on grabbing the brass ring.
It’s another year and contests are starting to crop up again. But, if I’m to jump in those deep waters, I want to give myself the best chance of winning. That brings up the question. How?
What can we do to swing the odds in our favor in the face of fierce competition?
After you’ve written that story make sure you’ve hit all the basics. If you’re looking for an edge, check out the following tips.
Engage the reader emotionally.
Give the reader a reason to love or hate the protagonist.
Even in a short or flash piece emotions should run hot.
Be unpredictable.
Don’t be cliché, or if you must put an original twist on an old cliché.
Don’t put the reader to sleep.
Keep them on the edge of their seat from line one.
I’ve been guilty of rambling on and on about something I thought was important but wasn’t.
Give the reader a satisfying ending.
Don’t leave them hungry.
There’s a difference in a cliff hanger and a bad taste.
Lead the reader down a clear path.
Don’t leave them wondering what the hell just happened?
(Oops, just used a cliché.)
Let the reader breathe.
Fast, slow, short and long, the pacing helps go the distance.
Know the rules.
And follow them.
I must confess, I’ve blown this more than once.
Want to read more about avoiding contest mistakes?
I do! And I’m still learning how to outline a story with a structure that doesn’t collapse at the first strong wind of criticism.
Have you ever loved a story, but wondered why no one else did?
Me too.
Often.
I’m a pantster. Nothing better than sitting down and letting my muse loose on the keyboard. Too bad, writing by stream of consciousness often ends, as do most streams, into a raging uncontrollable river. And where do rivers end? Into a vast ocean, that’s where.
Then after spending hours, days and sometimes months writing thousands of words, all I can do is try not to drown amid the ocean of a rambling story. So I give up and decide to fix it another day. I’ve no idea how this happened.
Does any of this sound familiar?
I’ve begun to fear; my problem may be lack of structure.
If you’re a pantster, don’t go to yelling just yet. I’m still a pantster but, I’m learning to use structure. Because I believe there’s a way to marry both the outline structure and write pantster style.
Got a story that just aggravated you almost to insanity? Nothing is working? Take it and try breaking it down into 3 simple acts and then break those acts down further.
Got an idea for a story? Start by simplifying it with 3 acts. Then one idea under each act and an idea under each one of those headings.
Here is the basic outline I’m working with.
Act I – Opening
Hook – conflict
Protagonist in daily life before transformation
Opportunity to change
Resistance to change
Point of no return
Opportunity accepted
Act II – Entering the new situation
Location
Meeting friends, enemies, romance;
Transformative experiences
Problem brings them together
Problem drives them apart
Crisis Hits
Act III
Terrible Secret Revealed
By breaking down the story little by little, I’m giving it time to grow and hoping to find more freedom and inspiration with smaller chunks.
One of my favorite books is Save the Cat Kindle Edition by Blake Snyder and although the book is primarily focused on script writing the principles can be applied to writing a story.
So tell me, do you use the 3 Act structure or a more indepth outline?
Jean's Writing 