Write an original short story entitled 'The secret'(key points: no trash answers, there should be secret involved which should be told to the readers in the end, if you don't have time to write then tell me a plot, story should have characters,it should be 300-350 words and interesting)
p.s. question is for 60 points
Answers
Answer:
Trying to write a short story is the perfect place to begin your writing career.
Why?
Because it reveals many of the obstacles, dilemmas, and questions you’ll face when creating fiction of any length.
If you find these things knotty in a short story, imagine how profound they would be in a book-length tale.
Most writers need to get a quarter million clichés out of their systems before they hope to sell something.
And they need to learn the difference between imitating their favorite writers and emulating their best techniques.
Mastering even a few of the elements of fiction while learning the craft will prove to be quick wins for you as you gain momentum as a writer.
I don’t mean to imply that learning how to write a short story is easier than learning how to write a novel—only that as a neophyte you might find the process more manageable in smaller bites.
So let’s start at the beginning.
Need help fine-tuning your writing? Click here to download my free self-editing checklist.
What Is a Short Story?
Don’t make the mistake of referring to short nonfiction articles as short stories. In the publishing world, short story always refers to fiction. And short stories come varying shapes and sizes:
Traditional: 1,500-5000 words
Flash Fiction: 500-1,000 words
Micro Fiction: 5 to 350 words
Is there really a market for a short story of 5,000 words (roughly 20 double-spaced manuscript pages)?
Some publications and contests accept entries that long, but it’s easier and more common to sell a short story in the 1,500- to 3,000-word range.
And on the other end of the spectrum, you may wonder if I’m serious about short stories of fewer than 10 words (Micro Fiction). Well, sort of.
They are really more gimmicks, but they exist. The most famous was Ernest Hemingway’s response to a bet that he couldn’t write fiction that short. He wrote: For sale: baby shoes. Never worn.
That implied a vast backstory and deep emotion.
Writing a short story is an art, despite that they are so much more concise than novels. Which is why I created this complete guide.
How to Come Up with Great Short Story Ideas
Do you struggle coming up with short story ideas?
Or is your list so long you don’t know where to start?
Writing fiction is not about rules or techniques or someone else’s ideas.
It’s about a story well told.
Short story ideas are all around you, and you can learn to recognize them. Then you can write with confidence and enjoy the process.
I recommend these strategies to generate story ideas:
1. Recognize the germ.
Much fiction starts with a memory—a person, a problem, tension, fear, conflict that resonates with you and grows in your mind.
That’s the germ of an idea that can become your story.
2. Write it down.
Write your first draft to simply get the basics of the story down without worrying about grammar, cliches, redundancy or anything but the plot.
3. Create characters from people you know.
Characters come from people you’ve or have known all your life (relatives).
Brainstorming interesting, quirky, inspiring, influential people and mix and match their looks, ages, genders, traits, voices, tics, habits, characteristics. The resulting character will be an amalgam of those.
4. Get writing.
The outlining and research has to end at some point.
You’ve got to start getting words onto the page.
Interested in reading more about these strategies? Click here to read my in-depth blog post on how to come up with story ideas.
How to Structure Your Short Story
Regardless whether you’re an Outliner or a Pantser like me (one who writes by the seat of their pants), I recommend a basic story structure.
It looks like this, according to bestselling Dean Koontz:
Plunge your main character into terrible trouble as soon as possible. (That trouble will mean something different depending on your genre. For a thriller it might be life-threatening. For a romance it might mean choosing between two suitors.)
Everything your character does to try to get out of the trouble makes it only worse.
Eventually things appear hopeless.
Finally, everything your character has learned through all that trouble gives him what he needs to win the day—or fail .
That structure will keep you—and your reader—engaged.
How to Write a Short Story in 9 Steps
Read as Many Great Short Stories as You Can Find
Aim for the Heart
Narrow Your Scope
Make Your Title Sing
Use the Classic Story Structure
Suggest Backstory, Don’t Elaborate
When in Doubt, Leave it Out
Ensure a Satisfying Ending
Cut Like Your Story’s Life Depends on It