Tips For Submit Short Stories Contest

By Peter Wilson


Learning how to write a novel begins with writing short stories. This is because they do not require as much time and space as the novels do. A typical story is between 200 to 6000 words while a novel is more than this. The more time you spend on a piece of prose, the more you deviate from the short story concept. It should not take you more than 50 hours to submit short stories for a competition.

Every good writer starts with a premise. By the end of the day, it gives a good feeling when what the reader saw at the beginning of the page is exactly how the writing is concluded; this is what a good premise does. The premise does not need to be long but it is important that it carries a powerful message which the reader understands as he goes through the write-up.

Before you start writing your prose, it is important to get your materials ready. Your pencil, note book, biros, dictionary, a comfortable table, chair and anything else to make you comfortable. Organize your ideas and get to work as soon as you can.

Once you decide you are going to participate in a story competition, you need to carry along a jotter and a pen with you everywhere. This is to enable you put vital points down and perhaps a good opening sentence when you are inspired. With many few notes gathered within some days or weeks, you may need just a few more hours to write down something perfect.

Another step is to develop your characters. The characters should have their specific roles to play in the novel. The underlying premise of a character should be consistent so that the reader would not have any problem in following the story.

When you write a small story with several scenes, you are already plotting your own failure. The events in this kind of story should take place within a limited period. It may be about what happened in the winter season or how a girl succeeded in her final year exams.

The person who tells the story is also important. There are three people who can tell the story you have written: the first person, the second person and the third person. The first person is the narrator himself as he uses the word 'I'. This is an easier form of writing but the writer may have the challenge of explaining hidden facts about his characters. A second person narration includes the reader as a part of the characters as he reads the word 'you' while in the third person, 'he' 'she' and 'it'are the most frequent words.

It is awkward to let your fears prevent you from writing. Every expert once had the same experience of not knowing how to start and the only way they overcame was by writing something down even if it meant editing it later. Only make sure your first line can grab attention and the rest of the matter becomes easier.




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