Writing an original story isn't easy but don't worry - read this article to create one!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: The Short Story
Step 1. Read numerous short stories, both classic and contemporary, to know which elements are used and to understand what attracts readers the most
Choose your favorites and pay attention to how they start. Find out what works and what doesn't.
- Read short stories from classic writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Anton Chekhov and Guy de Maupassant.
- Read short stories from early 20th century authors such as Isaac Babel, Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, and Jorge Luis Borges.
- Read short stories from contemporary writers like Alice Munro, Raymond Carver and Jhumpa Lahiri.
- Attend a writing workshop to compare yourself with other writers. Reading only world-consecrated books can make everything seem insurmountable, but talking to people like you will allow you to face the challenge more calmly.
Step 2. Understand the components of a short story
Having the introduction is a good start but it's not enough if you don't know how to continue or finish. The stories are not all the same, some are traditional, while others are experimental. However, they all have key aspects:
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Plot, or what happens in the story. A narrative is largely based on a concatenation of facts. Some start with a quiet situation which then results in a crisis, while others in the middle of a complicated time. Some have a happy ending, some don't.
The plot doesn't necessarily have to be structured from the start but make sense
- Personages. The story should have at least one that readers can identify with, or not. If your protagonist is original, he doesn't need to be the hero.
- Dialogues, the poetry of prose. They should be used sparingly to make the characters speak. But there are also writers, like Hemingway and Carver, who have written compelling stories full of dialogue.
- Points of view. From what perspective do you tell the story? It can be in first, second or third person. The first person directly reflects a character's perspective, the second person addresses the reader, the third person creates a distance between the narrator and the characters.
- The setting represents the place where the story unfolds. It can be crucial, like the south in William Faulkner's works, or play a minor role.
Step 3. There are numerous ways of writing, but before you decide which one is yours, let the story inspire and guide you
After this step, you can ask yourself stylistic questions:
- Will the narration be in the first, second or third person? You can experiment with various perspectives but, before you start writing, you should have in mind the right way of expression for you.
- What are the historical epochs and the setting of the story? If it takes place in a city or period you don't know well, you will need to do some research before you start writing.
- How many characters will there be in the story? This way, you will also get an idea of its length and details.
- Don't underestimate the power of writing without a plan. If you feel inspired, write and see what happens. You can fix it later.
Method 2 of 3: Start Writing
Step 1. Trust your intuition
Relax and write the first thing that comes to mind, without stopping. After a couple of hours, re-read everything.
- What do you think of the introduction? Is this a good starting point?
- Don't stop to correct grammar or punctuation - you'll slow down your work and block creativity. The text needs to be refined at the end.
Step 2. You can start with a flashback:
it can be confusing, but it can also help you understand the present.
- Choose a memorable moment for the character: a dramatic or significant memory that you may develop later.
- If you decide to start with a flashback, make sure it's clear to readers not to lose their attention.
- It starts with a moment when a character acts amazingly. Move to the present and let the reader formulate theories about the story.
Step 3. Start with an impactful sentence and, if you like, explain what will happen in the story, so the reader will be able to interpret the events
- The opening words of “Moby Dick” are “Call me Ishmael”. From here, the narrator talks about his love of sea travel and how much the ocean means to him. The reader is drawn into the story and feels comfortable with the protagonist. This opening works for both novels and short stories.
- "The Story", by Amy Bloom, begins with the phrase "You would not have met me a year ago". A simple but direct opening that stimulates the reader's curiosity.
- Chekhov's "The Lady with the Dog" begins with the statement "It was said that a new face had appeared on the promenade along the sea: a lady with a small dog". The story continues by telling about Gurov, another new face on the waterfront, who has a certain interest in the woman, an attraction that leads to a passionate love story. The sentence is simple but effective and encourages the reader to want to know more about this female figure.
- You can also start with a dialogue, but this strategy doesn't always work.
Step 4. Take care of the characterization
The characters don't have to talk, but the reader will still need to figure out who they are through your descriptions.
- Talk about the distinctive traits of each character. The reader will need to know why it is unique.
- Reveal your character's thoughts. Invite the reader into his head.
- Show him interacting with others, also to understand what his next actions will be.
- Describe his physical appearance. Don't bore the reader with ordinary details. Rather, write about what others think about this character or describe him with traits that most people would overlook.
- A typical short story has 15-25 pages, so a few characters will suffice and not all secondary ones will have to be analyzed in depth.
Step 5. Set the story and its roots
In a short story, you don't have much room to develop your ideas, so if you start with a dramatic tension, you can go back in time to explain why what's going on is so important. Here are some ways to do it:
- Tell your readers a secret: “Marta has been sleeping with her sister's husband for three months”. The reader will feel included in the story and will want to know how it evolves.
- Insert a conflict: “Roberto hasn't seen his brother Samuele for over 20 years. He wonders if he has the courage to go to their father's funeral”. These two sentences reveal the central conflicts: Roberto and his brother no longer speak to each other for a reason and it may be time to meet again. In the course of the narrative, the reader will want to know what happened between them.
- Suggest something meaningful about a character's past: "Amalia left her husband for the second time just before she turned 80." The reader will want to know why he left it both the first and second time.
Step 6. Develop the setting:
a city, a house … You can describe its appearance, its smells and its sounds before talking about the characters or the story. That's how:
- Focus on sensory details and the weather.
- Arrange the characters in the scene. You don't have to announce the year or place, but provide enough information for the reader to get there on their own.
- Talk about how the setting and the characters relate. Pretend to be a camera approaching a character's house from the city to the neighborhood so you can understand how he grew up.
- Don't get bored with too many details. The reader will be eager to follow the thread of the plot, without too many interruptions.
Step 7. Avoid the pitfalls of predictability, confusion and clichés
What don't you have to do?
- Discard the trite images: “Sara was heartbroken”. The story will seem unoriginal.
- You don't have to tell everything, but you don't have to confuse the audience either. Think of writing as a way to help the reader climb a mountain. You will have to give him the useful information to proceed, not deprive him of understanding and drop him.
- Don't start the story with too many questions and exclamations. Let it speak for itself.
- Don't confuse readers with sophisticated language. You can sacrifice some complex lines in the name of understandability.
Method 3 of 3: Review the Opening
Step 1. Reflect on what you wrote:
does it relate well to the rest of the story? Is the tone uniform? Here's how to check her fluency:
- Read it twice. The first, without noting anything, the second, marking what you want to cut or add. Once this process is complete, you will know what to keep.
- The first pages of the drafts are nothing more than a way to clear one's voice before getting to the heart of the narrative. You may find that the beginning is full of unnecessary details and that the real opening is not on the second page, but on the tenth.
- Read the story aloud to catch any missed words. You will understand if it flows naturally and if the dialogues are credible.
Step 2. Ask for an outside opinion after completing the first draft
You should do this right now because that way you will know whether to continue to pursue your ideas or change course. The right feedback will benefit the storytelling. Who to ask?
- To a friend who loves to read.
- To a writer friend.
- At a creative writing workshop. Ask the person reviewing it if they can focus on the principle - this part will convince the reader to read or leave the book on the shelf.
- When the story is ready, send it to various literary magazines and publishing houses - if they don't publish it, you may still receive feedback. You can also propose it online or print it yourself.
Advice
- Start several stories if you can't decide what the storyline will be about. You could also mix them up during the review process.
- Don't delete everything if you are not satisfied. Leave the story for a few weeks and then pick it up again.
- Writing is an art and it takes time to become a master. You could write 20 drafts of a short story before choosing the final one.
