12 Jan 2019 9:56 am
Hi everyone, I hope you’re all having a lovely start to the new year!
It’s been a long while since I’ve written a Writing Tips post, and I figured it was about time. So, here are six more tips to help inspire, encourage and keep you writing.
Short Story Endings
Though it is true that your story is just that, ‘your story’, and that you can end it however you like, it is, nonetheless, a good idea to end it in such a way that leaves your reader satisfied. That doesn’t mean your story needs to have a happy ending – it only means that the reader should feel as though the story is complete.
Writing Competitions
Entering a writing competition is an excellent way to exercise and flex your writing muscle and get your work out into the world. There are plenty of competitions all over the world, and many can be found online. You may find that some competitions require a small entrance fee, and this is fairly common (it is often used to fund a prize), but there are lots of scams out there, so it’s important to be wary and do plenty of research before you enter into anything.
Repurpose Subplots
If you find that you need to cut a subplot for any reason, then instead of discarding it, why not transform it into the main plot of its own short story – that way, your hard work doesn’t go to waste.
Switching Views
If your story is told from multiple viewpoints, then it’s advisable to mark the switch between them with a clear break so that the reader is prepared and knows what is going on. You can do this either by switching at the start of a new scene or chapter or by using a line break. Do keep in mind, however, that switching viewpoint too often and too quickly can be jarring to your readers.
It’s all been Done
Remember, just about every type of story has been written before; your job as a writer is to take an archetypal story and twist it into your own creation, adding your own flavour to the mix.
Ditch the search for Perfection
It’s important to remember that most readers will only read your current project once and they’ll miss most of the small imperfections that you’ve painstakingly tried to iron out. Take heart in this and write your story. If you worry too much about creating a perfect piece of art, you’ll never write a thing – perfection is an abstract and subjective idea that means different things to different people. So just write – get your story out.
As always, thank you for reading my words, it really means the world!
Until next time,
George
© 2019 GLT
Posted by georgelthomas
Categories: Writing Tips
Tags: competitions, endings, Fiction, subplots, tips, viewpoint, write, Writer, writing, Writing Tips
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By Writing Tips 9 — GEORGE L THOMAS | Constance As A Writer on 14 Jan 2019 at 2:08 am
I just read this and it was so good that I wanted to post it on my blog. I did not write it. I’ve never done this before, so I hope it’s ok to do. Please, someone stop me before I get myself in trouble, if it isn’t. These are all good tips and I wanted to share them.
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By msplayful on 14 Jan 2019 at 2:08 am
Thanks for sharing! I appreciate it 🙂
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By georgelthomas on 14 Jan 2019 at 7:27 am
Brilliant tips! Thanks for sharing them.
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By hazeljmlafferty on 1 Feb 2019 at 8:54 pm
Thank you! I appreciate that, thanks for stopping by 😊
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By georgelthomas on 2 Feb 2019 at 9:00 am
You’re very welcome! Your blog is brilliant!
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By hazeljmlafferty on 2 Feb 2019 at 1:50 pm
😀😀
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By georgelthomas on 2 Feb 2019 at 2:16 pm
Thank you for helping 😊❤
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By Maitreyi on 23 Feb 2019 at 6:44 am