Hello, Lovely Soul Drop!
Today is the first day of the Celtic year! I’m excited and ready to move on with positive energy. I had promised myself I would share writing, studying, and communication tips here on my blog, and I have only done it once. On this day, I’ll give you tips on how to begin writing a short story. I have to thank all my Literature teachers, but especially Michelle Haiek, who taught me the elements of the literary genre.
The hardest part tends to be to actually begin writing! These are 4 easy ways to begin.
1. Character-based beginning: When we write something, it’s because something inspired us to do so. If you already have a character in mind, start by building their personality. The more you know this character, the easier it will be to create the rest of the plot. The most important things for the main character are their motivations, their fears, and their core values. Those will determine how they react to the events of the story and the rest of the characters.
2. Plot-based beginning: You know what the story is about, but you don’t have the characters or the place. In this case, you have to ask yourself, which kind of character would take you from the beginning to the end you wish for? Think of the end you want. That will help you choose the main character and the events to get you there.
3. Context-based beginning: You know where do you want this story to take place, but you lack the rest. In this situation, you can allow yourself to be creative. Want a 1700s French cemetery as a setting? Which story could you get out of that without being obvious? Which characters are not expected to be there? Get out of that box! You’ll surely get an interesting story out of this one.
4. Message-based beginning: This is the one I usually use. I want to teach people a lesson or make them think, so I start thinking about which characters can be used as teachers and which situations might serve to illustrate my message.
Remember, short stories must be concise and straight to the point! That’s what keeps them brief. I hope you liked these!
Podcast episodes of the week:
Let’s Connect Monday: https://anchor.fm/bellemoon99/episodes/Lets-Connect-Monday-30---Were-a-web-elj8d7
Let’s Be Kind Thursday: https://anchor.fm/bellemoon99/episodes/Lets-be-Kind-Thursday-29--Growth-elp3ks