Just the basics

There are a few BASIC rules for writing – remember that these are both very basic and, like all rules, are made to be broken:

Fiction – Setting, Plot, Conflict, Resolution, End; depending on the length of your work, you can toss in sub-plots as needed. Your resolution should come close to the end of your story. Non-fiction – Who/What, Where, How and Why; remember these from your grade school classes? It still holds true. Persuasive – Make your reader feel that this was written for him or someone in his situation, voice the common concerns or fears, show that the situation can be better and then describe how your reader can play an active role in making “this” better.

The difference between short story and novel is more than length, although there are acceptable and fairly standard word lengths as guidelines. Generally a short story (and this can vary by publication) is approximately 10-thousand words or less for magazines and up to 15-thousand words for anthologies. Novels (again, this varies by publisher) start at about 60-thousand words and go up from there. Short stories will often have one major plot, a limited number of characters and revolve around a concise period of time. Novels can have intricate sub-plots woven into the thread, a cast of characters that come and go throughout the book, and the time span can be up to several years.

Study the magazine you want to submit to, study the demographics where your book will be distributed, get a good idea who reads your blog… Those are the people that you are writing for. Consider the age, gender, cultural personality, economic status and political affiliations when writing in order to avoid unintentional insults, miscommunications, and strong negative reactions. Knowing your audience will help you address the points that you feel are important.

When you are writing, show don’t tell. Instead of telling every finite detail of the décor of a room, give a few focal points, a loose description of a corner of the room, the view from the sofa a character might sit on, and details only where it is important to the story. Give your reader enough description to focus on, to allow their own “eye” to see the room. If it is a room that is frequented more than once in your story, make sure you keep it constant; don’t talk in one scene about the one door and two windows and then later on have your character run out through a second door.

Avoid flat and boring prose by engaging all of the senses into your setting’s description. When you walk into a restaurant, what are the things you notice? You see other diners, you hear the clatter of dishes and hushed conversations, and you smell the aroma of the food. Employ as many of the five senses as possible to give your setting and story a feeling of reality.


Writing Exercise: You are about to attend your 25-year high school reunion and you haven’t been in touch with most of these people since you graduated. Prepare a few sentences to let them know all the things you have done with your life and who you are today.

Writing prompt: Imagine that your television/DVR remote control worked on people. Pick any three people in your life. Describe what you would see if you were to use the channel change, fast forward, mute, and slow-mode on each.