Weekly Writing Tips
Weekly Writing Tips
Well Begun is Half Done
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Three fourths of stories sent to editors are never read past the first page. Unless you can interest an editor within the first two or three paragraphs of your story, your chance of seeing your work in print is slim to none.
The first paragraph of your story should contain closely associated thoughts; there should be no breaks in the attention; everything should be done at this point to awaken interest and to hold the attention of the reader. Any description of scenes and characters can be done after the reader has begun to care about those characters.
Elinor Glyn wrote: " Remember that the beginning is your initial bow to the public, your first strike for fame, and unless you seize the attention right from the start, you will have failed before you fully realize why."
Read more about beginning your short story at
http://everybodyscribbles.com/Begin-Short-Story.php
Three fourths of stories sent to editors are never read past the first page. Unless you can interest an editor within the first two or three paragraphs of your story, your chance of seeing your work in print is slim to none.
The first paragraph of your story should contain closely associated thoughts; there should be no breaks in the attention; everything should be done at this point to awaken interest and to hold the attention of the reader. Any description of scenes and characters can be done after the reader has begun to care about those characters.
Elinor Glyn wrote: " Remember that the beginning is your initial bow to the public, your first strike for fame, and unless you seize the attention right from the start, you will have failed before you fully realize why."
Read more about beginning your short story at
http://everybodyscribbles.com/Begin-Short-Story.php
Pitkins' "Thou Shalt Nots"
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Walter B. Pitkin, former professor of journalism at New York's Columbia University and a successful author, had three "Thou Shalt Not" rules for telling a good tale.
Thou shalt not:
Walter B. Pitkin, former professor of journalism at New York's Columbia University and a successful author, had three "Thou Shalt Not" rules for telling a good tale.
Thou shalt not:
- Describe a scene that is merely beautiful and not vital to the action or the plot
- Describe in detail a picture of a character who has no connection to the main plot.
- Pay attention to stylistic effects before fully working out the plot.
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