Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Before even writing a short story, it is suggested that you read as many as you can.
Otherwise, how can you have an understanding of the short story form and style without studying one or two closely?
Start jotting down ideas and notes of what you’d like your story to be about. Your story should consist of an introduction, an initiating incident, a rising action (events leading up to the climax), a climax, a falling action (in which your story begins to conclude)and a resolution.
You can draw or write a visual with simple descriptions of what should happen in each of these stages. You can also use a screen writing trick called a logline. In one line, summarise the character followed by a descriptor, then an event and a conflict.
For example, Spot the sad pup got lost in the park and can’t find his way home. This will help you understand what your story is about and act as an outline. It will also help you stay focused when writing the narrative and you can easily make changes to it as well as keep a steady flow.
Happy writing.
