You Can Write A
Short Story: Part 2
by Linda S. Dupie
Many writers call the
middle the meat of the story, but I like to think of it as an
OREO cookie. The creme filling is what holds the ends together,
just as the middle of your story should bring the beginning and
ending of your story together.
The middle is the part of
the story where your conflict builds for your hero/heroine.
Depending on the length of your story, you may have a couple of
set backs before your hero/heroine triumphs in the end. For
example, we used a 1000-word count in part 1 of this series, so
we'll continue with it. In part one, it was said that your
opening should be no longer than one-fifth of your word count,
so for the allotted 1000 words that is 200 words. That means
your middle should be around 600 words, thus leaving you with
200 words to end your story. As you can see 1000 words is not
much when you have a story to tell.
My advice for a story of
this length is to use one major obstacle and focus on how your
hero/heroine works to overcome the conflict. As your character
moves through the story, s/he should be working to obtain their
goal for the ending.
This sounds like a huge
task, but it doesn't have to be. Remember the phrase "show,
don't tell" will help. Whether your character is overcoming
an inner conflict or physical one, using action and dialog keeps
your story moving.
Detail is great, just
don't get bogged down by describing every little detail, it's
good to leave a little to the readers own imagination.
If your character is
overcoming an inner conflict (feelings/emotional), then use
their action in conjunction with dialog to show the steps they
take to overcome their obstacle. Does s/he talk his problem out
with a doctor or trusted friend? Then write the dialog. Once
your character has talked it through, make sure your
hero/heroine arrives at the solution and not one of your
supporting characters. That cheats the reader and undermines
your hero/heroine's credibility.
- For longer stories,
1500-2,500 words your lead character might have to overcome
two or more obstacles to gain what they are after.
Points to Remember
- Show, don't tell. Use
action and dialogue to keep your story moving along.
- Stay in the correct
point of view (POV). If you are telling the story from your
hero/heroine's POV, then you can't jump to another character
to tell the story.
- Keep your tenses
consistent. If you have chosen to tell the story in the
third person, be sure not to slip into first person or vice
versa.
- You don't have many
words to work with in a 1,000-word story so choose the best
possible words to get your story across to the reader. More
often than not, a reader would like the writer to get to the
point of the story. Just be sure to choose the right words.
Now, grab your thesaurus
if you haven't already and work on making your middle the creme
filling that holds your story together.
Next tying up the loose
ends: your ending.
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Author Linda S. Dupie
is a freelance writer, she writes on a variety of subjects
including Travel, Kids and Family issues. Linda also publishes
and writes a web site and print magazine called Rainy Day
Corner for the Writing Family. |
