 Short stories can be a great way to showcase your writing, without tying yourself to writing a series. I join and organize multiple anthologies every year. It is a great way to get those creative juices flowing.
You may think that short stories are easier to write than a full length novel but you would only be half right. Yes, it is less work overall, but with less space to let your story unfold, you need to work hard to make sure it is paced correctly. Short stories are often a snapshot into your character's life, while a novel or a series may span years of their life. Most anthologies have an upper word limit, which means you may only have 20,000 words for example to tell your story. Some anthologies want stories under 5,000 words. So you can imagine how hard it is to decide what goes into the story and what must be left out. I find with short stories that it is better to have a limited cast - 3 people at most. It will also likely take place over a short space of time - a few hours at most. In a novel, you can add the backstory to your character. In a short story, you need to be able to cut out what is unnecessary. One of my recent short stories took place in a twenty minute window. The main character was running away from her abusive boyfriend and waiting on a train to take her to her parents' home. This added tension to the story. We learn in a few lines why the character is waiting on the train and what her boyfriend did to her. The rest of the story revolves around the character's paranoia as she waits for the train. Less is more in short stories, which is why show don't tell is more important than ever. Keep the story moving forward toward the goal you have set. Many readers can fill in the blanks when it comes to certain elements of the character's backstory. When you have completed the story, always get feedback on it before submitting, whether that is through your editor or a beta reader, as they can offer some insight into the story and help make it better. Happy writing!
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 An opening hook is just that - a way to hook your readers right from the first line and draw them into your book.
It is not an easy thing to do and I see many new writers believing that the first few pages of their story needs to be an info dump about their character and the world they live in. Don't fall into this trap. Think of your opening like an overheard conversation or walking into the middle of a crazy scene. It is supposed to entice the reader and even confuse them so that they feel the need to stay and get their answers. Here are some examples - In 1984 we have - It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen In The Gunslinger we get - The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. The Lovely Bones has - My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. Something unusual is happening in each of these and we have questions. Questions are good at the beginning of a book, it is what makes the reader keep reading. You can also have a line of dialogue to start your story. Here are some examples I have created - "We always knew it would end this way. With your death." "What do you mean my mother was a vampire?" "This is the last time I risk my life to save that damn cat." Always remember to start your first chapter in the middle of the scene, show the action and give the readers a mystery to solve. Why is the character doing that? Who is chasing them? How can the character be telling the story if they're dead? We all have a natural curiosity and a need to know more. But don't feel overwhelmed with finding the perfect opening line and let it stop you from actually writing the story. You can always come back and rewrite it later. Take your time with it and know your target audience. Check out a few books in the same genre for inspiration. When done right, you can keep those readers hooked, hopefully, to the last page. Happy writing!  When it comes to crafting your story, one important aspect is picking the right name for you character. There are many things to consider such as the meaning of the name, the time period and the setting.
For example, you are unlikely to find a Lola in medieval times or have a character called Nigel who was born in 2015. Nigel is in fact a name in danger of going extinct. Of course there has been a huge revival in recent years of older names being used for babies - Alfie, Archie, and Doris for example. These are all easy to check in the lists of most popular baby names by year. If you write fantasy books, you may want to choose unusual names for your characters or names that represent what they are. For example naming a werewolf Nuntis. Of course there are no hard and fast rules. You can just as easily call your werewolf Bob. Picking names can be a fun thing to do, but remember that not every name needs to be unique. Having a John or a Sarah is perfectly fine for a side character or person who only pops up once in the story. It makes more sense to have a mix of names, unless your story is set in an entirely different world. Baby name sites are a great place to look and there are lists on places like Pinterest. You also want to be aware of the names you choose to be sure they do not all sound the same and end up causing confusion for the reader. Jimmy and Johnny are very similar. As are Jan and Dan. So unless it is important to the story to have similar sounding names, avoid them. If you have siblings and opt for names that start with the same letter, make sure they are distinct - Prue, Piper and Phoebe come to mind. Names are important, but don't agonize of picking them. I do see people panicking because they can't find the perfect name. Choose a filler name for now and come back to it later. Never let anything stop you from writing that story. Happy writing!  Happy New Year!
Can you believe its 2025? Crazy to think its been 25 years since the millennium. I feel old. What are your resolutions for the new year? I don't make any personal resolutions, but I do make resolutions regarding my writing. The key is to be realistic. Its very easy to make crazy goals when its January and you have the whole year ahead of you. But before you know it, months have passed and you are no closer to obtaining your goal. For me, I have so many books I want to get written. Too many in fact. Normally I would fill out my calendar leaving no room for time off. I had to stop doing that in the last year or so, due to chronic pain. It is not sustainable. So instead, I have five short stories for anthologies in 2025 and I am going to write 3 books this year. Of course, if it goes well, I will likely add more to that, but I will wait and see how I go. Writing is one of those jobs where it can take a long time to complete. It can get frustrating, but it is worth it when you hit publish on that book. Here is some advice for the year ahead. Always be realistic about your goals. Don't feel bad if you don't hit certain targets - life can get in the way and we all need rest. Celebrate the wins and reward yourself for you hard work. If you need help, don't be afraid to ask. Never lose your passion for writing. It is okay to step away from time to time, but always remember why you fell in love with writing in the first place. Good luck for 2025! |
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About the Author:S. K. Gregory is an author, editor and blogger. She currently resides in Northern Ireland. “Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” 
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