Short+Story+Writing

Writing a short story can often be very difficult. You begin to contemplate "what will I write?" instantaneously panic sets in as you search the depths of your mind for an answer that doesn't exist and painfully conclude "I have nothing to write about, help!".

It is very easy to get stuck for ideas when you ask yourself such a broad question "what will I write?" Well that depends, what do you want to write about? To begin you need to break this overreaching question into little itty bitty ones that are manageable and answerable. You could begin with any of the following questions:
 * Who will my main character be?
 * Where will my story take place?
 * What is the goal of my main character?
 * What obstacles will he/she face?

Once you have thought over these four questions you should be on your way to constructing a story line for your short story.

Today we are going to begin by using the "Plot Generator". This is just a table with 4 columns and 15 rows. Draw this up on a blank sheet of A4 paper and begin generating ideas in each column. Column headings are: Character, Location, Goal and Obstacle.
 * Character || Location || Goal || Obstacle ||
 * David, a scrawny kid. || A remote beach || To get rich || A family death ||
 * Charlotte, a disabled mother || An attic above a school library || To win friends || A lack of money ||
 * Lucy, an adolescent girl || A skateboard park || To find inner peace || A phobia ||
 * Sixpence, A long-haired cat || A tropical holiday resort || To celebrate a birthday || A change of leader ||
 * Your own ideas || Your own ideas || Your own ideas || Your own ideas ||
 * Your own ideas || Your own ideas || Your own ideas || Your own ideas ||
 * Your own ideas || Your own ideas || Your own ideas || Your own ideas ||
 * Pass to a friend || Pass to a friend || Pass to a friend || Pass to a friend ||
 * Pass to a friend || Pass to a friend || Pass to a friend || Pass to a friend ||

However, if you need more help the following website helps generate strange and interesting story titles, character names and descriptions, first lines, and scenarios. It is an excellent beginning for when you can't begin. []

Another excellent way to generate story ideas is through making a **S****tory Box or Scrap Book.** In your spare time when you come across interesting pictures in a magazine, newspaper, online etc don't just ignore it, cut it out or print it off and put it in your story box. That way you can revisit and use that image to help you create an intriguing story. So the next time you have to consider "what will I write?" you can go straight to your story box and find a fantastic idea that you once found interesting but didn't know what to do with at the time. You will find that many aspiring writers use this as a helpful technique to collect and keep their various ideas for story writing. As a matter of fact I have one myself and many years ago I cut out a picture of an upside down house that had been built in Germany which was open for tourists to walk through! Here are some pictures of that same house which have been borrowed from the Channel Nine website. Imagine writing a story about an alternate universe where everything was topsy turvy! How fascinating would that be?

Again if you are still having trouble beginning your story then you should visit the following website called "Creative Writing Now" which contains a number of formed story ideas (plots) that you can choose from and immediately create your short story. []

Good Luck, and happy writing!