Wed: Writing World

Working on: paranormal novella
Last Kindle download: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers

I finished the first draft of my sci-fi novella – hooray!! I love reaching The End...although I know when I finish the first draft there is still work ahead in the form of revisions. I’m letting it rest for a little while before I tackle the revisions.

In the meantime, I’ve started a paranormal novella. There are no vampires, werewolves, witches or angels in sight. I had an idea for something different and I’m having lots of fun with it. (Image: Public Domain)

Since I’m in short story mode at the moment, I thought I’d share an important short story lesson today: when you sit down to write a short story, your idea needs to be contained and to the point.

You have few words to tell the story, so your idea can’t be convoluted or need too many characters or explanations. If a novel is a cake, the short story is a slice of it. You need to focus in on a single incident, single relationship or single moment.

Focus in on a particular incident or moment. Your short story needs to start just before that huge, climatic moment where your hero faces their worst fear or learns that important lesson.