Writing a story for a competition isn’t easy. There’s a lot to consider and in such a short amount of time that it can feel a bit overwhelming, so we’ve put together a checklist of useful things to think about when assembling your tale.
Concept
What’s your basic concept? Luckily, the theme (How did you lose your shoes?) should help you out with a bit of inspiration here. Grab onto the ideas that pop into your head and jot them down. Then you can look at those notes and decide which one is the best before moving onto the next point…
Plot
This can be a toughie with a limited word count. If you’ve got a basic idea in your head, you can easily come up with a plot around that idea. Write that out in bullet points and see how much you have. If you think it’s too much for the word count, have another look. Are there points you can miss out and keep the full story? Or can you focus on just one stage of plot and leave the rest for a rainy day? It’s up to you. We’re as happy with a snippet of a book as we are with a whole story.
Characters
Who is carrying your story? Are they likeable or unlikeable? What’s their background? Knowing their background will help you develop their personality and therefore how they react to situations in your story. Just remember to keep you character(s) consistent throughout the narrative. Why would Sally the animal lover crush a puppy?
Style/Tone
This is a big part to consider. Is your point of view 1st, 2nd or 3rd person? What tense are you going to use? Is the form a standard story, diary entries, letters, or something else? Just remember that like the characters, you need to be consistent.
Take these pointers and run with wind. Free yourself from the fear of starting a brand new story and get to it with excitement and some (hopefully) helpful tips! Remember, you have until 3pm on Friday the 30th of November to get us your final masterpiece. Check out the last blog post for more details about entering.
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