Everybody knows writing a story is not easy. Like the drama or the poem, it is imaginative literature that should appeal to the emotions of the readers. Since it communicates the writer's interpretation of reality, there must be an artistic use of language to signify human experience. But how do we write a great short story? What are the things to keep in mind in order to come up with a short story that works?

Here's a quick guide to get you started:


1. Read

Reading is essential to anyone who wants to write. In order to be able to write a good short story, you must read other short stories first. This will not only give you the motivation and inspiration for your own story, but it will also help you learn how other authors made an impression on the reader and use their style as basis to create your own style and impression.

2. Get inspired


For seasoned professionals, there is no need to obtain inspiration because thoughts naturally flow and they only have to put them into words on paper. But for novice writers, it is important to have one because it will not only help you begin your first paragraph but also keep you going throughout. Your inspiration may take the form of an object. a person, or an event that you just can't seem to forget.

3. Conceptualize your story

Think of something you want to talk about with your readers. Let's say you want to relate a story about a couple who fell in love with each other. What about the couple? What is it about them that you are interested to let your readers know? Focus on this idea and think of other concepts that you want to associate with this couple. Suppose the girl's parents discommended their relationship. What about the parents? What did they do to stop the two from loving each other? This could signal a good beginning for your story. From here, you would have the notion what to write down.

4. Map out the scenes

In order to keep your writing aligned with your pre-conceived story events, it is good to briefly map out scenes of your story on a different piece of paper. Write down the possible characters of your story and list the main events in order. You don't have to put so much detail on them because this only serves as a rough sketch of how your story will look like.

5. Chooose your point of view

Who tells the story and how it is told is very critical for a short story to be effective. The point of view can change the feel and tone of the story radically. Hence, you must decide carefully before finally resolving with the angle of vision to use for your story. But whatever it is you decide to choose as the point of view, make sure it stays constant throughout your story to maintain consistency.

6. Conceive your characters

For a short story, create a maximum of only three main characters. Too many main characters will make your story confusing since each new character will provide a new dimension for the story. Each character should be more than cardboard caricatures. Make your characters speak naturally in proportion with their traits. Make them believable but mysterious.

7. Furnish a good introduction

When you have everything planned out, start scribbling your first paragraph. Introduce your main characters and set out the scene. The scene must be some place you know much about so that you'd be able to supply the necessary snapshot for a clearly described setting. Make your introduction interesting to hold the reader's interest and encourage them to read on to the end. It is also important to hold back significant details and the greater part of the action at this point so the mystery is kept.

8. Build up a great plot

From your introduction, draw out events that will eventually create a problem or a conflict for the main character/characters. After that, begin laying out an array of clues to keep the reader interested, intrigued and guessing. Intensify the conflict as the story moves forward. This will not only make your reader enthused to read more but will also keep them riveted to your story.

9. Show don't tell

The characters should be the ones responsible for expressing the story through their actions and dialogue and not the writer telling the reader what is being expressed. Rather than saying, "Annette was really mad at her bestfriend Christina for stealing her boyfriend", say "Annette felt an ache in her stomach and a strong pang of betrayal as Christina approaches her and flashes her with a sweet smile. She breathed hard trying to calm herself as she speaks with suppressed anger: "I hope you're happy now that you've proven yourself as a friend."

10. Use active verbs

Put as much life into your story as you can. In order to do this, employ verbs in the active voice in your story. Instead of saying,"The flower was picked by Johanna", say "Johanna picked the flower."

11. Use dialogue every now and then

Dialogue is important in bringing your story to life. Don't just use it to pad out your characters. Use it to convey your character to identify with the reader. Use it in direct quotes like "Go there!" instead of indirect quotes as "She told him to go there."

12. Keep references handy

A good reference such as a thesaurus or a dictionary is crucial in creating a good story. You can use them to check your spellings and to find the words which best fit your description. Instead of using one lengthy sentence or paragraph, you can utilize one or just a few words to convey what you want to say. Oftentimes, one strong word has a greater effect than a paragraph full of fancy language.

13. Conclude briefly

Conclusions are tough sledding. For a good ending, it is advisable to experiment and to add a little twist. Make your ending unique but not hanging in a loose end. Make it satisfying without making it too predictable. Keep in mind to keep it short but concise and lingering so that the reader is left with a feeling of resonance. Your conclusion should wrap up everything from start to finish.

14. Edit and revise

After fashioning the last words of your story, it is time to begin the editing cycle. Carefully go through your work and fix all your mistakes regarding sentence construction, word usage, formatting. punctuation marks, diction, spelling, grammar, and descriptive analysis. Scratch out words, phrases and even paragraphs which don't seem to contribute to the basic elements of the story. After you're done, let it sit for a while for days and even weeks, then edit it again. Reread your story over and over again at different occasions. This will make you see various things you may want to change to make your story shine at its best.

15. Let others proof read

Have your friends take a look at your work. They may just be able to see mistakes which you have missed. For instance, they may be distracted with some words or lines which you adore dearly. In this case, you have to decide on changing it or cutting it off completely.

Writing a short story may not be easy but it can surely be done. With some knowledge on the basic elements and some passion and patience, it's effortless to pull together a story with just a few ideas. Just keep in mind that you're writing not because you have to, but because you want to. Keep the spirit up! Give it a go now!

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From Overture, a keyword suggestion tool, you will see the millions of searches done to a certain keyword. When these keywords are typed on search boxes of search engines, indexed websites containing articles with those keywords will be displayed. And this is what leads traffic to websites with keyword-rich articles. Yes, the magic word is articles.

Content is king. You can say that again. That is why writing articles is one of the most utilized Internet marketing media today. Internet surfers just can't get enough of information on various fields. Providing information through these articles is a surefire way to drive hot traffic to your web site.

Why is this so? Here are the benefits that writing articles can give your Internet business.

1. It's absolutely free.

Too good to be true? Not. Okay, you have to pay for your Internet Service Provider. That's it. All you need is your thoughts, your computer, and your hands. If you have those, nothing will stop you from typing words that will make you complete that article for your website. On which aspect of that process did you really shell out any cent? Maybe later when your electric bills come.


2. Your website will be noticed in a short period of time.

Submit that article of yours to article directories that get the most web traffic and in no time your web site will be crawled. That is if you don't forget including your resource box or byline.

3. Obtain back links automatically.

When you submit your articles to directories, surely, other websites will make use of your article too. With the copyright terms of your articles, the URL of your website will still be intact and will subsequently direct more traffic to your website.

4. Improve your reputation.

As an Internet marketer, if you plainly display your products on your website, you will not gain much conversion rate. Conversion is when your traffic converts to sales. You have to show that you are knowledgeable on your field. And what better way to show that than by writing articles that will allow you some bragging rights, right?

Just make your creative juices flow and jot down or key in those ideas quickly to jumpstart your article writing momentum. With those benefits listed above, a writer's block is the last problem you will ever be able to surmount. But that's another story.

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To get your name out there, write articles and allow them to be freely reproduced (with a resource box pointing back to you.) A well-written article can:

- help build your profile

- draw traffic to your site, and

- help build a database of clients through associated e-courses or newsletter.

How do you write the article? You can come up with the content - How do you grab those readers and make them come back for more?

As you can construct and edit an article (it has a beginning, middle and end; and you can check the grammar and spelling); if you want to WIN readers - think about what they want to know.

Put your readers first. Give them what they want and they'll be queuing up to read anything you produce.

A blueprint for writing articles that captivate your readers - whatever the topic - is a follows:

== 1. What Do Your Readers Want ==

You may know what they want because you're an expert in the field. If you don't know the subject well, you'll have to research. Look for forums on your topic and see what people are discussing. What are the problems? Can you provide an answer?

== 2. Start With An Attention-Grabber ==

Work on your opening. Try to avoid trite questions like "Have you wondered why people find it difficult to lose weight?" It's dull and it's not targeting the person reading the article - what do they care about the difficulties "people" have losing weight? They care about THEIR weight problem!

The opening paragraph should give the reader that warm "Hey, this is about me!" feeling. - "This could be the answer I've been looking for..."

Example: "Diet gurus make it all sound easy: to lose weight, all you have to do is expend more energy than you take in. Huh! If it were that simple, the "Big People" stores would be out of business. For those of us tired of diets, gyms and dull group meetings, there is a back-to-basics way to tackle this. It won't cost you a fortune or leave you feeling deprived."

== 3. Write As You Speak... Then Edit! ==

The sample opening above illustrates the importance of the tone used in your article. You need 'meat'to make it worth reading.

Write your article in a natural style that's akin to normal conversation. If the first draft is too informal - fix that when you edit. Readers may want facts, tips, and strategies, but they want entertainment too! Let your personality shine.

== 4. End On A High ==

Most articles fizzle out! Writers often don't know how to end on an upbeat note. They either stop dead or come up with a trite ending like: "So what are you waiting for? Get started today!"

The beginning and the ending of your article are the parts that make the biggest impression. Creat a feeling of anticipation... and leave them feeling satisfied (or excited) when you finish.

Offering advice to help solve a problem gives your readers a reason to feel optimistic about themselves. Don't make promises... but offer hope. If you are giving hints on marketing or business, sum up the benefits. Experiment with using a humorous quote, or giving readers a specific action to get them started. Be creative.

Here's a final tip: create a cheat-sheet. Divide it into beginnings/middles/ends and add more strategies as you think of them. (For example, using the tips in this article, you might write: ENDINGS - end on a high, offer hope, use funny quote, suggest action to get started.)

Do this, and you'll be cranking out articles everyone wants to publish!

About the author:
Writing information on http://www.okwriting.com

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If your dream is to get published, the chance is before you.The web has opened the portals of opportunity to all aspiring writers and freelance writers. It’s a whole new world with unlimited access to ideas and subjects for writers. Endless resources and information are available at the click of your mouse to help you get started and keep you going.

It’s up to you to exercise due diligence to make your dream of writing a reality. It does not happen overnight. It all starts with that first, small step towards pursuing your dream. The internet offers all kinds of avenues for anyone who has ambitions to write. Where do you begin?

Read what the multitude of e-zines and newsletters have to offer. This gives you an idea of what interests people as they spend more and more time surfing the web. What are the latest trends ? Pay attention to issues that tend to pop out here and there, again and again. Subscribe to pertinent groups or forums that can be helpful in your quest. Stay abreast with the latest news, be interested in anything and everything.


Open up your mind. Then, you can decide which venue is right for you. Ask yourself, are you interested in mainstream type of writing? Or would you choose specific areas of interest?

Assess your inclinations, your passions and your hobbies.What beliefs do you hold close to your heart? Make a list. In your career, what is your area of expertise? Do you write reports? Do you keep a journal? A diary? You’re already a writer!

Get excited about writing down your ideas. The golden opportunity is before you, as never before. Actually, jumping in the bandwagon of writing for the internet can be overwhelming for the faint of heart, confusing for the skeptic, yet exciting for the go-getter. Which one are you?

The internet is open to all segments of society and to people from all walks of life. Access is not limited to the technologically inclined. It is no longer as intimidating as it was when the information superhighway first opened in the 20th century.People are less apt to admit their computer illiteracy, rather, more members of our society are learning how to navigate the cyberspace.

Learn about the basic rules of writing for the web. Cyber readers tend to be fast thinkers, speed readers, with only seconds to spare. If you want to grab their attention, remember, you only have precious few seconds to do it.

Take heart. You already know this. You love to see your by-line. The web will help you get your name out there. The more you write, the better you’ll get at it. Technically, if your work gets published on-line, you are considered published.

Only thing, writing for the web for the countless e-zines and newsletters and web-sites is not for those who intend to make a living from their writing. Not at the start.

If you are willing to write and submit your articles for free, don’t miss out. For the aspiring writer, it is a good way to start. The more you write, the more exposure you will get, readers will get to know your name. Writing for the internet helps to drive traffic to your website.

What are you waiting for?

About the author:
Bonnie Moss writes about spirituality and motivational articles.Her website offers a variety of articles on
New Age topics.

http://goldencupcafe.tripod.com

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In many professions, especially writing and internet marketing, the primary form of contact with customers is via the written word: website content, display ads, Spam-compliant emails, not to mention forum posts and even responses to queries, etc. The list is endless. And all of them have one thing in common: They are based on the written word.

Because of this, the importance of proofreading one's work, word-for-word, cannot be over-stressed. No one would think of making a presentation while wearing a shirt covered in grease or spaghetti-sauce stains. Nor, despite a few eccentric exceptions, of appearing at one's wedding in sandals and baggy shorts. Yet that is exactly the same thing as allowing even one 'typo' to appear in the final copy of any professional text.

To avoid these written faux pas, proofreading skills are essential. Proofreading to writing is the equivalent of house cleaning to home design or laundering to dress-making: While the house may be beautiful, it is nothing more than a fancy pig's sty if not cleaned up; the gown nothing more than a rag, if not treated properly.

But proofreading is not an easy skill to develop, primarily because, for mystical reasons no writer will ever understand but will nonetheless verify (myself included), once a thought has been translated to a page, the author often develops a specialized kind of blindness, one in which they can no longer see what they've written clearly. Instead, all they see is what they *intended* to say.

But there is hope. As with any skill, producing letter-perfect copy comes with practise. Following are seven tactics for effective proofreading. None of them will guarantee perfect copy. All of them have their weaknesses. But if at least two or three are employed on a consistent basis, typographical, punctuation and/or grammatical errors will show a marked decrease.

1) THE TRUTH ABOUT SPELL-CHECK: THERE, THEIR OR THEY'RE
Upon its release, Spell-check was touted as every writer's dream, allowing those without secretaries (i.e., 98% of us) to forego the tedious chore of proofreading. To say that it fell somewhat short of that goal is an understatement. However, it IS useful as a basic, first-run-through tool. And it does point out the most obvious errors.

2) AS YE SPAKE
"You know, you can just, like, go over to this website and. . . "

This sentence is an obvious example of one of the most common errors in writing and is hardly ever caught during proofreading. That is, general improper usage. As anyone learning a foreign language can attest, there is a distinct difference between what is acceptable in the less formal, oral format than its written counterpart. While writing should be fluid and succinct, it should not mimic spoken -- even well-spoken -- language. When proofreading, the signs of this type of misuse are: Overly informal slang; lack of reference within the context (i.e., over-using pronouns); and an abundance of typically oral modifiers (but, like, you see, etc.).

3) WHO SAID *THAT*?
While writing, an author so often becomes embroiled in the act itself -- of refining a thought or idea, of showing a progression of that thought -- that he/she loses perspective. In the process, incomplete sentences may be left hanging, replacement words may be put in the wrong part of a sentence, complete thoughts might be chopped up. For this reason, it is often easier to see these errors if, no matter what the deadline, the writer takes a break before reading over their copy, then comes back and reads it through from the beginning. In this way, these type of errors will become glaringly obvious.

4) PRINT IT OUT AND READ IT AGAIN
Though it's doubtful gremlins really do reside within printers, the fact remains that most 'typo's' can be found more easily in printed form. And, while it *seems* more efficient to proofread the text first, *then* print it, it actually wastes time. Perhaps it is because reading for sense and content, reading for typos AND correcting all at once can be a matter of covering too many bases. Whatever the case, printing a copy makes proofreading much easier.

5) FRIENDS READ FRIEND'S COPY
There is an old proofreading saying that "a fresh pair of eyes make all the difference." This is because after repeatedly looking at the same copy, the brain actually stops processing the information. By asking someone else to look over the same copy, the "fresh pair of eyes" can find the otherwise elusive typo. Co-workers, friends, and relatives can be the best help in this case. For long documents or a complete website, an alternate suggestion is to hire a professional proofreader.

6) READ IT OUTLOUD
While it may seem to contradict the advice in #2, above, reading the text aloud often forces one to recognise a typo or grammatical error the eyes have scanned over and missed a dozen times. This goes to the core of why proofreading is so difficult: Simply put, the mind naturally adapts to what it sees very quickly. If one sees the same error repeatedly, without it being corrected, it ceases to recognise it as such. Thus, in proofreading, our own capabilites betray us. Professional proofreaders (yes, there is such a profession, though now only associated with the law and publishing fields) use a technique in which one proofreader will read aloud, while another proofreader (using a second copy) follows along, making corrections. This is an extreme measure, but worthwhile for any text that must be absolutely letter-perfect.

7) THE WORLD IS YOUR EDITOR
Especially in the case of a substantial body of work (a website, for instance), an open invitation for correction should be given. Though, again, it seems contradictory to what has already been said here (in #5, above), inviting the corrections of the world at large allows for a greater source of information. And, of course, this is only after all other efforts have been made. Even with two or three people viewing the text, a broader forum of information can always pick out one or two straggling typo's.

Using even one or two of these tips will enhance the body of any author's work, allowing them to enjoy a professionalism they would otherwise be denied. Think of it as buying a new suit and tie, then dry-cleaning them regularly.--mo

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I started my first manuscript during my junior year at Virginia Tech. I had a couple of characters in mind, a flimsy skeleton of a plot, and one pressing question. Where to set the book?

At that point in my life, I hadn't traveled too far past the Virginia state line. And to me, the rest of the world sounded alluring in a way the town I grew up in couldn't compare.

So I considered my options. My story could take place on an island. An obviously appealing setting. Palm trees, sinking pink sunsets, water as blue as a robin's egg. And of course, glistening white sand.

Or what about Italy? A place I had always dreamed of going. Olive groves, the chiming of beautiful old church bells, faded stucco buildings.

I set my first few manuscripts in exactly that kind of locale. The only trouble was, I had never been to any of those places. And once I got past the generic descriptions, I found myself facing what felt like an empty reservoir from which to draw my story.




I had read the advice in practically every creative writing handbook. Write what you know. And I began to understand that they weren't just talking about plot and characters, but the place where the story unfolds as well.

What I knew was southwest Virginia. But what could the rest of the world possibly find interesting about it?
Despite my skepticism, I finally started a manuscript set in a small Virginia town much like my hometown. This was the first of my books to sell. No coincidence, I'm sure.
How did I finally come to see what was around me and what others might find appealing about it? By looking at where I've lived and what it has meant to me.

The physical beauty of Virginia is indisputable. Spring arrives with its paintbrush of green. Summer fills the orchards with apples and peaches, thickens fields with grass for hay. Fall dips maples and oaks in red and gold. Winter lays ice across our lakes and hides our roads under snow.

Those are the broadbrush strokes of my story, but I believe the details that bring a setting to life come from the individual places that populate a small community.
From the Main Street of my childhood, there was Ben Franklin and the Melody Shop. Kittinger's Drug Store, Brammer's Five and Ten and N. Morris Department Store.
Ben Franklin was a favorite. After digging out coins for the parking meter, we would head downstairs to the toy department. The snack bar was also on the bottom floor, and I can remember the delicious smell of steamed hot dog buns and french fries wafting up in greeting.

The Melody Shop was the place to buy 45 rpm records - yes, I know, I'm dating myself! Kittinger's for a cherry Coke. And at Brammer's Five and Ten, my sister and I stocked up on five-cent candy which we resold at elevated prices to our cousins in the pretend store we set up in my grandma's basement.

Country stores show up in my stories on a regular basis, and I'm sure their origin is the one owned by my great aunt and uncle. My sister and I spent many Saturday nights there with our grandparents. All the adults sat on stools in the middle of the store and talked, while we drank Sun-drop and ate Wise potato chips from bright blue bags.

Much of my love for the place where I grew up comes from my grandpa. He loved just getting out and looking at it. Bright and early on Sunday mornings, my sister and I would climb in his old blue and white Chevrolet truck and drive over to the local Quickette for the morning paper. We always took a detour of some sort, to check on cows, look at hay, see a pony he was thinking about buying for us. These were adventures, and we learned the county roads like our own backyard.

Pieces of these places have shown up in each of my books. I loved them, and I think that rings true with readers. I've traveled a bit since those first manuscripts, and although I may venture out in future books to other settings, it will be with a healthy respect for the gold in my own backyard.

About the author:
Inglath Cooper is the RITA Award-winning author of six published novels. Her books are often peopled with characters who reflect the values and traditions of the small Virginia town where she grew up. To read about her latest release, please visit her website at http://www.inglathcooper.com

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It is important to realize that your choice of a niche can have a significant influence on the success or failure of your new blog.

Deciding on a theme can be a daunting task. What exactly are you going to write about? Your niche needs to be a popular topic that many people are interested in.

If you are going to blog about yourself, then you better have a very interesting life, or you will have difficulty keeping your readers coming back for more. You should choose a topic that will make it comparatively easy to grow your readership and build a strong following.

Since many bloggers write about their favorite subjects, it’s not a bad idea to start brainstorming by writing down a list of your hobbies, interests, and any areas of professional expertise. Now try to determine a niche you can target within one of those areas.

Should you blog about automobiles in general, or the latest sports cars? If you choose too narrow a theme then you may struggle to come up with regular, fresh content. And if you choose a topic that’s too general your readers may be confused by a jumble of seemingly unrelated posts.

You might consider niches within the following general topic areas which have proven to be popular for blogging:


• Automobiles
• Computers & Information Technology
• Digital Cameras
• Gadgets
• Music
• News
• Photography
• Politics
• Shopping


If you plan to use Pay-Per-Click advertising to get traffic to your blog, then remember also that the hottest topics might have the highest pay-per-click fees.

You can sometimes get great niche ideas by browsing at Blog directories and sites like Google Blog Search: http://blogsearch.google.com

Since it is so time-consuming trying to com up with the ‘perfect’ niche idea, many bloggers and webmasters have turned to specialized niche discovery tools. I particularly recommend Online Gold Finder and NicheTopics.

With Online Gold Finder you can uncover profitable, undiscovered online markets with just a couple of clicks. Read more about Online Gold Finder at: http://www.moneyforblogging.com/goldfinder.htm

NicheTopics is quite handy in a different way. You get to use some great research that’s already been completed by an expert. It is a ready-to-use report on 109 unique, untapped niches. Read more about NicheTopics: http://www.moneyforblogging.com/nichetopics.htm

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