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We share our top tips to improve your story writing, particularly for 100-word mini sagas!
STARTING YOUR STORY
How you start your story is very important. You need an opening sentence to instantly draw your reader in and make them want to read more. Here are a few ideas on how to start your storyā¦
Begin with some action ā āBang! The door to number 7 slammed shutā¦ā
Ask a question ā āHave you ever rolled a dice to decide your fateā¦?ā
Introduce setting/character/overall plot ā āThe two astronauts were strapped in and the rocket was waiting to launchā¦ā
Begin with background informationā¦ āMy grandfather was 18 when he fought in World War IIā¦ā
Have the character introduce themselves ā āIām Tom, and last Friday the 13th was the day that changed my lifeā¦ā
SETTING
The setting or backdrop of your story is completely up to you and will be dependent on the topic you choose. Here are a few ideas:
Think about which setting will give you the atmosphere your story needs. It will be harder to write a scary ghost story if your setting is a busy store in the middle of the day.
Settings can be a real place or fictional.
Setting your story can also include a time frame. Is the story going to be set over one hour, one day or a longer time frame?
With 100-word mini saga stories, the danger can be to over describe the setting or to pick too many settings or time lapses that can use up too much space or start to become confusing. Keep the setting(s) and time frame as relevant to the main story as possible.
PLOT DOMINOES
It isnāt very interesting to read āThis happened, then this, and after that this happened.ā
Good stories are like a row of dominoes. The first thing happens, and that causes a chain reaction: āThis happened, which made this happen, but oh no now thatās made this happenā.
Think of your events as dominoes ā what effect does an event have?
SUSPENSE
Suspense is when the reader suspects something will happen, but they donāt know exactly how or when. Give your reader hints about what might be about to happen.
Example: The closet door was ajar. I stepped closer. Was that breathing I could hear? Another step. One more. I reached out for the handleā¦
You can end suspense in two ways: with relief ā it was just my little brother playing hide-and go-seek.
or with the feared outcome ā a man burst out holding an ax.
Tip: Donāt use relief too much or your reader will tire of it and the suspense will lose its impact.
ATMOSPHERE
Atmosphere can be determined by setting and events, but you still need to choose your words in order to summon the atmosphere youāre aiming for.
Look at this sentence:
I walked into the quiet forest.
It doesnāt give much away about the tone of the story does it?
If we change some of the words, we can change the atmosphere:
I ambled into the peaceful forest.
I crept into the deserted forest.
Which one would be part of a calm, happy story, and which one might be part of a tense, spooky story? This shows how effective word choices can convey atmosphere and tone.
FLASHBACKS
A flashback to a previous moment in time or memory can make a story more interesting and add further detail that is crucial to the plot. It can also add suspense.
Flashbacks can be used at any stage of the plot but they must be relevant to the story.
E.g. If your character has the fear of the number 13ā¦ you could introduce a flashback of the scene that started the fear. Something found behind a door numbered 13!
Another example could be a car backfiring that could lead your character to remember a World War II memory.
Top Tip: When using flashbacks in your 100-word story, try to keep them as brief as you can so you have enough time to complete the full story.
IMAGERY
Using imagery in your work helps paint a picture for the reader so they can connect to the characters and world you have created for them.
Use the five senses to add imagery in your piece: sight, smell, touch, taste and sound.
E.g. If you are writing a story about a countdown into space you could write about the smell of the rocketās smoke, the stomach-churning feeling of what is in store, the nervous look on your captainās face, the complete silence surrounding you ā this will all add extra depth to your story.
ENDING YOUR STORY
A good ending needs to both grip and satisfy the reader. Here we offer you a few ideas on how you can end your story.
Resolution: Use a conclusive ending and wrap up the story fully. E.g. They end up in jail, get safely back from the moon, find what they were looking for or, the classic, live happily ever after.
Suspense: Provide the reader with a cliffhanger ending and leave your story open to interpretation ā āThe astronauts were about to leave the moon but their rocket had run out of fuelā¦ā
Surprise: Why not end your story with a twist? Add something that is totally unexpected, that the reader would find hard to guess at. E.g. A woman is being held hostage and when the ransom is paid, it turns out she was behind it all to get money from her husband.
Transformation: Why not look at character development? What has your character learnt? How have they changed from the beginning?
COMMON MISTAKES
Donāt go over the word limit. If you're entering a contest, make sure your story fits the rules.
Never end your story mid-sentence. A cliffhanger should give the reader a hint about what happens next, donāt just stop the story because the word limit has been reached.
Too much introduction ā go straight to the action, especially if you're writing a mini saga with a tight word limit.
It doesnāt make sense. Ask someone else to read your story who has no knowledge of the plot. They should understand what is happening all the way through without you explaining.
The tenses change ā make sure itās in past tense or present tense all the way through.
The narrator changes ā make sure itās consistent, either first or third person all the way through.
Include your name! We canāt publish work if we donāt know who has written it.
Donāt copy! Stories need to be your own work.
Donāt use real cell phone numbers, addresses, pin numbers, bank details etc!
Now you can put it all into practice and enter one of our contests - see what's open here.
