How to write stories correctly. Heroes of the story and their names

Observe the world around you. If you want to write good story or even a story, then always listen carefully and look around to find inspiration! Soon you will understand what your story will be about! Be interested in people's opinions about the world around you. Your story will appeal to a variety of readers, so don't limit yourself to just your own ideas. Any amount of time, effort and description spent on the story will not be excessive. Examples of ways to collect materials for a story:

• Read books. Gain first-hand experience. Reading is good for the brain and allows you to learn what things are like. good books. Of course, there are millions of books in the world, but try visiting your local library and choosing books according to your interests. All books and people are unique. Perhaps you will gain ideas for constructing sentences, inspiration, or the general style of the text from them. Read various books to expand your vocabulary. The more you know, the more ideas you have for a great story.
• Pay attention to interesting features character. Perhaps your neighbor talks to plants or goes for a walk with his cat every morning. Look around. Does your sister sometimes behave eccentrically? Try creating similar character. Imagine inner world such a person and think about how he can be involved in the story.
• Take a look around. Go for a walk or sit on a bench in the park and look around. Perhaps you'll notice a bouquet of roses in a gutter or brand new sneakers on a nearby bench. How did they get there? Unleash your imagination!
• Listen to conversations. A phrase you hear can inspire you to write a whole story. For example, a person passing by may say: “Nobody understands me...” or: “My dog ​​doesn’t like all the guys who come to me...”. Is this a bad plot point?

Use a “what if” diagram. This is another way to come up with the beginning of a story. When observing the world around you, pay attention not only to real, but also to possible events. After hearing or seeing something, you may wonder: “What if everything had turned out differently?” - or: “What would he do if...”. This line of thought will help you explore all the mysteries that haunt you.

• It is not necessary to immediately know the ending of the story. In fact, this approach will even help you consider more potential possibilities and write a more interesting story.
• A “what if...” scheme can be realistic or completely fantastical. Think about it: “What if my dog ​​talked to me?” - or: “What will happen if one day a neighbor steals my cat, which she loves to pet at every opportunity?”

The story is a medium-sized story. Writing a novel can be a Herculean task, while a short story can be written and, most importantly, completed by almost anyone. This does not mean that short stories are easy to write, or that their artistic value is less than that of a novel. A well-written story is just as impressive as a novel. This article outlines some practical tips to inspire you and help you write short stories.

Part 1: Writing a Short Story

1.1
Collect story ideas. Carry a notepad with you to jot down ideas, as inspiration can strike at any time.
o Most often, only small pieces of information will come to your mind, for example, an accident on which you can build a plot, a character's name or appearance, etc. But sometimes you can create the entire story in minutes.
o If you're feeling uninspired or need to write a story quickly (for example, for school), try brainstorming. If you're still treading water, you may need to turn to family or friends for advice.
o Good stories come with experience. Many of Isaac Asimov's stories are based on personal experience.

1.2. Let's start with the basics of a short story. Once you've chosen an idea, you need to keep the basics of the story in mind. Here step-by-step instruction good story:
Introduction: main persons, location, time, weather, etc.
Primary action: what started it.
Plot Development: Events leading up to a climax or turning point.
Climax: The most intense, turning point of the story.
Closing the action: the conclusion of the story.
Resolution: The ending of the story, whether or not the central conflict is resolved. You do not need to write the story in this order. If you have an idea for an ending, write it down. Start with the initial idea (not necessarily the beginning of the story), and ask yourself: "What happens next?" Or "What happened before that?"

1.3.Be inspired by the people around you. If you find it difficult to understand or describe a character, look around. You can easily borrow traits from people you know and don't know.
For example, you notice someone who always drinks coffee, speaks in a loud, booming voice, always types on the computer, etc. All of these traits, even of multiple people, can create an interesting character.

1.4. Know your character. For a story to be believable, the characters must be believable and realistic. Creating an interesting and realistic character is quite difficult. Here are some tips for creating "real people" for your stories:
Compose Full description character, from his position to his favorite color. You need to know as much as possible about your characters, from their motivations to their favorite foods. Do they speak with an accent? Do they have specific mannerisms? You won't include all of this information in your story, but the more you know, the more your characters will come to life for both you and the reader.
Your character doesn't have to be perfect. Every character must have flaws, problems, insecurities. You might think that people don't like it when a hero has a lot of flaws, but that's far from the truth. Batman wouldn't be the Dark Knight if he weren't a sociopath.
People identify with problematic characters because they are realistic. There's no need to give your character unrealistic and weird traits, although you can of course do that. Basically, try to stick to things you know. For example, a character might be nervous, afraid of water, lonely, dislike other people, smoke too much, etc.

1.5. Don't make the story too long. In a novel, the action can take place over millions of years and combine many storylines, different locations, and an army of supporting characters. The main events of the story must occur over a short period of time (days or minutes); and you can't develop more than one plot line, two or three main characters and one action. If your story is too long, then most likely it is already a story or novel.

1.6. Who tells the story. There are three main options: first person (“I”), second person (“you”) and third person (“he” or “she”). In the first version, the narrator is the character himself, in the second - the reader, and in the third - an outside narrator narrates. Second person narratives are rarely used.
Keep in mind that first-person stories are limited because they tell only what they know, while third-person stories can tell everything, describe the thoughts of each character, or limit themselves to observation.
Can also be combined. For example, you can switch between first-person narration in one chapter and third-person in another, or even have multiple first-person narrators. An excellent example is the story "Rashomon" by Akutagawa Ryunosuke, which was later adapted into a film under the name Akira Kurasawa.

1.7. Organizing your thoughts is important. After preparing the main elements of the story, it is useful to sketch out a timeline to decide what should happen when.
A story, at a minimum, should have an introduction, an opening action, a development, a climax, a concluding action, and a resolution. You can keep records with very simple description what needs to happen in each of these stages. This will help you focus when writing your story, making it easy to make changes and stick to the main plot line.

1.8. Start writing. Depending on how carefully you've mapped out the plot and characters, the writing process itself may be just a matter of finding the right words.
However, in general, writing is a labor-intensive process. Chances are you won't know your characters or plot intimately, but that doesn't matter because they'll tell you what they need even if you back them into a corner. Plus, you can always use a second draft.

1.10. Keep writing. You almost certainly had to face difficulties on the way to completing the story. You shouldn't stop because of this. Plan your story work, as well as a quota (such as a page a day) for each day. Even if you have to throw away what you wrote that day, you worked on the story, and it will have a positive impact in the long run.
Consider participating in workshops or workshops for writers. A very good activity for writers is Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Every year, from November 1st to November 30th, you must write a novel of at least 50,000 words. Greatness and quality don't matter as long as the purpose is writing. For more information see the links.

11. Let your story write itself. As you write your story, you may take the plot in a different direction than you previously planned, or you may significantly change or remove a character. Listen to the characters, if they tell you to do something different, it might be what you want.

Part 2: Editing a Short Story

2.1. Re-read and edit. When you finish a story, re-read it and correct automatic, logical and semantic errors. In general, make sure that the action, characters, and their problems are introduced into the story and resolved accordingly.
If you have time, set your story aside for a few days or weeks before editing. Moving away from the story will help you evaluate it more clearly when editing.

2.2. Seek a second opinion. Ask a trusted relative or friend to review the completed story and make any adjustments or suggestions. Ask them to give their real opinion about the story. Give them time to read and think about the story, and give them a copy of the story to take notes on.
Consider all comments you receive, not just the ones you like. Thank you for reading the story and do not argue with the opinion received.
Include all amendments, revisions and suggestions that you consider necessary. The story will be better with constructive criticism, but you should not follow all the advice you receive, as not all will be good. This is your story and the last word After you.

2.3. Do not give up. You may become frustrated when faced with problems. You may become exhausted, angry at the characters, and feel guilty about killing your favorite character.
Know that you will most likely doubt your writing abilities sooner or later. This is absolutely normal. You will feel that it is not worth continuing and that it is better to give up and go work as a waiter. When thoughts like these arise, they can easily take over and cause you to quit writing.
One of the most difficult tasks of a writer is to overcome such feelings and continue writing. If you have doubts, are tired or fed up, stop writing! You can get up, take a walk, have a snack, watch TV, or do something to relax. When you return, go in with a fresh head. You may still not have the desire to write, then remind yourself to good sides your story, a good paragraph, well-thought-out dialogue, interesting character, and congratulate yourself. You are doing something that most people are not capable of doing.
If someone else has read your story, it can also serve as a source of support. Just tell yourself that you will finish the story because you want to. It doesn't matter if it's not the best story in the world; there will be others. If your goal is to finish the story, then do it.

2.4. Read! Nothing can help you learn to write good stories better than reading good stories. Pay attention to the style and conciseness of the letter.
Reading different authors and styles will help you learn to apply different voices to each story and expand your creative potential. Pay attention to how authors describe characters, construct dialogue, and structure plot lines. Here are some tips:
"I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov.
"Steps" by Jerzy Kosinski.
"The Famous Jumping Frog of Calaveras" by Mark Twain.
"Secret life Walter Mitty" by James Thurber.
"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury.
"Three Questions" by Leo Tolstoy.
"Brokeback Mountain" by Annie Proulx.
"Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Philip K. Dick.

Note: Many of these stories have been adapted into films or become the basis for others. famous works. For example, the science fiction story "A Sound of Thunder" has been republished a record number of times and introduces us to the "butterfly effect." Philip K. Dick's stories have been featured in Blade Runner (“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”), Total Recall (“We Can Remember Everything for You Wholesale”), Minority Report (“Minority Report”), “ Cloudiness" ("Cloudiness") and in many others.

*******Adviсe*********

The ending of a story can be exciting. What really happened to Douglas Quayle (Quaid) at the end of We Can Remember Everything for You Wholesale (Total Recall)?
Create your own style. With practice in your works will come your unique voice. You can start by imitating other writers or specific genre. At the end of the day, you just have to write and you will have your own voice.
The story must have at least two timelines. There is an order in which events happened, and there is an order in which you present events to readers. The timelines do not have to coincide.
If you're having trouble brainstorming, try drawing a diagram or table; create about five main sentences for your story. It will also help to write everything that comes to mind for 5-30 minutes.
Stretch your brain (brainstorm) before you start writing.
If you want to stop writing a particular story, make sure there are very good reasons for doing so, not just excuses. If you have a temporary hitch, continue working. Sometimes, you may come up with a much better idea. You can start working on a new idea, but if this happens again, it will create difficulties because, in the end, you will end up with many stories started and not a single finished one.
If there is a song or melody that can put you in the right mood, turn on the music.
Perhaps you don't feel like warming up before writing a story. Too many writers skip this step. However, it is recommended that everyone do this at least once in their life. Also, you are unlikely to be able to write a good story without planning.
Make sure the story ends in the right place. All readers hate books that should already end, but drag on for another paragraph or two.
Think carefully about all the story elements, e.g. main character, setting, time period, genre, supporting characters, enemies and conflicts, and plot.
If something comes to mind, for example about a house, or about your dog, write it down and process the idea. This almost always works.
You can write about some event in the past or fantasy. If you are writing about a real event from your past, you may want to embellish it a little and make it more exciting. The main character can be copied from yourself or from your friends and loved ones. But be careful, because real people are not as dynamic as fictional characters.
Do your research. If you are writing about the 1950s, then take an interest in the trends of that time, for example, family relationships, clothes, slang, etc. If you write without such information, the story will turn out to be amateurish, and you will expect a lot of criticism from people who knew those times.
Don't overexert yourself. If you don't have any ideas, do something else. Come back to the story a few hours later, or the next day after a good rest, and you will be surprised at what you can do.
Don't have friends or family who can give an honest assessment of your story? Try joining a writing group where you can get advice, guidance, and hopefully quality criticism. Most likely you can find them at your local club, but there are also online groups.
Don't forget about the format. This isn't really necessary as long as you don't show the story to other people. For example: Is the story centered? Are there any chapters? Are the fonts different? Are there paragraphs? Do you indent at the beginning of each paragraph? All of the above are just ideas to help make your story look better before showing it to other people.
Warnings
Dont be upset. If you try to publish your story, you will most likely be rejected. Rejection is a big part of being a writer, sometimes it's justified and sometimes it's not. Be proud that you finished the story and write more if you like it.
Short stories- the most difficult type of fiction. You have to do everything you would do in a novel (introduce characters, create conflict, develop characters, resolve conflict) in twenty or thirty pages. Respect the genre. It is not easy.
Don't forget about spelling and grammar. Show readers that you know what you're doing. At the very least, put the story through a spelling and grammar check. The program may not find all errors, but there will be fewer of them.
The idea itself is not protected by copyright, only the expression of the idea is protected. In addition, there are many options for the development of events. Feel free to build on general outline masterpieces, all writers do this.
Don't be too proud of your story, as you may be very disappointed if you get rejected for publication. Be professional and don't identify with the story.
Don't be lazy to write. Don't end the story in a way that leaves the reader confused. Cliff endings are acceptable if you plan to write a sequel, or, as in the case of We Can Remember Everything for You Wholesale, the cliff ending is an integral part of the entire story.

*******HOW TO FINISH A SHORT STORY********

Short stories (as long as they're well written) are refreshing little treats that can help you escape your daily routine without having to read a huge novel. If you have already worked out the basis of your story and don’t know what to do next, then remember that even the most best writers sometimes faced the same difficulties.

1.1. Re-read everything you have already written. This will help refresh your memory and help you identify what you already have and what else needs to be added. Ask yourself a few questions as you read:
What is the purpose of this story? In other words, what do you want your readers to realize as a result of reading it?
Do you want an abrupt or unexpected ending? Do you want to leave the ending uncertain, unfinished? Or would you like to end your story with the happiest ending possible?

1.2. Think about what genre the story you wrote belongs to. Is this literary fiction? Science fiction? Novel? The genre of your story can help you determine the most appropriate ending. The ending should tie into what the rest of your story promised readers.
If you are not sure which ending is typical for the chosen genre, then pay attention to some popular author (for example, Stephen King (horror) or Flannery O'Connor (literary fiction)) and read several of his works. You can you can learn a lot simply by studying the endings in the works of other authors.

1.3. Work out the structure of your story. Write short descriptive phrases that summarize each scene and important turning points. For example: "Leonid goes to the store to buy bread, but soon discovers that he forgot his wallet at home; he returns and meets a stranger on his porch." Such a diagram will help establish the “skeleton” of the story: what exactly happens and to whom exactly, and so on - all this will be useful when deciding on the ending.

Part 2: Put your story on paper

Brainstorm possible ideas using brainstorming techniques. At this stage, there is absolutely no need to strive to obtain fully completed and verified proposals. Your goal is to explore a variety of possibilities, so write down any ideas you have, no matter how vague, silly, or unconventional they may seem at first. There are many different options for generating ideas, so it's worth trying out a few options and seeing what works best for you!

2.1. You might find it helpful to draw a "mind map," either in pencil on paper or on the computer. Start with what you know well (characters, events, locations) and assign each element a separate oval. Start adding details and questions, drawing connecting lines between the ovals to show connections between ideas.
You can also try writing down some keywords on cards or small pieces of paper. Practice arranging these cards in different combinations and see how you like the other options!
Check what you got. Think about your ideas, look again at the themes, images, recurring aspects. Are there any ideas or characters that seem most important? Most likely, in the end it will be necessary to work through them.

2.2. If you have questions when choosing a development vector, try making a list of everything your characters want. Characters with strong ambitions or needs capture the audience's attention. One day famous author Kurt Vonnegut said: "Every character should want something, even if it's just a glass of water." Ask yourself: did the characters get what they wanted? What might happen next given the characters' current circumstances?
If you still don't get the ending, try to understand exactly what issues or themes are raised in your story. If the problem still exists, then answer the question: how can it be solved? (You can think of something similar to the Harry Potter books: if the problem is that Voldemort wants to take over the world, then what should be the outcome?)

2.3. Present the material in free written form. Once you've decided on the direction you want your story to take and have a few ideas, sit down and just write non-stop for 30 minutes or so. Try to write the entire ending, but don't worry about getting the sentences right or correcting spelling mistakes. Focus on presenting your ideas in an organized manner.
You may find that setting an alarm would be helpful. After your time is up, take a break and then return to what you wrote.
Choose a quiet place where you will not be distracted and can calmly concentrate on your writing.
Try writing for 30 minutes without stopping to edit. What you get will most likely not have an attractive appearance, however, it is still useful to get it in in writing the whole idea, without disrupting the flow of thought.

Part 3: Put it all together

3.1. Select best ideas those that were generated using brainstorming techniques and written down in free form. Make sure your ideas fit with the rest of the story you've written. For example, a happy ending might be suitable for romantic story, but it probably wouldn't work for a horror story.

3.2. Compare the possible ending to the plot outline you developed in Part 1. Make sure the ending you choose tells your readers what they want to know. Don't leave topics hanging. For example, if in the middle of a story one of your characters is about to undergo surgery, your readers will likely want to know how it went.

3.3. Respect your reader. Writer Kurt Vonnegut advised to "use a stranger's time in such a way that the person does not feel that he has wasted his time." Endings such as “everything was like a fairy tale” or “they all died together” are usually not suitable, since they almost never resolve conflict situations or do not provide correct logical conclusion, which can make your reader feel like they've been deceived.
Avoid deus ex machine endings, which literally means "God in the machine." In these endings (to help the character overcome an obstacle), something happens at the very last moment: for example, a detective in a fascinating story solves his problem only thanks to a call from a mysterious man who knows the answers to all the questions.

3.4. Make sure your ending matches the internal logic you have established in the story. Try not to “change the rules” for the reader. So, for example, if your heroine never wanted to get married, but at the end of the story she still changes her mind, then make sure that the reasons for such a decision are traced throughout the entire story, and do not just arise out of nowhere.

3.5. Describe the final events using concise sentences. For example: “Marina went to the closet; listened to the noise inside; trying to overcome her fear, she suddenly grabbed the handle and opened the door, a mouse ran out of the closet, and Marina laughed...”. This way you will know exactly what is going on. You you'll be back again to work on the text and “smooth out” the speech patterns in part 4.
Keep an eye on the volume. A good ending should be proportional to the rest of the story.

Part 4: Correction of speech patterns

4.1. Add a descriptive narrative to the text you just wrote. Focus on specific and significant details. In the example above, you can describe what the noise sounded like, which Marina believed might be in the closet that filled her with fear.

4.2.Re-read the ending. Make sure you provide enough information about your characters' thoughts and feelings and the relationships between them. In the example above, the ending may suggest that Marina was simply afraid of fear itself, and when she saw the mouse, she realized her own stupidity.

4.3 Re-read the entire story from beginning to end. Make sure it maintains consistency; You don't want to end up with a story where one part doesn't describe much, while other parts are full of detail.

4.4.. Perform a "full editing" of the entire story. On at this stage you can add all the finishing touches and make changes to make your story even more readable. Carefully correct any errors, make sure that everything is grammatically correct, and also eliminate any ambiguities or inaccuracies in the presentation itself.

4.5. Show your story to a friend! Because you put a lot of time and effort into writing the story, your views may differ from those of other readers. When your friend reads the story, he will probably point out some points that may seem confusing or inappropriate to most readers. You'll probably also appreciate your friend's encouragement when he tells you he's delighted with your piece!

********Adviсe*******

Sometimes when you find it difficult to generate new ideas, you can build a web of connections between characters. Draw lines between a pair of characters and then imagine how they might recognize each other.
Don't judge yourself too harshly. Writing takes practice! Relax and have fun.

(estimates: 8 , average: 4,50 out of 5)

Honored writers admit that the short story genre is one of the most difficult, since the process of creating a masterpiece requires precision construction, impeccable finishing, meaningful meaning and high plot tension. But in this article we will still put everything on the shelves and find the answer to exciting question: how to write a story?

Every day hundreds of interesting events happen before your eyes, and hundreds more thoughts are spinning in your head. It is necessary to present everything that you want to tell the reader in an accessible and understandable form. Those who take up writing a story for the first time, as one, think that the story is not at all a difficult genre, since it is written much faster than any other. But that's not true. I would even say that this is the main thing.

In a novel, for example, events are recreated as an eyewitness saw them; a story is a sequential presentation of them. But the story is the most interesting and complex form, since the author will have to single out from the many events only those that need to be put together for a laconic canvas of the story.

Writing a story

So, working on any literary work consists of three points: find out, say, be heard. Let's decipher these “three pillars” of writing a story.

To know– means to know life itself, to reevaluate and comprehend one’s own life experience, learn to hear and understand the world around us and people. Taken together, this gives a creative idea.

Say- means to create a literary work, that is, the most important thing. Namely: to find material, select it, process it, organize it correctly, and, of course, write our story - present everything in artistic form.

To be heard- this does not mean just writing a work and putting it on a bookshelf to gather dust, but giving it life, showing it to readers, because a literary creation lives only when it is read, understood and appreciated. In order for a book to be appreciated, you need to know a few small writing secrets that will be useful to a novice writer in the process of creation.

The first stage in creating a story is the birth of an idea.

It appears in your head thanks to banal curiosity, reflection, and, of course, fantasies. Various factors can contribute to the emergence of a fresh and interesting idea. For example, your consciousness will be strongly influenced by the impressions of a book you read or some information message, be it a small document, a small article in the press, or even a chronicle. After reading the work of another author, sometimes there is a desire to slightly redo his work. Paradox – the desire to remake someone else’s work, radically changing everything; personal experiences or severe stress; embellishment and addition of situations that occurred in real life; some assumptions, variations of events; ideal - the embodiment of the artist’s perfect idea of ​​something, for example, justice.

The next stage in writing a story is selecting material

Good command of the language does not make any person a real writer. In order to become a recognized artist of words, you need to know and understand life. Knowledge provides only initial, supporting material, and understanding it makes it possible not to copy the text, but to elevate your presentation to the rank of a work of art.

Select required material possible in several ways. The first is a description of what was seen or experienced. But this type of reporting is more the job of a journalist than a writer. The task of literature is to create something that will allow the reader to see something that he could not or did not want to see before. The next method is design. Here the writer himself comes up with characters and plot, pulling everything out of his imagination and memory. And few materials are needed to describe the actions in detail, for example, where the main characters live, in what era, what they are wearing, what they are doing, what their surroundings are like, and the like. In such moments, the most reliable helpers are memory and your own experience. The last method of obtaining information is synthesis. The author bases the work on real events, but with some changes and many conjectures.

When there are a lot of materials, it is difficult to understand them. You can use convenient ones, which I wrote about in another article.

Components of a story

Perhaps the most important detail in the story is composition. Composition is a good arrangement of previously selected material. The sequence of episodes creates an emotional and associative perception of the story by the reader.

There are many composition options:

Direct flow- the simplest type.
Ring– here the story has the author’s frame at the beginning and end of the work.
Spot– when there are many small details and details that are ultimately tied to a specific event.
Wicker– when there is spatio-temporal scale.
Action-packed, detective, inversion - based on contrast.
Articulated- when the plot at the end of the story unexpectedly takes a sharp turn.
Revolving– the events occurring in the story are shown from different points of view.

The beginning is the beginning of the story. It is the first phrase that is the most important in the entire story. It creates a first impression, which, as we know, is the most important.

An effective story can begin with an exposition, that is, without delay, introduce the reader to the story, or landscape, or action, description of past events, the main characteristics of the hero, portrait and other points.

Each writer has his own story style, and it is thanks to it that the author can become recognizable. This is his personal style, his individual way of using thought.
The criteria for determining a technique are elements such as a word, a turn of phrase, a phrase, a combination of two words, junctions of periods, etc. Select a specific style writing a story impossible, since there is always a combination of several styles in one story.

Details are something without which any story will turn into who knows what. It's the details that make the difference literary works, they must not be forgotten under any circumstances. Details can be a variety of things - taste, smell, color, touch, etc. In any case, it is necessary to adequately describe every little detail and give it life.

That's all I wanted to tell you today. Now you know how to write a story. It looks difficult, true, but it’s difficult just to start. May your inspiration and talent bring you success, and I will share that with you in the next article.

Don't know how to write a story correctly? The question is really interesting. You will learn my version of the answer to it from this post. With the advent of the Internet in our lives, the number of people wishing to leave a mark on history is growing before our eyes. Previously, the opuses of young writers had difficulty reaching readers hungry for new impressions, but now on the Internet, every willing author can receive his share of fame from the inhabitants of the virtual space.

Usually, creative path the young author begins with a story. First of all, a simple principle of psychology works: a story is much smaller than a story or, especially, a novel, which means that it is easier to write. And piles of new unsightly and foul-smelling creations are created to the “joy” of the reader who is tired of poking around in it all. In this article I will tell you how to write a story without doing any “good” to the reader.

Hero

The hero should be succinctly described; in just two or three sentences, the reader should be able to see the image of the main mover of the story. The mover should be memorable, with a strong point that the reader can latch on to. Everything in the story is concentrated - both the plot and the hero. Give the hero the opportunity to become the highlight of your dish called “story”. Advice: read Chekhov, and your heroes will become better themselves.

Plot

The plot of the story is clear and thoughtful. In general, writing a story correctly is like designing a house. Everything must be in its place and to the point, otherwise it is just a waste of time, money and nerves. Take storytelling more seriously. Identify plot turning points immediately. Who, when and why appears. Feel free to remove the excess! The reader will not forgive you for smearing your creativity across his sophisticated consciousness. Be clear about where your character will end up at the end of the story and why.

The plot of the story should be dynamic and exciting. Each turn must have a "hook". It hooks either the consciousness or the feelings of the reader, leaving him no chance to tear himself away from the work. Dynamism is achieved through the alternation of action and feelings. Let your hero confess his love on the roof of a falling skyscraper, catching his long-desired lover in the air. Tip: Focus your thoughts, feelings and actions in each episode.

The final

The ending of the story should hit the reader over the head and knock him off his feet. Like a good cudgel, the ending should be a powerful argument in your hands to engrave your creativity in the memory. He is obliged to turn the course of all events upside down. The world will change to the point of recognition - and you will conquer the reader. Let the prince become a beggar. The poor will know wealth. Close person turns out to be an alien from the other side of the world. The ending of the story is your trump card. Be extremely attentive to him.

In addition to the classic “reversal,” “difficult achievements” are well perceived by the reader. When an irresistible force presses on the hero from all sides, but he finds the strength to defeat it. Let's remember Hemingway's story "The Old Man and the Sea."

Another good ending could be “realization.” This version of the ending suggests that the reader receives some important realization in life. The world will appear before him in some new light, new facets and notes will appear. Advice: read esoteric novels, Coelho for example, there is an invaluable storehouse of insights that will be enough for more than one story.

There can be a huge number of endings, so don't get too hung up on it. Find your way. Remember the main thing: there must be change. A story in which everything remains as it was in the beginning should not be shown to the world. Be favorable to him, and he will definitely answer you in kind.

Style

The style should leave no doubt that you can write. Sometimes, he helps the author get a hopeless work out of good level. I'm not a fan of writing stories for the sake of "dabbling in front of people" with mastery of style. But everyone should have one and help the reader discover story ideas in a clearer and more enticing way.

Don't despair if your style leaves much to be desired. There are two reliable remedies for a lame style: reading and writing new works. Write and read more. Soon you will have your own unique style, which will elevate you and your works to the pinnacle of fame.

What are the difficulties?

A new short story writer may face many challenges. But the main thing, I think, is the lack of meaning of the work. Sometimes you read, read a story and don’t understand why all this is. The meaninglessness of the work kills it in the bud. Don't chase the majority, be original. Illuminate the work with the light of your idea. There is an easy way to bring it into the story.

Before writing a story, write down one sentence on paper. It must contain main value, which the hero and the reader will acquire at the end of the story, as well as the reason for creating this value. By writing a sentence like this, you create the backbone of your story. This will be your guiding thread, which will allow your thoughts not to wander throughout the text, but will clearly lead the reader to the desired point.

You have gained an understanding of the importance of character, plot, ending, and style in a story. We also learned about such a problem of modern writers as the lack of meaning in history and advice on how to create it.

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Useful tips for aspiring short story writers Daniil Volkov . If anyone has anything to add to them, then please suggest - different opinions are also important.

Daniil Volkov

Firstly, I realized that you can’t wait for inspiration. Inspiration is an insidious thing. It is very difficult to adapt to it. It’s almost impossible if you work or study at the same time. There is no need to wait for inspiration. Treat writing a story like school essay– whether you want it or not, you have to work. After all, no one told the teacher: Mary Ivanna, I didn’t pass my essay about Masha and Dubrovsky, there was no inspiration.

Secondly, I realized that three things are important for a story: meaning, style and volume. Simply put, it should be clear, beautiful and concise.
Having learned these two main things, Let's start the story, observing the seven rules.

First. First, determine what the story will be about by summarizing the content in one sentence. Phrases: “about love” or “about friendship” are not suitable. We need specifics. For example: about how Cinderella was fired from her job due to the machinations of her boss; about why Thumb is sad when it rains.

Second. The second step is creating characters. You carefully consider the image of the main character (hereinafter referred to as the GG). What is he like? Gender-age, eye-hair-skin color, character, habits, biography, who he lives with, what he loves, who he looks like, etc.
Then take a piece of paper and write down everything you come up with on it. Very detailed and thorough. And then you pin the sheet to the tabletop to make it easier to peek, and UNDER NO EVENT! do not include this description in the story. At least in this volume.
A common mistake of novice authors is that they try to squeeze all the information about the character into the text of the story. Over the course of two pages, unfortunate readers learn that GG “had black, cheerful eyes, black curly hair, he had a snow-white smile, plump lips and a wide mouth. He was tall, with strong, muscular arms and legs. He was thirty years old, eighteen of which he spent in an orphanage, because his parents, when he was five years old...” Such an opus usually ends like this: “he had black skin, he was a black man.”
It is much simpler, clearer and more expressive to write: “He was a middle-aged black man, lonely, but not discouraged under any circumstances.”
Let me make a reservation right away that I am not advocating brevity of presentation. I don’t like it when it’s short. I find 55-word stories especially scary. So we will soon get to stories of 55 letters.
But now we are talking about a story in which (see above) volume is important. This means that we need to get rid of everything unnecessary, so we cut off the floridness of the text mercilessly.

Third. We come up with a plot. The main condition is entertainment and dynamism. Priority to dialogues. Try to express the characters' feelings in THEIR words, not your own.
For example, for a story it is better:
“You're pissing me off, Chupacabra! - Puss-in-Boots hissed, playing with the hilt of his sword.
How:
“Puss-in-Boots felt a wild, primitive rage boiling in the depths of his being, like water in a kettle. He narrowed his eyes, fluffed his tail militantly, pushed back his wide-brimmed hat, crowned with a plume of scarlet ostrich feathers, and began stroking with his paw, which instantly revealed steel claws and ceased to be velvet, the hilt of the sword that he received under the following circumstances ... "
How to build a plot?
The formula for a regular story is simple. Introduction, adventure, ending. The introduction should be interesting, and the ending should be significant. The introduction lures the reader in, and the ending makes him (the reader) think about the story for some time after reading. Even if, after reading your story, a person freezes for three seconds, staring into space, and thinks: “That’s what it’s like!..” - consider this a victory. Your story came true.
Don't start your introduction from afar. This is not a story or a novel, where you can admire the surroundings for a couple of pages, then mention the glare rising sun to the sea, and then devote another five pages to describing an ancient castle, towards which a flock of black swans is flying across this very sea. There must be some kind of intrigue that will make the reader hold his gaze, wonder: what will happen next? Well, let's see...
If the introduction and ending are more or less clear, let’s move on to the adventures. You can call them conflicts, events - the essence will not change. For the dynamics of the story, it would be good to have at least three conflict-adventures. For example, the meeting of Puss-in-Boots with youngest son the miller and their criminal conspiracy to seize the kingdom and surrounding territories; the said characters' raid on the royal palace, during which they steal the Sansi diamond and the princess; rescuing a runaway princess from a werewolf, followed by the princess falling in love with her savior, Puss-in-Boots. As an introduction, one can imagine the Cat stealing designer boots from Armani, and the ending is the Cat’s flight from the princess in love with an apology that he is not able to make her happy.

Fourth. Having decided on the hero and plot, we proceed directly to writing. We write as best we can, trying, nevertheless, to remember the three pillars of the story - clarity, beauty and brevity.
Remember about bright images, try to avoid banalities. It is better to describe the night as the shine of a bottle fragment on the ground (see A.P. Chekhov), and not as “the silver light of a ghostly moon in a dark blue sky strewn with stars.”
As a result of the fourth step, you will most likely end up with a story on 15 pages in 14 font. This is approximately 20,000-30,000 characters. That is, twice the norm. We confidently proceed to the next stage.

Fifth. Correction of the story. We stock up on a dozen handkerchiefs to wipe involuntary tears, re -read the text and delete (while maintaining the meaning) extra adjectives (“black black”, “cold, sparkling snow”) and attractive pronouns - mine, my, yours, and so on. (“he hit me with HIS hand”, “when I woke up, I realized that MY neck still hurt”). After editing, the text will be reduced by approximately two pages. But, I assure you, the reader will still understand that the black man was black, the snow was cold, and after you were hit, it was your neck that hurt.
Then the most unpleasant and difficult part begins. It’s not just necessary to reduce unnecessary words, but extra text. Ideally, no more than 10 pages should remain, which means three pages should be mercilessly erased. We stop crying and re-read the story again. We read very carefully, from time to time deleting entire paragraphs that do not carry a semantic load for confirmation main idea story (see point one). Everything that goes beyond firing poor Cinderella from her job - chic business suits and crystal sneakers; memories of how her stepmother poured orange juice on her in the bus stop last year; breakfast, during which Cinderella ate a piece of Anna Pavlova cake and was sad about the absurd death of the great artist - we delete it.
Feel yourself plastic surgeons, cutting off the excess from the cute, but somewhat flabby face of the famous singer. The singer should leave the operating table with her face as elastic as a rubber ball. Nothing extra! No: “this mole looks so cute...”!
Think not about your desires, but about the desires of the singer. She doesn't need sentimental senile moles, she wants a full stretch. So give her what she wants! Cut what you can and stretch it to the limit!
You will cry over the mole at home, counting the fee.

Sixth. Inexperienced authors often believe that the sixth stage in creating a story is unnecessary. And they proudly rush to post a story (and in fact, not a story, but a raw semi-finished product) for reading or send it to a publishing house, and then are offended when they are subjected to devastating criticism.
But this is so easy to avoid if you follow a simple rule: before sharing your story in public, let it sit for a while. Two or three days, a week, if you have the patience. And if you last a month, hats off!
Question: why do this?
Answer: because after a while you will re-read what you wrote with fresh eyes. And you will notice errors that you have not seen before. Remember that the more often you perform this manipulation, the cleaner the text will be. By following the sixth rule, you will make your story shine like a diamond, otherwise it risks remaining an uncut diamond - a dull, clumsy stone, the value of which no one knows.
Read the story out loud, with expression. This will help identify dissonant word and letter combinations, and random repetitions. Try to make your story become a song, read like a prose poem.

And finally seventh. Take another half hour to read the story and correct any mistakes in spelling and punctuation. Lack of knowledge or hard work? Give it to a smart friend. Let him add commas, write “not” separately with verbs, and deal with the suffixes “ber-bir”, “der-dir”. And don’t talk about the fact that there are editors and proofreaders, and that they are paid money for this. That's not what they get paid for. And for finding RANDOM errors.
If a story begins with “glorious glory,” 99% will immediately stop reading it. Of course, someone will read it, but only to laugh at the poor student or comment: “Supirski! Hurry up!”
Believe me, grammatical errors are as disgusting as a hair in a restaurant dish.
But seriously, write from the heart, write as your heart tells you. After all, talent and inspiration are great strength. And if you have them, then everything will definitely work out.