by Albert Aunchman

Created on: May 14, 2008

Be the best! Sounds like a lofty ideal for the fledgling short story author. Orson Scott Card, noted sci-fi writer, noted that it's pointless to strive to be "the best", "because being the best is not up to you." What matters is being good. "Being good' is entirely up to you, regardless how others see you."

You can "be good" by avoiding the pitfalls that plague the short story writer. One of the biggest hurdles is coming up with a good idea. A short story concept must be presented, developed, and resolved in a very short period. Once you come up with a nice tight, original idea your on your way.

Other areas to watch out for are technical.

Try to create realistic dialogue. Your dialogue has to sound like it does in real life. Listen to conversations around you. What words do people routinely skip? How do people talk in real life? Examples are all around you.
Pay attention to point of view. Most beginning writers should stick to first or third person. The use of the omniscient point of view can keep your readers from connecting with your characters by spending their time trying to figure out who thinks what.
Create interesting characters that are memorable. You can do this by giving them unique traits. Describe how they walk, talk, act and behave differently than everyone else. Give them flaws. Keep it real. Dig deep, and be honest. Go beyond your comfort zone and tell your readers the whole truth.
Create conflict in your characters. Have them grow emotionally. This can be very powerful and compelling.
Develop a complete story line. Watch out for weak endings, sketchy characters that have no integral purpose in the story, or middle sections that drag out for no other reason than to get from one place to another. Every part of your story should hold the readers attention.
Don't tell. Paint pictures with words. Use the reader's senses to create your scenes. Let the reader smell the flowers in the garden. Let him see the cracks in the wall, or hear the brook. Pull the reader into the story by appealing to his senses.
Don't overuse similes and metaphors. Avoid stereotypes. Don't use clichs, or exaggerate. Never preach.

Write the first draft without editing it as you go. Trying to be perfect the first time around is one of the main reasons that new authors give up. Tell your story; let the story take you where it's going. Don't force yourself on your characters. Let them tell the story. You can always go back and change it if you really disagree, but you'll be surprised how they can tell it better than you.

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