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The main thing to remember when entering a short story contest is to be yourself! Never write what you think people expect to see! Let your individual personality shine through! There's not a person alive today who doesn't appreciate someone who isn't afraid to be themselves. Originality is the key to success in this kind of contest. It makes you stand out from the crowd, get noticed and get remembered!

Secondly, I would advise you to think very carefully about what title to write about. Ask yourself some quick questions-
Is this a title I know enough about to really flesh out a story? Is this a title I'm genuinely interested in? Do I have any worthwhile ideas based on this title that others will want to read? Don't write on a title just for the sake of it because then in it will most likely be an uninteresting and half hearted effort.

The next thing I highly recommend is that when you have chosen your title create a flowchart before writing a single paragraph. Write down every idea that crosses your mind. Flow charts are an excellent way to get your ideas in order and select which ones you want to use.
Put your thoughts on paper to make it clear to yourself what you really want your story to be about.

At this stage of the planning when you have a good idea of the story line the best thing to do is to decide how many characters you will have. In a short story it's always good not to introduce too many different characters or else readers can get confused and quickly lose all interest. Also too many characters can effectively take the spotlight off the protagonist and make them lose their appeal.

Once you begin writing, paragraphs are essential. Every new paragraph should contain a new point or a new development in your story line. You have to make points to get points! Another reason it is a good idea to make a new point in every new paragraph is because it helps you stick to the plot as closely as possible and prevents you from rambling on or becoming garrulous.

Your opening paragraph is vitally important. It has been said that an opening paragraph shows intelligence all the other paragraphs show work! In that opening paragraph I advise you not to give too much away. Hook your readers in and keep them wanting more! Demonstrate your best writing here and let them see your skill and potential from the offset so it doesn't get discarded without a full read.

It is also virtually impossible to do well in a short story contest if your story lacks a beginning, middle or an ending. The ending is so important to a short story. A writer who can write immaculately and hooks the reader in and then leaves them thinking "was that it?" won't go very far.

When you have finished always check your grammar, your spellings and read over everything you wrote because mistakes throughout don't look good.

Also don't expect to win every contest you enter, your competing against people who could well have vastly more experience at contests than you do or have been writing all there lives. And this is why my last piece of advice I can give you is to enjoy writing! Because if you don't enjoy writing your story why would any one enjoy reading it!? So have fun with it and express your self!

Learn more about this author, Z. Blake.
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