Writing fight scenes

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1. Pacing

A fight scene should be fast-paced and intense. Unless it’s a final battle with numerous parties, a fight scene that’s too long tends to take away suspense. To speed up your pacing, use active voice to describe movement and don’t overdescribe your characters’ thoughts. Excessive inner monologue will be unrealistic, as people usually have no room to think during intense combats.

2. Character mannerisms

Here’s a point that people often overlook, but is actually super important. Through fight scenes, you should be able to reveal your characters’ contrasting mannerisms and personality. A cunning character would play dirty - fighting less and making use of their opponent’s weakness more. A violent character would aim to kill. A softer one would only target to disarm their enemies, using weakened attacks. A short-minded character would only rely on force and attack without thinking. This will help readers understand your characters more and decide who to root for.

3. Making use of surroundings

Not only the characters, you also need to consider the setting of your fight scene and use it to your advantage. Is it suitable for fighting, or are there dangerous slopes that make it risky? Are there scattered items that can help your characters fight (e.g. nails, shards of glass, ropes, wooden boards, or cutlery)? Is it a public place where people can easily spot the fight and call the authorities, or is it a private spot where they can fight to the death?

4. Description

The main things that you need to describe in a fight scene are :

• Characters involved in the fight

• How they initiate and dodge attacks

• Fighting styles and any weapons used

• The injuries caused

Be careful to not drag out the description for too long, because it slows down the pace.

5. Raise the stakes

By raising the stakes of the fight, your readers will be more invested in it. Just when they think it’s over, introduce another worse conflict that will keep the scene going. Think of your characters’ goals and motivations as well. Maybe if the MC didn’t win, the world would end! Or maybe, one person in the fight is going all-out, while the other is going easy because they used to be close :“D

6. Injuries

Fights are bound to be dirty and resulting in injuries, so don’t let your character walk away unscathed - show the effect of their injuries. For example, someone who had been punched in the jaw has a good chance of passing out, and someone who had been stabbed won’t just remove the knife and walk away without any problem. To portray realistic injuries, research well.

7. Drive the plot forward

You don’t write fight scenes only to make your characters look cool - every fight needs to have a purpose and drive the plot forward. Maybe they have to fight to improve their fighting skills or escape from somewhere alive. Maybe they need to defeat the enemy in order to obtain an object or retrieve someone who had been kidnapped. The point is, every single fight scene should bring the characters one step closer (or further :D) to the climax.

8. Words to use

• Hand to hand combat :

Crush, smash, lunge, beat, punch, leap, slap, scratch, batter, pummel, whack, slam, dodge, clobber, box, shove, bruise, knock, flick, push, choke, charge, impact

• With weapon :

Swing, slice, brandish, stab, shoot, whip, parry, cut, bump, poke, drive, shock, strap, pelt, plunge, impale, lash, bleed, sting, penetrate

writing meet-cutes

[@/moonlit_sunflower_writes on instagram]

i LOVE romance as a genre, and i’m a sucker for a good meet-cute. these are some ways i’ve noticed authors write good meet-cutes to make the reader root for the couple instantly!

disclaimer: i am not a professional writer, just a student who writes for fun, and everything here is based on my own opinion and research.

interesting circumstances

i just made a post on interesting ways to introduce new characters, but interesting circumstances can really carry a meet-cute. we all love the stereotypical coffee au, but spicing up the location can both make for an interesting start to the story and challenge your characters by putting them in an unusual situation - although there are benefits to both.

putting your characters in a strange situation, such as a car chase, robbery, or intervention, can show the reader their decision-making power in a stressful situation. this often works better for fantasy, action, or sci-fi meet cutes.

however, putting them in a familiar situation - or a somewhat familiar situation - can show your reader what they are like in everyday life. this could be great if it’s a contemporary romance, where the obstacles are more familiar to the reader.

show us the characters

and, more specifically, show don’t tell.

i know that “show don’t tell” is overused writing advice, but when it comes to a meet-cute, the most important aspect of the situation is that the characters know nothing about each other. which means that whichever pov you’re writing from, they will gauge the other person’s character solely from their words and actions.

for example, say Kate and Laila are meeting for the first time and the writing is from Kate’s pov. she might notice Laila’s messy hair or paint on her hands, from which she could infer that she’s a painter. she could notice her energetic laugh or the way she rolls her eyes, which could tell her something about her personality. but she could not know her family situation or where she was going next, she wouldn’t know her childhood traumas or her deepest fears.

meet-cutes or first-time meetings are where your pov character forms assumptions and judgements about the other character, which can be integral for many of their other interactions. for example, when elizabeth bennet met mr darcy, she decided he was prideful and that coloured the rest of their interactions for a while. essentially, figure out how each of your characters comes across to the other and use that to your advantage for the rest of the story.

banter

a.k.a. everyone’s favourite part of any romance.

the meet-cute is the perfect moment to introduce some kind of banter, and my favourite example is from “instructions for dancing” by nicola yoon, which has arguably the best meet-cute that i have ever read.

the characters can make fun of each other lightheartedly, creating both a sense of affection and a rapport that makes the reader want more interactions between them. have fun with this! and remember to intersperse dialogue with narration about feelings, observations, and thoguhts.

using stereotypes

like the coffee shop au, which is one of my favourites. but there are plenty of tropes that can provide inspiration for meet-cutes.

writers also often get a little obsessed with doing something “new” and “different”, but keep in mind that readers are often quite happy to read the same meet cute 100 times over in slightly different shades - as long as you have unique characters and circumstances (depending on your goal), you can quite easily make an incredibly tropey meet-cute work to your advantage.

writing couples the reader roots for

[@/moonlit_sunflower_books on ig]

we’re all suckers for a good romance, but quite often the characters just don’t vibe together and there is nothing more disappointing than that. any good romance should be one in which the reader genuinely wants the characters to be together, and i hope this helps figure it out!

disclaimer: i am not a professional author and everything here is based on personal experience and preference. i also have literally no experience with romantic relationships; this is all based on fiction.

give them obstacles

“why can’t they be together now?” is the question that you must always be asking about your couples, and if there is no clear answer, then something is wrong.

there should be a legitimate conflict keeping them apart. the classic one is romeo and juliet, where they are rivals, and nina and matthias are the same. with kaz and inej, it was their trauma. cardan bullied jude in the cruel prince and jo saw laurie as a friend in little women. make sure that there is a conflict that makes sense for the characters so that tensions rise and there is relief when they finally overcome it!

give them chemistry

don’t force the romance, let it come naturally. chemistry can be any combination of banter, physical attraction, common interests, longing glances, arguments, bonding moments, and friendship or alliances.

obviously depending on what sort of tropes you’re using, the combination will be different. but there has to be some kind of attraction between your characters that makes them feel like more than friends. multiple times i’ve read books where it feels like the characters are being forced to kiss each other by the author, and i realise this is incredibly vague advice, but let them play out their narratives in your head! don’t force them to do things that don’t seem to be working.

and my number one romance rule is The Kiss Rule: if they have to kiss for the reader to know they’re in love, then they’re not really in love.

give them grief

this kind of comes along with the ‘obstacles’ point, but let the fact that they cannot be together offer some sort of grief to the characters. or let the fact that they are together tear the characters apart.

<mark of athena spoilers> percy literally fell into hell for annabeth (yes my standards for men are too high) and honestly, that seems like a pretty important obstacle. but also percy’s fatal flaw is loyalty, which means that he will go way too far to stick by his friends’ side.

make it slow burn

even if your characters are attracted to each other at ford sight, don’t let them get together immediately. this comes hand in hand with my point about obstacles. make sure there is a reason the two aren’t together, and make it a g o n i s i n g.

add in a few *almost* kisses, build the tension, and let it drag out enough that the reader feels genuine satisfaction when they finally get together!

sometimes i think i know what’s going on in my wip and other times i open my plotting doc and read “yeah stuff happens and they end up in a boat”

Dramatic Irony

in today’s post I’m going to be outlining what dramatic irony is, some examples of it being used, what it achieves, and how you can use it in your story! // @writingzawn on instagram

source:http://www.publishingcrawl.com/2014/01/24/five-ways-to-use-dramatic-irony-in-your-writing/

What is it?

Dramatic irony refers to when words or actions possess a significance that the reader or audience understands, but the character does not. Essentially, you give the reader some information that the characters don’t have. This means the characters get into misunderstandings whilst the readers have to watch and wait for the truth to be revealed to the characters.

What are some examples of it?

Dramatic irony is used in a wide range of storytelling. In Romeo and Juliet, the audience knows that Juliet is simply sleeping whereas Romeo believes she’s dead. In Toy Story, Buzz thinks he’s a real space ranger but the audience knows he’s a toy. There are lots of examples in superhero movies of the audience knowing the protagonist’s secret hero identity whilst the majority of the characters don’t.

How can you use it successfully?

1. Let your unknowing character make mistakes they wouldn’t make if they had all the information.

This ramps up the tension because the reader will feel entirely helpless, knowing the full extent of the mistake the character is making. Think of the ending of Romeo and Juliet.

2. Reveal a character’s true feelings by allowing them to speak their mind to someone they don’t recognize.

This is a very specific example but it crops up often in storytelling. Comedy involving mistaken identity can be a useful tool. Perhaps character A confesses their love for character B to someone, unaware that it’s actually character B in disguise. Or maybe the hero reveals an important part of their plan to someone they don’t realise is the villain in a disguise.

3. Use the dramatic irony to create empathy for the character

If you place the character in a situation that they don’t fully understand, it can show their vulnerability and create sympathy in the readers. For example, in Toy Story Buzz’s naïve idea that he’s really a space ranger endears us to him.

4. Use comedy

Dramatic irony creates frequent opportunities for humour as well as drama. Depending on the genre and tone of your story, adding humour could be beneficial.

5. Make the reader keep turning the pages to see the outcome when the character finds out the truth

Use tension. If you promise that there’s going to be a big event when the truth comes out, this has to happen.

What should you avoid doing?

1. Don’t cause your readers to become irritated by your character

If the hero keeps remaining blind to the truth no matter how obvious it is, the readers will become annoyed by them. Avoid this.

2. Don’t have your character act against logic

You know when characters in horror movies run towardsthe danger and you can’t help but laugh? Adding humour unintentionally by the characters doing something unbelievably stupid will disrupt the tension. Also, if your characters keep acting illogically the readers will become irritated.

In Medias Res

in this post I’m going to be outlining what it means to be begin a story in medias res, what it achieves and some tips for going about it! // @writingzawn on instagram

sources:

• https://blog.reedsy.com/in-medias-res/
• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/tips-and-examples-of-in-medias-res-in-writing

What does it mean?

In medias res is a latin phrase that literally translates to ‘in the midst of things’. In terms of storytelling, it means skipping past the things that would normally begin a narrative - eg character descriptions, backstory, world-building - and jumping right to the action to begin the narrative towards the middle of its arc. Most writers would advise beginning short stories in medias res because you usually don’t have the time to do otherwise, but it can also be a useful technique in longer fiction.

What does it achieve?

It doesn’t necessarily involve beginning in the middle of a car chase sequence with explosions going off: it could be a far more mundane scene, as all that matters is whether you’re skipping exposition or not. All it means is skipping long descriptions and info dumps and beginning with something happening. It means jumping right to the point beforegiving detailed descriptions of the characters or the setting, and showing rather than telling required information through snatches of dialogue or brief references.

So why begin this way?

It grabs the reader’s attention

By not giving away all the information readers expect to get at the beginning of a story, you’ll grab their attention and ensure they want to keep reading. For example, the Iliadbegins once the Trojan War has already started, skipping past the history and the outbreak of the war. This establishes a central question or mystery, and the prospect of finding out the answer to this will encourage readers to continue reading. They’ll keep reading in order to get the information you denied them at the beginning.

It creates tension

The readers are left wondering how they got there and how it will end, which will propel them forwards. Dramatic irony could also be used, in which readers know slightly more than the characters, as this creates drama by forcing the reader to watch the characters fumbling in the dark. This method is tricky though, as you have to balance the fine line between giving the plot away entirely and showing just enough that the readers are one step ahead of the characters.

So how do you use in medias res in your story?

Choose a climactic moment

Begin with the middle. Pick an argument, a fight, a revelation - anything that hints at a chain of events leading up to this pivotal moment - and throw the reader into that scene. Perhaps you begin with a dramatic car chase sequence, with your characters facing off some enemy, or with an argument.

Inject backstory

Just because you’re not beginning with exposition doesn’t mean the readers should have no idea where they are or who the characters are for long. Deliver relevant information via short flashbacks, dialogue or changes in POV. You’ll have to find a balance where you provide the readers with just enough info that they don’t get so confused the momentum is lost, but not so much that you dump a ton of lore on them.

Create a sense of urgency

The scene you choose to open with should be a crucial, high-stakes moment for the character and integral to the plot. The readers should be on the edge of their seats wondering how and why this event transpired, and whether it’s going to work out okay for the characters.

Differences Between Genre Fiction and Literary Fiction

following my post on tips for writing literary fiction, here’s a quick outline of the differences between genre fiction and literary fiction // @writingzawn on instagram

sources:

• https://www.novel-writing-help.com/literary-fiction.html
• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/literary-fiction-definition-and-characteristics

Most literary critics divide fiction into two categories: genre fiction and literary fiction. Literary fiction is sometimes called ‘serious’ fiction and is seen by some people as more 'high-brow’ and superior to commercial fiction. But this isn’t the case. It’s simply different, with a different purpose and a different role within literature as a whole. Both are worth reading and writing, and are valid forms of art and expression. Also, many books bridge the gap and could be seen to fall into both categories - The Song of Achilles is often considered an example of this kind.

1. Content

a) Characteristics

Genre novels tend to adhere to commonly used formulas for plot and character arcs; make use of the literal with fewer hidden meanings/symbols/allegories and - if there is symbolism - it’s typically easily understood; make use of tropes and clichés; and tend to fit specific genres such as horror, thriller or fantasy. In contrast, literary fiction tends to be character-focused; follow non-conventional plot structures; contain embedded symbolism/allegory; have more of an emphasis on the exploration of larger philosophical themes regarding the human condition; and have a more poetic writing style.

b) Emphasis

Essentially, it’s a difference of emphasis: where genre fiction novels focus on the thrill of the plot, literary fiction novels emphasise the internal lives of the characters and transcend the plotline to explore more abstract ideas. Literary fans enjoy those 'slower bits’ in between scenes when what makes the characters tick can be explored. I think the difference can be summed up as this: genre fiction is generally read for escapism, fun, tension, to experience life from someone else’s perspective, whereas literary fiction is read with the aims of learning something from the book about the human condition and the world at large.

c) Audience

Literary novels generally sell in fewer quantities than genre or mainstream novels - so publishers are less likely to take a gamble on them.

2. They look different

a) Covers

Once published, the differences continue. Genre novels tend to have more eye-catching covers - castles, dragons and princesses on the fantasy books, dripping blood on the horror novels - whereas the covers of literary novels tend to be subtler, more 'arty’. They sometimes have stickers on the cover saying that the book was short-listed for the Booker Prize or something similar.

b) Formats

They also come in different formats. Genre fiction usually comes in the mass-market paperback format (you need to be well-known to get published in the hardback first). Literary fiction typically appears in the hardback first or as a 'trade paperback’ which is the same size as a hardcover book but with a soft cover (and then in standard paperback one year later). Of course, this isn’t always the case and indie authors are free to choose whichever format they prefer.

c) Titles

Commercial fiction novels often have more direct titles that encapsulate what the novel is concretely about. For example, The Hunger Games is about exactly as it says: The Hunger Games. In contrast, literary novels are usually more 'offbeat’, less clear in what they’re about, and often used to subtly clarify the central idea the book goes on to explore eg White Teeth by Zadie Smith or Instances of the Number 3 by Salley Vickers.

d) Where they’re found

Genre fiction novels each have an area of shelfing inside bookstores all to itself (one area for sci-fi, one area for thrillers). On the other hand, literary fiction appears in the 'General A-Z’ section, alongside more mainstream books.

Conclusion

Literary fiction and genre fiction are the two categories books are divided into by academics, publishers and critics. Literary fiction is studied in universities and receives careful criticism in journals, whereas genre fiction is more 'mainstream’ and sells in greater numbers. Both are valid and worthwhile - the main difference lies in the areas they emphasise. Literary novels are usually slower-paced, with deeper meanings, and a focus on the characters and how the plot affects them internally, whereas commercial fiction contains fewer symbols/allegories, is more direct, and has a greater focus on drama created by plot. Genre fiction still contains themes, but these are generally added to a plot sculpted for drama, whereas the plot of literary fiction is usually created mainly to communicate the central idea.

Tips for Writing Literary Fiction

this post explores what literary fiction is, some of its characteristics, and some tips for writing it! // @writingzawn on instagram

sources:

• https://www.masterclass.com/articles/literary-fiction-definition-and-characteristics
• https://writingtipsoasis.com/how-to-write-literary-fiction/
• https://writingtipsoasis.com/a-beginners-guide-to-writing-literary-fiction/

What is literary fiction?

Literary fiction ‘tends to follow non-conventional plot structures while containing embedded symbolism and allegory’. These are the books that are studied in English departments at universities and are nominated for the Booker prize. It’s important to note that a book can be both a part of another genre and considered literary fiction. For example, Snow Falling on Cedars is both a thriller and a literary novel.

Some Examples of Literary Fiction

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• On Beauty by Zadie Smith
• The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Life of Pi by Yann Martel
• East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Characteristics of Literary Fiction

• Character-driven stories
• Lack of adherence to a fixed plot formula
• Exploration of larger philosophical themes, especially in relation to the human condition and the will of nature
• Ambiguous plot points, including the ending
• Ample symbolism, metaphor and allegory
• Ambitious vocabulary infused with imagery

Now onto the tips…

It still requires plot

A common mistake writers make when trying to write literary fiction is to write a story with no plot. But literary fiction requires a plot just as much as a genre novel. The only difference is that the plot in literary fiction should be more subtle and character-based, with fewer archetypes and clichés. It can move at a slower pace, dwelling in the mind of the protagonist and their emotions. In this case the events of the plot itself are internal, but caused by parallel external events. The climax might be an emotional peak (be that desperation, sadness, fury etc), rather than an actual event.

The characters must be deep

Genre fiction stories focus far more on the thrill of action, whereas literary fiction draws much of its strength from deep characterisation. The protagonist and the other characters (even side characters) must be realistic, deep and complex. In literary fiction, there is no concept of 'good’ or 'bad’, just as in real life. Most characters would be considered morally grey, with all the complexity of people in real life. Give them quirks and liveliness.

The exploration of themes and ideas is most important

The aim of a literary fiction novel is for readers to finish it having learnt something new about the human condition and what it means to be human. The plot should revolve around a specific idea or theme, exploring it deeply from many angles. Show how it affects the protagonist, the other characters, and the world at large. Be subtle, allow room for readers to search for your true meaning and to reach their own conclusions, and carve a plot that serves best to help readers reflect on this theme.

Don’t preach

Allow your readers to decide things for themselves. A literary fiction book shouldn’t read like a textbook or a parable: trust in your readers to discover their own answer to the questions you pose throughout the story. Even if you know what youranswer is (and hint at this in the book) still allow your readers to search for this for themselves, and don’t overload them with your own opinion.

To avoid preaching, ensure each of your characters speaks differently, has their own outlook and that their opinion fits with who they are as a person. Your characters shouldn’t just spout your opinion: present lots of different angles on the central theme and have it fit with the characters and their backstories. With that said, don’t be afraid to present your final opinion through subtle hinting.

Use elegant language

Whilst still avoiding purple prose, aim for an elegant writing style. Make use of both long and short sentences and ensure your description is vivid and evocative. Your characters should speak in a way that’s engaging, yet deep and profound. If you’re marketing your book as literary fiction, you must deliver with a masterful, skilful use of language, adapting it to the tone and mood required in each scene. You may also notice that the average sentence tends to be longer in literary novels but - with that said - don’t give in to excessiveness. The aim isn’t to show how many long words you can use and how high-brow you can seem. It’s to create an impression of meaning, without losing the air of subtlety. Don’t sacrifice clarity for lyricism.

Know common literary novel structures

We’ve established that these books still need a plot, albeit a character-based one. You have a freedom to choose your own structure: the character-based plot and the slow pacing allows you to construct it any way you like. Perhaps you 'construct your novel in a rose pattern, where each part of your novel unfolds a new revelation for the characters and for the readers, breaking all other structures’. In addition to this, there are two common types of structure used in literary fiction: the coming of age and the picaresque.

In coming of age, we follow the protagonist through their life, from childhood to adulthood, watching as they engage with philosophical ideas. Some examples of this type would be The Catcher in the Rye orPurple Hibiscus.

A picaresque novel, however, features one protagonist while all the other characters appear in an episodic fashion. The mosaic-like novel is usual comical and satirical, featuring characters of a lower standing.

Read literary fiction books

To discover your own style and voice in this genre, the best thing you can do is read literary fiction - not just classics in the genre, but newer literary novels, too. Analyse which writers’ styles you like: do you like when they write with dry humour, when it’s clear and serious, when it’s more lyrical and poetic? Then experiment with your own style!

Aim for transcendency

Your story should be bigger than the plot, about ideas rather than action. Take your time to explore your characters’ motivations and relationships: literary novels are slower-paced, so you have time to do that.

7 Different Types of Short Story

following one of my previous posts on tips for writing short stories, here are some different types of short story! This is in no way a complete list: there are many forms a short story can take, and these are just a few // @writingzawn on instagram

source:https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-great-short-story-writing-tips-and-exercises-for-story-ideas

1. Anecdote

These are brief accounts of an interesting and often funny event, with the purpose of supporting a core moral lesson.

2. Drabble

These short stories are about 100 words long, with the purpose of testing an author’s skill in getting a point across in so few words. It challenges you to be concise and precise.

3. Feghoot

A quick funny story ending in a pun.

4. Fables and parables

Both these types of short stories communicate a moral lesson. However, fables always feature anthropomorphic creatures, usually animals, to get the point across, whereas parables do not. Aesop’s Fables are a good example.

5. Flash fiction or micro-fiction

These stories are shorter than 1,000 words. A famous example would be this story by Ernest Hemingway: ‘For sale: baby’s shoes, never worn’.

6. Sketch

This refers to a piece of writing without a plot. The function of a sketch is to illuminate a certain character, setting, or location.

7. Vignette

These are short scenes that often form part of a larger body of writing. They’re used to capture a single moment or detail of a story, such as a character, idea or object.

Let’s Talk About Plot Points

here are seven plot points you should know about and explanations of what plot points are and why they’re useful // @writingzawn on instagram

source:https://blog.reedsy.com/plot-point/

What is a plot point?

A plot point is ‘an incident that directly impacts what happens next in a story’. Essentially it’s an event that moves the story forwards in a fresh direction, preventing it from simply drifting. There’s a difference between a point in the plot and a plot point: a point in the plot can be a significant event but if it doesn’t move the story forwards it’s not technically a plot point. A plot point must:

1. Move the story in a different direction

2. Affect character development

3. Close a door behind a character and force them forwards

What’s the difference between a plot point and plot?

The plot is a chain of connected events that add together to make the narrative: it’s a continuous storyline comprised of multiple events. Plot points are the big, exciting moments that move the story in new directions and keep it building: when you think back on a story, these are likely the moments you’ll remember the best.

Why are they important?

Plot points make the story feel purposeful and identifying them helps you to see how stories work. At heart, stories are not complicated. The good ones are a series of: this happened, so this happened, but then this happened, therefore this happened. The bad ones are simply: this happened and then this happened and then this happened with nothing organically joining the events together.

What’s the seven-point story structure?

This is a common story structure comprised of seven plot points. I’m going to be explaining the plot points that make it up below.

Hook

If you want to keep the reader reading, the beginning of your story must push the story into motion and illustrate how your story is different from all the others out there. The Hook is a premise that hooks your reader’s interest long enough to keep them reading until the first important reveal.

First Plot Point

The Hook sets the stage for this point. The First Plot Point, often referred to as the Inciting Incident or the Catalyst, is the first big event. It forces the protagonist into conflict, throwing them out of their status quo and setting the story out in a fresh direction. This usually occurs around the ¼ to 1/3 mark in the story and signals the end of the beginning.

First Pinch Point

The middle of the story consists of the protagonist reacting to the consequences of the Big Event. These are Pinch Points that put the character under pressure and force them towards making a choice. Initially the character chooses not to act and moves forwards more passively than they will do later on in the story.

Midpoint

This is a crucial turning point in the story, near the middle of the story, that forces the protagonist to 'stop reacting and start acting’. Perhaps it’s an event that makes them aware of the fact that they must take matters into their own hands.

Final Pinch Point

For the second half of the middle of the story the protagonist becomes more active. They experiment with agency and take different approaches to overcoming the conflict. The Final Pinch Point illustrates the (often still small) ways the protagonist deals with the conflict. Here they are learning to have agency and act for themselves. In a dystopian story where the primary conflict is an oppressive government, this might comprise of the protagonist experimenting with small acts of rebellion.

Final Plot Point

Going into the beginning of the end, there’s a Final Plot Point. Here we see the character at their lowest, having taken a major misstep after their newfound agency. This drives them directly into the Climax and the Resolution. Perhaps they are forced to make a major decision after something terrible goes wrong.

Resolution

Stories usually finish on a Climax, a Realisation and a Resolution. These are a series of events that bring the character full circle, often revolving around a choice the character is presented with. Their decision should illustrate in what way the character has changed since the beginning, or that they haven’t. This point should bring the story to a satisfying conclusion - it doesn’t need to be a happy ending, but it should feel organic. Looking back, readers should feel that everything that came before led inevitably and organically to one place.

To conclude: each plot point should move seamlessly into the next and create an ending that feels like a surprise but also, when looking back, the only possible outcome.

Tips for Writing Short Stories

‘Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They’re journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.’ - Neil Gaiman

@writingzawn on instagram

Why write a short story?

Short stories are often more focussed than longer works of fiction, and so all the elements within them must work together towards the common goal. Often they’re more powerful because of this, as everything is focussed on the main theme or mood, making them an excellent form to communicate a single idea quickly.

How long is a short story?

Most short stories are between 1,000 and 5,000 words long. Flash fiction is shorter, often as little as five words long.

Find a simple idea

You don’t have time in a short story for overly ambitious plotlines or back stories. The most successful short stories often use the mundane to craft a story that reveals something powerful/terrifying/magical/humorous in the everyday. Focus on a single character, event or setting and keep your scope narrow.

Have a clearly defined mood or feeling

Your point should be cohesive, so ensure you know the mood, idea or emotion you wish to communicate (or combination of these) and reflect it throughout your writing.

Eavesdrop and steal

Note down things you hear or see in your everyday life that spark your imagination, and come back to them later. Short stories often begin with a single image or funny character.

Know what you want to say

What do you want people to feel and think whilst reading your short story? Why are you writing it? What is the primary idea you’re communicating? Ensure everything works towards communicating this theme. I always think a short story has less of a responsibility to entertain in the same way a book does, and more of a duty to enrapture.

Present the small as significant

You have the ability to surround everything you write about with a feeling of importance. Use clear, descriptive language and focus in on the unusual details to present the small - which is probably all you’ll have time for - as just as significant as the mighty. Even the smallest, most mundane subject can be depicted as important.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with structure and form

Short stories don’t have time to take on the shape of a classic narrative. This means you can play around with chronology and point of view, making it a great opportunity for experimentation. Take risks; try something new. If you’re not asking for much of your readers’ time, they’re more likely to go along with an unusual storytelling style.

Consider starting your story in medias res

You don’t have a lot of time for exposition, so it’s a good idea to begin in the middle of the action and fill in details later. This takes you straight to your important scene.

Everything must be vital

Read every sentence and ask yourself whether it really needs to be there. Does it serve the higher purpose of fulfilling your story’s mood/theme? As Edgar Allen Poe once said 'a short story must have a single mood and every sentence must work towards it.’

Backstory is rarely needed

Your characters should be like icebergs: you show enough of the surface for people to infer what’s going on beneath for themselves, without spoon-feeding your readers every single detail. Let them reach their own conclusions. Ambiguity is a great tool in short stories.

Have a strong ending

This should clarify your mood/theme and serve to tie together the story, making it clear how each element worked to serve this single purpose. The most compelling endings often focus on the characters and how they’ve changed. Maybe they have a profound realisation and change for the better, or become more cynical, or it’s revealed that they were the villain all along. Whatever your ending focuses on though, it should make the story feel complete. Personally I love ambiguous endings where the readers have to decide what the message is for themselves.

Edit ruthlessly

Refine the central idea of your story and remove things that don’t serve a purpose. Ensure the words flow, that the main emotion is as intense as it can be, and that the plot is well paced.

Trust in your readers

It might not be your cup of tea, but often the most successful stories never make it clear exactly what their message is. The writer leaves it up to the readers to decide for themselves and the final line is usually well-placed and allows for different interpretations. Remember that your readers can pick up on nuances and trust in their ability to understand implications. Make your writing precise but don’t make it obvious.

sources:https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-write-a-great-short-story-writing-tips-and-exercises-for-story-ideas

https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/short-story/how-to-write-a-short-story/

Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Writing

saw lots of people doing this and I thought it would be fun so here are some tips I wish I knew before I started writing! // @writingzawn on instagram

Stories should be fluid

When I was younger I just used to write lots of random scenes that were only really snapshots into my characters’ lives, shove them together, and call it a story. But scenes should feel connected, building towards some ultimate, shared purpose.

Outlining is very useful

I know it doesn’t work for everyone, but I always used to get stuck halfway through a project and then end up writing dull, pointless scenes for the sake of getting to the end. I wish I’d known that the stage before you start writing can be really useful if you take it seriously and put the work in.

You have to enjoy the story you’re writing

I always used to aim to make my stories ‘meaningful’ and forget about making them enjoyable. This meant I didn’t enjoy writing them, so I never finished them. But something can be 'meaningful’ and still fun. Sometimes you just have to let go and write something you’regoing to have fun writing, because something can be both enjoyable and have depth: they’re not mutually exclusive.

Don’t try to be like anyone else

I’d often start a project that was similar to whatever book I was reading at the time and try and imitate the author’s voice and style. I don’t think there’s any problem with that in itself as it can help you to grow - as long as you aren’t actually committing plagiarism - but it meant when I finished reading whichever book my project was inspired by, I lost interest and stopped working on it. I think it’s really important to know what youenjoy writing, how youlike to tell a story and what’s important to you.Now I know the stories I like to tell, the genres that suit me best, the types of themes and characters I love, I manage to sustain motivation for longer.

Don’t get too caught up on writing advice

There was a time when I was taking in so much advice and getting really stressed about following it to the letter that I stopped enjoying writing. I took each tip as a law I had to obey and it really restricted my style. Now I read writing advice to see how other people do things, to see if there are useful tricks I could benefit from, but if I don’t think it fits how I like to work I let it go.

Follow your interests

I love ancient history, so I decided to set a book in ancient greece and ancient persia. If there’s something you’re really interested in, you’ll probably have fun writing about it. Also, treating writing as an opportunity to learn about topics I’m interested in helps keep me motivated.

Work instinctively

I benefitted so much from reading writing tips online, but learning that there were lots of circumstances in my writing where they didn’t apply was important. You know your story best so you know if it’s better to use an adverb there, for example, or to include a character-focussed scene that isn’t important to the plot. Follow your gut.

Don’t do something just because everyone else is

Lots of people in the writing community write fantasy, which is really awesome, but that’s not a genre that suits me particularly. I used to feel I had to write it, though, because that’s what everyone else was writing. Now I know realistic/historical fiction is what I prefer to write, and that’s really helped me sustain motivation.

Be ambitious

When I tell people the level of research I’ve had to do for my current wip a lot of people say 'well, why don’t you write about stuff that you already know about?’. I used to feel daunted by historical fiction, so I wrote characters based upon myself set in the real world. I know for lots of people that’s really rewarding to do, but I didn’t find it enjoyable or healthy to completely focus on my own experiences in order to write a story about them. It takes a lot of time and effort to write historical fiction set in a time you know nothing about, but it is possible to get to a stage where you know enough about it. If you’re feeling daunted by a project but really want to give it a go, I say go for it. If you put the work in, I’m sure you’ll be able to give it a shot.

The process is much longer than you think

I used to aim to finish projects in a matter of months - I thought I could write a novel in the space of a year. But it’s better not to rush the process. It’s about the end result, not finishing it as quickly as possible. I’ve been working on my current wip for over a year and am yet to finish the first draft because I’ve been researching and outlining and daydreaming. But all that is only going to make it sweeter and a more successful story when I do finally finish.

Sometimes it’s better not to set a goal than to set an unrealistic one

I find I can write to a much higher standard when I’m in the right frame of mind, so forcing myself to write 1000 words when I was exhausted from school just meant I ended up with tons of lifeless scenes that I cut anyway. Allowing myself to go with the flow and not pile tons of pressure on myself when I work more slowly than I would like has been really beneficial. Yes, you can always edit bad words later, but I’ve found striving to write good words in the first place keeps me motivated and enjoying the process. I know that’s a bit controversial, but it’s worked for me.

Using Similes and Metaphors Effectively

here are some tips on using similes and metaphors in your writing as effectively as possible! // @writingzawn on instagram

What’s the difference between a simile and a metaphor?

A simile compares two things by saying one is likethe other. They’re used to highlight a quality the things being compared have in common, and usually involve the word ‘like’ or 'as’. A metaphor also compares two things by drawing attention to their similarities, however, metaphors do this by describing something as if it weresomething else. For example, 'her feet were as cold as ice’ is a simile, but 'her feet were blocks of ice’ is a metaphor.

How can you use them effectively?

1. Know the differences between the effects of similes and metaphors

This will help you to choose between using a simile or a metaphor in a situation where you feel some figurative language is right. Metaphors tend to be better for a comparison you want to last in your reader’s head and create a feeling of significance that remains beyond the moment of use. Similes are often better for comparisons you wish to fade quickly - perhaps you only use it to clarify something in your description - and are clearer when not used as the focus of a paragraph.

2. Find a balance

If you use them too often it reduces their effect when you do, but if you never use them you’re missing out on all the possibilities they bring, too. Strike a balance that feels right, where you’re not filling your writing with long pointless similes that add nothing but aren’t afraid to use them when the timing is right. They’re a useful tool: similes and metaphors allow you to link the components of your story - be that characters or aspects of your setting - to things beyond those of the scene itself, and so the myriad connotations available as a result.

3. Use them to tell us something more

The connotations of the thing you compare a character to, for example, will translate in your readers’ minds to applying to the character, too. If you describe your character sitting with their knees pulled up to their chest 'like a scrawny vulture, with matted wings encircling two piggy eyes’, the comparison to a vulture brings connotations of evil desperation, thieving cruelty and a scrappy sense of self-preservation. The reader now sees all these qualities in your character, too.

4. Extend your analogies

In the last example, if I had left the simile at 'they sat like a vulture’ the image wouldn’t be quite so evocative and the connotations as clear. By extending the simile and adding adjectives such as 'matted’ and 'scrawny’ with their feeling of desperation and 'piggy’ with its sense of greed the picture is clearer. With that said, don’t keep adding clauses if it decreases the clarity. Sometimes a short direct simile to clarify how a character is doing something is more important.

5. Use them to communicate feeling

Most of the time it’s the connotations of the simile/metaphor and the feeling it creates as a result that forms the reason for using them. Figurative language is designed to evoke an intended feeling - be that the qualities of a character or the atmosphere of a setting - rather than paint a literal image and make an accurate comparison. I used the simile of the vulture to illustrate the way the character was sitting with their limbs drawn up around them, but mainly to tie them to the imagery of death and cruelty.

6. Don’t reference something that feels out of place with your setting

If you’re writing something set in the Stone Age it would feel out of place to say something was as bright as a lightbulb or as fast as an aeroplane (and these aren’t particularly interesting comparisons anyway) because these aren’t things your characters would have seen and will make your readers feel less immersed in the setting. Try and use similes/metaphors as opportunities to further immerse your readers in the setting by drawing comparisons between things that existed/were an important part of the culture of your setting.

7. Remove any dull analogies

Similes such as 'fast as a cheetah’ or 'flat as pancake’ are boring, overused, and don’t really add anything. If you’re desperate to use one of these, extend them like I did before to clarify the feeling. Reference the flashing yellow of the cheetah’s fur as it flies past or the muscle rippling beneath its fur.

8. Be clear

Metaphors are a great way to emphasise a point, but often you get so side-tracked in creating a beautiful, complex image that you forget whether this point is actually comprehensible to the reader. Sometimes they confuse things and have to be cut. Sometimes you can go back and add context to clarify them, but not always. Analyse how your figurative language could be misread and whether it will throw your reader out of the narrative if they have to go back and reread it to make sense of it.

9. Know your writing style and your genre

A slow-paced high fantasy story with the aim of creating an immersive experience for the reader and allowing them to explore a beautiful, complex world will probably use more figurative language than a fast-paced thriller set in our world. Analyse whether you like to write in a direct, concrete way or to write poetically. This may affect the number of similes/metaphors you like to use. Additionally, know how the possibilities of your genre affect the metaphors you use. For example, in a contemporary story set in a modern-day school, describing a cruel teacher by saying 'they were a dragon’ is less likely to be misconstrued than in a fantasy story. This is because in fantasy it’s possible their teacher really was a dragon - who knows? But in realistic fiction, we know that isn’t possible. Bare that in mind.

Why I love writing by hand

It could be that I’m just old-fashioned, but there’s something about putting pen to paper that you just can’t get from typing on a computer.

• No blank-page syndrome! For me at least.
• Because I can only write so fast, my mind tends to go more quickly than what I can physically keep up with. I used to think this was a downside, but I’ve come to realise it’s actually a good thing: I keep writing instead of getting stuck on thinking what’s going to happen next.
• Finally, I’m filling up the notebooks I never had a purpose for.
• My handwriting has drastically improved, because I finally get enough practice!
• It’s easier to let go of my internal editor. When I can’t backspace my sentences, it’s a lot easier to just continue and leave the editing for when you type the story on your computer.
• Standards aren’t as high in general. I can just write for the sake of writing in my notebook. Who cares if I just write one sentence I like before moving on to another idea? Why should I bother with proper research when I can always do that later? That word might not mean what I think it does, but it covers the meaning well enough for now. I’m never going to allow anymore person to read my journal anyway, so I really don’t have to worry about messing up.
• It’s less easy to get distracted. The only purpose my writing journal serves is writing; it’s not also one of my main sources of entertainment (and procrastination). The step between closing your journal and picking up your phone is much larger than just opening a browser next to your writing document.
• Finishing a journal feels like a great achievement. I’d recommend starting with a small journal for this exact reason! Once you fill up the first, you’ll be so proud you’ll want to start (and fill) the next one as soon as possible ;)