  Short Stories
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| This editorial is intended for readers and writers of short fiction. This week, a method for those who are not so inclined to plan out their stories.... |
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A common remark I hear from writers I talk to is that they find themselves inspired to write a story because they've come up with a great opening. They know the characters, the plot, they might even have the rising action of the story figured out... but they stagger when it comes to finding an ending for the story.
To be fair, this method (I refer to this as "Seat-of-Pants" authorship) is one that's familiar to me, and when I'm freewriting or just jotting off ideas that happen on the train or out and about, it's a method I revert to, but I think that it's this type of writing which is most likely to contribute to what some people think of as "Writer's Block." There are other things that can contribute to this perceived malady, but I feel that having a direction for the plot action and an intended goal for the characters is key to avoiding many basic writing hang-ups.
'But wait,' says the contrarian in me, 'I like to write unfettered by literary convention like plot and story! I just want to write and see what happens.'
Well, Internal Contrarian, this might be a great way to open a story, but without some kind of endpoint in mind, how am I going to keep my reader engaged, focused and interested in what happens?
I do this by plotting toward a conclusion-- by figuring out which character or characters have the most importance and will move the story along, and by what method they will get there. I also like to take the opportunity to figure out where the short story will end; whether it has an open, closed, or unresolved resolution, whether it has a "message" and if so what that message will be. By figuring these things out in advance, I'm able to get many of the nagging parts of writing a short story out of the way, without completely compromising that free-spirited approach that leads me to what I feel are better, more complete characters who are still linear enough to be believable in a short fiction setup.
I have a few stories in my portfolio which have been written this way; my favorite of these is "A Normal Guy" [ASR]. From the outset, I knew that I wanted to use my characters Neil and Karen (oh hey, those two!), but at that point I wasn't sure what the action of the story would be yet.
After two paragraphs of character sketch, Neil emerged as a bit of a wild card, and since the assignment was meant to be "young adult" styled, I thought a Beverly Cleary style come-uppance suited Neil's antics. The framework of the story became:
(establishing paragraphs)
(conflict1)
(forward movement, escalation)
(conflict2)
(resolution: Neil is rebuked for his wild antics)
Knowing the direction the story should take, it was easy to work backwards and map in the action. The types of conflict that should occur in the story became more obvious, because it would work best in a short format if the conflicts in the story are related to the conclusion.
This is really just a basic concept-- but I wanted to put it out there for others to read as well. I know that I frequently recommend planning and structure for short stories, which some writers don't respond well to, and I thought I'd offer some hints on another path-- especially since it's one I've tread myself!
Until Next Time,
Take care and Write on!
~j |
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From last month's newsletter "More Dialogue on Dialogue"
bertiebrite hoping for peace  writes:
A trick I use is to say the dialogue out loud. Share the dialogue in the story with a companion if the speech has more than one person. Once you hear it aloud, you can tell where the commas and periods should fit. Also, this method helps to clarify the emotion behind the dialogue.
Thanks for this informative post.
I'm glad you liked it, and that's a very good tip! I completely agree, and this is something I already do-- I wasn't sure if it made me weird or what, but we can be weird together, no? 
NickiD89  writes:
Great NL on dialogue. Another symptom of unreal or unconvincing dialogue is when a speaker recaps the history he has with the person he's speaking to. It may be important info for the reader, but in "real life," no one describes in detail to another person an event both of them experienced together. (I've been guilty of this, btw, in my first drafts )
Don't we all!  Very good point! A writer friend of mine once called this the "As You Know, Bob..." Factor, where the speaker repeats some bit of information that is well known to the characters for the presumed benefit of the audience. And this is what second drafts are all about!
Stephanie writes:
Two things I do with dialog to make it sound realistic: I let all the bad grammar and slang that I never use anywhere else come out in dialog, and then I edit it sparingly once it's written. My theory is that my characters aren't going to stop to correct their grammar or consult a thesaurus to find the right word, so however it first comes to me is pretty much the way it's going to be. When I do edit - usually for clarity's sake - it's like I have to back up and get in character again so I can "feel" the right way to say it.
That makes a lot of sense, and I think I do something similar, with regards to dialect. It must be used sparingly, but it should not be eliminated at the cost of making one's street thugs, hayseeds, and royal princes sound like college professors. Variety is how voice in dialogue is distinguished. 
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this week's newsletter!
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Short Stories: June 01, 2011 Issue [#4431]
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