Tag: tips to improve writing

Stereotypical Characters with a Twist

On By Terry ConnellyIn prompt, Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

            Picture the butler who answers the door. What is he wearing? What does he say and do? We probably all have the same image: he’s an older gentleman with a British accent dressed in a tux with tails. He instructs the visitor to go into the drawing room, and then heads off to summon his master.

            In mysteries the butler is often the top suspect in a murder. Despite the reserved image he portrays, underneath that calm lays an angry, vengeful man.

These are stereotypical characters because they are flat people that fill out the cast. They generally appear in quick bursts then drop into the background. Throughout the telling, these characters exhibit little or no growth and have limited impact on the story arc.

            Now picture the lowly farm boy toiling in the heat of the afternoon dredging soiled hay from the horses’ stalls. What is he wearing? What does he say and do?

            What if the butler gets fired and has to become the lowly farm boy? What if the farm boy is actually the son of a prince in a faraway land? Because the farm boy and the butler experience life-changing events, their impact on the story has gone from being minimal to critical.

            Your task is to write a scene in which what first appears to be a stereotypical, flat character and offer a twist in the plot that belies what the reader thinks to be true. You can use the characters mentioned or introduce a different one. For example, what if the wise old woman lacks skills to be a mentor or the orphan who is thought to be the descendant of royalty really is just a street kid?

            Have fun with this one.

Tips to Improve your Storytelling

On By Terry ConnellyIn Uncategorized, Writing promptLeave a comment

We are writers. We write because we are compelled to get words on pages. We write whether or not anyone will ever read a single word that we’ve put down.

That being so, when we write, we want to do the best possible job.

Following are some tips how to do precisely that:

  1. Be specific in your choice of words, making sure that you’ve provided clarity.
  2. Make sure that the events you’ve included are relevant and add interest and depth.
  3. Stick to the story that you are telling. Don’t diverge into tangents unless those bits add details that can’t be included in any other way.
  4. Remember that a good story must have good characters that play a role in the plot development.
  5. Choose themes to explore that are universal in nature, such as love, death, bromance, friendships because you want readers to relate to the story plot.
  6. And, of course, bring readers into the scenes by using as many of the five senses as possible, but do so without lumping them all into the first few paragraphs.

Your task is to write a short story incorporating as many of these tips as possible, almost like using a checklist. This might not be the best story, so treat it as practice for future excellent stories.

Have fun with this one.