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.