Change from 1st to 3rd person
We will be discussing whether The Sniper would work as well if written in the first person and present tense. And whether A Telephone Call would work as well if written in the third person and past tense. The Sniper by Liam O’Flaherty (1897-1984) Word Count: 1619 The long June twilight faded […]
Generating Figurative Speech
Three Techniques for Generating Ideas for Figurative Language Some say figures of speech should come from within the writer or from reflection. Or that if the right words escape you, leave a gap in your writing and return after an interval. An alternative view is that techniques like those below simply make more conscious and […]
Study Days
Guidance Notes on the Organisation of a Study Day Here are a few ideas from the old hands for those new to the experience. THE VENUE: Choose a venue you can afford to pay for! Try to get it near parking and public transport If possible, have a couple of small discussion rooms […]
Short Story Writing for Beginners
SHORT STORY WRITING FOR BEGINNERS Gary Hayden is a freelance writer. His website (www.garyhayden.co.uk) provides free advice & information for new & experienced writers who want to sell stories to UK magazines. This article is aimed at helping beginners along the road to publication & payment. 1. Decide what you want to write […]
Old and New Stories
Humankind told stories for tens of thousands of years before the first writing, sometimes using poetry to make them more memorable both to the teller and the audience. Classical Greece Aesop’s fables. Being written as prose rather than verse might suggest they were valued more for their morals and observations than as literature. […]
The narrative arc refers
The narrative arc refers to a story’s progression and suggests the desirability of growing tension followed by resolution. Keep in mind that the term has more currency in plays and films and in novels than in short stories. It would be unwise to follow slavishly the kind of formulae that might help longer pieces. […]
