Writing a short story that sells

I’ve had quite a few short stories published in the Romance Writers of Australia anthologies and national publications such as Woman’s Day and That’s Life magazines. I thought I’d share a few pointers with you that might help your short stories make that leap to publication as well.

In short stories, I have found less is more. You need to get in and get out of the story as soon as you can to keep the interest of the reader with lightening pace. My published stories have all been 1,000 words or less and there have never been more than three characters. If extra people are involved to move the story forward, I never name them – eg. mother in law, friend.

The common thread has almost always been a small fragment of time in the main character’s life and usually occurs from a misunderstanding. If you look back all the clues have been planted, but they don’t come to light until the end, which is my twist. I don’t like to dupe the readers, I just put them on a journey that leads them to believe things that aren’t true because of the words I use and manipulate. I get a big kick when people tell me they didn’t get the twist until the end, even though it was in ‘their face’ all the time. I also like to lead people to believing in a false resolution and coming up with something else. Eg. In a recent story in That’s Life I wanted the reader to believe that they are clever in thinking the main character’s companion is a dog instead of a man, but it was a GPS navigating system instead.

Therefore, I usually get my idea for the end and work backwards. Eg. In my short story ‘Easy as Pie’ that won the National Woolworths Fresh Short Story competition years ago, I wanted the reader to believe that she had poisoned her fiancé with an apple pie because he was having an affair. The banal was important in this story and I focussed on her getting the ingredients together, talking about the apples, the cream and everything except what her fiancé was doing to her and it infuriated her girlfriend who had told her what he was up to. The whole thing was a set up to test his faithfulness, but the reader thought she was planning on murdering him.

I make every word count. The word count in most of my stories is brutally cut in half and I get back to the bare bones. I also like white space, using believable dialogue instead of a lot of narrative. I always read my work out loud to make sure it sounds natural. (Or as natural as one can be talking to herself!)

I hope this helps. Wishing you every success.

Donna

The Next Step

You've completed your manuscript. You've typed the magic words "The End" and you feel fantastic! What next? Well you've done your research and you know exactly where you want to send it. You just need to print it out and send it off, right? Wrong!

I'll admit to being very naive when I finished my first manuscript, I thought all I had to do next was print it out and then send it off. Then a friend mentioned, "You need to edit it." Edit it? I wondered, why would I need to do that, the story is fabulous, it's fine to go. To be honest, again, I had no idea how to edit. What does editing entail? Where do I start?

I've learned a bit over the years with regards to craft. There are soooo many craft courses out there. A lot of conferences main speakers concentrate on scene structure, GMC, good opening lines. They are all important but so is editing. Editing is paramount to make your baby shine. When you edit you have to take a step back from your baby. You have to forget that you slaved over it for hours.

I recently did a month long workshop with Savvy Authors called Editpalooza. It was based on the book "Revision & Self-Editing" by James Scott Bell. It was an intensive month and it gave me ideas and processes on how to get the most out of editing. How to remove scenes that don't work. How to increase the pace and deep POV. It was excellent and I recommend the book.

In the end editing is just as important as writing. The only thing is you really do have to step away and be impartial when you're reading through. The trick is also not to over edit the life and voice out of your work. It's a fine line.

I think there should be as much focus on editing strategies as there are on craft strategies.

How do you edit?

Nicki

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Shona

Release Day!

Kissing Phoenix, is released today!

It is my most explicit romance to date, so if a sexy Vamp who'll risk everything to save his lover aren't your thing look away now.

Otherwise here is the blurb and if your over 18 a link to the excerpt:

When Lilith fell into lust with musician Aidan, she never expected it to last. And she was right. Her doctor has given her months to live, and telling Aidan is the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Aidan has been keeping his own secret. He is a Vampire…but he can’t turn Lilith to save her. The solution he proposes is illegal and dangerous and breaks every rule set up to protect non-humans from humans. He doesn’t care. He will do anything to save the woman he loves.

Discovering the kiss of a Vampire and reveling in the erotic thrill, Lilith realizes her feelings are deeper than lust. But is giving up her humanity worth it?

Excerpt

HISTORY, HEALTH AND MOTIVATION

Let me immediately acknowledge two people responsible for my wandering down this path. The first, Dr. Norman Swan, a fascinating, erudite guest broadcaster for the ABC , once gave a series of speculative talks on the medical conditions of famous figures and possible historical consequences. For example, Bloody Queen Mary Tudor had at least 3000 of her subjects burned alive and goodness knows how many more flogged, tortured and branded as heretics. She was known to have suffered from painful teeth. Imagine for a moment the ongoing agony of a mouth full of rotting teeth, abscesses, ulcers and being faced with the daily diet of roasted meats and inedible dishes suitable to the royal table. You might be tempted to burn a few really annoying heretics yourself.

The second is Donald Maas, who argues for 3-dimensional villains with their own motivations and goals. His wonderful Workbook has you asking ‘what if’ into the small dark hours. What if the beautiful young daughter or dependent, financially burdensome sister could be sold off in marriage to the family’s advantage? Witness poor Jane Howard, chained to the gross, syphilitic Henry V111 or the ambitious, intelligent Margaret of Anjou married to the strange, possibly autistic, Henry of Lancaster, King of England. Among the less exalted, everyday folk, some of these women must have plotted revenge for their betrayal. Under the guise of womanly dependence, why not use your ignored intelligence to re-arrange matters for your own purposes? Social functions provided marvellous opportunities for innuendo and rumour. Whispers about mental stability, hidden health problems or sexual preferences could prick another’s intolerable conceit and cause plans and dreams to go awry. Of course, your hero or heroine might be caught in the consequences but that’s not really your villain’s fault is it? She has good reason for her actions.

Working out the story arc for my villains is always a lot of fun and it’s surprising how often it makes me re-think a twist or turn in my hero and heroine’s journey towards eventual happiness.