Who Else Wants To Write Attention Grabbing Short Stories?

Have a question? Agree, disagree, with me?
Leave me your opinion.

Write an attention grabbing
short story by using every
word. Select words wisely.
Every word moves the story
along, and contributes to
the story.

Paragraph one must grab
the attention of readers.
Pull them into the drama,
issue of your fiction.

I'll show you how paragraph
one grabs the reader's
attention. This happened
to me.

The mail-person knocked
at my door, and I opened
it.

It was a package delivery,
I thought.

I cracked the door, and
a powder was blown into
my face.

I quickly shut the door.

I began sneezing,
and my nose felt
clogged.

Yes, it was the United
States Post Office.

Also, my mail feels
like there is powder on it.

When I see mail at someone's
house, I feel it. It feels different
from mine, no powder on it.

As a matter of fact, UPS
and Fed-Ex delivered packages
have the same powdery feel.

Now, here's a possible
paragraph one scenario.

"Who is it?"

"Delivery."

"Leave it."

"I need a signature."

I slowly pulled the door open,
and a hand reached out...

What are your thoughts?

The drama, issue,
curves-out your plot.
How the drama, issue,
is resolved unfolds your
plot.

In other words, plot is
the problem in your story.
How the problem is solved
reveals your plot.

"How?" You asked.

Your main character and
his/her issue, drama, is
introduced. Show the
character's mood, age,
and play it out on a
specific setting.

Hint at something is
going to happen. Stir-in
other characters.

Allow the characters to
chat, gossip, about what
they think will happen. Of
course, their accounts are
worse. Perhaps, a character
is right? It depends on how
you want the story disclosed.

I suggest that you work
with the first person
viewpoint, I.

This means the story
is told by a specific
character.

Some say that's a
disadvantage.

"Why?" You
questioned.

The viewpoint character
isn't in every scene,
and readers find out
information through
that character.

Still, the first person
viewpoint is easy to
work with.

Remember, a short
story's pace is fast.
There's no room to
give long descriptions.

The word count on a
short story is from
500-900 words.

Naturally, it addresses
one issue.

Every report is brief,
to the point.

The idea is to excite the
reader's imagination,
emotions.

Use dialogue to mix-in
joy, sorrow, love, or hate.
Dialogue mimics speech.
It stirs-up conflict, sets a
specific mood, and
contributes to advancing
the story.

Let's look at an
example.

"How are you, today?"


The greeting is boring.
Instead write, "How ya?"
or
"What up?"

A character learns,
grows, from his/her
encounter. The end of
the story brings a lesson
learned about life, him/herself,
the world, and he/she is
changed.

Writer's Block-Er-Cise

"What does that mean?" You asked.
It means to stop writer's block before it takes
hold, never have it, leave it at your neighbor's
house, or forget what the two words mean.
"That's impossible." You stared at the copy.
Let's start the process of eliminating writer's
block from your space.
Type, write down the first word your eyes see, or
the memory of a situation.
Ginger is my word. Think of five other G words.
Your list should have six G words to begin with.
My six are: ginger, goose, George, gone, gobble,
and grind.
The six can melt into poems, fiction, or non-
fiction.
The poem derived from my list, off the top of my
head.
Play
George and Ginger went out to play
They chased a big turkey
Ginger gobbled
George toppled
Slid on grinds
They were home
When their mom came lookin'.
The following can enhance a fiction paragraph,
beginning, or any story-line.
George and Ginger jumped in puddle after puddle,
twirled around in the rain storm.
"Mommie isn't gonna like that we played in the
rain."
"C'mere, I stepped on somethin'." George ignored
Ginger's comment.
"Let's go home." Ginger turned to leave.
"It's big."
"You look, George."
They stood there, debating as lightening startled them.
Ginger rushed over to George, grabbed a black box,
and ran home.
After George and Ginger were tucked in for the night,
Ginger reached under her bed for the black box.
With box in hand, she tipped to George's bedroom.
It fell. She searched quietly for it. Up and down
the hall, she crawled around the floor.
"Be quiet." George opened his bedroom door, joined
her.
"I dropped the box."
A corner of the hallway glowed. The black box slowly
opened...
My excerpt can be changed to fit an existing work or
plot. The only limit is my, your, imagination.
"How can six words help write non-fiction?" You
questioned.
Pick one or more of your words as a jumping-off-point
for writing.
I picked Ginger as a possible essay.
Ginger is a flavor wake-up, agent, spice for food.
It's pickled, candied...
Lastly, how a situation is turned into writing
material.
I was, unjustly, fired from a job. I detailed some
of the events in my novel, Grave Street House.
Try my technique. It will cure you of writer's
block. Let me know how you were able to benefit
from Writer's-Block-Er-Cise. Or, advise me if it
didn't work for you. Believe in yourself.

Published Author

Those two words associated with me seems unreal.
It was a long journey.
Well, writing the novel was enjoyable. There was
always a paragraph that dragged the story along,
run-on sentences needed tucking, or the scene(s)
called for more suspense.
I found someone to critique it, but she was
costly. So, the manuscript laid around while I
fiddled with poem writing.
My mind wandered back to my novel. I read through
chapters, not sure if it would get published.
I enrolled in a writing, mail-order, course.
After completion, the instructor recommended, to
the school, whether or not to publish a student's
work.
Sadly, I missed the cut. I felt sorry for myself,
continued working on it.
I required assistance. I contacted an agent, sent
him the manuscript. He returned it, told me to work
on it. I plucked and added to improve it, but
concluded, after phone calls, the agent was more
concerned with fees. We went our separate ways.
I took the writing course, again. My novel
failed industry standards.
Agent number two explained that my manuscript
was rejected, but never tips on making it better.
She didn't tell me why the rejection slips. She
wanted money a third time, and I had enough. I
asked for my manuscript back.
Once again, the manuscript and I were left
alone.
I read fiction in the genre, and other writing
related information. I felt bad, but knew the
manuscript was worthy.
I looked for a publisher until it happened.
My novel, Grave Street House, is for sale at
thedigitalword.com.
You, simply, have to believe in yourself.
*******************************************

An excerpt from my novel, Grave Street House.
When I walked onto my street heads bobbed and turned,
some people cried. They knew the horror awaiting him. A
few drifted into their places of security. The homeless intruder
wobbled, stumbled on his way into the House. They reacted
with clear warnings to stay out. He ignored them. He,
slowed down, whirled his head toward me with fear in his eyes.
I motioned with my hand for him to come back. I rushed closer
to the House, forced my way through the mob of people.