Creative Writing For Dummies

you sit alone in your room, never reading about how to write or sharing your concerns with others, you may find yourself simply going round in circles.

Writing is a skill, and like any skill you need to find the best way to do it well.

Involve the senses
As when you are describing things in fiction, try to use all the senses: sound, smell, touch and taste, as well as sight. Be specific about colours, scents and textures;

When writing a synopsis, include answers to the following questions:
Who’s the main character?
What’s the main character’s goal?
What place or time is the setting?
Where does the story begin?
What is the source of conflict?
What is the resolution of the story?

Write about the single event that’s a major turning point in the life of a character. In the words of short-story master Raymond Carver: ‘Get in, get out. Don’t linger.’

be aware of the fact that writers are more often over-ambiguous than too obvious.

Actually, all you need to start a story is a particular person in a particular place experiencing a particular emotion.

When you write a story, you’re creating a world in the minds of your readers, and they need to know at least the basics of this world so that they can orient themselves within it.

At every stage of the story, you need to raise questions in the reader’s mind.

every stage of the story, you need to raise questions in the reader’s mind.