Writing And Marketing Articles

 

Normal 0

All creative writers are bound to an invisible law of journalism. From Genesis, the same story structure has been used. Every great writer uses it. But after this lesson, you will see that story structure is far more than the initial breakdown:

· Exposition – the beginning, what the story is about

· Conflict – conflict with man vs. man, man vs. nature, or man vs. internal conflict

· Climax

· Resolution

If you Google “story structure,” you will find variations of the story structure. You may see conclusion, conflict, plot, or conclusion, climax, theme. The basic answer is the same, regardless of how it is worded. Without any one of these elements, the story will flounder.

But you must expound on the following things, no matter what kind of story you are writing:

· Point of View

· Plot

· Theme

· Setting

· Characterization

· Dialog

· Action

· Writing style

· Genre

If you want to transfer your reader from their sofa or chair to the scene in your mind, you must use settings. You can use anything from open windows with curtains flopping to murder scenes. The best way is to open halfway into a scene. This maneuver will bind the audience and keep them well into the scene.

Most writers don’t know the difference between plot and theme. Plot is the defining central scene. Theme, on the other hand, is the underlying motivation that drives the story. Flopping curtains will only be part of the setting, but it will lead to the larger picture, the plot. Every time there is an event in the story, you must ask yourself questions: “Why is the window open? What was the point in having an open window? Answering questions brings your mind into the story’s theme. Answer these questions: who, what, where, when, why, how. The theme that drives the story will be found in the answers to these questions.

Point of view will determine how the reader “sees” the story. If you tell the story in first person point of view (I went to the market… ), the reader will see through your eyes. The reader will see through the character’s eyes in third person point of view, (He went to the shop… ). New writers usually like to write in first person, but most editors are now buying mostly third person. Selling authors follow what the editors are buying.

A few words on the above: Characterization - concentrate on attitudes, quirks, failures, and descriptions. Accents are hard to read, so don’t use them with the main character. For settings, use anything describing where a person will be or is at the moment.

Technorati Tags: short story, Story, story structure, writing tips