A sound calls to you from the void, pulling at you, nagging. You reach for it. Maybe you can give it a nudge and convey that you want to be left alone. But your hands find nothing, and the sound keeps battering your ears.
Muse Stimulators:
Happy Writing!
~MJ
Incorporate an extreme weather condition into your narrative. Show how this affects your character’s mood, attire, living space, and choices for the continuation of their journey.
Happy Writing!
~MJ
The person in front of you is red-faced, jaw-clenched, fists balled at their sides, they look ready to punch something, or someone, and mad enough to do it. You stare, fumbling for words that won’t form. How can this situation get any worse? More importantly, how could it possibly get better?
Muse Stimulators:
Happy Writing!
~MJ
Looking for a fun writing challenge to add comedy to your narrative and more distinct character voices?
Write a scene where your character gets a superficial–but annoying–injury (stubbed toe, jammed finger, papercut, etc). Then make it a nuisance for following scenes.
Happy Writing!
~MJ
You wish you knew how this would turn out. As you hesitate, everything that could go wrong swirls together in your head. You feel dizzy, shaky; the stakes suddenly appear much larger than they were just a moment ago. But then, what if it all goes according to plan?
Muse Stimulators:
Happy Writing!
~MJ
Petey says hello!
Ready to add depth to your work in progress (WIP) with a new writing challenge?
Write a scene in the place where your main character (MC) feels the safest. Draw attention to the elements or characteristics that contribute to their feeling of safety.
Happy Writing!
~MJ
Petey says hello!
Wind whistles outside. Damp creeps in. With a silent groan, you brace yourself to face whatever madness awaits. You always knew this day would come, you just hadn’t anticipated it would be quite so…wet.
Muse Stimulators
Happy Writing!
~MJ
Petey says hello!
Give your Antagonist a pet and show them purposely interacting with it somewhere in your novel.
Happy Writing!
~MJ
Petey says hello!
How do you write a short story? What short story elements catch a publisher’s eye?
In my role as first reader of an online speculative fiction magazine, I have truly been blown away by all of the things that I’m learning about regarding the story selection process. So many well-written stories get rejected because they do not adhere to these 5 simple, but not all-inclusive, standards below.
1) Make everything that happens in your story matter
Eliminate extraneous details, if you say it once, it’s enough. And be concise with dialogue and descriptions, purple language and paragraphs of backstory doesn’t get brownie points if it doesn’t enhance the story/arc.
2) If it’s critical to understanding the punchline, make it clear in the narrative
The most unfortunate thing is getting a really well-written story with a fuzzy/muddled plot. Make it clear what you’re trying to say with your story, don’t veil it in mystery.
3) Foreshadow twist endings
It really sucks to read an amazing story with great characters and action and then BAM! Something crazy happens at the end that comes completely out of nowhere. While this may seem like something clever to do, it’s almost guaranteed to end in rejection. Foreshadowing is paramount to twist endings. Something in the twist needs to tie back to the rest of the story and tension build-up.
4) Avoid a setup that is too convenient or too disconnected
Too many well-written stories move the plot along in ways that feel too convenient to be believable or are too disconnected to make sense, and this eliminates the tension in the story. The solution really boils down to adequate foreshadowing. Anything can be written in a story, especially genres like speculative fiction or magical realism, but just make sure your critical plot points are adequately foreshadowed.
5) Make your character motivations clear early in the story
If I can’t connect with your character, then I honestly don’t care what they’re about to go through in the next 5000 words. Make it clear to your reader what your character wants early in the story so we can view what happens to them from their perspective and understand why they do/think/say/respond the way they do.
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful in your writing and publishing journey! Thank you for being a member!
Happy Writing!
~MJ