SHORT STORY WRITING FOR BEGINNERS
Gary Hayden is a freelance writer. His website (www.garyhayden.co.uk) provides free advice & information for new & experienced writers who want to sell stories to UK magazines. This article is aimed at helping beginners along the road to publication & payment.
1. Decide what you want to write
What kinds of stories turn you on? Perhaps you’re a sci-fi, fantasy or horror fan. Or maybe literary fiction is more your cup of tea. Maybe you’d like to try your h& at erotic or romantic stories. Or perhaps you’d like to aim for the lucrative fiction slots in popular women’s magazines.
2. Read published stories
If you want to write & sell sci-fi stories, then you need to read some current sci-fi magazines. Get a feel for what sells nowadays. The same applies if you want to sell romances, erotica, literary fiction, women’s fiction, or whatever.
Spend a few weeks reading before you get down to the business of writing. It’ll pay dividends in the long run.
3. Research publications that particularly interest you
Now select one or two magazines that particularly interest you. Choose magazines that publish the kinds of stories you’d like to write. Then do some thorough research. What length are the stories? Are they literary or popular? Do they have lots of dialogue? Is the main character usually a woman or a man or can it be either? Are twist endings popular? Are there any recurring themes? Level of violence, horror, sex, bad language allowed? Do stories always have happy endings? & so on.
4. Write some well-targeted stories & submit them to your chosen magazines
This is the fun bit. Write some stories for your chosen publications. Keep your market research in mind. Get the word length right; include an appropriate amount of dialogue; write in an appropriate style; etc. When you’re happy with a story, send it off. It should be typed double-spaced on one side of the paper only. Include a self-addressed envelope with return postage & a very brief covering letter. Get on with the next story.
5. Study the craft of writing, & get feedback on your work
Your early efforts may not meet with success. But don’t let that discourage you. Writing is a craft, & has to be learned. Spend some time each day learning to be a better writer.
Read books about writing; look at writing-related web pages; enroll on a college or correspondence course
6. Keep researching & writing
Keep researching your chosen markets, & sending off well-targeted stories. The more you write, the harder you work at your writing, the better you’ll be. Successful writers need talent, imagination & a whole lot of dedication.
7. Don’t give up
I began by writing non-fiction articles. In my first year, I earned just £15, & amassed enough rejections to paper the walls of my office, but I didn’t let that discourage me, & now I regularly sell articles & stories to magazines.
The moral? Don’t give up.
March 2016 Page 1 of 1
