 Short Stories: April 20, 2022 Issue [#11315] |
This week: First, Let's Brainstorm! Edited by: Lilli 🧿 ☕  
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Hi there! I am one of the regular editors of the Short Story Newsletter. As some of you may know, I love quotes and I love sharing them. So, here are a couple of quotes about short stories:
"A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage. A short story is a photograph; a novel is a film."
~ Lorrie Moore
"A short story is a different thing all together – a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger."
~ Stephen King
"Short fiction seems more targeted – hand grenades of ideas if you will. When they work, they hit, they explode, and you never forget them. Long fiction feels more like atmosphere: it’s a lot smokier and less defined."
~ Paolo Bacigalupi |
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Sometimes when I sit down to write a short story, I already know where I want it to go because I’ve spotted an inspirational writing prompt. Other times, I struggle to get started and resort to brainstorming some ideas. This week I wanted to share some techniques I’ve used to give my writing a nudge.
 Freewriting
Write whatever comes to your mind, also known as freewriting, for a designated time, such as 15 or 30 minutes. Don’t fix spelling mistakes or grammatical errors while you’re freewriting. The goal is to write nonstop for several minutes, without trying to organize your ideas or make revisions. It’s perfectly acceptable to jump from one thought to another or change your focus midstream. Set a timer, so you know when the desired time has expired. At the end of your freewriting session, read over your work to see if any thoughts, characters or plot lines spur ideas for a story.
Make a Character List
Focus on the character traits that your protagonist might have. Think of someone you know in real life who has a complex personality, an interesting back story, an intriguing job or respectable qualities — someone who would make a strong lead character. Brainstorm a list of bullet points about your character, such as his/her motivations, fears, dreams, physical appearance, background, and goals. The bullet points don’t need to be complete sentences; quick descriptive phrases will do. You might even combine the character traits of several people you know to develop one primary character. Use the same brainstorming technique to create an antagonist or support characters for your story.
Develop “What If” Scenarios
Write or type the words “What if” at the top of your page and write about 20 scenarios that might follow those words, suggests author Neil Gaiman. You might write, “My friend got trapped in an elevator,” “My sister disappeared without a trace” or “I fell into a pit that led to an underground cave system.” Try the same brainstorming technique with the words “If only” or “I wonder” at the top of your page. Brainstorming these types of scenarios might inspire some interesting ideas.
I hope these ideas will be useful and if you have brainstorming ideas to share, I’d love to hear them!
Happy writing!
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