HOW TO WRITE STORIES?
All of us have read stories. Stories can be classified into two major groups: true stories and fictions, an imaginary narration. Nowadays journalists call the news report also a story.
But this text is about the latter (imaginary fiction). Why to write and how to write stories? Writing stories broadens one’s creativity. At times, when one is trying a science fiction, one has to get familiar with the relevant subject, at least, on matters concerning its theme.
If one is attempting a village story, first, say a few words about what a village would look like. An epithet is a curtain raiser. Narrate a scene, like a small temple with a pond in the front where people wash clothes and bath cattle, the narrow lanes athwart the temple, people walking up and down, green fields dotted with trees just away from the temple and a public well where the water can be drawn and all these. This way, one can transport the readers to a village and make him or her visualize the rest.
Similarly, adopt this practice wherever possible. Or start the story with a one liner conversation to arrest the attention of the readers.
- Never write a story in the present tense. Stories are better told in past tense.
- If the similar names of two persons figure in a story, give one long name and another short name. This is to avoid confusion to the readers.
- Induct humour wherever possible to entertain the readers.
- Give description of a person or a thing, however, using minimum wordage.
- Avoid repetition of words.
- Do not project a big paragraph. Visually, a paragraph with 30 to 40 words would corrupt the readers to read more.
- After writing, go through, assuming that you are reading another person’s story.
- Make amends wherever you feel necessary.
- To write about a profession, try to learn more relevant information. This will enable you to gain widespread knowledge.
Vries had said, “Every novel should have a beginning, a muddle and an end.”