California Writers Club Young Writers Contest
How to be a winner!
* Check to make sure your submission follows the guidelines. As the entries are coming in, I am discovering that some of the short stories aren’t double-spaced. This means these stories won’t be read.
*In a poem, (actually this is true for short stories and personal narratives too) cut out as many abstract words as possible. (love, friendship, death . . . ) Replace them with concrete words and your senses. (concrete words: a spider, a tree, a glob of glue) (senses: relate your topic to one or more of the five senses . . . hearing, touching, tasting, seeing, smelling)
*Use more action words than adjectives. Instead of “the leaves are orange and bright” you could have “bright orange leaves fall” . . .
*Try to have a middle to your short story. It’s easier to write a beginning and an end! In the beginning, the character is introduced with a problem. In the end, the problem is solved. But in the middle, the character must work at solving the problem. Complications arise. Problems get in the character’s way and he/she must figure out how to overcome them.
*Have fun writing! If you enjoy the process, you reader will enjoy the story!
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