Beth Greenslade's Blog, page 127

How To Get Your Writing Noticed

Writing is a tough old game, and there is nothing worse than pouring your heart and soul into your writing only to find that no one pays the least bit of attention to it. Writing is a hard enough job already – one that requires a lot of self-discipline, patience and practice. Getting others to notice, and read your writing, however, is a different ball game altogether. And for most writers the writing is not enough – for without readers, what are we?

So how do you get people to sit up and pay attention to what you have written? Try these useful tips.

Be different

There is so much content out there that even if you have great knowledge and passion about a particular topic, then chances are someone else has too. If you want to get noticed, you have to be different. But how do you do this? There are a number of things you can try.

Be unique

Present your idea in a way that hasn’t been done before. Think creatively about how you do this. Perhaps you could write it in the form of rap, include loads of artistic diagrams to back up your point, put it into an informative infographic, explore it in way more depth than anyone else, make more points on a list type article then anyone else has and so on. Whatever you do find a way to be unique and you’re halfway there.

Be opinionated

Don’t be a wallflower. Say what you have got to say! If you have an interesting opinion or point of view about something (particularly if it is topical), then share it. You won’t have everyone agreeing with you, but if your content starts a healthy debate then you are far more likely to get shares and comments and likes – just be prepared that they won’t all be favourable!

Be empathetic

People like to read things that make them feel listened to and understood. If you can find a common problem and write something that addresses it and empathises with it, and (the ultimate goal) solves it, then people are going to want to read that content and share it with other like-minded people too. Remember people like to have their problems shared, and their opinions validated so being empathetic in your writing can get you a long way.

Be funny

If you can make people laugh, they are bound to sit up and take notice of you. Lively, witty writing which still has a point to make always does well. Obviously this is the hardest one to do, as trying to be funny and actually being funny are often two very different things. However, if you are a witty writer tap into this and use it to get you noticed.

Be patient

It takes dedication and perseverance to get your writing noticed. Often it can be a case of trial and error and lots of practice experimenting with and then honing and refining your writing to get it spot on. However, if you are willing to do this and keep trying, then there is no reason why your writing won’t attract attention.

Every time you sit down to write, think about your message, think about your audience and think about how you can use your creative genius to attract attention and win your readers over. Taking your time to do this over every single piece should get your writing noticed and hopefully will deliver the results you both want and deserve.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post How To Get Your Writing Noticed appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Are You A Writing Weirdo? Join The Club!

Writers are strange and inexplicable creatures, and without being one, it is difficult to understand or empathise with their weird habits, or the odd situations they can often find themselves in. But you know what? That’s OK? In fact, it can be lots of fun!

So are you a writing weirdo? If so, here are some of the things you are bound to understand.

We are yes people

Writers love to experience things; they never know when something might lead to a great story. Because of this, they tend to say yes, to everything and anything. This can see them taking up weird and wonderful new hobbies (Morris dancing anyone?) or in bizarre and hilarious situations (having amethysts stuffed into my belly button for ‘healing’ purposes in a derelict shop in India – yes this actually happened). We love drawing on our real-life experience to tell our stories so want to make them as unique, exciting and bizarre as possible.

We eavesdrop

Yes, we are those people who get really close to you on the bus or find ourselves alone at parties loitering on the periphery of a conversation that we are definitely not part of. Often our friends will have to snap their fingers in front of our faces because we are apparently paying no attention to them having decided to tune into someone else’s brilliant conversation and are making furious internal mental notes!

We are daydreamers

Err remember what we said about our friends having to snap their fingers in front of our faces? This may also be because we are daydreaming all the time. Writers imaginations take them to weird and wonderful places though they can be a little overactive at times. Someone is whispering into their phone, and suddenly they are a secret government agent. Two lovers are looking wistfully out to sea; they are clearly about to be torn apart by some terrible secret! And so it goes on…

Sometimes we don’t feel the need to get dressed

Our office attire is a pair of ten-year-old pyjamas with holes in unspeakable places, we might not have a shower for over 24 hours, we might end up eating cereal for dinner because we forgot about the other meals in the day. However, when we venture outside the house, we tend to be functional and fairly inconspicuous members of society. Sometimes when we get really into our writing, we look up bleary eyed and wonder why it’s dark outside – yes life can be very confusing and strange for a writer indeed.

We cry at just about anything

Ahh, how beautiful the world is…wait, no…how terrible the world is! Oh, how wonderful that review is…oh…wait…how dreadful that review is! Writers are sensitive creatures; they can well up watching an ant wearily carrying a breadcrumb across the pavement back to it’s home, two old people holding hands on a bench, a couple who we’ve never met having an argument. It’s all the rejection, the adrenaline and the hope that we have to deal with on a daily basis – it might make us slightly mad, but at least we care passionately about things right? So what if you end up sobbing because the way that toddler tied his shoelaces was just, so, darn, beautiful.

We love ourselves and then hate ourselves

Sometimes we run down the stairs all giddy and bright-eyed because we’ve just had the best writing session ever, we are all pumped with adrenaline, we feel like we might just be the greatest writer that ever lived, and we are so excited to see what the future brings. On other days we slug around wailing and moaning like the miserable undead. What is the point in writing? Why are we bothering? Why are we kidding ourselves? Those days are not good days, but it becomes very hard for those around us to predict who’ll they’ll get. Is it weeping zombie or overly excited puppy? I’m sure the mystery is all part of why they love us…probably.

Being a writer has it’s ups and downs, but when we get it right, it’s the greatest job in the world, and I for one wouldn’t have it any other way!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Are You A Writing Weirdo? Join The Club! appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

The Best Christmas Gifts For Writers

We think writers are some of the easiest people to buy for; they are always eyeing up a new piece of stationary or desperate to get their hands on a novel that has just been released! However, if you have a writer in your life and are having a bit of ‘writer’s block’ when it comes to buying them a Christmas gift then never fear! Help is at hand.

Here are some gifts that are sure to put a smile on any writers face.

A diary

Writers often find it difficult to juggle their time effectively. Buy them a great diary to help them! A diary is useful for keeping up with all the appointments and ‘to do’ lists of everyday life, but you could also encourage them to have a separate ‘writing’ diary. They could use this to keep track of their writing, to schedule in time to write and to set aims and goals for themselves. It might just be the best present you’ve ever given them.

A notebook

Writers are nothing without their notebooks, and for most, it is a true pleasure to pull theirs out and scribble in ideas, words, quotes, and pictures of things that help them create. Make their note taking a true pleasure by getting them a notebook you know they will love. They might prefer a pocket-sized thing that is easy to carry around or a great heaving beast they can cram with cuttings and write in until it’s all falling to bits and bursting at the seams!

A writing retreat

If you want to treat your writer to a truly special gift this Christmas, why not book them on a writers retreat? This is the perfect gift for those writers who want to get more writing done but never feel they have any time to do it. Give them this as a Christmas gift, and then they’ll have no excuse!

A promise to be their biggest fan

It might sound cheesy, but often writing can be a lonely job. This Christmas why not make a cute card or certificate that says that you are their biggest fan, along with a promise to always support them, read their work, and write great reviews for them too of course!

A word a day books

Words are a writer’s best friend, but they can also be pesky little troublemakers at times. Make sure your loved one never gets writer’s block again with a word a day book. There are loads of different versions out there which help writers expand their vocabulary, learn the history and origin of different words and discover some great new parts of the English language they never knew existed!

A collection of books you think they’d love

Writers love to read, and the more we read, the better we get at our craft. Why not give a writer a selection of different books you think would inspire them or just ones that you hold dear yourself? Write a little note in each explaining why you think they would love it – they are sure to find it truly touching, and you never know, it might inspire their next great novel!

Story cubes

Story cubes are the perfect gift for writers! Whenever they get stuck for something to write, they can use these great little cubes to come up with ideas for new ones. They are so much fun to use and brilliant for motivating writers to get down to work as well.

Writing software

A more practical gift, but still a good one. There is some brilliant writing software out there that can really help the writer in your life with getting that novel down and keeping track of editing. It might not be pretty or romantic, but they are still sure to appreciate it.

These great gifts will go down a treat with the writer in your life. So what are you waiting for? Get shopping now!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post The Best Christmas Gifts For Writers appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Is Your Villain Ruining Your Novel?

Most novels have a character that acts as the ‘villain’. He or she is the antagonist, the one that you pit against your hero or heroine. The villain causes problems for your protagonist; they put obstacles in their path. Your villain is the one that they must defeat to achieve whatever it is they want to achieve.

However, a badly written villain can ruin your novel. Of course, any badly written character can. However, the villain plays such a prominent part in the story it is important you pay particular attention to them and ensure you don’t fall into the following traps.

Are they a stereotype?

Villainous characters have been written into stories for centuries. Therefore it is probable that you can divide different villains into particular types ‘the evil genius’ ‘the psychopathic killer ‘ the vengeful lover’ and so on. While it might be impossible to avoid writing a villain that doesn’t fit into one of these categories, what you must do is try to find a way to make yours truly unique. Readers are always looking for fresh and interesting characters, those that surprise them and take them to unexpected places. If your villain is just a carbon copy of the typical ‘bad guy’ and never does anything unexpected your reader will soon tire of them, and a boring villain is a book killer for sure.

Are they evil enough?

The best villains shock readers with their deceptive, twisted, terrifying ways. Does yours? When it comes to writing a great villain make sure that they act in the way that would class them as such. If they don’t really do anything or only ruffle your protagonist’s feathers every now and again then your story will fall flat. Villains need to create real obstacles and wreak havoc throughout your novel. If they don’t, then your readers won’t pay them any attention, and their lack of action will mean that your protagonist’s journey becomes less significant too.

Are they too evil?

Of course, there is always the possibility that you have made your villain too evil! Now while the actions of a villain can be as despicable as you dare to imagine, readers also have to feel as though they are believable, and fitting with the story. Readers need to understand the motivations behind your villain’s villainous ways. If they act for no reason, it can be hard for your readers to connect with them or find them authentic and that can just as easily leave them finding it hard to enjoy your book.

Do your readers care?

At the end of the day, you readers need to care about what happens in your story. If they don’t care about what your villain is doing or how your protagonist will defeat them, then you need to go back to the drawing board. A villain needs to take centre stage, to inject your book with drama and tension and horror and fear, but also to make the story worth telling. So make sure you make your villain count!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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Can A Facebook Ad Really Help You Sell More Books?

Marketing your book can feel like a minefield for most novice writers. There are so many different ways to do it it can often seem completely overwhelming. The idea of doing something wrong, or that a marketing plan might backfire and cause your book damage is also daunting too.

Of course, there are lots of things you can do to try and increase your book sales without having to dip into your hard earned cash. Indeed, spending lots of money advertising your book may not be an option for many authors. However, if you do have some money to spend trying to increase your book sales, it is important to spend it wisely. There is nothing worse than spending lots on what you think will help, only to see little or no return, Making money on book sales is hard enough, the last thing you want is to make a loss.

Facebook advertising is one of the most popular ways for authors to try and reach out to a wider audience and lock in some book sales. Of course, doing so costs money. The good thing about Facebook advertising is it is very easy to control how much you spend. However, creating a successful Facebook ad is not as easy as it seems. It is one thing to get your ad seen by thousands of users, but are they the right ones, and what does it take to actually make them click through to your sales page and buy your book?

Here are some tips to make sure you make the most of your Facebook Ad.

Pay attention to your picture.

Think about how you behave when you scroll through your Facebook feed. When it comes to ads, it is so easy just to keep on scrolling. If you want your target audience to pay attention to your ad you need to make your picture stand out on their feed. The image should be bright, powerful and intriguing. However, it also needs to be relevant. Of course, many authors use their book cover, but unless it’s one which smacks readers around the face you might want to think of an alternative. You need an image that tells viewers immediately what kind of book is on offer while also using strong and noticeable colours to make it really stand out.

Do some research

Just as when you designed your book cover, you need to set all personal tastes and opinions aside. It’s not about whether you think your ad looks great, it’s whether the reader does. This takes research, knowledge of your target audience and, admittedly a bit of trial and error. Make sure you don’t let your personal opinions get in the way. Your aim is to get more people to read your book so it’s worth putting out an ad that you don’t love if that means you get the result you want. Researching your target audience is so important too. Facebook lets you choose who will see your ad, and has loads of useful information to help you target the people most likely to buy your book. Spend time really thinking about this and choose carefully.

Make it easy for them

Your ad should be clear and simple. It should tell your audience everything they need to know to make a decision and include a simple link which clicks through to where they can buy your book. Remember the link needs to go directly to a sales page. Link it to your Amazon page or similar, not to your own website. The more a potential purchaser has to click to buy the more chances they have to change their minds and leave.

Stick to your budget

Make sure you set a realistic budget, one that you are comfortable with and happy to lose. Creating a Facebook ad is a bit like placing a bet. It could be super successful and generate you loads of sales. It could make no difference whatsoever. While, by doing the above, you can increase your chances of creating a successful Facebook ad, there are no guarantees. Therefore, you need to be willing to accept that the money you spend might be lost.

It’s always a good idea to experiment first, set low budgets and see how well your ad does. If it flops, try a new tactic, again set a low budget and try again. Learn from your mistakes, and be willing to let something go (even if you really love it) when it clearly isn’t working. When you find something that works, then you can increase your spend and see where it takes you.

The truth is anyone can create a Facebook ad, and while some people swear by them, others find them deeply disappointing. If you do have a budget for marketing creating a Facebook ad may well be something you wish to consider. Just take your time, do your research and never spend more than you are willing to lose!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Can A Facebook Ad Really Help You Sell More Books? appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

Do you Know Who You Are Writing For?

When you sit down to write it is always a good idea to ask yourself before you start ‘Who am I writing this for?’

The answer may be obvious and straightforward, or it might be elusive and complicated.

Are you writing for yourself? Do you have a very particular person in mind? Do you want your opinion or story to be heard by a particular group? Do you want to be acknowledged? Or perhaps you are just writing for anyone who will listen?!

Of course, it can be a combination of many of these things. Most writers would say that they write both for themselves – for the love of creating stories and playing with language, and for their audiences – whoever they may be.

How important is it to know who you are writing for? Most writers would argue that it is imperative. Indeed, if you are hoping to have commercial success having a target audience in mind will help you to craft and shape your writing so that it appeals directly to them. You might also want to think about how to attract readers from further afield. Not just the lovers of the genre, or the ones who already agree with your opinion who will naturally gravitate towards your work, but those on the fringes too. Perhaps those who think they would have no interest in what you have to say – how do you persuade these audiences to listen to you, or to take a chance on your writing and just ‘give it a go?’

How do you find the right balance between being true to yourself, your motivations and passions and writing for an audience – telling them what they want to hear?

The key to effective writing is knowing you reader, and being able to accurately predict what they want, and what they expect and then adhering to that or, alternatively, surprising them and showing them something new, different and more exciting than they had ever anticipated.

How to identify your audience.

Ask yourself the following questions.

Who do I hope will read this? Write down who your ideal reader would be, give them a name, a personality, bring them to life. This person is your target audience; you need to discover how they think, what excites them, what turns them off. Get to know them as intimately as possible, and you will have the best chance of getting them to see your point of view, engage with your characters, buy your product or do whatever it is you are trying to persuade them to.

Who else might read this?

Don’t just limit yourself to your ideal audience, think further beyond them. Think of all the places your book, article, blog post, or newsletter might end up – are there other people who it might reach that you haven’t considered? How could you reach out to them and connect with them further and more effectively?

You also need to consider what you are hoping to achieve by communicating with your audience. It might be to sell products, increase their understanding of a particular topic, to get them to share your work, to sign up to a newsletter, or it might be to persuade them round to your way of thinking, to be moved or inspired by your story, or simply to enjoy your book! Your aims are important because if you don’t fulfil them, no matter how many people you have reached, you won’t feel satisfied that you have achieved what you set out to achieve.

Understanding who you are writing for, regardless of the type of writing you are doing can make all the difference when it comes to connecting with your audience, creating a following and motivating them to act! So next time you sit down to write, make sure you consider who your reader is and think about how you can speak to them.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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Are You Stuck With Your Writing? Try This To Help You Get Going once More!

There is nothing worse than midway through a piece of writing coming to an abrupt standstill. You think you are progressing, have really got into the swing of things, are sticking religiously to your writing timetable and then, all of a sudden, you just run out of steam.

It’s happened to all of us at some point during our writing careers and can be very frustrating. It seems as though your energy has just gone out of the window, you get distracted, you procrastinate, and when you do finally sit down to write you can’t seem to get the words to flow out.

However, all is not lost! It’s unlikely that you will remain this way forever anyway, but if you want to kickstart things again, then there are some things you can try to give you that boost that you need to get back into your writing again.

Free-writing

This is a simple writing technique that is used by many writers who get stuck in their writing. Free-writing is where you simply sit down and start writing, about anything at all. It doesn’t have to be to do with your current story, in fact, it doesn’t even need to make sense (!). You can write down stories, sentences or just a list of words. The point is that you just write, uncensored for as long as you need to until you get back into your writing rhythm. A lot of writers find free-writing helpful when they are trying to come up with new story ideas too. When looking back over their notes often they find snippets of gold in there that they can use to create new ideas.

Write questions

Another helpful way to kickstart your writing again is to ask yourself questions. If you have become stuck halfway through a story, sit back and write down all the questions that need answering. Try to keep them specific rather that an open-ended ‘what happens next?’ kind of question. Of course, you don’t have to ask questions related to your novel or story. They could be about anything at all. Any exercise that gets you writing again will free you up, boost your creativity and help you focus once more.

Interview your characters

Sometimes we get stuck because we can’t figure out what our character is going to do next, or how they would react to a certain scene. Perhaps this is because we need to get to know our characters better. Write down a list of questions to ask your character. Make them as detailed and obscure as you like. Then answer them. Doing this will help you understand your characters better. We need to know our characters inside out to help make them authentic and to help us know, almost instinctively, how they would react to any given situation.

Read more

Getting inspiration from other writers can be very helpful. If you are feeling really stuck with your writing, then set it aside. Get some distance and use the time to read more books in a similar genre. This can inspire you and help you to understand where you need to take your story next.

Take a break

Sometimes we do just need to distance ourselves from our writing, gain a clear perspective and start again. Don’t beat yourself up too much if you want to pause for a moment. There is plenty else to get on with that can help your writing such as doing research or going back over what you have already written and doing some editing. Often re-reading the story so far can help jolt you back into action once more.

Getting stuck in your writing is tough for any writer. But remember that it happens to the best of us, so go easy on yourself, try these tips and see if they can help you get going once more!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

The post Are You Stuck With Your Writing? Try This To Help You Get Going once More! appeared first on Writer's Life.org.

How To Write More Persuasively

Any piece of content needs to be able to persuade your reader. It could be to persuade them to buy your product, to agree with your perspective or just persuade them to find what you have to say entertaining or funny. Be it an article in a magazine, a blog post, a landing page for a website or any other piece of content, learning how to persuade your reader is a skill which will help engage your audience, build your following, and steer your readers to do exactly what it is you want them to do.

So how do you write more persuasively? Try these four clever tricks.

Empathise with your reader

Your reader has a problem, highlight this and tell them that it is your problem too. To persuade your reader, you need to get them on your side and a great way to do this is by making them feel listened to. You need to reach those people who are on the fence or are opposed to your way of thinking and show them how you can help them. You need to understand, in depth, the people that you are trying to convince – without doing this your argument will fall flat because they will feel that you simply don’t ‘get’ the way that they do. Put feelers out, ask questions and listen to your reader’s answers – this way you can gain insight into your readers perspective and write in such a way that they feel as though someone is speaking just to them.

Keep it short and sweet

Persuasive writing is so because of it’s simplicity. When you read it, it feels as though the product the content promotes or the opinion it contains is so obviously what you need you wouldn’t even think twice about buying one, sharing the article or signing up for that newsletter to get more of the same information. When it comes to persuasive writing less is definitely more. Your argument should be clear and straightforward – remember modern attention spans don’t want to have to read a 5-page essay when they are on their commute. The want to be able to skim and dip in and out. If your argument is persuasive and your points are clear, they will also be more memorable and stick in your readers mind long after they have finished reading.

Adress objections

It is possible that when reading your content readers will come up with questions and objections. Make sure you don’t leave any questions unanswered and don’t leave any objections unresolved. If you know your subject well enough and honestly believe in what you are saying then you should be able to think of the majority of questions and objections your reader might have and tackle them head on.

Be positive and hopeful

Keep your writing positive if you want to persuade your reader, and when it comes to that all-important call to action make sure you end in a way that is hopeful, that makes the reader feel if they follow your request that something good will happen. If they feel hopeless, or like their issue won’t be resolved then they will be far less likely to do what you want them to do.

Convincing your reader can be tough, but if you want to write more persuasively try following the tips above and see if it makes a difference.

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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Which Archetype Is Your Male Protagonist?

Nobody wants to create a stereotypical leading male protagonist in their novel. However, saying that, understanding some of the main features of different archetypal male characters can be useful. You can use these as a base to build your character, ensure that they have traits that your reader can recognise and relate to, and then from here add details and quirks that make your character original and memorable.

So what are some of the archetypes of male protagonists commonly found in books? Let’s take a look.

The Brave Protector

A typical protector will be considered the hero of the story. They are usually good looking, athletic, hot-headed types who tend to act before they think. They care passionately about the things they love and will go to great lengths to protect them. They are usually good-hearted, but have a temper, a violent streak and beat themselves up about their actions when things go wrong.

Thy Shy Geek

This reclusive character tends to keep himself to himself. He likes to be alone, leads a solitary existence and is shy when faced with social situations. This character is one who readers get to know because of his desire to understand himself better, to change who he is, and to get to grips with his emotions. He is usually clever and thoughtful though when written in a negative way can be neurotic, psychotic and frightening.

The Joker

The Joker is everyone’s friend. He is reckless, carefree and the life and soul of every party. He is always seeking fun and adventure and fears loosing his freedom above all else. Because of this the joker finds it hard to commit to anything or to be tied down. He can be childish and foolish, and his gullibility can get him into sticky situations.

The Charmer

The Charmer is a ladies man. He is smooth suave and sexy. He is driven by his desire for pleasure and extravagance. He is decedent, flirtatious and pays great attention to his physical appearance and that of others. He loves beautiful things, brims with confidence and knows how to hold peoples attention. However, he can also be jealous, possessive and disloyal.

The Dreamer

The Dreamer is creative and artistic. He falls in love easily, knows how to express his emotions and cares deeply about how others perceive him. He wants to be loved and admired, generally see’s the world in a positive light and looks for the best in people. However, his desire to be liked can blind him and make him rather manipulative. He can be moody and find it hard to forgive those that have let him down.

These 5 typical male characters often appear in novels, and sometimes the leading male character is a combination of them. Can you identify with these male archetypes? Which one takes centre stage in your novel?!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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How to Write A Great Short Story

Writing a short story is very different to writing a novel – in some ways, and in some ways, it is very similar!

Naturally, they both need a beginning, middle and an end, relatable characters and an intriguing premise. However, when it comes to short story writing, you have to be able to deliver all this in a much shorter word count. Where with a novel you can spend time allowing your reader to get to know your characters, to build up tension and suspense and let the story unravel bit by bit, a short story must get your readers hooked from the word go.

So what are the key ingredients to writing a great short story? Let’s take a look.

Get the story down

When it comes to writing short stories, if you can, it’s best to try to write it all down in one sitting. To do this, you need to be able to block out a significant chunk of time. You also need to be able to control that inner critic that wants to stop and scrutinise your work every few sentences and makes you want to try to perfect them. Initially just get the words on the paper, you can go back and polish and edit and add and change things, but if you can write your whole story out without being interrupted, it will be so much easier to work on it then if you stop and start. Think about it, someone reads a novel over several days/ weeks/ months but would usually read a short story all at once – so you should be able to write it in one go as well.

Reveal your protagonist

Arguably, a short story needs an interesting protagonist more that in any other form. Your protagonist needs to be someone who your readers can get to know almost straight away. You cannot waste any time with this. Tell your reader who they are, what they want, why they want it, and why readers should care if they get it – do this right away so they are already immediately involved in the story, and care about the fate of its characters.

Open with a bang

The first line of your story is its hook – make it count. If you can make your first few sentences so compelling and intriguing that your reader cannot help but continue then, you have succeeded. Surprise them, set the scene, invite your reader into the story and let them know what’s going on from the very start.

Do your research

Some writers think that a short story requires no research. However, if you want to make it believable and authentic, then you should take the time to do your research, however, long or short your story is. A well-researched story adds depth and layers to it that those who aren’t researched simply cannot have.

Edit, edit, edit

As with any piece of creative writing, attention to detail is imperative. Make sure you set aside a proper amount of time for editing, and do so as thoroughly as if you were editing your novel.

Get it out there

Short story writing can be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Once you have finished your short story, make sure you get it out there into the world. Whether that is posting it on your blog, sending it off to a magazine or creating a short story collection to be published, make sure you do something with it – you never know where it might take you!

Bethany Cadman -author of ‘Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers’

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