Tips on Foreshadowing by guest blogger Bob Bruggemann
Wikipedia says foreshadowing is a literary device in which an author suggests certain plot developments that might come later in the story. This is an example of foreshadowing:
Sam thought about what the perpetrator said. It was nothing he hadn’t heard before; he’d been threatened many times. The light turned green and he swung around the corner. His eyes panned down the quiet block of single family homes and he knew something was wrong. His partner’s house was dark and so was his. Sam rolled up to the curb and turned off the engine. Leaving his cap on the passenger seat, he pulled out his service revolver, loaded a round into the chamber, and cautiously stepped out of the car.
Sam’s actions give a blatant description of what could happen next. The reader has been forewarned that something might be wrong. It could be a false alarm or it could be something devastating. Only time will tell.
The reader will fall into this trap easily and without suspicion. It’s perfectly natural for a man to enter a tense and dangerous situation with his gun drawn… but suppose he enters the foyer and the lights suddenly come on.
“Surprise! Happy birthday, Honey!” He finds a room full of neighbors in the living room, holding up drinks for a toast. The joy fades as they focus on Sam’s cocked 9mm pistol.
This scenario is a variation of foreshadowing called “misdirection” or otherwise known as a “Red Herring.” See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreshadowing for more examples on the following:
o Premonition
o Master patterning
o Red herring (misdirection)
o Prophecy’s and omens
As an author, you control your world, along with everyone and everything in it. Never be afraid to experiment and push your muse to the limit. There are no limitations to your imagination.
Showing posts with label Writer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Writer. Show all posts
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Win a Short Story Contest with These Tips!
SHORT STORY CONTEST for BEGINNERS listed below... by Bob Bruggemann
If you want to win a short story contest, the first thing you must do is study the rules. Many submissions are disqualified because they don't meet all the requirements. If formatting guidelines have not been given, single space the text and indent the paragraph. If the rules state a maximum of 1000 words, a 1200-word story, however brilliant, will hit the trash pile. If the short story contest calls for G-rated material (which means no swearing, vulgarities, or erotica) and your entry contains just one swear word, it will be discarded.
Welcome to the judging world, where judges go strictly by the rules. Assuming you follow the guidelines, the judges will then look at these four elements:
• Originality
• Creativity
• Style
• Technique
Let’s look at each one and see what they mean.
Short story contest winners come from second, third, and tenth thoughts. Some contests give you a theme, such as, “Wedding Day.” What’s the first story idea that comes to mind? Whatever it is, forget it. You can bet everyone else will have thought of it, too. A large percentage of submissions will be so similar that the competition will be fierce.
Make your short story unique and the judges will love you. Come at it from a different point of view. Seek a new angle.
Don’t wrack your brain for an idea. Relax. Get your conscious, critical mind out of the way and allow ideas to bubble up from your subconscious. In other words, daydream.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, how, and ‘what if?’ Let your train of thought go where it will. Before long, you’ll have an idea for a story that is different.
For example, what if a shy looking woman attended a wedding and sat in the back, all alone? At the reception, she avoided conversation. She partook of the food and drinks and then left. Back in her lonely, one room apartment she scanned the Forthcoming Marriages column in the local paper to see where her next free food and wine would come from. See? The ‘what if’ question can lead you down original alleys.
In short story contests, you’ll never wrong with the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Sweetie! Don’t try to impress the judges with $3 words. Like any other reader, they want a story that is readable and absorbing.
Every sentence must move the story forward. The reader doesn’t want flowery descriptions of a rose garden in the moonlight. He/she wants to know what the girl is doing there at two in the morning and what will happen next. Stick to the point.
A short story contest calls for three distinct parts: the beginning, middle, and end. It's not as easy as it sounds.
The beginning introduces the main character and what the short story is about. The middle develops the theme and keeps the reader hooked. The ending must be believable, resolve the problems, and leave the reader satisfied.
Above all, don’t overlook simple formatting rules.
• Make a new paragraph for every new speaker
• Single space your short story and indent paragraphs
• Run the spellchecker!
• Watch your punctuation
And Finally…
If you don’t write an original entry for a short story contest, at least rewrite it to fit. For example, Creative Writing Institute’s contest is G-rated, which means no swearing or vulgar language. We’ve already received entries that contain good stories but the author probably didn’t cull out swear words from a story they had already written so it won’t be eligible. What a shame. Make sure your entry fits the rules.
This is short story contest is especially for beginners and the first thing the writer must learn is that judges go strictly by the book. See the rules here and abide by them: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. Above all, have fun! First prize wins $$ OR a FREE Writing Course!
If you want to win a short story contest, the first thing you must do is study the rules. Many submissions are disqualified because they don't meet all the requirements. If formatting guidelines have not been given, single space the text and indent the paragraph. If the rules state a maximum of 1000 words, a 1200-word story, however brilliant, will hit the trash pile. If the short story contest calls for G-rated material (which means no swearing, vulgarities, or erotica) and your entry contains just one swear word, it will be discarded.
Welcome to the judging world, where judges go strictly by the rules. Assuming you follow the guidelines, the judges will then look at these four elements:
• Originality
• Creativity
• Style
• Technique
Let’s look at each one and see what they mean.
- Originality
Short story contest winners come from second, third, and tenth thoughts. Some contests give you a theme, such as, “Wedding Day.” What’s the first story idea that comes to mind? Whatever it is, forget it. You can bet everyone else will have thought of it, too. A large percentage of submissions will be so similar that the competition will be fierce.
Make your short story unique and the judges will love you. Come at it from a different point of view. Seek a new angle.
- Creativity
Don’t wrack your brain for an idea. Relax. Get your conscious, critical mind out of the way and allow ideas to bubble up from your subconscious. In other words, daydream.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why, how, and ‘what if?’ Let your train of thought go where it will. Before long, you’ll have an idea for a story that is different.
For example, what if a shy looking woman attended a wedding and sat in the back, all alone? At the reception, she avoided conversation. She partook of the food and drinks and then left. Back in her lonely, one room apartment she scanned the Forthcoming Marriages column in the local paper to see where her next free food and wine would come from. See? The ‘what if’ question can lead you down original alleys.
- Style
In short story contests, you’ll never wrong with the KISS method: Keep It Simple, Sweetie! Don’t try to impress the judges with $3 words. Like any other reader, they want a story that is readable and absorbing.
Every sentence must move the story forward. The reader doesn’t want flowery descriptions of a rose garden in the moonlight. He/she wants to know what the girl is doing there at two in the morning and what will happen next. Stick to the point.
- Technique
A short story contest calls for three distinct parts: the beginning, middle, and end. It's not as easy as it sounds.
The beginning introduces the main character and what the short story is about. The middle develops the theme and keeps the reader hooked. The ending must be believable, resolve the problems, and leave the reader satisfied.
Above all, don’t overlook simple formatting rules.
• Make a new paragraph for every new speaker
• Single space your short story and indent paragraphs
• Run the spellchecker!
• Watch your punctuation
And Finally…
If you don’t write an original entry for a short story contest, at least rewrite it to fit. For example, Creative Writing Institute’s contest is G-rated, which means no swearing or vulgar language. We’ve already received entries that contain good stories but the author probably didn’t cull out swear words from a story they had already written so it won’t be eligible. What a shame. Make sure your entry fits the rules.
This is short story contest is especially for beginners and the first thing the writer must learn is that judges go strictly by the book. See the rules here and abide by them: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. Above all, have fun! First prize wins $$ OR a FREE Writing Course!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
SHORT STORY CONTEST for BEGINNERS
Third Annual Beginner's Short Story Contest
A contest that is truly for beginner's only! If you have been fortunate enough to sell a book or a short story, congratulations - but you don't qualify for this contest. If you have self-published, you do qualify. This is an honor system.
RULES:
1. Any genre (Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Children, etc.)
2. 1,000 - 1,750 words
3. There is no entry fee, but since Creative Writing Institute is a non-profit charity that sponsors cancer patients in writing courses, we're asking entrants to donate $1 - $5 donations through credit card or PayPal at http://creativewritinginstitute.com/donate.php. If you can't donate, you're still welcome to enter.
4. Short Story rights remain the property of the author
5. Entries must be G-rated. That means no swearing or vulgarities.
6. Contest ends midnight, USA Eastern Standard Time, October 20, 2011
7. Mail to head judge, jopopek@gmail.com
8. Put WRITING CONTEST in the subject line
9. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, style, and technique
10. NOT following instructions may lead to disqualification
11. Up to two entries per person
12. Winners will be notified by email on or before December 15, 2011.
Prizes: 1st place winner will receive cash (up to $100, depending on donations received) OR a free, tutored writing course at Creative Writing Institute, valued at $200. In addition, the winner will receive two books, Word Magic by Cindy Rogers and an autographed copy of Word Trippers by Barbara McNichol. Our thanks go to both Cindy and Barbara for making these prizes available. Winning entry will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and our blogs, along with the winner's bio and picture, if provided.
Second place: Two free tutoring sessions with CEO and Founder, Deborah Owen, and a copy of Word Magic by Cindy Rogers. Winner's name will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and its blogs and we will provide a link to your story.
Third place: One free tutoring session with CEO and Founder, Deborah Owen, and an autographed copy of Word Trippers by Barbara McNichol. Winner's name will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and its blogs and we will provide a link to your story.
Honorable mentions: Names will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and its blogs and we will provide a link to your story.
This is a small contest and your chances of winning are good. Enter now!
If you haven't signed up for The Writer's Choice Newsletter, which is chock full of writing tips, you can do that here: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. Fear not - we won't spam you.
A contest that is truly for beginner's only! If you have been fortunate enough to sell a book or a short story, congratulations - but you don't qualify for this contest. If you have self-published, you do qualify. This is an honor system.
RULES:
1. Any genre (Horror, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Drama, Children, etc.)
2. 1,000 - 1,750 words
3. There is no entry fee, but since Creative Writing Institute is a non-profit charity that sponsors cancer patients in writing courses, we're asking entrants to donate $1 - $5 donations through credit card or PayPal at http://creativewritinginstitute.com/donate.php. If you can't donate, you're still welcome to enter.
4. Short Story rights remain the property of the author
5. Entries must be G-rated. That means no swearing or vulgarities.
6. Contest ends midnight, USA Eastern Standard Time, October 20, 2011
7. Mail to head judge, jopopek@gmail.com
8. Put WRITING CONTEST in the subject line
9. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, style, and technique
10. NOT following instructions may lead to disqualification
11. Up to two entries per person
12. Winners will be notified by email on or before December 15, 2011.
Prizes: 1st place winner will receive cash (up to $100, depending on donations received) OR a free, tutored writing course at Creative Writing Institute, valued at $200. In addition, the winner will receive two books, Word Magic by Cindy Rogers and an autographed copy of Word Trippers by Barbara McNichol. Our thanks go to both Cindy and Barbara for making these prizes available. Winning entry will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and our blogs, along with the winner's bio and picture, if provided.
Second place: Two free tutoring sessions with CEO and Founder, Deborah Owen, and a copy of Word Magic by Cindy Rogers. Winner's name will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and its blogs and we will provide a link to your story.
Third place: One free tutoring session with CEO and Founder, Deborah Owen, and an autographed copy of Word Trippers by Barbara McNichol. Winner's name will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and its blogs and we will provide a link to your story.
Honorable mentions: Names will be published on http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com and its blogs and we will provide a link to your story.
This is a small contest and your chances of winning are good. Enter now!
If you haven't signed up for The Writer's Choice Newsletter, which is chock full of writing tips, you can do that here: http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com. Fear not - we won't spam you.
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