A writer’s guide to sure success!

 This works best when you KNOW about your topic! Write about things you understand, care about, and like. If you want to write a story about something you don’t know, then research the subject until you become an expert, or it WON’T WORK.

 You know the topic well.  Pick your own topics.  Love what you write, or it won’t be worth the effort.

 Think SMALL (I mean… small )  Big topics tend to be boring because there is no detail. Focus on small ‘snap-shots’ in time!  Example:  Bad topic: WWII (That is a HUGE topic)  GOOD TOPIC: My uncles first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty after he had been wounded and was coming home.  Much more manageable!

 This means that you use information from experience, research, or imagination.  Don’t use the ‘dead wood’ of your ideas. Know how to tell what is important to the plot and what is just junk.  If you aren’t having fun, then your audience won’t have fun either.  You don’t have to use everything! Cut out what isn’t working.

 You did not generalize!  What does that mean? It means that you didn’t use words that don’t really help your reader visualize the story.  Bad example: She had eyes. (Well…duh!)  Better example: She had pretty eyes.  Stellar example: Jane’s sapphire blue eyes sparkled when she smiled. (Ahhh…I can feel a faint coming on )

 As yourself: “WHO am I writing this for?”  Old people? Kids? Teens? Scientists? Etc.  Why? Because the way you write needs a focus. If you are writing a scary story for kids, it is going to be a lot different than if you were going to write a scary story for adults, right?

 THIS is how you can tell if a story has a good idea or not. If it does, it usually grips you and keeps you reading.  If you aren’t enjoying the writing process…you probably should pick a different topic!

 The best writers use things from their lives to write about: memories, experiences, natural disasters, dreams, etc.  Some of the best places to get good ideas for writing are all around you!  Think about the kinds of people/stories you see at Wal-Mart, for example!

 We will work on how to generate good/sound ideas by brainstorming.  If the following pictures were an illustration for your story…what would that story be about?