Does the title of your story spark interest?
Read your story aloud ensuring that it flows from beginning to end - eliminate the stumbles.
Does your story capture the reader's attention from the beginning wanting them to read more? Ensure each and every word is a progression to your ending advancing the plot; be ruthless and remove unnecessary padding - irrelevant information that does not progress your story is not the solution to meeting a word count. Is your ending surprising yet fitting and altogether a satisfying conclusion?
Be consistent with your point of view, the tense (past or present), names, descriptions of characters (hair, eyes, clothing etc).
Check the POV used. Would your story work better if it was told in a different POV?
Do your words paint pictures in the reader's mind?
Double check the basics of grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Follow editors guidelines and meet their requirements; word count, genre, presentation and whether they prefer emails or traditional post.
Above is a short story checklist I started for myself. I hope it helps you in some way. If there are any points you can improve on or better still, add to the checklist please let me know in your comments. It's a good thing to help each other :-)
Keep writing....
Hi Diane. Lovely to meet a fellow Aussie. I've followed you but for some reason it wouldn't put a pic up for me, just an avatar so I'll be at the back somewhere!
ReplyDeleteGood checklist. I'm in my final edit of a novella I'm submitting later on today. I'm working through these questions now. Amazing how much is irrelevant to the story. Cut, cut.
Denise
Hi Denise - thanks for your most kind comment and the 'following'. I've got fingers and everything else crossed for you for your novella. :-)
DeleteAll good points, Diane. I always read my work aloud (well usually in a whisper as I'm seldom alone and if anyone hears me, it's "What was that?" "Did you say something?") because it also helps with spotting typos or clunky sentences x
ReplyDeleteThank you Teresa - that is so true how problems in the story stand out more when read aloud. x
DeleteThat's a great check-list! Must admit I do find writing short stories difficult. It's very different than novel writing.
ReplyDeleteThanks Talli - it is very different to novel writing. With novel writing when I'm doing a 'checklist' it is chapter by chapter and a lot of notes to double check in previous/future chapters (back and forward). :-)
DeleteGood advice, Diane. It's amazing, the number of people who don't bother to check on editorial requirements.
ReplyDeleteHi Dream it - so true. We live and learn and eventually realise it's a tough competitive world out there and we do need to give ourselves the best possible chance in the first place! Thanks for leaving a comment :-)
DeleteExcellent advice, Diane. There is something to be said for writing without losing focus of the ending. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jeff!
DeleteThis is a great list! Glad you shared. I needed this reminder. :) Thanks a bunch!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Karen :-)
DeleteA great list, Diane. It's been so long since I've written short stories that I've probably forgotten how.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar list for my novels though and the very last item on that list is to go through and delete all the pesky redundant words that creep into my work. (I think the cat puts them in when I'm not looking.) Problem words on that list are 'just', 'that', 'really', 'seems', 'very' and about 100 more. :)
Great point Shirley - those 'problem' words. Thanks for that :-)
DeleteI don't know a whole lot about writing short stories, so this was a great post for me. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome Lydia. Thank you for the 'following' and for stopping by and leaving a comment. :-)
DeleteGood tips, Dianne. I'll link to these so others can benefit. I hope you'll call into my blog http://merlenefawdry.blogspot.com.au/ for a look and a follow :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Merlene, I appreciate that. Thank you. On my way over to your blog....
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Welcome Anonymous and thank you very much for your kind comment. :-)
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