Writing a short story is an art of capturing a complete idea in limited space. If you manage to hook the readers from the very beginning, and to create intrigue you're off for a great start! We've tried to create a quick summary of some basic concepts in short story telling. Keep in mind that these are just general guidelines to help you get started, and that there are no rules to how you tell your own story. So how do you begin?
Consider a concept, a theme or moment you want to explore. It doesn't have to be an idea for a complete story, you can start with any fraction of idea. Think about a memory you have, or maybe a memory someone else might have. You can start with a specific scene you have in mind, or an idea for a particular character. Everything goes! To develop the idea ask yourself questions like "what if ...", "imagine that ..." or "why did the ...". Try to tell a story that describes these concepts you're exploring.
It can be helpful to build your story around a character the readers can understand or even relate to. The main character will drive the story or be driven by it. You probably want your readers to feel some emotion towards your character that will keep them engaged and intrigued.
A conflict adds tension that captures the readers’ attention. This tension can later be resolved, giving the reader a sense of completeness, by arising some kind of strong emotion. It can be happiness and maybe relief, it can be sadness or anger- whatever you feel like. Questions you can ask yourself are "What is the struggle or challenge in my story?", "what dilemma does the character have?". The conflict doesn't have to be between two characters, it can also be mental or emotional. Consider demonstrating the conflict by describing the interaction between characters instead of talking about it directly.
When you write a short story you obviously need to be concise. Keep the story structure compact with a short intro to the setting, characters and conflict, a middle part that builds up the tension and ending that resolves it. Focus on the main idea, leave only parts that are important for the development of the story and cut out any unnecessary detail. Revise your draft at least a few times to make sure nothing is unnecessary and yet nothing is missing!
When you're using Bot and I to write your short story you can start with any fragment of idea. Start with a sentence or two that introduces a character or a setting and Bot and I will guide you from there. When you write a short story using Bot and I the principles mentioned above will emerge naturally while writing, through the feedback you get. You can think and write at the same time instead of preparing in advance and then implementing.
Visit Bot and I Main Page and ask to join our waitlist. We can't wait to see you unleash your storytelling potential!