Creative Writing Tips

A short-story is easy to write if you:

• Have only one or two main characters. It's a short story and you don't have time for any more.

• Use people's words and actions as much as possible. Don't try to give lots of background information - let the reader use their own imagination. Remember - creative writing means creative reading too!

• Make your characters and plot realistic. How do people really speak and act? Remember, most writers base some of their characters on people they actually know, so who can you use to improve your story? Would your granny make a good secret agent or your uncle a confident contract killer?

• Get straight to the point. Don't worry about long openings or lots of detail. Instead, launch right in, hopefully in the middle…