A story has a beginning, middle and an ending. Being a work of fiction, a story is based on an author’s imagination. It is the author who conceives the plot and characters and then put them in a realistic setting where they interact with each other.

Stories are usually written in a narrative style. Writing a short story requires careful thought and planning. So how do you develop a story? Well, every author is different in the way he/she writes the story. Some writers begin with the plot and then create characters. Others start by inventing characters and then letting them interact. Whatever be the style of writing, every author follows certain steps in developing a story.

Determining the theme

The theme is the basic idea expressed in a story. Some stories have a moral theme. Some others may convey a message. There are many story writers who believe that if you have no message to convey there is no point in writing stories. You don’t have to state the message in the story. The reader should be able to comprehend it as the story develops and ends.

That said, you shouldn’t get obsessed with the idea of conveying a message. There are many good stories that do not convey any message. They put the focus on characters or incidents.

Outlining the plot

Plot is the soul of the story. Before you start writing you must have a clear idea of the plot in your mind. Once the plot is ready you can start writing.

Logical movement of events

Every story is made up of a sequence of events. Remember that the events must move in a logical order. All unnecessary details must be avoided. The events should be narrated in the proper order so that fiction may seem fact.

A story grows out of the situation. You can indicate the situation in the opening lines and then develop it gradually. Eventually the characters will appear on the scene and begin to interact. The plot takes shape from this interaction.

Complications and conflicts will arise as a result of the interaction between characters. These conflicts will eventually lead to what is called the ‘rising action’. The rising action will create more complications and conflicts and lead to crisis. The crisis is the turning point in any story and it should lead to the climax which is the highest point of interest.

Once you have reached the climax, you need to bring the story to a close.

Tags: creative writing, Stories, writing stories