start with dialogue and this carries the reader straight into
the story.
Creating believable characters
Try not to have more than four characters in your short
story. Too many become confusing. Aim to give each one a
distinctive way of speaking so that each can be easily recog-
nisable. There will be no room for detailed descriptions of
each so their characters should be established by what they
say, how they behave and how the other characters react to
them.
Finding a plot
A story is written to entertain and in your story there should
be conflict of some kind. It could be between a parent and
child, or between two neighbours. It could be a spiritual
conflict within a single character. Should the heroine have an
abortion or not? The plot should be simple and there should
only be one. There is no room in a short story for a sub-plot.
Plots are all around you. Your own experience or some-
one else’s could be woven into a short story or you could
modernise the plot of a fairy story or a legend.
Introducing the story
The start of a story is always important. The first sentence
should grip the reader and carry him or her forward. Make
him or her want to read on.
Editing your work
When you have completed the first draft of your essay or
short story, check it carefully for errors and see if it can be
106 /PART TWO: ENGLISH IN ACTION