How to Write Short Stories for Magazines and Get Published!: ..and Get Them Published!

Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 10
First steps – get an Ideas Book!......Page 14
Studying the magazine market......Page 15
Targeting specific readers......Page 16
Obtaining magazine guidelines......Page 17
Story length......Page 18
Examples of magazine guidelines......Page 19
2 Good Idea!......Page 39
What are you good at?......Page 41
Word of mouth......Page 43
Newspapers, magazines and the net......Page 44
Television and radio......Page 45
Using your travel experience......Page 46
Exercise......Page 47
How to write convincing characters for short stories......Page 51
Moving the character on......Page 56
How many is too much?......Page 61
Do we really like the character?......Page 63
Do we really want them?......Page 64
What’s in a name?......Page 65
Starting with an idea......Page 74
Using a whiteboard......Page 76
The A–Z method......Page 77
Exercise......Page 78
The paragraph game......Page 79
Exercise......Page 80
What exactly is viewpoint?......Page 85
Exceptions to the rule......Page 87
Pros and cons......Page 88
How viewpoint can improve the plot......Page 89
Exercise......Page 90
How to write magazine dialogue......Page 97
Start talking now......Page 98
We don’t just talk......Page 99
How much is too much?......Page 101
A bit more grammar......Page 102
[More about] viewpoint......Page 103
Can you hear the voice?......Page 104
Accent......Page 105
Exercise......Page 106
7 First Person or Third?......Page 111
Twist and shout......Page 112
The third person......Page 113
The strong author’s voice......Page 114
Summary......Page 115
Exercise......Page 116
Great beginnings......Page 121
Using the plot as a hook......Page 123
Endings......Page 124
Summary......Page 126
Exercise......Page 127
How can you make it happen?......Page 133
Have a go!......Page 135
Using words or places or names which might have double meanings......Page 136
Exercise......Page 137
Summary......Page 139
But what about the plot?......Page 144
How do you go about it?......Page 145
Getting ourselves out of a hole......Page 146
Mix and match......Page 148
Exercise......Page 149
How to get started......Page 158
Using real-life experiences......Page 160
More inspiration......Page 161
Characterisation......Page 162
It’s a mystery......Page 163
Exercise......Page 164
I’ve got a great idea......Page 165
Change sex!......Page 167
Occasions you might not have thought of......Page 168
Exercise......Page 169
Plotting your serial......Page 174
14 Are You Fit for Publication?......Page 176
Presentation......Page 177
Writing an accompanying letter......Page 178
Getting organised......Page 179
If at first......Page 180
Exercise......Page 181
How to find competitions......Page 182
How to make your entry stand out......Page 183
Good practice......Page 185
Exercise......Page 186
On the other hand.........Page 187
Selling on......Page 188
Exercise......Page 190
Local authority courses......Page 191
One-off workshops......Page 192
Summary......Page 193
Competitions......Page 194
Your chance to get published!......Page 195
19 Tried and Tested Tips from Writers and Editors......Page 196
Useful contacts......Page 206
T......Page 208
W......Page 209