Category Archives: Writing short stories

The storytelling elements of the short story and the shorter play have much in common. So how might this be an advantage for the writer?

Posted on March 6, 2017 by

Copyright © 2017 Jerry Dunne INTRODUCTION The length of the short story discussed here is not much more than 10, 000 words and the length of the shorter play not beyond a 90 minute performance and often shorter. Here I … Continue reading →

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A few thoughts on the inspiration behind character development

Posted on March 31, 2015 by

Copyright © 2015 Jerry Dunne Character does not arise in some pure form out of the writer’s imagination. The creative mind is influenced by a myriad of sources that gather in quantity and quality over a whole lifetime and arrives … Continue reading →

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Pace the story

Posted on October 31, 2014 by

Copyright © 2014 Jerry Dunne Narrative pace concerns how fast or slow the plot movement feels to the reader as they make their way through the story. Good pace enables the narrative to offer a feeling of smooth and constant … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughts on children's fiction, Writing fiction, Writing short stories, Writing short stories for the middle child reader | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Well-structured dialogue

Posted on August 31, 2014 by

Copyright © 2014 Jerry Dunne Dialogue is a powerful tool in the development of character, conflict, humour, drama, tension, suspense and pace. But dialogue must be handled skilfully in order to accomplish any of its objectives. Without a proper understanding … Continue reading →

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The plan: a bird’s eye view

Posted on July 26, 2014 by

Copyright © 2014 Jerry Dunne Before reading this post it is a good idea to read, The 3 act plot structure for the short story, if you do not understand the 3 act plot structure. This plot structure works as … Continue reading →

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From stereotype to complex character with speed and ease

Posted on May 31, 2014 by

Copyright © 2014 Jerry Dunne Stereotypes are not real people, as real people are multi-dimensional. All the same, with only a few simple but poignant attributes, a stereotype offers an immediate, energetic and powerful impression. By using the stereotype as … Continue reading →

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Inspiration from inside an empty matchbox

Posted on April 30, 2014 by

Copyright © 2014 Jerry Dunne This post demonstrates how conflict fuels and develops a story. An understanding of our simple example will help the writer with both good story structure and the search for new ideas. It’s the ideas angle … Continue reading →

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