Story Institute Imagine, Enhance, & Grow Your Stories

Writing tips, tricks, and trends for the storyteller within…

Your stories are part of your life…we can ramble on for pages on how to make them better and with whom to share them, but what happens if they are deleted, shredded, or lost in an accident…There are many options out there for backup, one that will help sync your files between computers and let you access it on the web is Dropbox…You get 2GB free…if you invite other friends to use the service, your free space goes up as well. There are options to purchase space as well.

Take a look at Dropbox today and restore, access, and save your stories across the clouds…

So, you think that you have that perfect topic for your short story or novel…you think that you have a good idea of what your storyline will be. You’ve written down some character names…You’ve chosen your location, your setting, and such…You’ve even started writing the first chapter…As you near the middle of the seventh page, you pause and look at the rest of the blank page…Wait a minute, what happened there?

You page backwards and re-read what you just scribbled…this wasn’t the character you wrote down…and, wait, where is this taking place again…that is not the same either…So, whose story is this anyway?

Yes, even within the first seven pages, your story can take on a life of its own. While you should be prepared to correct the path your story takes if it goes too far away from your thoughts, be open to allowing it to grow itself. Stories are part of us. Just like us, they can be complicated and change their direction when needed. They need guidance. However, they do not like to be told what to do, where to stop, and how to grow. You and your story will learn together…if you allow it.

What does your story tell you? Are you sticking to your storyline? Or, are you letting it grow as you listen to the story your inner writer is sharing with you?

So, you are thinking of writing that great novel…the intense short story…or, that inspirational poem…You have your setting, your subject, your time…Have you remembered to read other writing like yours? Reading stories, poems, and sentences like you wish to write brings you closer to the words and audience with which you are trying to connect. Visit your local book stores, check out Amazon.comvisit your local library, or dust off one of those old volumes on your shelves. Don’t just read the news paper or the catchy headline magazines. These items will just give you words not necessarily the right words for your characters or for your readers.
Read More »

If you were throwing a party, where would you hold it? Would it be at your house? In the living room? Or, backyard? Would your party be at the small, family restaurant down the street? Or, would you host it at the convention center? Oh, what were you saying, you are more of a party-goer, rather than a party-thrower…well, that will not make a difference…you still need a place to go and enjoy the celebration. This is true for the setting of your story. You need a location from which to center your characters. You need a place in which to make the rain or snow fall. You need a setting in which to place your chairs, buildings, or rivers. Choose wisely as the setting can cause you more anxiety as a writer than the characters…imagine a story about a space cadet without going into outer space. Imagine people being trapped without food in the middle of a snow-capped mountain without the snow or treacherous valley. Here are a few quick suggestions for settings…
Read More »

Whether you share short stories, knit novels, or compose poetry, you are constantly in search of a subject. Where do you find your inspiration? Where do you search for the sanity that is the focus of your piece? The challenge usually is finding something, someone, or some essence worthy enough to place on paper so that the goodness spills out over the page and into the minds and sometimes hearts of your readers. Here are a few quick suggestions for subjects…
Read More »

You know what your day looks like. You know when you have time to write. You also know when you don’t have time to write. There are really two challenges though…Finding the time when you are not asleep and finding your particular muse somewhere along the way. They are both elusive creatures. Neither seem to be on your side. Neither want to cooperate with each other. You may be inspired, but you don’t have the time. You may have the time, but are not inspired. Here are a few quick tips on bringing these writing necessities together…
Read More »

When I was younger, I began writing because it was not only something I could do by myself, but it was inexpensive…I didn’t have to ask my parents for money…I just had to ask for a notebook. Since we needed them for school and they were only a small amount of money, I would always justify an extra one…you know notes and such…

When one of my friends would get ready to throw theirs out after the quarter or before summer, I said I would take it…As I got older, I started asking for the 3-subject notebooks…to hold more notes, of course…Now, as an adult, I find myself needing to purchase a 50 cent notebook every once in a while to get the creative juices flowing…computers are great, but they are no notebook…

When you find yourself looking for a topic for your poem, short story, or novel, search the web, but don’t forget to look around you. Return to the simpler times…return to the notebook…Enjoy…