Did you know that S.E. Hinton started writing The Outsiders when she was just sixteen? Or that Christopher Paolini wrote his epic fantasy novel Eragon when he was fifteen years old? If you’re a talented creative writer, with a little practice, your name could be up there with them. What’s one of the best places to get started? The YoungArts Writing Competition (https://youngarts.org/discipline/writing/). The YoungArts Writing Competition has a Fiction category that encourages young writers to submit work up to fifteen pages long. Although the category doesn’t specify exactly what type of fiction you should submit, one of the best ways to try out your creative writing skills is by practicing writing short stories. If you want to create a truly stand-out short story for YoungArts, here are some things you should think about: Genre: Write what you want to read. If you’re interested in Fantasy, write a Fantasy short story! If you love Sci-Fi, incorporate elements of it into your story! Before you write, you should sit down and think about your favorite genres and why they interest you. This will help you narrow down the elements you want to include in your short story. Themes: Every great story has a theme or a central topic, subject, or message unique to its narrative. For example, the great F. Scott Fitzgerald (author of The Great Gatsby!) wrote about wealth and disillusionment in many of his short stories. E.M. Forster, in his iconic Sci-Fi short story “The Machine Stops,” explored the over-reliance on technology. Sit down and write down at least ten “big picture” ideas or themes that interest you, and pick the most creative one. Plot and Characters: Remember that a good short story is just that—short. This means that rather than trying to cram an epic, Lord of the Rings-style plot into a few pages, pick one main setting, one main character with a complicated personality, and one main event that influences them and use this as the basis for your plot. This tried-and-true formula is guaranteed to give you the time and space you need to explore a few things in-depth, rather than covering a million ideas shallowly. Language: As you write, remember that you are creating a world with words. Be descriptive. Use lots of adjectives. Explore alliterations, creative imagery, similes, metaphors, and exciting adverbs. Be as poetic as possible. Above all, make sure your short story has artistic elements but remains true to your voice as a writer. Structure: Before writing, be sure to sit down and create a detailed outline that includes a basic breakdown of the introduction, conclusion, and body of your short story. You can even include sample sentences in your outline. Remember, even if writing is creative, this doesn’t mean you should make it up as you go along. Stick to a logical structure to avoid a confusing narrative. Remember, YoungArts values young artists who are innovative, creative, and true to their unique vision. And as S.E. Hinton once said, “If you enjoy reading something, read it.” The same goes for writing—if you enjoy writing something, write it. We guarantee YoungArts will be interested.
