Tips on How to Write a Good Story

How to write a good story
Many people like to write a good story. Even more so, they dream of elusive publication. Sometimes, knowing a little bit more about the writing trade can be useful. Here are ten points (there are probably many more) that tell you some basics you need to know.

1. Have a good story to tell. The largest market is commercial and most readers aren't interested in the meaning of life. They're reading to be entertained.

2. If your story is good and it's rejected, it's not necessarily because it's not of a publishable standard. It could simply be the reader's taste. The reader in this case would be the 'reader' attached to the publisher. 'Readers' are on the bottom rung in a publishing house, seldom experienced at what the public would and would not buy. They may recognise good writing, but might be of the opinion that it wouldn't sell. Or they may think that something written by a celebrity might sell, despite its lack of merit. Ergo, JK Rowling was rejected nineteen times, not because she couldn't write, but because the reader didn't know whether it would sell.

On the other hand, if you're submitting a short story to a magazine, the editor will choose something that she/he thinks the readers will like. So no matter how good your writing, if it's the wrong piece for that particular market, your piece will not be selected.

3. Generally, I believe that talent is an innate ability. However, it has to be honed. A good imagination does not compensate for a lack of grammatical skill. Grammar needs to be studied. Know your commas from your colons, and your clause from your phrase. An editor noting a serious lack of grammar will not be willing to read on. Then again, depending on your connections and your storytelling ability, some grammatical defects will not prevent your writing from being published. Jeffrey Archer managed. That's what editors are there for.