Always use punctuation!!! While this may seem like a no-brainer, you would be surprised at the amount of people who just cannot master this concept. I'll give you an example:
Hello my name is Angel This is my homepage I have a really cool story that everyone should read Please send me email
See what I mean? It gets really annoying after a while. Especially if you are going to use quotes. If you just decide to skip out on the punctuation, the plot of your story is going to be very difficult to follow, and people generally like to read something that flows well and doesn't require an extra five minutes to be spent just trying to figure out what the idea is that you mean to convey.
While we're on the subject of a smoothly flowing story, always try to avoid short, choppy sentences, but watch out for run-ons. This is also annoying to the reader. Here's an example of choppiness:
The dog runs. It runs fast. Annie chased the dog. Its name is Spot. It has a spot. The spot is black. The dog is white. It is cute. Annie likes it.
Annoying? Very. On top of the fact that it is almost impossible to be descriptive while using such sentences, the whole idea is really boring. If you're in first grade, this may be an acceptable form of writing, but if you are old enough to make your own web page, this is generally a big don't. Now let's see just exactly what this looks like as a run-on:
The dog runs it runs fast. Annie chased the dog its name is spot. It has a spot the spot is black. The dog is white it is cute Annie likes it.
I'm going to be very honest here. That whole paragraph just plain old sucks. If you start your story out like that, people are not going to want to read the rest of it.
Please use proper grammar. It bothers me and lots of other people when people don't use proper sentence structure and grammar. You do have English class for a reason, and if you've been sleeping through it (as most fan-fic authors seem to do), I suggest you wake up fast. You'll find your grades rising and your story page getting more hits. What do you think about that? Here are a few examples of common grammatical errors I have noticed:
That ain't right (unless you're trying to portray someone with a southern accent, I suggest you skip this one and go with "isn't").She don't like it (unless you're talking like someone from "da hood," why don't you just say "doesn't" instead).
Me and her had a talk ("Me" is being used as a subject, not a direct object in this sentence, therefore, you would change it to "I." Her is also in the objective form, but it is being used as a subject. Because of this, it needs to be changed to "she." There's an easy way to remember this. If you were to remove the "me and" or the "and her," you would be left with either "Me had a talk" or "Her had a talk." Since neither of these sound right, it is now pretty obvious [and if it isn't, go back to first grade] that the sentences need some revision. That is an example of a compound subject, and so all you have to do, is take away half of the compound subject, and if the sentence sounds correct, it probably is).
If you can master the grammar, you are well on your way to creating a story that you will definitely think is worth reading, and chances are, so will lots of other people.
Homonyms also seem to cause problems for a vast majority of writers.Homonyms (in case you didn't know) are words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have a different meaning. If you use the wrong homonym, however, this tends to greatly confuse your readers. Don't forget the issue of respectability, either. I generally tend to have more respect for an author who knows what he or she is writing than for an author who is "grammar impaired." Here are a few homonyms and their meanings, just so you can be sure that you know what you're saying:
Two = 2 (as in the number. EX: She has two apples.)
To = an infinitive or a preposition (EX: I like to ski or EX: Let's go to the store.)
Too = also (EX: Can I come too?)
There = a place (EX: She went there.)
Their = of or showing possession (EX: This is their book.)
Check your spelling! I can't begin to tell you how important this is. I know I have a few typos in my story (so sue me), but I have read stories in which people cannot spell anything correctly. I hate it! Have you people no pride?! Please try to remember to do this. It is one of the worst mistakes you could possibly make. It's really confusing and annoying. Try to avoid spelling errors at all expenses.Another thing that makes a good story is content and originality. This is very important. It doesn't matter how good your grammar and spelling skills are, if you don't have an interesting, well-written story, people aren't going to read it (if you've ever read My Antonia by Willa Cather, you will know what I mean). A story without a plot is a bit of an oxymoron. Plot is vital to every story, and if you don't have plot, you don't have a story. Originality is another very important element when composing a story. Read other peoples' stories, first. That way, you'll know exactly what plots are becoming old. If you absolutely must use the same plot as everyone else, try to make the theme(s) differ. Let's use my story as an example. Instead of having Angel's parents die in a car wreck, forcing her to come live with her aunt or uncle, I simply had her grandparents move to Tulsa. Now she has to spend her summer in Tulsa.
Themes are very important. What makes a story effective is the theme. In case you don't know what that is, it's a truth about human nature. It isn't a lesson because you don't want to preach to your reader and tell him/her how to live, but you want something in your story that everyone can relate to. Look through other stories. What themes are being used too often (hint: try to stay away from encorporating death in your theme). The most important thing to remember is that your story needs a theme. There isn't much point in telling a story in which two people fall in love and live happily ever after. Face it, that isn't reality. There are always some complications (again, try to avoid death and terminal illnesses).
Last but not least, make your story interesting. Nobody wants to read a boring story. Add a few plot twists (steer away from death). If you have to write a depressing story, add some comic relief. Nobody wants to read fifty consecutive depressing chapters.
If you remember all this, I can guarentee you a successful and well written story.
Back
Email: angelkiss14@hotmail.com