Story

ok im in yr 9 .. i hav to write a kids story book .. it has to be like a spot the dog or hairy mcleary book.. it has to b about a bible story so ive chosen david and goliath .. my teachers sister kids r reading them and grading them .. i cant draw at all .. is their a computer program i can use or sumthing

If you use paint (the program (; ), stick people are suddenly very easy. The heads are perfect circles and the bodies are straight lines!!

They fight battles and are invaded by a giant – a small boy – and one brave animal makes it to the surface, but is blinded by the light? Definitely a short story, probably from the late 1970s or early 1980s? Science fiction / fantasy genre.

Sounds like Rats of NIMH but that was a full length book.

I’m writing a short story that deals with a kid’s friend dying. It needs to be under 20 pages. Does anyone have any tips on how to make readers care about your characters in such a short amount of time? In novels, you have four hundred plus pages to develop your characters and make them sympathetic or whatnot. I find it hard with short stories.

Thanks.
Sorry for the 2nd person tense…I meant "how do I" specifically.

For me, a short story is like a power-punch; a lot of bang in one little package. The reader needs to care about the character by the end of the first paragraph, not the first chapter. I accomplish this (I hope) by starting the story right off showing what’s wrong with my character. Or, if there’s nothing wrong with them, I start off with a conflict, showing what kind of person they are while simultaneously, forcing them to make a decision that matters to the story as a whole.

It is harder with short stories than with novels. For me, at least, and I guess you too. Just make sure that you give the character a flaw or two, and you have to get the conflict right in there. You have twenty pages, so that should leave room for some good setting (which can also add to the character – what does he see?) and still have time to get the whole story in.

=) Good luck!