Welcome to my newsletter!

“Two people, one terrible secret, and the pressure to reveal it before dawn.”

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Hey, Reader,

Can you handle the heat?

I've previously discussed Story Structure and the benefits of using Writing Prompts.

Today, we’re going to use both.

Here's a challenge for you: I’ll give you a framework for starting, developing, and finishing your story.

The framework will be for a Microfiction (300 words or less) or Flash Fiction (500 -1000 words) tale.

Here’s the prompt:

Two people find themselves stuck in a lonely place overnight. (You get to decide the location.)

As the hours pass, one of them has a terrible secret they must reveal to the other before sunrise.

Now, let's divide this into Three Acts.

In Act One: You must introduce …

• The characters,
• The location, and
• The conflict.

In this case, the conflict is that one person knows a terrible secret they must reveal to the other before sunrise. But they don’t know how to do it.

As the other person becomes more aware that something is wrong, they begin insisting and finding ways to get the first person to tell all.

In Act Two:

• The second character becomes aware that the first is hiding something and pressures them.
• Emotions are building as they become aware that the sun will rise soon.
• A third person arrives just before all is revealed, adding even more pressure to the scene.

Act Three: Brings about the Climax, the Resolution, and the Conclusion.

• The terrible secret must be revealed, and it is.
• We see how it affects the two other characters (That is up to you).
• And what will be the fate of these characters as the story concludes?

As I stated, this is a Micro or Flash Fiction story, 250 to 1000 words long.

Once again …

Act One - introduces the characters, the location, and the conflict—the terrible secret.

Act Two – We see the two characters emotionally struggle with the conflict until it reaches a boiling point.

Act Three - The Climax, Resolution, and finally the Conclusion.

There’s a basic story structure.

Short stories are just as powerful as novels. But because they are shorter, solid Clarity, Characters, and Conflict are even more crucial.

Let’s see what you can do with this.

Email me with any questions you may have.

​GoWriteForIt@gmail.com​

Now, go tell a good story.

Best,

Alex Simmons

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Have questions? DM me (@AlexSimmonsSays). Or email me at: GoWriteForIt@gmail.com.

If you need help telling your stories, Click Below and let me know.