1. Shovel the grief onto the hero.
2. The hero makes some headway, and corners the villain or somebody in:
3. A physical conflict.
4. A surprising plot twist, in which the hero preferably gets it in the neck bad, to end the 1500 words.
DOES: It still have SUSPENSE?
Is the MENACE getting blacker?
Does the hero find himself in a hell of a fix?
Does it all happen logically?
These outlines or master formulas are only something to make you certain of inserting some physical conflict, and some genuine plot twists, with a little suspense and menace thrown in. Without them, there is no pulp story.
These physical conflicts in each part might be DIFFERENT, too. If one fight is with fists, that can take care of the pugilism until next the next yarn. Same for poison gas and swords. There may, naturally, be exceptions. A hero with a peculiar punch, or a quick draw, might use it more than once.
The idea is to avoid monotony.
ACTION: Vivid, swift, no words wasted. Create suspense, make the reader see and feel the action.
ATMOSPHERE: Hear, smell, see, feel and taste.
DESCRIPTION: Trees, wind, scenery, and water.
THE SECRET OF ALL WRITING IS TO MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT.
YOU ARE READING
How To Write A Short Story by Lester Dent
Non-FictionLester Dent's formula for writing a short story. This is a public domain work
