Good question. If I’m aiming for a specific market, certainly I’ll follow their guidelines regarding word count and format and any theme that may be required for that particular issue. That also goes for any taboo on graphic sexual content and too much violence, if that’s specified. Each market is different and has different requirements.
Aside from that, I pretty much let my imagination be my guide although there are a couple of rules I adhere to. No matter what the subject, setting and plot, it’s important to focus on the characters. The characters are ultimately what most readers will relate to and the protagonists should react to the situations in the story appropriately and consistently. In the process, the story may change depending on how the characters grow and interact. They really do take on lives of their own!
The first sentence and paragraph should pull the reader into the story immediately. It’s a short story and you may not have a lot to work with so you need to get the readers’ attention right from the start. A couple of opening lines I’ve used in published stories of mine are – “The Hunter-Beasts had found her,” and “Melissa came to work that day dressed as a Valkyrie Warrior Princess.” Anything akin to “It was a dark and stormy night” just won’t cut it.
I also belong to a writing/critique group which has proven invaluable in getting the kinks out of a story. Sometimes I’m too close to a piece and can’t “see the forest for the trees.” A set of fresh eyes helps to point out any faults or inconsistencies.
In the end, the editors will make the final decision and if the story is rejected, it may not be because it’s a bad story but that it isn’t the “right fit” for their market. That’s a hard reason to understand and get used to but you just need to send that rejection out to another market whose editor may decide it’s just what they’ve been looking for. And I mean send it out the next day! Don’t waste time mourning your rejection. As clichéd as it sounds, perseverance will pay off!
Larry Ivkovich is a genre writer who's had several short stories and novellas published in various online and print publications. He's been a finalist in the L. Ron Hubbard's Writers of the Future Contest and was the 2010 recipient of the CZP/Rannu Fund Award for Fiction. His debut novel, The Sixth Precept, was published last November by IFWG publishing.
Learn more about Larry and his work on his website.
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