How do I keep my writing from being flat?

Are you working on stories that you feel passionate about?

Hi rosemerry,

'Flat' is a bit vague we probably need more specific idea of problem to help you but off the top of my head a few reasons for a flat story could be...

Passive voice, too much exposition, too much tell not enough show or pacing that is off. Lack of balance between scenes/sequal or scenes that aren't vivid or no control of scenes/structure in general. Weak or cliched or predicatble plot. Weak conlfict or conlict that doesn't rise but instead jumps or stays static. Linked to problems with conflict: no pressure on characters and 'so what' stakes, no jeorpdy/dillema, no reversals/disasters or perhaps an unsatsfying climax/resolution. Lack of premise/theme resulting in one dimesional story. Perhaps weak characterisation.

Like I say hard to tell without more detals but my first thought if someone says 'flat' is probably a problem with conflict and it's structure/handling.

Shweta mentions passion and you ask 'Am I just working in the wrong medium?' I'd say it's not so much a case of medium but more passion. The question is are you writing what you love to read or writing what you think you should be writing, think will sell, is flavour of the month?

Hope that helps,

PenDragon.

Theory 1.0: You ain't got a thing if you ain't got that zing.

So here is my question: All my short stories are a bit flat ... there's no zing.

... is it just a matter of practice? Any advice...

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Read writing that excites you, that makes you go wow-wee! and neat-o!

Then sit down and write about something that excites you. The energy that you feel when working on a cool idea is something that transfers into words. It's fire. It's bright and sparky. It tags along quite naturally when writing with enthusiasm, skill, and oily-smooth prose.

You get there by reading a bunch of cool stuff, which gives you lots of good ideas for how to put some zing into your words. This need not be an articulable thing, by the way, this “how to zing.” Rather, in the words of Isaac Asimov, it's something that often arrives by osmosis. And what do you get from all this reading? You get a collection of technique, pattern, nuance -- a whole kit of “how to do it” -- and only the good parts from all that reading will remain. They will be good because the ideas and tricks that stick around will be the ones that make the most sense to you, that occur most naturally to you when you write. No fumbling around with “insert part A into part Q to elicit effect Z.” It happens naturally. Or should. With a little practice. Which is also how you get to zing. (Practice.)

Doesn't mean it won't be hard, sometimes, but getting there can be like breaking the sound barrier: it's a rough ride at first, but once the barrier is overcome, smooth sailing. Sometimes the barrier is a lack of good models (reading), sometimes it's lack of a fully cooked idea, sometimes it's lack of really invigorating subject (nod to Shweta), sometimes it's just a draft in need of another draft (per PenDragon's suggestions, for instance), and sometimes it's just a crap story that nothing will fix (not that yours are). But sometimes, even maybe more than sometimes, we are not the most accurate judges of our writing. After working on a story for a long time, it may well bore the heck out of us -- but not someone to whom it's fresh and exciting and neat-o! and wow-wee!

So take Heinlein's advice and send a few of those things out (if you haven't already), and hear what editors have to say about them. Sounds like you've likely already reached the point at which changes to the stories no longer affect the plot (which was his “good to go” meter).

Are you very conscious of 'rules' when you're writing? That can kill an otherwise good story, imho. My only suggestion is to approach writing as though there are no rules.

Oh, and pick stories that excite you from the start, and read a lot, and let the editors decide what is boring and flat.

Without having read anything of yours, maybe your "voice" is not intimate enough? My writing seems flat if the POV is too distant. Or if I'm being too vague with descriptions.

rosemerry said:

Thanks for all the advice. A part of it I think is that I don't really read short stories too much. Which is why I'm now attempting a novel but I'm really excited about writing it and it's not out of my depth as far as needing to know sciencey stuff.

Hopefully this will pan out.

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Pick up a copy of this year's Best American Short Stories. There are some great ones in there.

I find if I'm thinking more 'is this a story that will sell / others will read' than 'is this a story I really enjoy thinking about / telling' my writing tends to come out a bit flat. Someone already mentioned over thinking the rules too - that's a real killer, for me anyway.

Have you posted any of your stories on the Share Your Work forum here? Maybe someone else looking at your writing could see something that could help you improve or feel more confident about your writing?

You've gotten great advice here already. I'll just add this one tidbit, and it's just my perspective so feel free to disregard.

I think the best short stories involve writing that does double- or triple-duty. They're not just a story that follows an event. They're the ones that, by the time you get to the end, you want to re-read because you finally realize the significance of statements, characterizations, objects, etc. that appear earlier in the story.

Virtually every word or at least every detail in the story turns out to be heavy with significance and depth..

I don't think I've managed to achieve that in my own writing...but it's something I strive toward.

Siddow said:

Are you very conscious of 'rules' when you're writing? That can kill an otherwise good story, imho. My only suggestion is to approach writing as though there are no rules.

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The Yoda suggestion this is?

Sometimes rereading your favorite authors might help. When all else fails, I usually go back to the people who really inspired me and try to go from there. Adopt them, if only a little. Or a lot. It's up to you.

bberntson said:

Sometimes rereading your favorite authors might help. When all else fails, I usually go back to the people who really inspired me and try to go from there. Adopt them, if only a little. Or a lot. It's up to you.

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That's a really good suggestion too - I try to read a couple of chapters of a book, particularly an author I really admire, before I take to writing. It's not that I then copy that author's style, but it seems to get my brain geared towards language and I always find my writing comes out better when I've done that bit of prep work.

I've followed this thread without posting for several days because I had trouble determining just "flat" may be to the original poster. Although there have been several excellent suggestions, I still know no more about what seems flat than I did before.

So I'll ask....by flat, do you mean that the work is lifeless, colorless, that is is boring, lacks detail, does not grip the reader or involve the reader or what?

Knowing what you define as "flat" might help me ponder what you might do to change that.

Sometime...

my students can hand in a story which is grammatically and technically fine, but it's flat. It lacks life, zing, whatever.

When questioned they often tell me they wrote it for me.

Write for yourself.

Write from that inner core where you store all the things that touch your feelings, mean something to you, you care about.

If you can't reach that core easily find a character who can do it for you. Put hir in a situation that makes you wince and then write hir out of it.

It isn't easy. Short stories are much more difficult to write than novels. Every word counts and there's no room to rest or coast. You have to have a reason to write your story. Paying the bills is an excellent motivator, as are competitions or deadlines.

rosemerry said:

It's a complete story but doesn't really grab the reader in anyway. They read it and then just kinda shrug. Not something they would recommend to their friends or reread.

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Grabbing the reader is indeed important - think about what makes you want to read a story and try to incorporate those elements. Maybe you need to add a little detail or enhance your characters by making them more real, more fully fleshed.

Siddow said:

Are you very conscious of 'rules' when you're writing? That can kill an otherwise good story, imho. My only suggestion is to approach writing as though there are no rules.

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This is the advice I would give to. It's really important to throw away the rules when you're writing. Some people are so rigid...so worried about the rules...that the story falls flat because it is forced to confine to the rules. Rules are there for a reason, but I have always said you should throw them away the minute you learn them. You can't be free if they tie you down.

rosemerry said:

Thanks for all the advice. A part of it I think is that I don't really read short stories too much. Which is why I'm now attempting a novel but I'm really excited about writing it and it's not out of my depth as far as needing to know sciencey stuff.

Hopefully this will pan out.

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Yes. Well. You can't write short stories if you don't read short stories. Well...you can, but they won't be good.