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Stories

  1. The ethics of time travel in short fictionTime travel gives short fiction a powerful engine: a character can revisit a childhood decision, prevent a disaster or meet a version of themselves shaped by…
  2. When Objects Carry a Story in Fantasy ShortsA cursed object gives a fantasy short story an immediate source of pressure. A ring, mirror, knife, doll or weathered keepsake can carry a history that reaches…
  3. Crafting a noir atmosphere through sensory detailsNoir lives in the senses. A rain-darkened street, the scrape of a chair across a tiled floor, or the sour smell of old beer can suggest danger before a…
  4. The Storytelling Muscle Flash Fiction DemandsFlash fiction looks small on the page, yet its compact form asks a writer to make decisions with extraordinary speed. In a few hundred or thousand words, a…
  5. How to Create a Memorable Opening Line for a Contest SubmissionA contest reader may encounter dozens of stories in one sitting, often after work, between household tasks, or during a crowded train ride across Sydney or…
  6. Writing Convincingly from a Non-Human PerspectiveA story told by a non-human narrator asks the writer to rethink almost every familiar storytelling habit. A dog, magpie, octopus, artificial intelligence or…
  7. Using Symbolism to Deepen a Short Story’s Emotional ImpactA short story has limited space, so every image, object and repeated detail needs to earn its place. Symbolism helps a writer suggest emotional truths without…
  8. How to Write a Compelling Villain with Sympathetic MotivesA memorable villain rarely believes they are evil. They may see themselves as a protector, reformer or reluctant survivor, acting against a world that has…
  9. The Anti-Hero In Tartan Noir Beyond The Hard-Boiled DetectiveTartan Noir has long been associated with rain-dark streets, damaged investigators and crimes that expose the rot beneath respectable society. Yet its most…
  10. Writing Slow-Burn Tension in a 5,000-Word StoryA 5,000-word story gives you enough space for unease to gather, but not enough for every character, clue and subplot to receive equal attention. Slow-burn…
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