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There are big secrets to writing a great story. In this post I revealed the one which gave birth to great writers: that's using words that create memorable images.

After reading these words, go and make your story better.

Here are they:

Note: The examples given here are not quotes. I form them myself. Please, don't skip the final tip as it is very important.

1. Window

Like camera, window brings focus and it is the best tool to use in your story. Supposing your character is in her room, million things are out to see through the window.

Example: As she looked through the window, it wasn't the outside she expected to see: it was hell fire. Latter, she thought her head wasn't correct.

2. Edge

To get the desired effect, edge could only be used either as the outside limit of an object or area or the sharpened side of a blade. This will draw the attention of your readers towards your style.

Example: My uncle watched the bed bug as it ran over the edge of our glass table.

3. Rooftop

What I sharply remembered in 'Harry Potter' are the rooftops of the estate where Harry Potter lives with his uncle Vernon Dursley. You can see how this common word improves the setting of the story.

Example: From the 3rd floor, I could see the rooftop of St. Augustine.

4. Rotten food

Human memory can retain negative experience easier than the positive one. Any rotten food can remind me of this feature.

Example: I watched my husband as he threw the rotten food through the window. The world was silent so the thud sounded terribly like thunder.

5. Sun

Apart from merciless sun we often read in classic novels, sun is mostly used to open the new chapter of a story to show morning, midday or evening time, but you can be more creative. This word is very important.

Example: Mashat looked up to heaven and saw there was no sun, so there was no shadow. This was the time he could steal an apple from Shade's headtop as she could neither see his shadow nor hear his footsteps.

6. Old books

Writing this feature, I scarcely remembered the title of the short story I read where the hero, describing a room, said, "The room smells like old books." Although I found it difficult to remember the title of the story, I remembered the story because of the phrase 'old books.'

Example: "My uncle sells old books to earn a living," my sister told her guests and then looked at her old chemistry books in the shelf.

(Note: Old books could mean books that last long and books that are recently published but look dirty. Old books could also mean used or second-hand books).

7. Socks

I didn't think about socks because I wore socks while writing this feature. Rather, I thought about it because I was and am a reading enthusiast who read many contemporary American short stories where socks make memorable images.

Example: My husband and I perceive bad smell and couldn't tell the source. Was it a rotten food? No, who brought it? Was it a dead rat? No, we didn't have rats. Was it farting? Not me, neither my husband. My husband would have admitted it. until I remembered Sam whose Tim Boot was over the doormat.
"Sam", I said, "I'm sorry. see if your socks stink."
Sam touched one, sniffed his hand and said, "They stink."

Final Tip

After the first draft, you can find ways to develop your story during structural editing, adding these powerful words or others you find yourself.

Asked yourself to know the setting of your story (it could be in your home town or any place), go there either physically or imaginatively and look for what to create memorable image.

Doing this may be hard so reading novels and short stories helps you know what works and what doesn't in stories.

The major difficulty you may encounter in your 2nd or even 3rd draft is incoherence. It is better to learn how to unite sentences and paragraphs either by using conjunctions or not.

By Maren John Mafuyai

Thanks. I think having a knowledge of the use of symbols can really deepen your story any day any time.

But like many people have advised, using the sun to open a novel is not always ideal except it is really needful. Only a veteran can use it without causing a dull reading of his or her books.

To some people, mere things like a chewed pen can deepen their story.

Divepen1:
Thanks. I think having a knowledge of the use of symbols can really deepen your story any day any time.

But like many people have advised, using the sun to open a novel is not always ideal except it is really needful. Only a veteran can use it without causing a dull reading of his or her books.

To some people, mere things like a chewed pen can deepen their story.

Chewed pen could work very well. Every where your readers see it they will remember the setting of your story and celebrate you. Using these and many other common words is a key to huge success in writing. No wonder scientists say a common thing is never common.

Example: In 2006, my husband's girl friend gave my husband a fountain pen as a birthday gift and he stored it in memory of her. Now my daughter chewed its bottom and threw it in the lavatory. I was afraid, she must explain why she did so.

marenx:
Chewed pen could work very well. Every where your readers see it they will remember the setting of your story and celebrate you. Using these and many other common words is a key to huge success in writing. No wonder scientists say a common thing is never common.

Example: In 2006, my husband's girl friend gave my husband a fountain pen as a birthday gift and he stored it in memory of her. Now my daughter chewed its bottom and threw it in the lavatory. I was afraid, she must explain why she did so.

Nice.

Prepare to accomplish 2 or 3 of these when you visit your former working place: 2 may shock you

After quitting a working place, some people find it difficult to return for a visit for one reason or another, but it pays to visit that place atleast once.

In 2016, I left my former working place to further my education and, ofcourse, it wasn't in a good term because I didn't write a resignation lettre ahead of the leave.

The following year, during my long vocation, I visited them and the boss offered me a vacation job by which I saved money for school use.

This piece helps you network better with topnotch people and, more than that, easily look for forgiveness.

Here's how to prepare:

1. Dress well.

Dressing badly or wearing unfitted garment is one of a thing that makes your former colleagues or your former boss looks at you somehow as though you're an intruder. You shouldn't ever ignore knowing the difference between party wears, night wears and corporate wears. As the name suggests (to cooperate with people), corporate wears are the ones to use to go to work.

2. Prepare a good joke to share with your working colleagues.

Without gossips and finger-pointings, sharing a joke with former colleagues pays as it projects many happy moments. Just avoid involving yourself in political talks that may lead to hatred and other mayhems.

3. Expect your working colleagues to say something like: 'You look good' or 'Where you work fits you."

Dress better to project the importance of having knowledge, discipline and a good character.

4. If you get good employment after leaving there, consider buying them refreshments.

5. Finally, leave as you used to when you were with them.