Jackee Batanda
At the end of last year, I had the privilege of reading submissions for a reputable short story competition. Moving from story to story – some electric, some almost-there, some that didn’t quite land – I began to notice clear patterns in what consistently works on the page and what quietly pulls a reader out of a narrative.
From those patterns, I distilled a set of practical, transferable writing tips. These are the same craft principles we explore in depth during the writing classes run by SuccessSpark Brand, but I’m sharing them here in a format you can return to easily, apply immediately, and build on over time.
Over the next several weeks, I’ll be breaking the tips down into focused parts, including:
Character Development: how to write characters who feel alive: complex, specific, emotionally legible, and capable of change, not passive observers of their own stories.
Plot Structure and Narrative Arc: how to shape events into a story with momentum, clear conflict, believable turns, escalation, and an ending that feels earned.
Point of View (POV): how to choose the right narrative lens, stay consistent, and control what the reader knows (and when they know it).
Dialogue Craft: how to write conversations that do more than “sound real”: dialogue that reveals character, shifts power, creates tension, and moves the plot forward.
Pacing and Flow: how to control narrative rhythm: when to linger, when to cut, how to handle flashbacks smoothly, and how to avoid rushed scenes or sagging middles.
Setting and Atmosphere: how to build a world the reader can enter: using concrete detail, mood, and place not as decoration, but as story engine.
Theme and Message: how to write stories that carry meaning without preaching: letting ideas rise naturally from character choices and consequences.
Beginnings and Endings: how to open with urgency and promise, and how to close with resonance: answers where needed, ambiguity where purposeful, and no cheap exits.
Writing Craft and Polish: the sentence-level work that makes a draft feel finished: clarity, precision, coherence, and the kind of revision that upgrades the whole piece.
Genre-Specific Considerations: how to meet (or intelligently subvert) genre expectations, especially in speculative, dystopian, magical realism, and realism-driven narratives.
Common Fatal Flaws: recurring issues that weaken otherwise promising stories: implausibility, thin characterization, unclear stakes, over-summary, and unresolved central questions.
Revision Checklist: a practical tool you can use before submitting, sharing, or workshopping: to diagnose what’s working and what still needs building.
Final Wisdom: the principles that outlast any single story: how to keep improving, trust your reader, and write with both courage and craft.
I will be sharing these tips gradually -one craft focus at a time – so you can read, reflect, and try them in your writing.
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Strategic Partnerships Architect | Author | Book Writing Mentor Executive Story Consultant | Editor
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