Tips for writing

You may not think of yourself as a storyteller, but everyone has a story to tell. Especially when submitting for The Neighbourhood, as we want your true, personal stories – and only you are the master of that.

Why not take out a notebook and answer these questions about home to get yourself started:

• What does home mean to you?
• Where in Albury Wodonga do you most feel at home, and why?
• What are the tastes and smells of home?
• What have you left behind at a previous home?

You may find that one of these questions brings up a lot, or may lead to another type of story about home.

It is important to have clarity – make it really clear what story you are telling us. 

Sometimes we get so many ideas that we try and put all of them into one story. I know I do! But you don’t have much time or space in The Neighbourhood, so it’s important to think really clearly about what you want to say.

Next it’s good to start brainstorming. You could make a thought bubble or write down some dot points of all the facts, thoughts and memories that come to mind around the story you are telling. 

Then you’ll be able to clearly see the points you’d like to focus on, and the ones that are irrelevant. This will also help you in creating the structure of your story.

Description in stories is great! But sometimes we get bogged down with too much of it. It’s important to make sure that every sentence in your story has a purpose, and it’s good to go over it a few times to ensure this is so. It’s the same with words – are you using extra words to say a simple thing?

For example: I walked down the street and then began walking up a path that led me to the top of the hill. When I got to the top I turned around and saw that the sun was setting as I had made it in time.

Improved: As I reached the top of the hill, I made it just in time for sunset.

Sometimes it feels much easier to just write about facts and descriptions, but really try and get to the heart of the story. How did you feel in that moment? What did you think? Did it make you reflect on anything?

This is what makes a great story, one that we can relate to, and see the human in.

When you are happy with your story, it helps to ask someone to read through it. Having someone who doesn’t know your story is a great help, as they will be able to tell you if they understood it or not.