We would all like to get our stories or articles published in the Neopian Times. The fame The devoted readers The happiness **sigh** Anyway, Im writing this article to give you a few pointers on how to write a great story and get it published!
Step Number 1:
The first thing you have to do when writing a story is Plan. Good planning = Good story.
The easiest way to plan is through a brainstorm. A brainstorm is a written guideline that gives you a base for your story. To do a brainstorm, you must first think of the topic of your story. What I would do in this situation is write down a list of ten topics. Then I would eliminate the least interesting three. Then I would eliminate another three. After that I would study the last four topics carefully. I would eliminate the least interesting one. I would study the last three. I would then eliminate another story. Instead of eliminating the second last topic, I would keep it.
Brainstorm with the last two topics. This gives you two chances. Now, there are three ways to brainstorm.
One: Write down a list of keywords to use for descriptions of places, characters, scenery, etc.
Two: Draw a mind map for storylines, events, characters, places, etc.
Three: Write down paragraphs that you would use in your story.
Once you have your brainstorm done, its time to get writing!
Step Two:
Write your brainstorm into full worded paragraphs. For example, writing a paragraph about a young girl using a list of keywords to fit her description. The keywords; Young, Teenager, Short, Brunette, Wavy Hair, Thin, Green Eyes, Thin Lips, Tomboy, American, Non-fashionable, Little Make-up, Younger Brother, Tanned, Listens to punk rock music, kind, caring, sharing, helpful, friendly, giving, unpopular, smart, funny, polite, etc. Paragraph:
(Tip: Always name your character!!)
Nina was sixteen. She had long, wavy, brown hair that reached the bottom of her back. She had jade, green eyes that twinkled in the moonlight. She jazzed them up with a small amount of eyeliner. Her lips were thin and shiny from her clear lip-gloss. Her skin was tanned so she didnt need foundation or any of that gunk. She wasnt very fashionable. All the girls in her grade wore skirts and tank tops. Nina hated clothes like that. As you probably already guessed, this made her very unpopular. She wore black hoodies and baggy jeans with chains. Yes, Nina was a punk. She was also a complete tomboy. She loved sports like football, basketball, swimming and tennis. She adored skateboarding. She was a kind person. She taught younger kids how to skateboard and swim. She had plenty of friends that she liked. She helped out at the Senior Center twice a week with her friends and donated to charity whenever she could. She was very polite and worked hard in school. There was only one thing in life that she hated. Andy. Andy was Ninas little brother.
Thats one paragraph of your story! Do that with all of your brainstorms and youre ready for step three!!
Step Three:
Now its time to write your story. Start by writing a rough copy of your story. Write it as though it were the real thing. When youre done, read through it thoroughly. After that, its time for a second opinion. Ask a friend or family member to read through it for you. Ask them if they would make any changes. Listen to their opinions and use their advice. And finally step four.
Step 4:
Write your story out in full. Read over it at least three times, checking for any mistakes. Once again, ask someone else to read it. If youre completely satisfied with it. Give it a suitable title. I mean theres no point calling a funny story something like Sadness All Around. Make sure it goes with the story and is sort of catchy. Thats always useful.
There are other tips that are provided by the Neopets Team. Here they are:
Make your article or story original, add something that nobody else has already said or done.
Make it Neopet related, if it isn’t about Neopets in some way it will not be published.
If you are writing a mini-series be sure to send us all of your parts at the same time and divide them up in one submission.
Make sure you enter using the Submission Form; we are no longer accepting email entries.
If you are sending in a comic, double check your picture is a GIF or JPG.
Make sure the text is readable on your comic.
Avoid sensitive subjects such as death. If your story is too controversial we will not be able to publish it.
Make sure your story/article is within the word limitations. These are explained further here.
These can be found at the on the Neopian Times Submission forms. Click the link necessary and youre in! Lol! So heres a summary of the tips Ive given you:
1. Plan your story carefully before writing a word.
2. Write a rough copy of the story.
3. Ask a friend or family member to read it. A second opinion is always worth it.
4. Write the proper story.
5. Read over it at least three times and check for any mistakes.
6. Give the story a suitable title.
7. Make the story original.
8. Make sure its Neopet Related.
9. Write and send all the parts together if writing a mini-series.
10. Enter using the Submission Form.
11. If you are sending in a comic, double check your picture is a GIF or JPG and make sure the font is readable.
12. Avoid sensitive subjects such as death.
13. Make sure your story/article is within the word limitations.
So, good luck with the story. I hope to see new usernames in the Neopian times. Follow these tips and you should be fine. I really hope that this article comes in handy and is of much use to you. Good luck in the future!! – x_backtothefuture_x