At some point in your life you've probably wanted to write something. Be it a novel, short story, poem, or screenplay. A lot of people think they have what it takes to write. It doesn't matter if all they've ever done their whole life is be a mortgage broker in Calgary and haven't actually ever written anything. All it takes is an idea and a commitment to write. The first part of that equation is easy; the latter part of it is tough.

You've either heard a friend or family member say they have this great idea for a movie or book but then never end up actually following through on it. That's not surprising as most people will they say they want to write but then make excuses as to why they don't or can't. Like they don't have enough time, they work too much at their EFL Canada job, or they don't know how to start.

You might even be in the same boat. The thing is you don't have to write a 500-page opus in one sitting. Not too many writers can sit down and write an entire novel in one shot. It's done over time. You can also just start off with a short story if you feel the task of writing a novel about the strapping solutions for the metal industry is too daunting. Short stories are a great way to ease you into the process of writing and can boost your confidence to write your novel once you're finished.

In order to write a short story you're going to have to come up with a few things. The process might be tough as you're going to be writing an idea that will come out to roughly 25 pages or so. The first thing you have to do is come up with a fresh idea or a new take on an old storyline and you have to avoid cliches. A first time writer's worst enemy is relying on old cliches when writing.

Next you're going to have to come up with compelling characters. Nobody wants to read a story about a main character who sells kitchens in Burlington Ontario and that's it. That would be boring. You're going to have to spice things up a bit. Give him traits that make the reader interested in his or her story. Perhaps you can turn him or her into a crime fighting vigilante or an uncertified private investigator that has a penchant of duplicating Andy Warhol paintings in their spare time.

Once you have come up with a storyline that's fresh and unique and created some compelling characters it's time to choose a perspective to write from, come up with a theme for your story and chose a location for it.

This isn't everything that goes into writing a short story but it's a start. You might want to look into picking up books about the craft of writing to help you out the further along you get. One we highly recommend is Stephen King's On Writing.