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Short Story: From First Draft to Final Product
SHORT STORY is not a typical "how to" guide. I spent time looking for a book which would show me how a "raw" story was developed through drafts, with comments received and the changes made. Struggling to find such a work, I decided to create my own, being transparent and honest in the details.
Using the story that gained me an offer of a place on a Master's in Creative Writing, SHORT STORY will take you through three drafts of the work.
The book details not only the major revisions, feedback given by a professional novelist and an academic, but also has a bunch of tips from my writers toolbox condensed between the drafts.
I hope that the process provides something useful for you, be it a tip from the writing toolbox, a look at the editing process, or motivation in knowing that you can do better than I did!
Using the story that gained me an offer of a place on a Master's in Creative Writing, SHORT STORY will take you through three drafts of the work.
The book details not only the major revisions, feedback given by a professional novelist and an academic, but also has a bunch of tips from my writers toolbox condensed between the drafts.
I hope that the process provides something useful for you, be it a tip from the writing toolbox, a look at the editing process, or motivation in knowing that you can do better than I did!
111 pages, ebook
First published September 22, 2013
87 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Michael Milton
2 books4 followersMichael Milton spent the first 25 years of his life pretending to be other people. After switching drama school for university, he travelled the world as an English teacher and returned home to complete his MA in Creative Writing.
His stories have been long and shortlisted for the Fish Prize, the Bath Short Story Award, the Mogford Prize and the Emerge Impact Creative Writing Prize. Kissing Daisy Parker is his first novel, and yes, he can beat you at Street Fighter.
His stories have been long and shortlisted for the Fish Prize, the Bath Short Story Award, the Mogford Prize and the Emerge Impact Creative Writing Prize. Kissing Daisy Parker is his first novel, and yes, he can beat you at Street Fighter.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 11, 2014
An interesting journey from a first draft to final. Very good points raised about overuse of words, gerunds and reaching beyond your own vocabulary.
March 25, 2018
I’m on a self help binge, and this writing book was actually good. He’s a talented writer, and sharing different drafts of his story was helpful and interesting. Not your typical “how to” book, but it works. Quick read. Useful info.
October 30, 2013
What Michael Milton has done in this writers' guide is, as far as I'm aware, unique, and quite brave. He has put in the first draft of his story, The Boathouse, then shown readers line by line feedback and comments (from other writers), then used these to write a second and ultimately a final draft of the same story. It was very interesting to see how this story evolved from being good to excellent. It reiterates the point that leaving your story to settle for a while and getting constructive feedback from others is essential.
Not only has he shown us this process, but this guide also has lots of hints and tips about writing and honing the craft. Part III of the book is titled: Simple Writing Tips I Wish I'd Been Told When I was Starting Out and it covers elements of 'character building', 'productivity', 'planning your story' and 'editing'.
Milton also looks at theories of writing, such as Campbell's Monomyth, or The Hero's Journey, and applies this to his story to create a clear understanding of how it can be applied in practice. Also covered is Syd Field's 3 Arc Structure, Gregory David Roberts' Architecture of Shantaram and David Mitchell's herringbone diagram. At the end of each theory is a 'Use If', i.e. the herringbone diagram "USE IF: You want a detailed plan in one place, on one sheet of paper, that can be stuck on the wall above your computer."
Finally there is a long list of resources for writers to use. Overall I think this is an excellent guide for writers and it reminds you of simple good practices as well as introducing you to some excellent new ideas. A recommended read.
Not only has he shown us this process, but this guide also has lots of hints and tips about writing and honing the craft. Part III of the book is titled: Simple Writing Tips I Wish I'd Been Told When I was Starting Out and it covers elements of 'character building', 'productivity', 'planning your story' and 'editing'.
Milton also looks at theories of writing, such as Campbell's Monomyth, or The Hero's Journey, and applies this to his story to create a clear understanding of how it can be applied in practice. Also covered is Syd Field's 3 Arc Structure, Gregory David Roberts' Architecture of Shantaram and David Mitchell's herringbone diagram. At the end of each theory is a 'Use If', i.e. the herringbone diagram "USE IF: You want a detailed plan in one place, on one sheet of paper, that can be stuck on the wall above your computer."
Finally there is a long list of resources for writers to use. Overall I think this is an excellent guide for writers and it reminds you of simple good practices as well as introducing you to some excellent new ideas. A recommended read.
October 26, 2013
I found this book to be very helpful. He has a lot of great tips and ideas and I love the concept of showing one of his stories through several stages of editing and giving examples of some great feedback that he got during the editing process. A useful, informative quick read. I made a lot of highlights to look back at later.
February 4, 2018
Short Story: From First Draft to Final Product is a daring book. Kudos to author Michael Milton for having the courage to put himself out there in such a public way! Few authors expose themselves in this way. Quite a feat.
In this book there are three drafts of his story The Bathhouse. The story itself is good. The reader gets to see how it evolves as Milton receives feedback from a few authors and friends, as well as during his studies to earn an MA in Creative Writing.
Line by line feedback and edits are presented in between the drafts.
I personally liked the first draft best. It was a bit raw and left the reader to fill in some points about what was going on in the story. I liked that. By the final draft, most everything was explained so the reader had little work to do. Of course, that might also have something to do with the fact that I had already read the story twice and the comments in the LBL edits.
Milton has a section on suggestions for writers. He admits most apply to writing any story, not just short stories. And, my only negative criticism comes at this point. I was hoping for a book with specific suggestions for short stories. The author did not even define what a short story is (e.g., typical word/page count considered to be a short story). So, while there is good general information about writing stories, the book is sparse on specific advice for writing short stories.
That said, this book is an excellent look at the editing process involved in writing a short story. The final conclusions are excellent, and perhaps the best part of the book, as the author reflects on how he reacted to criticism from his readers and whether he should have followed any/some/all of their suggestions. In the end, the author must write the story (s)he wants to write and not a story that tries to please everyone.
Again, this is one of the most daring books I have ever read simply because the author went public on his writing process in a very transparent way!
In this book there are three drafts of his story The Bathhouse. The story itself is good. The reader gets to see how it evolves as Milton receives feedback from a few authors and friends, as well as during his studies to earn an MA in Creative Writing.
Line by line feedback and edits are presented in between the drafts.
I personally liked the first draft best. It was a bit raw and left the reader to fill in some points about what was going on in the story. I liked that. By the final draft, most everything was explained so the reader had little work to do. Of course, that might also have something to do with the fact that I had already read the story twice and the comments in the LBL edits.
Milton has a section on suggestions for writers. He admits most apply to writing any story, not just short stories. And, my only negative criticism comes at this point. I was hoping for a book with specific suggestions for short stories. The author did not even define what a short story is (e.g., typical word/page count considered to be a short story). So, while there is good general information about writing stories, the book is sparse on specific advice for writing short stories.
That said, this book is an excellent look at the editing process involved in writing a short story. The final conclusions are excellent, and perhaps the best part of the book, as the author reflects on how he reacted to criticism from his readers and whether he should have followed any/some/all of their suggestions. In the end, the author must write the story (s)he wants to write and not a story that tries to please everyone.
Again, this is one of the most daring books I have ever read simply because the author went public on his writing process in a very transparent way!
February 3, 2020
A very intuitive and light read on some of the aspects of writing a short story, with an example to boot. Michael Milton leads us through drafts of his touching story The Bathhouse, which I enjoyed quite a lot, to the last version of it, all the while showing us the feedback from fellow readers alongside some tips to strengthen your writing muscle. These latter parts are seldom holistic, but Michael makes up for it by writing in a simple, easy to follow voice, and leaving the other more in-depth books on the footnotes so the readers can check them out if writing is in their blood. The final version of his The Bathhouse, a superb tale about love and the courage to start again, works as the book's beautiful climax. Recommended for those seeking useful advice on how to start writing a short story, and maybe getting their hearts warmed up a bit.
January 30, 2015
Upon reading "Short Story", I was able to re-think what I thought about in regards to writing short stories. I have my own way of writing them; it did not change; and this is a wonderful book to read, however. I doubt it would be a waist of anyone's time to share in Milton's tale of his bath house story. He discusses writing advice and displays his choices.
The story he writes about takes place in China and utilizes a main character effectively. As we read the story three different times, we see how amazing and real some great ideas can be, how they can come to life. Milton discusses techniques of revision, gives us examples of what his peers had to say about his writing. A great idea for a story to begin with, it is impressive to see how the story evolves into its amazing final draft. It is about the father of a Chinese rock drummer - it almost seems to be a factional account. Broken and torn, the Chinese father and his wife seek a brighter future.
This book is not a grammar or style book. It does not tell us how to construct a short story with a specific method. It does cover various techniques, however, and shows us what works best for audiences from time to time and what will not. It would be best to write out a story and then read this book. It is more for inspiration and consideration of a certain piece of work; it is great for someone who is new to creative writing, fun for consideration to those of us who constantly rehash classic literary devices. I like the story, itself, because it uses a protagonist and concludes nicely. The final draft is well-done; he includes links for writing properly and inspiration, too.
Many of the links in the end of the book are still up to date; Milton is on the web. I sent him a compliment on tweeter, earlier, to: @miltonmichael.
I took notes as I read the book. Milton certainly has a natural gift for writing, as seen in his first draft. The story includes the use of a protagonist well, does not have a specific climax. The story did not really need one, as it did not need too much rising action, falling action, or foreshadowing. This is because it was a nice story, and its conclusion was nice. An in depth denouement is not always necessary for every story, the father's problems were solved. It was nice and pleasing to have a happy ending. A link to suggested writing resources via Michael Milton is here.
Milton encourages writers to review others' works and allow others to criticize theirs, too. He uses a cat as a symbol, it is a good part of his story (I agree). Could the cat have been a symbol of luck in regards to the father finding his son? We do not know, at least the main character had the opportunity to seek a happy future. Break downs of his story and explanations were nice, as well as thinking about the line-by-lines (lbls); he does not tell us how he created the characters, scene, main idea of the story, early on.
Commentary on the second draft was fun to read; it reminded me of an intriguing web forum. Critics point out aspects of his story that we would not have noticed, otherwise, necessarily. Some of the criticism may have been more or less opinion-based, however we as writers should never forget the power of a sentence or paragraph or composition that is written properly. Those dreaded messages in red ink that say impossible commands such as, "Re-word" or, "Improper word choice" are not always there when we write on our own. "Showing" us the story with dialogue rather than narrating incidences, for instance, is not always easy to remember to do. We write out the story. It is done. How we choose to present our final draft defines our unique voice. The better we write, the more our reading audience will appreciate the voice we empower.
The final draft was impressive, indeed. All good stories should be published, they say, and how nice is it to see one re-vised to perfection? Very nice, indeed. Milton goes through a section on tips and tricks; the section makes the book worth reading. The story alone was fine, too. He does mention books on grammar, plotting, character, and style - they are good books. He also includes a resources link on his website, an invaluable path for writing better/well. He mentions his participation in plays, play-write discussions and acting, and how these notions better help us as writers develop our characters/their roles.
In conclusion, the book is a great inspiration for those of us learning to write better. Milton's idea to present to us a broken down Chinese father who finds his rock-n-roll son after seeing a cat in the rain was great. He used a protagonist properly in a great story, explained to us how well he revised it and what made the story so phenomenal. His concluding thoughts and resources were both inspirational and will come in handy for anyone who decides to use them. I encourage anyone considering writing a short story again for the "first time" to read this book; thank you, Michael Milton, for sharing with us your various methods of mayhem that go-around. Awesome job.
The story he writes about takes place in China and utilizes a main character effectively. As we read the story three different times, we see how amazing and real some great ideas can be, how they can come to life. Milton discusses techniques of revision, gives us examples of what his peers had to say about his writing. A great idea for a story to begin with, it is impressive to see how the story evolves into its amazing final draft. It is about the father of a Chinese rock drummer - it almost seems to be a factional account. Broken and torn, the Chinese father and his wife seek a brighter future.
This book is not a grammar or style book. It does not tell us how to construct a short story with a specific method. It does cover various techniques, however, and shows us what works best for audiences from time to time and what will not. It would be best to write out a story and then read this book. It is more for inspiration and consideration of a certain piece of work; it is great for someone who is new to creative writing, fun for consideration to those of us who constantly rehash classic literary devices. I like the story, itself, because it uses a protagonist and concludes nicely. The final draft is well-done; he includes links for writing properly and inspiration, too.
Many of the links in the end of the book are still up to date; Milton is on the web. I sent him a compliment on tweeter, earlier, to: @miltonmichael.
I took notes as I read the book. Milton certainly has a natural gift for writing, as seen in his first draft. The story includes the use of a protagonist well, does not have a specific climax. The story did not really need one, as it did not need too much rising action, falling action, or foreshadowing. This is because it was a nice story, and its conclusion was nice. An in depth denouement is not always necessary for every story, the father's problems were solved. It was nice and pleasing to have a happy ending. A link to suggested writing resources via Michael Milton is here.
Milton encourages writers to review others' works and allow others to criticize theirs, too. He uses a cat as a symbol, it is a good part of his story (I agree). Could the cat have been a symbol of luck in regards to the father finding his son? We do not know, at least the main character had the opportunity to seek a happy future. Break downs of his story and explanations were nice, as well as thinking about the line-by-lines (lbls); he does not tell us how he created the characters, scene, main idea of the story, early on.
Commentary on the second draft was fun to read; it reminded me of an intriguing web forum. Critics point out aspects of his story that we would not have noticed, otherwise, necessarily. Some of the criticism may have been more or less opinion-based, however we as writers should never forget the power of a sentence or paragraph or composition that is written properly. Those dreaded messages in red ink that say impossible commands such as, "Re-word" or, "Improper word choice" are not always there when we write on our own. "Showing" us the story with dialogue rather than narrating incidences, for instance, is not always easy to remember to do. We write out the story. It is done. How we choose to present our final draft defines our unique voice. The better we write, the more our reading audience will appreciate the voice we empower.
The final draft was impressive, indeed. All good stories should be published, they say, and how nice is it to see one re-vised to perfection? Very nice, indeed. Milton goes through a section on tips and tricks; the section makes the book worth reading. The story alone was fine, too. He does mention books on grammar, plotting, character, and style - they are good books. He also includes a resources link on his website, an invaluable path for writing better/well. He mentions his participation in plays, play-write discussions and acting, and how these notions better help us as writers develop our characters/their roles.
In conclusion, the book is a great inspiration for those of us learning to write better. Milton's idea to present to us a broken down Chinese father who finds his rock-n-roll son after seeing a cat in the rain was great. He used a protagonist properly in a great story, explained to us how well he revised it and what made the story so phenomenal. His concluding thoughts and resources were both inspirational and will come in handy for anyone who decides to use them. I encourage anyone considering writing a short story again for the "first time" to read this book; thank you, Michael Milton, for sharing with us your various methods of mayhem that go-around. Awesome job.
April 22, 2019
This is an interesting take on the writing advice genre. The author includes 3 drafts of his story the bathhouse a first draft, one after some edits have been made, and a final draft. This allows you to really see the editing process first hand and get a better sense of it than in works that solely rely on explanation.
In addition he also has a section of writing tips that are solid and could be very helpful.
I would recommend this to anyone looking to improve their writing.
In addition he also has a section of writing tips that are solid and could be very helpful.
I would recommend this to anyone looking to improve their writing.
March 22, 2014
It started off with the bare, and potentially beautiful, bones of The Bathhouse story, which helped to win Michael Milton a place on a Masters Creative Writing Degree Programme.
It then went on to show the various line by line edits, and helpful tips from other authors with a second draft.
Then a few words of wisdom from the man himself.
BAM then we're hit with the the final draft of The Bathhouse, which is truly beautiful by the way.
For anybody looking to improve their creative writing this is a must have book, no wonder it was an Amazon Bestseller.
I can see this as being an essential go to book, for a top up on the creative process, or simply to lift my spirits.
Full Blog Post #434 in March 2014.
It then went on to show the various line by line edits, and helpful tips from other authors with a second draft.
Then a few words of wisdom from the man himself.
BAM then we're hit with the the final draft of The Bathhouse, which is truly beautiful by the way.
For anybody looking to improve their creative writing this is a must have book, no wonder it was an Amazon Bestseller.
I can see this as being an essential go to book, for a top up on the creative process, or simply to lift my spirits.
Full Blog Post #434 in March 2014.
February 12, 2017
Es un ejercicio muy útil e interesante el que ofrece este libro: el autor presenta todo el proceso de creación y edición de un cuento de su autoría, desde el primer borrador hasta la versión final (la tercera), y los comentarios y sugerencias de personas que leyeron esas primeras versiones y señalaron potenciales mejoras. Creo que esto es algo que sirve mucho a quien escribe, así que vale totalmente la pena darle una mirada.
Esto se complementa con una sección donde el autor comparte algunos consejos y prácticas que le resultan de utilidad a la hora de escribir, entre los cuales se cuentan algunas que son interesantes.
Detalle extra: el cuento que se analiza a lo largo del libro es muy bueno :D
Esto se complementa con una sección donde el autor comparte algunos consejos y prácticas que le resultan de utilidad a la hora de escribir, entre los cuales se cuentan algunas que son interesantes.
Detalle extra: el cuento que se analiza a lo largo del libro es muy bueno :D
April 23, 2016
Great little book, filled with awesome tips
I purchased this book because I was thirsty to know what went into a short story. I read this book in about 2 hours and boy have I walked away from it with new tips and tricks as well as encouragement from the authors' own journey. I especially liked how the author took us through 3 drafts of his own short story The Bathhouse. It was great to be able to see the progress and hard work that goes into writing a short story. If you're like me and are eager to see what it takes to create a great short story, then this book is certainly for you!
I purchased this book because I was thirsty to know what went into a short story. I read this book in about 2 hours and boy have I walked away from it with new tips and tricks as well as encouragement from the authors' own journey. I especially liked how the author took us through 3 drafts of his own short story The Bathhouse. It was great to be able to see the progress and hard work that goes into writing a short story. If you're like me and are eager to see what it takes to create a great short story, then this book is certainly for you!
July 2, 2014
It was a bit boring read almost the same and not that short story three times. I would prefer to have as an example a shorter and more dynamic piece. All along reading it I was wondering, why did no single reviewer note that it's no good to start a story with a static thinking and backstory?
In spite of that, I really liked the intent of the author, and especially enjoyed his comments on writing which followed the second draft of his story. It was touching to read someone young who also struggles his way to the craft.
Inspiring reading.
In spite of that, I really liked the intent of the author, and especially enjoyed his comments on writing which followed the second draft of his story. It was touching to read someone young who also struggles his way to the craft.
Inspiring reading.
September 10, 2015
The majority of this book, the author presents his own short story: first draft, edits, and final draft. The wasn't what I thought it would be. However, towards the end ox the book, the author provide 4 writing formats commonly used and quick summaries of each. He explains a handful of common errors and gives a few links to editing resources. I won't lie, I basically skimmed the book and took away a few useful tools. Also, his final draft example contained many grammatical "helper verb" errors.
December 12, 2016
It took a bit to get through(mainly because more interesting books came up) but I enjoyed the items he brings up about writing. Nothing really new but good points just the same.
I did like the idea of reading a lot of plays or screen plays to help with dialogue.
I did like the idea of reading a lot of plays or screen plays to help with dialogue.
Want to read
August 7, 2016Was free eBook purchase for 2-days on amazon.
January 4, 2016
Tremendously helpful book if you want to see the process of writing a short story. Many helps and clear direction. Great book
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews