One of the five elements of a good story is conflict.

Conflict is any struggle between people or things in a story. Here are some of the basic types of conflict:

• Man vs Man – the typical hero vs villain setup, with one person striving for one goal and the second person striving for a different one that conflicts with the first
• Man vs Nature – the protagonist struggles with natural forces instead of another person. This could be something dramatic like a storm, or something subtle like the struggle to survive a hostile land
• Man vs Self – this is the protagonist struggling with his or her own desires and temptations, striving to do the right thing in spite of inner darkness
• Man vs Society – the protagonist struggles against his or her society, defying and striving to change the role they have been given
• Man vs Technology – the protagonist struggles with the modern world. This could be a science fiction story with intelligent machines, or a simple struggle with today’s  high-tech society

Some writers also include categories such as Man vs God or Man vs Supernatural to this list.

Setting is another area where beginning writers have trouble. They may not fully understand the concept, or they might not have completely thought out their particular setting.

Setting is not only the place in which the story occurs, but also the time and social environment. A story can take place in New York City, for example, but the reader also needs to know when it’s happening (present day? the 1890’s? prehistoric times?) and which social setting the characters must deal with (high society? desolate poverty? middle class?).

In order for your readers to identify fully with the story, your setting must be both clear and vivid. The reader must understand where and when the story is taking place, and must form a memorable mental image of that setting.

Here are some tips for crafting your setting:

• Use all of the senses – Don’t just show the readers where they are. Let them smell and hear it, and they’ll remember it better.
• Make the setting a character – Create a setting that is unique to your story, such that the action simply couldn’t take place anywhere (or anywhen) else.
• Know the setting intimately – Find or create a map and post it onto your cork board. Choose photographs to inspire you (these can be actual pictures of the setting, or just something that reminds you of your imaginary world). You should know the setting well enough to give a stranger directions. You may never use all of your knowledge, but just having it in your mind will create a more vivid experience for your readers.

One of the decisions some writers find difficult is which point of view to use. Here are some tips to help you figure this out for your stories.

First, figure out who needs to tell the story. Does the reader need more or less information than what the protagonist will have? Does the story need a more subjective voice or a more objective one? Do you want a more intense emotional story or do you want the reader to have some distance?

Here are the basics:

First Person Point of View: the most subjective, emotional voice. The narrator is either the protagonist or someone who is immediately impacted by the protagonist (a “sidekick” or other secondary character). First person POV uses the pronouns “I” and “we” to tell the story.

• I stepped onto the bus, dodging the toddler who’d escaped his mother’s hand.
• The storm hit hard, and we barely made it to the shelter of the trees.
• Sometimes I just don’t know what my mother is thinking.

Second Person Point of View: the trickiest voice to write. The narrator talks directly to the reader, using the pronoun “you.” Second person is almost always told in present tense, which is another tricky writing technique.

• You step onto the bus. A toddler darts under your feet and you dance to stay upright.
• The storm hit hard, and you barely made it to the shelter of the trees.
• Sometimes you just don’t know what your mother is thinking.

Third Person Point of View: the most common voice in literature. There are actually two types of third person POV: limited or subjective, where the narrator focuses tightly on one person and what they know, or omniscient or objective, where the narrator shows what many characters are feeling or thinking. Third person uses pronouns such as “he,” “she,” “it,” and “they” to tell the story.

• He stepped onto the bus, dodging the toddler who’d escaped his mother’s hand.
• The storm hit hard, and they barely made it to the shelter of the trees.
• Sometimes she just didn’t know what her mother was thinking.

Emotional impact depends on who is telling the story. First person and third person limited have the most emotional investment by the narrator, because you’re getting inside their heads and seeing their thoughts and feelings. Third person omniscient backs away from the intimate and gives you a more objective viewpoint of the story.

“But which one should I use?” you ask. The answer is always “it depends.” Different stories are told best in different ways, and sometimes you have to experiment a bit to see which one works for a particular tale. Try the most common POV first (third person) and see if it flows well. You can also try moving from third person limited to omniscient if you feel the story needs more information than just what the protagonist would know. If you want a more immediate, intimate story, switch to first person. I don’t recommend using second person POV unless you are a seasoned writer striving for a particular literary tone. It’s too hard to read, and usually comes across as contrived and stilted.

Your point of view should enhance the story, pulling the reader into your universe and keeping them there. If you find you’re having trouble with anything, try changing the point of view and see if it flows better from another angle.

One of the things most people take for granted is that a writer will be able to use proper English. Yet, especially today – when anyone can spend the money to publish anything they write – we see that this is not exactly the case.

Many beginning writers feel that they don’t need to spend a lot of time learning the basics of language – things like proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. However, the truth is that not using proper English brands you as an amateur instead of a professional, and tells your readers that you’re just not interested in working to produce a professional product.

Don’t be that sort of writer!

Take the time to learn the rules of the language. Spell-check can only do so much, so you need to understand which word you should actually use in a given situation. There are a couple of good lists of common errors HERE and HERE – check them out and be sure you don’t get them confused yourself.

Another error is the use of the common apostrophe. Learn how to use that correctly, because there’s nothing that screams ignorance like a misplaced apostrophe.

There are plenty of good English books out there that will easily teach you the basics of the language. You might also peruse Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and Brown’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

The important thing is this: unless you have a firm grasp of the basics, you’re not really going to be able to bend those rules to create a unique voice for yourself.