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Writing Tips
It is a good idea to have a few really good stories that you tell well. Adapt these to the task you have been given.
Plan a SHORT beginning and a SHORT ending —most of the story should be the middle where things happen and characters think and feel.
Plan a resolution in your ending (eg solving a problem) and refer to it in the beginning — a good short story has the reader wondering how a problem is going to be resolved- and then it is.

Plan you last sentence – ending with a punch leaves your reader smiling. This is the time to be original.
Keep your reader informed of what is happening, and what characters are thinking and feeling – we cannot read your mind.

If it isn’t written in the story it doesn’t happen
Don’t start lots of sentences with the same word -read it over to check and cross out or substitute words to avoid this.
Include some direct speech in your story ( with correct punctuation) AND AT LEAST ONE piece of indirect speech -avoid using “said” (something like “the doctor replied that he had seen spots like this before but only on a ladybird.” Or “Katy thought to herself that she had never seen such a strange sight in all her life.”)
Leave at least five minutes to check your story for all of your target points – a finished and corrected story is 100 times better than an unfinished and hurried one – whatever the style and standard.

Whenever you are stuck, or taking a break, read the story over to yourself under your breath but mouthing the words – if it sounds right when you read it out it is probably OK. If you pause when you are reading then check there is a pause marker (like a comma or fullstop).
Avoid telling the reader what to feel, e.g. it was scary. Make them feel it through your descriptions.
Avoid telling the reader what a character feels, e.g. she was sad.

Show how they feel through what they say or do, e.g. her lip trembled.
Keep thinking ‘what would this person do/say?’
Develop the setting.

To create suspense, lull the reader into a false sense of security -get characters doing something pleasant and introduce an unexpected dilemma.
Know your ending so you don’t include irrelevant details.
Limit dialogue to four exchanges per paragraph.

Develop setting and characters through descriptive sentences.
Keep a brisk pace. Short and interesting is great!

Plan your story on paper. Think who is it about? What is going to happen in the end? What exciting and interesting things will happen along the way?
A ‘punchy’ start that ‘grabs’ the readers attention, such as speech, onomatopoeia or a piece of great description.

Three well described characters (looks, experiences and personality)
A conversation to show direct speech and new speech, new line.

A well structured story, having a beginning, middle and an appropriate end.
When you have finished. Read your story VERY carefully, asking yourself, ‘Does this make sense?’ If it doesn’t, change it!’

Ways to start a story
There are many different ways to start a story. Here are a few of them:

Description of a character:
Eg Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy.- The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis

Description of setting:
Eg The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive. – Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling

Description of setting and character:
Eg A thousand miles ago, in a country east of the jungle and south of the mountains, there lived a Firework-Maker called Lalchand and his daughter Lila.-The

Firework-Maker’s Daughter by Phillip Pullman

Action:
Eg Peter crouched over the fire, stirring the embers so that the sparks swarmed up like imps on the rocky walls of hell-Count Karlstein by Phillip Pullman

Dialogue:
Eg I’m going shopping in the village,” George’s mother said to George on Saturday morning. “So be a good boy and don’t get up to mischief.” – George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl

A question:
Eg Ever had the feeling your life’s been flushed down the toilet? – The Toilet of Doom by Michael Lawrence

A statement:
Eg It’s a funny thing about mothers and fathers. Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful. – Matilda by Roald Dahl.

The opening must grab your readers’ attention
Your characters must be interesting and fairly realistic. They must interact with each other like people do in real life.
The main part of the story is the problem. What is actually going to happen in your story?

You have to resolve the problem. How will you choose to do this?
Finally, you end your story. Just like you did in the beginning, keep your readers attention by having an interesting ending.

A good plan is vital! – gcestudybuddy.com