Yeah The Girls 40 Plus Digital Magazine - Magazine - Page 156
156
September 2025
SO, HOW DO YOU TURN 2,000
WORDS INTO 70,000?
Insert whatever numbers you wish in that question because my suggestions will be the
same. Expanding a short piece into a full-length manuscript looks impossible at the start
but try to remember this: expansion is not about padding or fluffing, it9s about digging
deeper. To expand, you need to explore moments, meaning and memory.
It9s absolutely achievable. To get you started, here are my top three expansion tips.
Tip 1: Zoom in on moments
Something that happened in five minutes can fill five
pages if you slow down and explore the scene with
sensory detail. Expand on the moment by noticing the
smells, sounds, sights and textures.
There is no greater agony than bearing
an untold story inside you.
— Maya Angelou
Tip 2: Develop character layers
Whether you9re writing memoir or fiction, your
characters need depth; they need to feel real. Expand on
your character by showing contradictions of personality,
discussing their motivations, fears and quirks, and
developing their relationships.
Tip 3: Reflect, don’t just recall
You may have heard of 8show, don9t tell9 but this is the
next level. You can describe a scene or event beautifully
– but to really expand on it, you need to have your
character (or yourself) reflect on what it all meant. Ask
and answer questions like: How did I change? What did I
learn? What questions still linger?
WHAT STARTS
SMALL CAN STILL
BE MIGHTY.
