Are you good at short stories?

Question

i need to write one about a druggie who ruins his life, but gets back on track when he gets busted for selling dope, and realizes he has no real friends, and only his family sticks around. after, he realizes all you can depend on is your family, and he goes to law school.

that's all i can think of, but i need details.... i don't know what to say, or how to articulate this.....

Answer 1

he goes to the trap to get put on game

Answer 2

First of all I hope you have a good transition from him being a druggy to going to law school--that isn't something that just happens out of the blue. The story shoud start with him being able to do this, it should express his intelligence and his abilities, but it should give reasons for why he wouldn't take this route--character flaws.

Another thing I think needs re-thinking is the choice of marijuana as the drug he deals. There are lots of people who sell a little marijuana on the side without "ruining their lives" per se, since it is so easy to maintain and grow. It could ruin your life if you are caught (with jailtime or fines) but you clearly want that to be the deciding factor in an array of other difficulties that make him make the decision. Maybe you should consider him becoming enveloped in gang activity, hopelessly entangled in some sort of fraud scheme, or other conflicts. That would also serve as a method for him to not have friends--because he puts his money/drugs/gang before his friends.

Perhaps this should occur over a summer or vacation period where he goes through a difficult time, and considers giving up a scholarship or dropping out of a school he is already accepted to or attending. That would make it more believable. You also need a strong transition to throw him into this period where he gives up hope and turns to dealing drugs, despite the risk of committing crimes. Maybe a family member who previously collected the primary income passes away, leaving the rest of the family in a worse condition. Maybe a friend of his living in poverty causes him to lose hope in the capitalist system and life in general.

In any case you have a lot to decide before you go anywhere with this. Good luck!

BTW the category says poetry, which this isn't.