The Ultimate Guide to Learning Writing: Short Story
The art of the short story lays in its name - the length. Novels and even novelas allow more wriggle room to meander and explore, whereas short stories demand a gripped audience from the start. Every word counts and the editing chopping block is swift. At the same time, short stories can allow us to zoom in and explore characters and subplots of larger stories, uncovering stories within stories. The most concentrated plots can allow us to explore themes more profoundly.
Before writing your short story, consider the format - what do you want to say, how is this your best story to tell, and why write it as a short story? Consider if your idea is appropriately told as a short story. Rather than trying to tell the birth to death story of your protagonist, which moment(s) of their life are best to focus on? Finding and exploring these moments will yield your best short story.
In this guide, you will learn the basic steps of how to write a short story, including:
Short stories don’t break the classic story arc: problem, rising action, climax, and resolution. However, short stories do approach the story arc in a different manner than novels do. While novels may have more leeway to build momentum throughout various full-blown scenes and develop more backstories, short stories may simply mention or imply certain plot developments at each stage. This is why short story writers should inform themselves with the art form that is effective short story writing.
Here is a step-by-step guide for what to include in a general short story structure:
Short stories are a dime a dozen - what are the characteristics of a story that grips its audience from the first to last sentence? Some suggestions include:
You’re telling a slice of life, not a life story. Which moment(s), when you focus on them, inspect them and turn them over, communicate your message and evoke the strongest emotions in your audience?
This is the first impression your readers will have of your story and will either draw interest or fall into insignificance. If you are struggling to think of an intriguing title, consider having a few other people read your story and note words or phrases that stand out to them (from the story itself or simply words that come to mind)
Your first few lines need to be enticing enough to hook your reader. Think of them like the opening montage of a film. What feeling or mood do you want to set? You are establishing your voice here so it's a good time to adopt some creative writing ideas. How will you introduce your protagonist? What will keep your audience reading? Note: if the pressure of beginning becomes paralyzing, don’t get hung up here. Simply start writing and return later to refine this part.
“The protagonist is the character whose fate matters most to the story.” - Stephen Koch, bestselling author. Ensure your protagonist’s desires are clear. Pitting opposing elements against your protagonist will not only bring intrigue to your audience but also cause natural action, momentum, and consequences. How will your protagonist struggle with the choices presented to them? What unexpected consequences will they face and how will they react? What does this reveal about them, and how does this reinforce your story’s core message? Your protagonist’s journey should generate an emotional response in your reader.
You will always know more about your characters than your reader will. Stay central to your theme and only reveal what is necessary. Use the power of suggestion and layer details into actions. If you’re on the fence about including something, leave it out.
Your resolution may be more open (allowing the reader to imagine the implications of the protagonists choices), resolved (with clear outcomes and finality), or circular (returning to an element from the beginning of the story). Think about the best film endings - you want to end without leaving plot holes, but you also don’t want to drag out the story. A great short story will pack a punch with its ending.
Traditional short stories generally run from 1,500-5000 words, whereas “flash fiction” or short fiction runs 500-1,000 words, and more recently emergent “micro fiction” a mere 5-350 words. The most common range for a short story is 1,500-3,000 words.
If you are having difficulty telling your story as a short story, consider returning to the sounding board. You shouldn’t need to compress your story if it’s appropriate for this format. Try zooming in your focus or approach your idea from different angles. Try exploring specific parts of your character or even just a moment in their lives - a story arc doesn’t need to traverse an ample time period.
Consider the following fiction writing tips for staying focused and concise:
The word “outline” can cause controversy in writing circles - to many writers, outlines are either liberating or confining. However, outlines aren’t prescriptive nor are they meant to trap authors into a set plot. Instead, they may be better described as “roadmaps” to your story’s destination, and as with any road trip, you retain the control to make as many varied stops as you want. Without a short story outline, you may run into a fair amount of trial and error figuring out your plot and characters while simultaneously writing your first draft.
Having the base of an outline can actually allow you to write in a freer manner, as you will have already done the heavy lifting of plot development.
How to write a short story outline:
Writing short stories allows us the chance to try on new ideas without the commitment to a novel or other longer texts. Take this opportunity to explore characters, or even revisit your old short stories - you may find opportunities to dive in to a part of a plot or a character that piques your interest. Which specific moment fascinates you; what can you further explore?
Finally, the fastest road to refining the art of short story writing is through feedback - send your story to friends or circulate it among a writing community. Work your stories and send them to journals, reviews, and online publications. Publishing, whether through informal circulation among your network or formal reproduction of your work is the last and necessary step. Let your story reach its audience.