Your Guide to Writing the Perfect Story

How to Write Short Stories

The first thing you should know about me is that I love short stories. I love to read them and I love to write them. So I can honestly say that I truly believe every word in this chapter and I know what I'm talking about when I give you my advice. I love to analyse things and short stories are the most interesting, in my opinion. The reason I tell you this is so you get that I know what makes a good short story and what doesn't. I hope you'll take my thoughts to heart.

1. Always Plan

For some reason, a lot of people work on this illusion that because short stories are shorter than a novel, they don't have to plot it out beforehand. Well, let me tell you something. Every published short story out there that you have read and loved? All of them were planned. Everything in them was intentional. 

You may wing it on your novels and pick up the broken pieces and smooth over the rough edges after it's done, but you can't do that with a short story. The reason is that if you screw up something in your short story you've basically ruined the entire story because it is short. Plus, if you don't have any idea why you are writing a story, just that you want to, you ruin the entire point of writing a short story. They are written to get a message across. You need to realize that before you start typing. But more on that later.

2. Strong Start

One of the most important parts of your story is having a good first sentence/paragraph. In a short story, there isn't time for boring backstory and random things your protagonist is doing. You have to jump straight into the story. Find my chapter on effective first sentences. For short stories, the same applies except it is even more important. People tend to judge short stories on their first sentences even more than novels. Why? Because there is less time for it to start getting good. In a novel with a rough start there's at least the small comfort that it could get better. Short stories aren't like that. If the start is weak, chances are readers won't waste their time because they assume the rest won't be any good either. 

Make sure that your first sentence reveals character and delves into emotions. Most short stories are emotionally character-driven.

3. Emotion

Like I just mentioned, short stories thrive on their emotion. Unless the emotion gets in the way of theme (which it usually doesn't) or the characters serve a small role (which is also uncommon) you need to incorporate emotions. In novels the emotions are drawn out gradually because authors have the advantage of time in their novels. I've already explained that short stories clearly do not have that in the same way. 

The best way to incorporate emotions is to have a character that is damaged in some way, or is very passionate about something. Their conflict usually has started before or right when the story begins. In my short story "Open Cage", Brooke is depressed. That's how the story begins. The plot is about her being encouraged to enter a talent show, even though she doesn't want to, but the emotions that drive the story are her depression. Would the story still work if Brooke wasn't insecure, sad, lonely, and afraid? Absolutely not. 

Emotions are everything, especially when it comes to short stories. 

4. Relatability

Generally, short stories aren't fantasy or science fiction (although they are sometimes). The reason why is because short stories are at their best when the audience can relate to them. This means a relatable plot and relatable characters. The characters should face everyday issues, or issues that potentially could happen. The interesting element comes from how the characters overcome these roadblocks and their own, personal growth in the process.