So you want to be a writer but don’t have the attention span to write a novel? Perhaps the short story is the genre for you. It sounds simple enough. After all, it uses the word “short”. And yet here you find yourself sitting in front of a blank word document for hours. Which brings me to my first article..

How to Write a Short Story

There is a certain art to the short story that the novelist doesn’t need. When you are considering how to write a short story you must realize that, just like in a novel, your reader requires you to create a world, fill it with relatable people, and develop an engaging/meaningful plot. The difference is that a short story author has to wrap all of that up in a neat little package using just a few hundred words. This in involves a great deal of forethought.

Therefore, writing a short story begins in the planning stage. Many authors compare writing to giving birth. Sticking with that metaphor, your story needs some prenatal care. You must select a genre of story, a plot, and create characters. Ask yourself questions to get the creative juices flowing: Who is my target audience? What should my reader be feeling? When do these events take place (this is especially important in historical fiction)? Where is the story set? Why should the reader care about what is happening in my story? How can I convey the characters’ emotions to my reader?

Finally, it’s important to remember to just write. Not everything that comes out of your head will be a masterpiece. But developing writing skills requires practice, so write often! And when you’re not writing – read. The best authors are people who love books, and if you want to get into writing short stories then you’ll want to read a lot of short stories.

We live in a fast paced world with a growing demand for short fiction. Just remember: short fiction takes time.

So you’ve been writing… a lot. Now you want some of these stories to be impressive pieces of literature that an individual other than your friends and family will want to read. You want to know…

What Makes a Short Story Good?

Every short fiction author wants to know how to write a good short story. The problem is this: Define good short story. I think The Open Boat by Stephen Crane is one of the best short stories of all time. You may find it boring. So the first challenge in writing a good short story is discovering who you’re writing it for.

That means research. If you’re writing a short story for contest, read previous winners to find out what sort of stories the judges prefer. Before submitting your story to a particular magazine, read a few issues to find out what they usually publish. Check out what’s on the best sellers list right now to find out what people in general want to read.

Here’s the caution: You need to write what people want to read and still be original. There are number of ways to do this. Use a popular plot, but include a twist. Have it set in a different time period or mix elements from different writing genres. Develop your own unique style of writing. Don’t fall into frequent use of cliches. And, hopefully it goes without saying, never plagiarize.

Remember: in a novel you want the reader to go on to the next chapter, but when you’re writing short stories there is no next chapter. That means you want to persuade the reader to look forward to your next piece. To do that it is imperative that you develop a writing style that is enjoyable to read. Are you known for a quick wit or a dry sense of humor? Then perhaps you can include some occasional comedy in your stories. Are you an intuitive person? Share what’s going on in a character’s mind that a less intuitive person might miss. Maybe you’re a bit of an amateur fashionista or a foodie. The details that mean something to you may well add a hint of charm to your story. Without realizing it, your reader will come back to see how you describe the next meal or pair of shoes.

There is a glut of short fiction for a reader to choose from. What will get someone to keep coming back to your stories? Present to them exactly what they want in a way they’ve never had it before, and add some personal touches to make the piece uniquely yours.

Let me break this down for you. Writing a short story is not a definitive process. Ask any writer and you’ll find that there are many differing philosophies on the order of operations. Finding what works for you may take some trial and error. That having been said, let us discuss -

The Short Story Writing Process

If you’re wondering how to write a short story step by step, there are some basic guidelines to follow. But again, you may find that rearranging a few of these steps helps you. Here is one possible configuration:

Read – I cannot emphasize enough the importance of reading a lot of short fiction if you want to become a short story author. A few recommended short story authors: Edgar Allen Poe, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, John Updike, Stephen Crane, Hans Christian Anderson, The Brothers Grimm

Preparation – Select a genre. Is this a sci-fi/fantasy story? Young Adult fiction? Historical fiction? A tragedy? A romance? A mystery? This will give direction to the rest of your thought process. You need to plan out the general outline of the plot, and then do appropriate research. You can save a lot of prep time by writing about subjects you know well. Think about your intended audience. Develop the necessary characters. Decide how to narrate the story.

Start typing – Start from the beginning if you must in order to get your creative juices flowing, but remember that you’ll likely go back later and chop a lot of the introduction to get right into the story. I prefer marathon writing sessions and will often complete a short story in one sitting. This is possible if you don’t skimp on the preparation phase. Also, it calls for the right circumstances. Will you write better in a quiet room with a cup of tea? Do you need music to hype you up along with an endless supply of espresso? Create the right atmosphere for you and your story.

Revise/Edit – You may want the help of trusted friends. Select individuals who will won’t be overly critical to the point of being discouraging, but make sure they’ll be honest. Good grammar is important. Beware of inconsistencies. It’s unlikely that your main character will put on her boots before her pants. Things like that break the flow of the story for your reader. Check your word count. Once you reach the 7500 range, short story becomes a misnomer. Most short fiction is between 1000 and 5000 words. Almost any contest you enter will have a word limit often as low as 1500 words.

Within these three basic steps the ball is in your court. You may have an idea for a character and base your story off of that. Perhaps you’ve been given a prompt for a contest. That becomes the obvious point of genesis. You may choose to do several self edits before letting someone else read your story, or you may feel it needs fresh eyes immediately after the draft is complete.

Ultimately the short story writing process is fluid. Find the sequence that works for you and for the story you are about to write.

You want your short story published, but you’re a fresh, unpublished author. The secret to breaking into the business may be

Finding and Entering a Short Story Contest

It’s easy to find short story contests on the internet. Just do a Google search and you’ll find dozens of them. The trick is figuring out which one to enter. When just starting out, you’ll probably want to search for the elusive “free contest”. The payoffs are no where near as big, however, you should be thinking about publication, not profits, when you first start entering short story contests.

The key to any contest is following the guidelines. Your submission won’t even be read if it’s not entered properly. Most contests require double spacing, staying within a word limit, including certain information on the first page, etc. Just be sure to read the guidelines carefully. If the contest requires that you submit your story online then make sure you follow the directions for that closely as well. Usually you will have to save your document as a certain file type for submission.

Be original. If your submission reads just like the one before it or after it, they’ll probably both get tossed regardless of which one was written better. Avoid cliches. Originality is particularly important if the contest you are entering is using a prompt. That means every writer will be starting from the same point, and it will take more creativity to make your paper stand out.

Don’t expect to always get feedback if your story doesn’t win. Many of these contests are getting thousands of entries. They promise to consider your story not critique it. Very occasionally a contest will agree to respond to all entries. Even in such a case, a return envelope is usually required. If you do get a response from a larger contest without being a finalist then kudos! That usually means your story was well liked and only barely missed the cut. Don’t give up!

Contests can be a make or break trial for new writers. Disappointment over not hearing back time and again can be disheartening. Read the stories that did win. Try to learn from them. Sometimes you’ll feel that your story was better. Try to determine why the judges disagree with you. Have your friends – who told you your story was amazing – read the winning stories. They may be able to catch something you didn’t as far as why the judges preferred the winning story.

Short story contests are fun and exciting and can be a great way to break into the business. Revel in the triumphs, but don’t give in to despair while waiting for your big break.

How long does a short story have to be? Not very. Just listen to the song lyrics of some famous singer/songwriters who are also magnificent storytellers. Those songs exemplify what I like to call

 Very Short Stories

Sometimes you can say it all in just a few hundred words. Love stories have always been a popular theme for songs, but in recent years there is an influx of creative storytelling. Consider a few examples.

Don’t feel like sleeping tonight? Read the lyrics to “Lake Pontchartrain” by Ludo. In about 400 words, you are taken through the harrowing experience of three guys from Missouri who take a trip down to Louisiana.

Prefer stories of revenge? One of the best revenge stories in recent history only took about 500 words. The Decemberist’s “Mariner’s Revenge Song” follows the tale of a boy who finally reaches the end of a life long quest to avenge his mother’s death.

If you want to feel sorry for a guy who’s been through the wringer than check out Ben Fold’s “Cigarette”. It’s about a guy named Fred Jones who is taking care of his dying wife. The in “Fred Jones Part 2” he gets laid off by a company he’s given the best years of his life to. All of that happens in about 250 words.

Johnny Cash told all kinds of stories in his songs, but one of my favorites is the lighthearted “One Piece at a Time” in which a factory employee eventually builds his own car by sneaking out pieces for decades. Of course, there’s also “A Boy Name Sue” which mixes revenge with reconciliation and just a touch of good-natured humor. But giving credit where it’s due Shel Silverstein actually wrote the song for him.

The fact is that it doesn’t take long to tell a great story, and if you’re listening to the right music then you’re hearing some of the best short fiction around.

A few more great songs that tell stories for your consideration:

• The Ballad of Billy the Kid by Billy Joel
• Lullaby by Ben Folds
• The Last Polka by Ben Folds (most of Ben’s music songs tell a story)
• Love Is Stronger Than Justice by Sting
• Rocky Raccoon by The Beatles
• The entire So Impossible EP by Dashboard Confessional (the album appears to be one story being told in four sections (1) he first realizes he likes this girl (2) she invites him to a party (3) they’re getting ready for the party (4) they have the best date ever)

Have a favorite song that tells a story? Leave a comment.

When writing short stories for kids, one must remember the target audience. Kids have a short attention span, they like animals, and want lots of pictures in their books. But just remember: Usually a parent will be selecting the books their children read. Parents know that kids will want a book read over and over again. That means there needs to be some humor. Also, parents will often look for a good moral to the story. That’s a good place to start when

Writing Short Stories for Kids

When I think of short stories directed at young people, my mind automatically goes to Dr. Seuss. The guy was a genius at developing creative ideas around a moral concept. He used The Lorax to teach kids about protecting the environment years before any of us had even heard of global warming. The Sneetches taught kids how silly it is to follow a fad, or only like someone for what they look like or how they’re dressed. Parents with children just starting school will look for books that can help their kids to deal with others and the world around them in general.

Stories for very small children can handle even simpler topics. Again Dr. Seuss provides a fine example. His ABC book has taught the alphabet to many children. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish teaches numbers and colors. These simple topics enthrall children under the age of three and help parents start schooling their kids at and early age. So if you choose to write for very small children then choose topics that instruct in elementary topics.

Again, the good doctor sticks to the basics. Rhyming, silly made up words and creatures, and lots illustrations. Pictures usually make or break a book for a child, so if your talents don’t extend beyond writing then it’s time to become friends with an artist. The red and white striped hat from The Cat in the Hat is iconic in American culture.

Work out a good word-to-picture ratio. For example, when writing for children age 3-6 you probably want to keep between 600-1000 words in a 32 page book. The number of pages and words a publisher will accept increase depending on the age group you’re writing for.

Don’t forget: when you’re writing a book for kids, you’re writing it for their parents too. And parents will want a book both to be instructive as well as easy to enjoy over and over again.

Writer’s block? Need a little inspiration? A growing resource for writers is writing prompts. Whether in written, audio, or visual form these prompts are designed to get your creative juices flowing. Since, they’re becoming so popular, let’s take a few minutes to discuss

 Short Story Prompts

If you’re an aspiring writer than no doubt you’re probably getting sick of hearing about how important it is for you to just keep writing. You should always be practicing, honing your skills, perfecting your art. But what can you possibly be writing about all the time? If you’re out of ideas there are plenty of websites that cater to giving you a jump point.

Some sites offer a daily picture to use. This is good practice. There are actually occasional contests now that based on picture prompts. It makes sense. After all, if a picture tells a thousand words… then every picture is a short story just waiting for you to write it down and get it published. Don’t just write what you see. Write what the picture makes you feel, what led up to the captured moment, and where it’s going from here.

A prompt can be a few sentences, or even just a few words, that give you a basic premise for a story. It’s not the entire plotline, just a place to begin. The beauty is that it doesn’t have to be the beginning of the story. The prompt may give the idea for the resolution of your story. Now you just have to write the backstory of the event comes to take place.

Especially if your are entering a contest that uses a prompt, it still requires a great deal of creativity. When using a prompt for practice it doesn’t matter if your mind travels the same path as a dozen other writers who stumble upon the same prompt, but if you want to stand out in a competition you’ll need to approach the stimulus from a unique perspective to get the attention of the judges.

Other types of prompts may include a mental exercise just to get you thinking. These can be challenging and fun. Plus, they are particularly good practice because teach you ways to come up with ideas. Do enough of these exercises, and you’ll never have worry about running out of ideas again.

So if you’re short on ideas, find yourself some writing prompts, get the creative ball rolling, and happy writing!