Your cart is currently empty!
Why Short Stories Make Great Reads
in
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend. If you make a purchase through these links, at no additional cost to you, we may earn a small commission. See our full Terms of Use here.
Whether you’re penning the next piece of classic literature or writing just for fun, one thing that will help you immensely in your short story writing career is to have a good grasp on what defines short stories. There are some specific structural elements that you need to get right. How long should they be? How do they differ from novellas or novelettes? What makes them different from a novel? Are there any pitfalls in writing them? Let’s look at what makes up a short story, what makes them so appealing, and some tips on how to avoid some of the common pitfalls of short stories!
Short Story vs Novel vs Novella
What’s The Difference? A short story and a novel are both considered extensive works of fiction, but there is an important distinction between them. While novels can be upwards of 50,000 words or longer, short stories are less than 25,000 words. Novellas fall somewhere in between; they’re technically still considered long stories because they’re significantly longer than flash fiction (which usually comprises 500 words or fewer), but most people consider them novels. And while many readers like shorter stories and novellas just as much as novels, it isn’t surprising that some people regard them as inferior forms of writing.
The Cost of Knowledge
Why exactly is that? It has a lot to do with history. Historically, most people could never read fiction at home – until fairly recently in human history people could not afford books. Because writing was expensive and literacy rates low for much of literary history, poems and short stories were typically viewed by authors as more disposable forms of entertainment for those who could only occasionally enjoy literature at all. Novels were expensive even for royalty; these lengthy prose narratives focused on serious themes that educated elites could relate to, allowing them to escape into another world without shirking their social obligations. But times have changed! Nowadays we’ve got e-readers and audio-books galore! Many people now devour an entire series of fantasy novels during their lunch break every day!
Short Story Examples
Short stories are much harder to write than novels. They have all of a novel’s same requirements for character, plot, and setting, but because they are much shorter (in length and in page count), they cannot rely on description or lingering sense of place that an 800-page doorstop does. Instead, short stories rely on economy of language and abruptness—the ‘I woke up’ moment is not just expected, it’s demanded.
Read Elizabeth Bowen’s The Demon Lover or Eudora Welty’s Why I Live at Home to get a flavor for what short story writers do when everything needs to be there and nothing can be wasted. The best way to learn how to write good short stories is simply by reading them: Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man Is Hard To Find; John Cheever’s The Country Husband; Raymond Carver’s Cathedral. Try searching online for lists of classic short stories; many websites exist solely to curate these anthologies. You might also want to consider reading any essays by editor Gordon Lish; he was famous both for his fiction and his creative editing style.
Tips on Writing Short Stories
Every great short story has three main things: exposition, rising action, and denouement. Exposition includes background information on characters, scene and setting. Rising action is when conflict occurs. Denouement is how it resolves. In almost every case, we present these elements in chronological order, but not always: You can have them occur out of order or all at once within different scenes. Each event builds tension until there’s a climax—the height of emotion in any story. Then, typically, there’s a denouement where everything comes together in resolution—the conclusion that ties up any loose ends left from earlier on in the narrative.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Inexperienced writers are often afraid to cut their work. This is understandable; after all, it’s hard to be objective about your own writing. But if you’re trying to write a short story and you can’t seem to get it down to size, that might mean that you need to trim some fat. It doesn’t matter how much you love a phrase or sentence—if it doesn’t contribute meaningfully to your story, delete it. Some people even recommend cutting whole paragraphs if they don’t move your plot forward (but be careful you don’t accidentally cut something valuable). The main thing is just getting started. You can always edit later when you have something on paper. Make sure you trust your instincts as an author and take chances with what works for your story. You’ll find your own style as you go along. What makes up a good short story? There isn’t one specific answer for what makes a great short story; in fact, there are dozens of schools of thought about what makes good fiction good. Keep in mind that different fiction appeals to different readers: some like high drama, others prefer more subtle storytelling. Your challenge will be to find out which types engage yours and why.
Use Dialogue to Develop Character Traits and Motivations
The best way to develop your characters is by letting them talk. That’s what makes dialogue so important. It not only reveals who your characters are, but also their motivations for doing what they do. Good dialogue won’t just move your story forward, it will help you flesh out your characters as well. The way your characters speak can also reveal things about their personalities and backgrounds. These things impact how your audience will see that character and that helps to develop their impressions of them. It’s one of those simple tips that is sometimes overlooked when writing. By using good dialogue in every scene, you ensure people get to know your characters better. This helps readers understand why they respond like they do in certain situations. Some writers find it difficult to write engaging dialogue. With some practice, you should be able to nail down wonderful conversations between your characters in no time at all.
Keep Things Moving
Be concise; don’t go into detail about actions—that will distract from what’s important, like thoughts and emotions. Instead of
John walked down Main Street.
try something like
John’s footsteps echoed down Main Street.
Don’t tell us how many steps he took, or that he was wearing shiny black boots: that information is trivial, and it slows us down as readers. And more than likely we can guess what he was wearing without being told.
Showing a character walking on her tiptoes because she’s nervous suggests fear or anxiety. It may not be obvious in every scene, but it’ll become apparent over time as you develop your characters further. Have fun! It’s not rocket science. If your story brings up an emotion in you, chances are good that other people will feel some version of that same feeling when they read your story, too.
Know Your Protagonist’s Motivation
What does he or she want and what stands in his or her way? Knowing that conflict up front can help you write an engaging story. If your protagonist doesn’t want something, it’s tough to make us as readers care about whether they get it. Want vs. need is an important distinction; don’t mistake one for another. A character wants something when it’s just a matter of desire: It might not be essential, but it could still become so if certain conditions are met.
A character needs something when he or she has to have it in order to survive or flourish—it is absolutely necessary for happiness (at least temporarily). In short stories, make sure your protagonist wants something desperately enough to risk everything for it; otherwise, we won’t care about their success (or failure) either way. Don’t forget about the antagonist, though—this could be a character that serves as a foil for your main character (s), or even just another facet of yourself!
Give the Reader More with Less
Short stories work best when they have peripheral action, as opposed to too much backstory or inner monologue. This approach adds intrigue and personality but doesn’t bog down readers with unnecessary detail. The reader needs sufficient information so that he can understand both motivation and conflict, but not so much that he loses interest in what is going on around him.
A short story must grab a reader’s attention immediately, for if it doesn’t, it won’t hold it for long enough to keep him reading through to its conclusion. In order to capture their attention from start to finish, an author should give his readers plenty of hooks, whether through an intriguing character or by placing them in unfamiliar surroundings that prompt questions within his mind—questions which he can only answer with time and perseverance on his part.
Mix Things Up
Varying sentence structure can also be helpful to keep your reader engaged throughout your narrative. For example, long sentences may pack a good punch in some sections, but in others make them shorter or change up their rhythm entirely for better effect. The best stories are those that take risks with their language; varying sentences not only gives you room for experimentation, but it keeps your writing from sounding stale or repetitive as well. Here’s an example:
John left work late. The streets were empty.
Although short and simple, it’s just plain dull because there’s no real variety in sentence structure here—each is exactly four words long. Even when used as part of larger sentences (such as dialogue), it’s easy for something like this to grow tiresome. By adding some changes in rhythm, you keep your reader engaged:
John left work late on a Thursday night. The streets were empty save for a stray dog or two trotting down an alleyway.
And so on.
With writing fiction, nothing is off limits; try out new verb tenses or word structures within each section and see what works best. It’s unlikely that you’ll stumble upon perfection on your first try. Use these experiments as learning experiences that will help refine your style even further as you write more stories down the road!
Conflict
Don’t forget to add in some conflict! Just like a novel, without conflict, there’s nothing for readers to latch onto as they read along with your protagonist as he/she goes about their daily lives! Your story needs conflict (internal or external) to be interesting—conflict adds drama and can turn an average plot into something truly special! The best part is that adding conflict doesn’t require you to spend hours outlining…instead, try pinpointing one area where your character is struggling. Are they looking for love? A job? Trying to fit in at work? Make sure you address at least one area where things aren’t going well. This could be anything from fighting with siblings to trying desperately not to get fired from work.
Be the Short Story teller
With all of that in mind, I’m certain that you will find a path through the story in your head that is short but satisfying. Remember to be careful and make it believable. A great place to look for examples and inspiration is at #shortstorywednesday on Twitter or any fiction section of an online bookstore. When done right, stories are so much more than just words arranged into sentences; they teach us things about ourselves, other people and sometimes even life itself. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a piece of paper (or screen) and tell your story!
-R.E.