How To Write Short Stories

Some of the best fictional works are written in the form of short stories. The concise narrative of short stories enables the reader to read them in one sitting. The number of characters in a short story is kept minimal, a single plot is chosen and the events usually revolve around the protagonist(s). Since the length of short stories is kept to the minimum, it becomes important to include all the elements within a few paragraphs, to create maximum interest and excitement among the readers and make them want to read. With practice, patience and our expert tips, you will find it easy to go about writing short stories on your own. Given below is systematic guidance on how to write short stories.

 

Briefly plan the story before you start writing. Make a list of the possible characters that you are going to include in the narrative, choose the theme and figure out what you want to happen in your story. You should know that novels usually contain multitude of subplots, a number of characters and a variety of locations. On the other hand, short stories have limited time, only one setting (location), less number of characters and not more that one plot. Hence, while planning your story, make sure that you keep all these elements in mind.

 

Decide who will tell the story. There are mainly three points of view from which a short story can be narrated – the first person (I), second person (you) and third person (he or she). In the first case, the narrator becomes a character of the story, who narrates it. In the second case, the reader is made the character of the story (this is opted rarely). In the third case, the narrator presents the narrative in a detached way, that is, without becoming a character of the story. Out of the three, first and the third options are the most preferred ones.

 

Now that you have made a rough sketch of the characters, plot and the way it will be narrated, it is the time to start writing. The writing process involves the use of most appropriate words. Remember, the space is limited, so you should use less words and try to create huge impact. To start with, write the introduction of the story. Your introduction should instantly grab the reader’s attention and make him/her read on. It should consist of the characters’ introduction and a brief description about the event. Make sure that you don’t provide too much information in the introduction.

 

After giving a brief introduction, it is the time to establish the central character(s) of your short story. In order to bring out the central character(s), you will need to give a dramatic description about the same. You should give more space to the description of the main protagonist(s) as compared to other characters in the story. This way, your reader will be able to differentiate between the supporting characters and the central ones.

 

Include conflicts between characters or within the character, turning-point brought about by the conflicts and the incidents leading to the climax as the core of your story. Try to write this within two to three paragraphs. Ensure that you don’t go off track because it will deviate the reader from the crux of the story. As you reach the end part of the core, prepare the story for the conclusion.

 

The Conclusion
The conclusion (or climax) is where the story ends. Usually, short stories are concluded in two paragraphs. It should include answers to the questions raised in the core part of the story as well as the ending. Apart from this, you should describe whether the conflicts and twists were resolved or not, in the climax. You can conclude your short story in many ways. You may either give a happy conclusion – victory of the central character(s), or leave up to the imagination of the readers about the apt ending for the protagonist.