Short story writing can be a gateway to writing your novel
—but they’re also fun and worthy stories.
In a very limited space, writers have to include a character arc, an intriguing beginning, a compact middle, and an end that is satisfying for the reader. Editing a short story takes proportionally the same time and dedication than an entire novel. While they don’t have the complexity or length of a novel, they are no less challenging to craft. Word count is anywhere from 1,000 to 10,000 words. They can only explore only a portion of a three-act structure. This portion must transform the main character.
Short stories fall into two categories: escape, which is designed to take you away from your real life, and interpretation, which is designed to deepen and broaden your awareness of life.
Layout:
- There’s one main character,
- no subplots, and
- it takes place in a short period of time in one or a few settings.
5 reasons to hone your skills by writing short stories.
1. explore new genres
Sometimes, without even realizing it, we limit our creativity. Crafting your own tale in that genre is much easier to grasp than trying to think outside your comfort zone. Look deep inside. You will find a creative itch to explore new voices, styles, and genres of storytelling. Short story format is the perfect place to do this.
2. ideal for taking risks
With short stories, the stakes are low, so you can experiment with abandonment. If you write a short story and it fails, you haven’t lost too much time or energy. Whereas writing an entire novel is a much larger investment.
Try something that intimidates, such as writing from second-person perspective, telling a story in backwards chronological order, or writing from an unexpected point of view like an animal or inanimate object.
3. sharpen your focus
In short stories, there is no time for throat-clearing, distractions or unrelated tangents. You have to boil your craft down to the most essential elements. Your focus is narrowed, so you must be more impactful with every word.
4. gateways to new novel ideas
When a character speaks to you, it can be tempting to dive right in and begin to flesh out an entire novel or book series. It is not uncommon for our best ideas for novels to begin as short stories. When we enter the world of the short story there isn’t the pressure or expectation of an entire novel.
When we first get to know our characters in the confines of a short story, we develop a good sense of whether or not we would like to journey with them throughout an entire novel.
5. spark your motivation
If writing a novel feels like a marathon, writing a short story is a sprint. It is more than enough to get your blood pumping and energy flowing, but not so exhausting that it wears you down.
Writing a short story may be just what you need to reignite your passion for the long haul of your novel. When you are in the middle of a drafting novel draft and need a break to write, a short story gives you a surge of pride and confidence. Writing short stories helps grow, stretch, and rediscover ones self as a writer.
As in any writing, reading good examples is one of the best ways to improve your own work. Here are a few I would suggest reading:
- The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, Twain
- The Lottery, Jackson
- A Case for Kop, Boll
- A Rose for Emily, Faulkner
Unleash the novel inside you
with compelling characters,
intricate worlds,
and fine-tuned prose.
“Linda has published numerous books. She blogs about the publishing world, posts useful tips on the challenges a writer faces, including marketing and promoting your work, how to build your online platform, how to get reviews and how to self-publish. She has mentored many authors and edited their work.”
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