Short stories and novels are different—so naturally, how you write them has its differences, too. This style is often a fiction writer’s first introduction to writing. Regardless of when you start writing shorts, they can be frustrating to write and difficult to master. Fitting everything in makes a great story even though it is short.

Why Write Short Stories?

1. Training

Short stories help you hone your writing skills.

Short stories are often about one scene and about one character.

2. Building contacts and readers

The best way to get readers and friends in the industry is to be writing continuously.

A Short Story

What qualifies as a short story?

A short story word count normally falls somewhere between 1,000 words and 10,000 words. Over  ten thousand, and you’re running into novelette territory. That said some publications consider up to 20,000 words to be a short story. Under one thousand words, you’re looking at flash fiction.

The sweet spot is between 2,000 and 5,000 words.

That’s not a lot of words when you are fitting in—backstory, world-building, the character and the problem.

A short story typically has one to three scenes.

The Short Version

  1. Write the story in one sitting.
  2. Take a break.
  3. First edit
  4. Get feedback and do a final edit.
  5. Publish.

Think of a short story as a short series of events happening to a single character.

TIPS:

  • Your short story is suspenseful.
  • Your story entertains.
  • The story captivates readers at the very beginning with a Hook.

Every sentence mush be compelling enough to urge the reader to read the next story—because he really, really wants to—instead of doing something else, something on the to-do list. 

Unleash the novel inside you

with compelling characters,

intricate worlds,

and fine-tuned prose.

“Linda has published twenty 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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