5 Great Tips for Short Story Writers

Short stories are a great way to hone your writing skills before starting on your long-planned novel. They’re also an art form in themselves, offering a punchier reading experience. Whatever your motivation for writing, though, we have some great short story tips for authors to share.

1. Some Stories Are Shorter than Others

A short story will typically be between 1,500 and 7,500 words long. However, some are longer and others are as short as a single sentence. It’s up to you! You can see how different short stories are sometimes classified, as well as how these compare to a novel, below:

Before you start writing, then, think about which format to use and set yourself a word limit. This can work as a guideline when planning your story.

2. Work with Limitations

To make sure your short story doesn’t accidentally grow into a novella, set some limits on the plot as well as the word count. These limits could be physical (e.g. a story that takes place in a single room) or time based (e.g. a story that takes place in a single day). You could even limit the number of characters or ‘scenes’ your short story will involve.

Whatever limitation you choose, though, narrowing the scope will help you focus on the most important elements.

3. Think About the World of the Story

The best short stories feel like they belong to a larger, lived-in world. You won’t have space to explain this world fully in your story, but you can think about how it would shape the tale you are telling.

Make notes about the history of your characters and the world they belong to before you begin writing. This can give you a stronger sense of what they are like, helping you to understand how they would act and interact with one another as you write. You can even hint at these backgrounds by alluding to characters’ pasts in your writing.

4. Edit Ruthlessly!

Thanks to the limitations of a short story, you will probably write too much on your first draft. This is completely fine. The key is to take what you’ve written and then refine it until not a single word is wasted.

Think about cutting anything that isn’t essential to the story you’re telling. And remember the old advice about showing, not telling: i.e. using action to show how a character feels is better than telling the reader directly. In a short story, this can also help cut down on unnecessary narration.

5. Look for a Publisher

If you’re proud of your story, you might want to share it with the world! Check out some of the many magazines and blogs that feature short stories. Once you find one that carries the same type or genre of writing as your own, look up their rules for submitting stories and follow them closely.

Before you submit your work, though, don’t forget to have it proofread.