Here’s How to Write a Short Story: Start to Finish!

Writing can be daunting. There’s something inherently stressful about coming up with a creative short story that makes most people procrastinate. I’m also one of those people. Sometimes an idea seems like an easy topic to write about but the further along you get the harder it is. This blog is to help take the stress out of short story writing and make it easier.

Before we get into picking the perfect topic for your short story lets go back over what classifies as a short story.

• A Short storyhas a fully developed theme but is significantly shorter than a novel. They have a maximum word count of 10,000 words but depending on the competition or personal preference they can be shorter (Learn more here).

It’s also important to remember that short stories won’t typically go into detail about character back stories and lengthy map/area descriptions. You’re goal for your short story should be to get through the five important elements (character, setting, plot, conflict and theme) while sticking with the word limitation. Don’t let this portion of short story writing freak you out. To me, writing shorter is easier than the lengthier novels and novellas.

Picking a Topic For Your Short Story

Now when it comes to picking the perfect topic for your short stories, you want to go with a phrase or idea that catches your attention. The broader the category the more you can do when it comes to writing but you don’t want to pick something so broad it makes it hard to pin anything down. To give you an idea of how to start I’ll use my latest short story as an example.

My topic was A Vampiric Cactus! The idea came to me after I ran into one of the large cacti around my house. I ended up having to pull spines from my hand for an hour and a half (ouch!). I did think of that as a joke, since cacti primarily use their spines for shade and not defense but it stuck none the less. My brain took it and ran! The topic is broad enough to go horror, fantasy or Sci-fi without being so broad you wouldn’t know where to start. As with my example, any phrase, thought or song lyric you find inspiring can work. You just need to make sure it’s willing to work with your imagination! Trust me when I say an artists cannot work with something they aren’t passionate about. This is the perfect time to let your weird thoughts be your guide.

Below I’ll list a few examples of topics that would be both too broad and not specific enough to help you with your writing:

• Plants
• Cancer
• Healthcare
• Supernatural creatures
• Something fantastical

When you read these a million and one different thoughts can go through your head because the subcategories for all of these are extensive. That’s why it’s important to use word descriptors. Think carnivorous plants or breast cancer, specification will help you build your story.

Go With the Flow

Now that you’ve picked a topic: let your mind run away with it. It’s the perfect time to sit down and jot down any and all thoughts you have about the topic. What about my cactus would set it apart from others? Would the color remain the same even though it’s diet is different? Can it still produce fruit? Where did it come from? Ask yourself questions about your subject, it’ll help you narrow down a route you want to take your story in. Asking questions can also help you determine if this is something you’re passionate about enough to want to write about. If you can’t or don’t want to answer then maybe the topic isn’t interesting enough to you and it’s back to the drawing board.

When you’re done questioning yourself like a philosopher in the 13th century it’s time to type. It doesn’t matter if it’s a random scene you thought of when you first established your topic. Doesn’t matter if it’s dialogue or setting just write it down. You want to go with the flow and not think to hard about it, as I’ve stated before in a different post: you will not ever end up with a ready to publish piece the first go so don’t act like you have to. Going with the flow means having fun playing around with your ideas, developing characters and figuring out your plot. You may only have one idea to mess with or multiples! Let loose and go with your first thought, this isn’t the time to limit yourself with one direction.

Beta Readers and Draft Counts

When it comes to writing, it’s extremely important to make sure your work gets seen by unbiased eyes before you attempt to publish or send anything in for competitions. Beta readers are great for bringing things you’d miss to your attention. This could include plot holes, confusing dialogue/descriptions and spelling errors or nonsensical sentences. Writers are only human and prone to make grammatical mistakes just like anyone else while simultaneously being blind to it in their own work.

The best Beta team an author can recruit are friends and family that don’t sugarcoat their critiques and thoughts. You will only ever improve if your weaknesses are stated plainly for you. Don’t be afraid of constructive criticism but also don’t allow blatant disrespect. Your beta readers should always bring criticism to you in a respectful and nonconfrontational manner!

Lastly, remember that what you send your beta readers most likely wont be the final copy! Use your beta team to gauge interest: is your story gripping enough for them to want to continue to read any and all your fixes and ideas moving forward? If the answer is no, that doesn’t mean your short story isn’t good, just that maybe you haven’t picked the correct target audience. Never let anyone else’s opinion negatively affect yours about your work. Art is subjective! Usually expect two to three drafts before you get your short story exactly where you want it, there is no rush!

Thank you for reading! I hope this article helped take the stress out of short story writing and if you have any questions or concerns please leave a comment below!