Short Story Tips
Ever wondered why that short story you read last week sticks in your mind while your own just doesn’t seem to have the legs?
Here are a few tips I’ve gathered up over the years. The first may sound elementary but begin by asking your self the question: What is your story about? What is the underlying message behind the story – sort this and your half way there.
A short story by its very nature covers a short time span, and concentrates on one single event, think of a car accident, a school sports day, a love affair. It’s all about one pivotal role in the life of the main character.
Most short stories will be low on characters – in this case few is best. Remember each character takes up space, brings in a new dimension to the story and gives the story a different outlook.
One of the difficulties in writing an effective short story is what I like to term ‘word use,’ by this I mean that every single word must have a place in the story – no fluff, no fill. If a word is not paying its way kick it out!
Keep focused. Go back and read some of your favourite short stories and you’ll find that they follow a narrow subject line. It’s very easy to drift, but with the short story you have to be extremely focused otherwise you might end up writing that novel you’ve always dreamed about!