What is a short story?
A short story is a type of prose fiction. By "fiction," we mean that the characters and events in the story aren't real. That said, a short story can also include events that happened in real life. This type of writing is historical fiction.
By "prose," we mean that a short story isn't a type of poetry with verses, rhyming, meter, and so on.
Short stories typically focus on a single plot incident or a series of closely linked incidents. They also tend to evoke a single mood, whether the mood is dark, happy, or mysterious. This is very different from a novel, which can involve many complicated plotlines and evoke many moods throughout.
In addition, short stories often have fewer characters compared to novels. Short story characters are fully developed, but their interactions are limited to advancing the plot and evoking the mood of the short story.
Finally, short stories are usually meant for reading in a single sitting. Most short stories are between 5,000 and 10,000 words long, though some can be as short as a few hundred words or as long as 30,000 words.
How to write a short story in 6 easy steps
While writing your first short story shouldn't take as long as writing your first book, it's not always easy. That's because short stories are so focused. There's a single theme, a single mood, and a single conflict. So, if you're having a hard time with your first short story, you're not alone. Here are six easy steps to help you along as you write your short story.
1. Pick a moral or theme for your short story
Remember that the moral or theme of the short story acts as a framework for everything else. That's why it's a good idea to think about a theme first. Will your story's theme be about having the courage to be vulnerable? Or will it be about the power of love and family over money and possessions?
Writers rarely lack the overriding desire to change the world with the stories they tell. A moral argument doesn't mean that you have to be religious and tell a religious story. It just means that you have something you believe is important for people to know, do, or believe, and you want to use the vehicle of a story to communicate it. What do you want to communicate to your reader about how people should behave in the world?
Another way to think about it is realizing that all stories are about a conflict between good and evil. Your moral argument is the way your character overcomes a specific evil. Though the opportunity for character development is limited in short stories, your character should have a moral dilemma in the beginning that they solve by the end of the story, and how they do this is your theme.
Whenever you feel stuck during the writing process, think about your theme and how your characters or plot event can help readers better understand the theme you've chosen.
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2. Develop a small cast of characters
It's easier than you think to create a long list of characters, heroes, and villains for your story. But the trick to writing a short story is to keep the character list short. Each character you create should play a vital role in your story.
A rule of thumb is that a short story needs just two or three characters: a protagonist, a supporting character, and sometimes an antagonist.
The protagonist is the main character in your short story. The reader cares about your protagonist and will want to cheer them on during the story's conflict. At the same time, no character is perfect. Your protagonist should have a weakness that makes it harder for them to win the conflict and keeps the readers in suspense.
Your supporting character is also on the side of your protagonist. Supporting characters, also called relationship characters, help the protagonist grow as a character so that they can triumph in the story's conflict.
If your conflict involves two people, your short story should also include an antagonist, or villain. Readers need someone to root against in a conflict, and this is the main purpose of the antagonist.
3. Create an intense conflict
While characters are important in any short story, conflict is what brings those characters to life. Conflict will be the main source of tension and suspense that keeps your readers' attention. Conflict is also what helps characters change and grow by the story's end.
A short story only needs one conflict, and the readers should know what it is from the beginning. That said, even a single conflict can make an intense story. Don't be afraid to put your characters in bad situations to show what they're made of. Your readers will love it.
4. Write for the senses
It's true that short stories are very plot-driven, but that doesn't mean you should leave out the imagery. Transport readers to the world of your short story by describing how everything smells, feels, looks, and tastes.
For example, consider this line:
"The smell of gingerbread woke her from her nap."
Then compare it to this one:
"The aroma of the warm spices wafted down the hall and pulled her from her sleep."
The more you describe your world, the more your readers will be right there with you.