Remember, when you show instead of telling, you immerse your reader into the story, giving them a more interesting adventure.Ī couple more tips for showing instead of telling: Be ready to drop extra words and phrases that don’t move your story along. While you need to keep your story structured and descriptive, keep your voice active, so you’re showing the world to your readers instead of just telling them about it. While the advice to “Show, don’t tell” always proves valuable when writing, it’s even more essential when you’re writing short stories. Get your reader interested with the action, then introduce the who, what, when, why, and how. Start the story right in the middle of the action, and make sure you keep your reader interested. When you’re writing short, you get to skip all the time introducing people and the setting, going right for consequences, payoffs, and action. The resolution of a story always is the most exciting part of a book. There’s no one way to write a short story, but we’ve put together some tips and advice that can help you as you craft your own short stories.įor a short story, imagine that it’s the last chapter of a great novel. So how do you write good short stories? Top Tips for Writing Short Stories How much can you convey to your reader in a short time? You still want your reader to finish your story with a feeling of satisfaction and completion. Only practice and perseverance will help you cultivate the skill of writing short.Ī shorter word count offers an advantage, but it also is a challenge. But it takes skill to write short stories. Short stories also have the potential to carry as much impact as a novel but in fewer words.
That’s some great advice from a successful author who practices writing short stories. If you only write a few things, you’re doomed.” According to the author of Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury - who just happened to write over 600 short stories - “Quantity produces quality.
Tell the story of how the character ended up getting a scar.10 All-New Short Story Ideas and Starter Prompts If you need more writing inspirations and ideas, check out our prompt lists below. Set a timer for 10 minutes and write a short story.Write a short story when you’re in a waiting room.Write a short story on your lunch break.Write a short story before bed at night.Write a quick story in the morning before breakfast.Some easy ways to write more short stories include: When you’re writing short, it’s often easy to fit this practice into your day. Writing short stories actually offers some great advantages. Have you wanted to improve your short story writing game? Here’s a look at some short story ideas, prompts, and tips that can help. While short stories have the elements of fiction you love from larger pieces of literature, they come with swift, short delivery, still offering the elements of fiction - character, point of view, style, plot, theme, and setting. Short stories are fun, flexible and offer a great way to practice and refine your skills as a writer. One of the best tools for writers working to improve their craft is the short story. Many writers find themselves wondering: What should I write?