The Art of Short Stories
Today is the last day of June! I'm almost sad to see it go. But tomorrow is the beginning of Camp NaNoWriMo, and I'm excited to start my science fiction novella, DRIFTING DARKLY!
In non-writing news, my parents and I are close to buying a house! We were just approved by the bank, and we're planning to hire a real estate agent to show us some nice places within our budget. We're so excited!
In actual writing news, I've spent the last two weeks writing short stories. I decided to take some time off writing full-length novels to perfect my short storytelling, but also to finish my horror screenplay (which I did!) Yay! (I plan to write another blog post in the future detailing screenwriting.)
First of all, how long is a short story? Well, most magazines list it somewhere between 2,000 and 7,000 words. Personally, I wouldn't go any higher than 5k, just because it might be hard to sell. (And if it goes over 7k words, you probably have a novel or novella on your hands. The smallest seeds can bloom into big, beautiful flowers, so make sure you're writing a short story before you start.)
So, without further ado, I'd like to share with you some tips for writing short stories after writing one every day for two weeks:
1. Get to the Point
Novels are known for being heavy on prose and description, but when you're writing short stories, you must quickly identify what you're writing about, and find a fast way to get to the climax. Don't go overboard on background information or character descriptions! Eliminate long blocks of dialogue and description and gratuitous scenes (like a character walking down the street to get somewhere...unless they're attacked by a zombie or something while it happens.)
2. Start off with a Bang
As with any writing endeavor, the first sentence is very important - but it's especially true in a short story where the reader is expecting something to happen ASAP. For example, my short story, THE SLEEPWALKER, starts off like this: "I stood over the dead man, holding the bloody knife in my hand."
Immediately, the reader is filled with questions. Why is the man dead? Did the narrator kill him? What happens next? And so forth. Your first sentence should hook your reader - and convince them this is a short story worth sticking around for. Place your main character in danger/conflict immediately - and don't waste time making their life worse.
3. Have a Great Title
Okay, this is also true for novels. But if you're planning to submit your short stories, it's going to have to compete with other short stories and stand out to editors. Play around with different words and their meanings. Here are some of my short story titles: THE SLEEPWALKER, SWIPE LEFT TO KILL, MOTHER KNOWS BEST, THE FEMME CURSE, THE FORTUNE TELLER...The list goes on. But they should grab your reader's attention and make them think/guess.
4. Have a Satisfying Ending
We talked about starting off with a bang, but your ending should make waves, too. Decide at the beginning whether it's going to be a happy ending or a bad one. Whether your main character will live or die, save the day or fail, etc. "Satisfying" doesn't have to mean happy - it just has to end the story definitively. Short stories are often stand alone's - unlike novels that could be part of a series - so end it without leaving the reader wondering.
5. Learn (Read) from the Best
Whatever you want to write, you should read literature in that genre and medium. The same goes for short stories. Read some of Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft...everything you can get your hands on. You can read many short stories online for free. It helps to see how the pros do it. You'll learn a lot about story structure, conflict, and character arcs just by reading.
*The Twilight Zone is an inspiration for my short stories. Many of the episodes were actually based on short stories written by famous writers. One of my favorites is "To Serve Man". A great short story and a great episode. And the episodes are only thirty minutes, so they must be told quickly before the show ends.
6. Cut, Cut, Cut
Short stories are short. Duh. Unlike a novel, you can't go on for pages and pages. Don't focus on cutting or editing during the first draft - just get the story down first. When you're finished, then you can go back and cut out unnecessary words and descriptions. Like, "he blinked his eyes". It's unnecessary because what else do you blink? Or "he sat down in the chair". Unless the chair is important (i.e: it will eat him or grow wings), then you can cut it and avoid lengthy sentences. The trick is to be concise, like your story is being told on a timer!
The good news is this: short stories are making a comeback. These days, with smart phones and video games, people have very small attention spans. Sometimes, people don't want to read a long novel. They want a good story, and they want it fast.
As for getting your short stories published, there are many magazines around looking for submissions. While it's tempting to submit to a big, famous publisher, try independent ones. They're more willing to take a chance on new writers. You could always self-publish your short stories and put them on your blog, too. I find there are more opportunities for short stories than novels sometimes!
All in all, I love short stories. If novels hadn't grabbed my heart, I'd probably spend more time writing smaller, shorter stories. It's just a fun way to get an idea down on paper quickly. And who knows - your short story could change the world.
As always, thanks for reading! Best of luck with your short storytelling! With novels, films, and television, it can be a lost art sometimes.
Sincerely,
Dana
In non-writing news, my parents and I are close to buying a house! We were just approved by the bank, and we're planning to hire a real estate agent to show us some nice places within our budget. We're so excited!
In actual writing news, I've spent the last two weeks writing short stories. I decided to take some time off writing full-length novels to perfect my short storytelling, but also to finish my horror screenplay (which I did!) Yay! (I plan to write another blog post in the future detailing screenwriting.)
First of all, how long is a short story? Well, most magazines list it somewhere between 2,000 and 7,000 words. Personally, I wouldn't go any higher than 5k, just because it might be hard to sell. (And if it goes over 7k words, you probably have a novel or novella on your hands. The smallest seeds can bloom into big, beautiful flowers, so make sure you're writing a short story before you start.)
So, without further ado, I'd like to share with you some tips for writing short stories after writing one every day for two weeks:
1. Get to the Point
Novels are known for being heavy on prose and description, but when you're writing short stories, you must quickly identify what you're writing about, and find a fast way to get to the climax. Don't go overboard on background information or character descriptions! Eliminate long blocks of dialogue and description and gratuitous scenes (like a character walking down the street to get somewhere...unless they're attacked by a zombie or something while it happens.)
2. Start off with a Bang
As with any writing endeavor, the first sentence is very important - but it's especially true in a short story where the reader is expecting something to happen ASAP. For example, my short story, THE SLEEPWALKER, starts off like this: "I stood over the dead man, holding the bloody knife in my hand."
Immediately, the reader is filled with questions. Why is the man dead? Did the narrator kill him? What happens next? And so forth. Your first sentence should hook your reader - and convince them this is a short story worth sticking around for. Place your main character in danger/conflict immediately - and don't waste time making their life worse.
3. Have a Great Title
Okay, this is also true for novels. But if you're planning to submit your short stories, it's going to have to compete with other short stories and stand out to editors. Play around with different words and their meanings. Here are some of my short story titles: THE SLEEPWALKER, SWIPE LEFT TO KILL, MOTHER KNOWS BEST, THE FEMME CURSE, THE FORTUNE TELLER...The list goes on. But they should grab your reader's attention and make them think/guess.
4. Have a Satisfying Ending
We talked about starting off with a bang, but your ending should make waves, too. Decide at the beginning whether it's going to be a happy ending or a bad one. Whether your main character will live or die, save the day or fail, etc. "Satisfying" doesn't have to mean happy - it just has to end the story definitively. Short stories are often stand alone's - unlike novels that could be part of a series - so end it without leaving the reader wondering.
5. Learn (Read) from the Best
Whatever you want to write, you should read literature in that genre and medium. The same goes for short stories. Read some of Stephen King, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft...everything you can get your hands on. You can read many short stories online for free. It helps to see how the pros do it. You'll learn a lot about story structure, conflict, and character arcs just by reading.
*The Twilight Zone is an inspiration for my short stories. Many of the episodes were actually based on short stories written by famous writers. One of my favorites is "To Serve Man". A great short story and a great episode. And the episodes are only thirty minutes, so they must be told quickly before the show ends.
6. Cut, Cut, Cut
Short stories are short. Duh. Unlike a novel, you can't go on for pages and pages. Don't focus on cutting or editing during the first draft - just get the story down first. When you're finished, then you can go back and cut out unnecessary words and descriptions. Like, "he blinked his eyes". It's unnecessary because what else do you blink? Or "he sat down in the chair". Unless the chair is important (i.e: it will eat him or grow wings), then you can cut it and avoid lengthy sentences. The trick is to be concise, like your story is being told on a timer!
The good news is this: short stories are making a comeback. These days, with smart phones and video games, people have very small attention spans. Sometimes, people don't want to read a long novel. They want a good story, and they want it fast.
As for getting your short stories published, there are many magazines around looking for submissions. While it's tempting to submit to a big, famous publisher, try independent ones. They're more willing to take a chance on new writers. You could always self-publish your short stories and put them on your blog, too. I find there are more opportunities for short stories than novels sometimes!
All in all, I love short stories. If novels hadn't grabbed my heart, I'd probably spend more time writing smaller, shorter stories. It's just a fun way to get an idea down on paper quickly. And who knows - your short story could change the world.
As always, thanks for reading! Best of luck with your short storytelling! With novels, films, and television, it can be a lost art sometimes.
Sincerely,
Dana
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