Write Better Short Stories
Character, Point of View, Theme, Focus and Plenty of Practice
Apr 22, 2007
It is not really easy to formulate how to write better short stories There are many books on his subject with theories and techniques - some good, some not so good. But for those who truly want to write better short stories, there is only one way - practice makes perfect.
Read Books by Experts and Practice
Sure there are experts on short story writing, there are experts on everything, so find two or three experts or writing teachers you enjoy, and then just be prepared to do the time.
Good short stories are really very difficult to write. In a way, precisely because people seem to think that just because they are shorter, they are easier to write than a novel. This is ridiculous - a poem is short and some reckon it is most difficult to write!
Short Stories are Different
And don't think that writing short stories is the same as writing an article. Well, discipline wise, short stories are… let’s say different … but they certainly don’t require any less talent, craft or skill than a novel or a poem.
Although a 100 m sprint race may be completed more quickly than a marathon, that doesn’t mean the athlete trains less or has less stamina or technique than the marathon runner. It’s just a different discipline – and like with most things in life, it takes hard work to really be good.
Writing Better Short Stories
By following these pointers you will be able to write better short stories - maybe not award-winning short stories, but they will certainly be better:
- Write a really good first paragraph. If you can captivate your reader with something unexpected – with some action, tension or drama you’re off to a good start. Get into it immediately, don’t mess around.
- Have a clear theme. What is the story about? Be really clear. This question isn't about the plot line (the sequence of events or the character's actions).The themes - the underlying message or statement behind the words. If you really get this right, your short story will have deep resonance in the minds of your readers. People will remember your story; it won’t just be like a fast-food snack that leaves you hungry half an hour after you've gobbled it up.
- An effective short story covers a very short time span. It may be only one single event that proves pivotal in the life of the character, and that event could illustrate the theme. Maybe the whole story will focus on that one life-changing event. Just remember, keep it simple and tight.
- Don't have too many characters. Each new character will bring a new dimension with plenty of complications to the story. For an effective short story, too many different dimensions or directions or names will dilute the theme. The story will become weaker and the focus blurred. Make sure there are only just enough characters to illustrate your theme.
- Create interesting, multifaceted characters who live and breathe and sweat and hate and love on your pages. Make them come to life.
- Make every word count. There is no room for unnecessary expansion in a short story. You don’t have 60 000 or 80 000 words, you have 500 or 2 500. Remember, if every word is not working towards putting across the theme; it is making your story messy – delete it. Start with the adjectives, most of them can go anyway.
- Chose a point of view. First person is I; second person is you and third person is he, she or it. You must choose who is going to be the narrator. And then stick to it.
- Focus. Focus. Focus. The best short stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. Short, sweet and to the point.
The Point of the Short Story is the Theme
Remember to ask yourself the question - what is the point of your story? Its point is its theme. Just so you don’t forget, write the theme in one or two lines on a piece of cardboard in big letters and pin it up on the wall in front of you. Keep on looking at it. In a short story you have to follow the straight and narrow otherwise you end up with either a beginning of a novel or a jumble of ideas.
Some books that will help you write better short stories:
Writing Short Stories – Ailsa Cox
