This is understandable, but for a short story, you need to cut everything that’s non-essential to the main turning point of your story. Writers often try to cram too much information and backstory into the first draft – they try to make too much happen. > Read more: Thinking of joining a writing group? Ask yourself these eight questions first. In short fiction, your characters’ motivation must be crystal clear.
Write your character’s name on a piece of paper and visually, map out everything about that character.Īsk yourself, what do they look like? What do they want? How do they think and feel? What’s going on in their head? One good way to work this through is to create a mind map of your character. You have to have a sense of what makes them tick because that’s the key to the turn in the story. Getting to the nub of what your character wants quickly is key. “Don’t paint your prose purple, plunge your character into a conflict using dialogue.” 6.
Put two or three of your characters into a scene and give them something to do – like pack a suitcase together.ĭo they argue? Is there drama? If they’re too similar, your job is to make them different in the next draft. Writing dialogue is a great way to make characters come alive. Plunge your main character into the drama straight away. Try not to spend too long scene setting – get stuck in. Start with your curiosity and go from there. The best place to start is with what interests you about your character, your idea or your situation. More planning is not going to help you reveal your story so dive in and chip away! 5. You start off with a big block of marble and over time you keep chipping away at the story takes shape. Trust that in the process of writing and re-writing your story will emerge.įor me, short story writing is like crafting sculpture. I used to do a lot of planning but now I prefer to dive in and spend more time on revising the story – my short stories take around seven drafts to get them right. “Try to find a single point of conflict – not many points.” 4. Whilst a novel might have lots of turning points, a short story typically has just the one so when you’re setting out, try to keep it simple. It can be something internal, subtle or emotional. The ‘but’ doesn’t need to be a dramatic event. It’s when your character has a revelation or an insight, faces a decision or dilemma of some kind. The character wants X but Y happens instead. Start with a single point of conflictĪll good short stories have a turning point where the main conflict happens.
> Read more: 10 tips to learn from a creative writing lecturer 3. Observe people in cafes or on your commute – ask yourself what’s their story? Who are they? What interests you? Also, I’m a big fan of people watching. Do this three or four times until you find something that interests you.Īlso, images and pictures of people act as great prompts as do short videos on Vimeo – look at the detail in these images. If after your freewrite you’re still feeling stuck, look for a word or a phrase that really sticks out for you in the piece that you’ve written and make that the prompt for your next freewrite. > Read more: How small steps lead to great progress 2.
“Before you start writing, try to limber up your creative muscles.” Don’t worry about spelling or grammar – nobody else is going to read it – just keep writing until the time is up. What associations do they conjure up? Write whatever comes into your head – without looking back and without editing.
#Easy short stories to write about how to#
Here, prize-winning short story writer and novelist Rachel Connor, shares her eight best coaching tips teaching you how to write a short story – from beginning to end. Short story writing might be a popular way into long-form writing fiction but don’t mistake short for easy. Thinking of joining a writing group? Ask yourself these 8 questions first.Why I track and monitor my writing progress by Wyl Menmuir.Why collaborating with others builds your writing resilience.
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