“For me, writing a short story is much, much harder than writing a novel.”-Lynn Abbey
The article is much more than just talking about how to write a short story. Writing short stories is a much more complex task as compared to writing novels. I agree that writing a gripping short story can be a daunting task. But somehow I love to write short stories as much as novels. Before we take a look on how we can write a gripping short story, it’s important to understand what makes it different from a novel.
Word length-
A typical novel can be anywhere around 30,000- 50,000 words. But a short story as the name implies is short! A traditional short story such as written by Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy would lie between 5,000-10,000 words. However, I and my writer friends prefer to write much shorter stories. The reason behind it is gripping readers’ attention with crispier words and bolder expression.
Generate an idea- Before starting the actual process of writing, a writer needs to have an idea to work upon. There are several ways of generating an idea. Here are a few of my favorites-
- Travel– A small café in the neighbourhood or a visit to a mall would also do the trick. You don’t have to go on an exotic vacation or a retreat to make an idea pop up. Make a point to carry a pen and a notepad and write down pointers as you sip your latte and observe your surroundings while listening to Linkin Park in the background. A change in the scenery stimulates our minds and can prove to be extremely if one is facing writer’s blocks or wants to click upon a new idea.
- Listen to music– Provided it’s an instrumental track. I find lyrics hindering with my thought process and hence I avoid listening to lyrical music. I tune into a piano or a violin track and mix it up with EDM depending upon the mood of the story. You can check out my Spotify playlist for some inspiration.
- Watch a movie– Movies like Little Women and London Fields prove to be wonderful for finding inspiration for writing a new short story. Their protagonist is a writer and the process he/she goes through left me in complete awe. You can also find inspiration for your character or story setting through Netflix shows.
STEPS-
Lets’ come to the main agenda. The four steps I follow to write a short story-
- Summarize your story in 1 line-After finalizing your idea now is the time to put it on paper. Try and write it in one sentence . Example- I fought the demons through hell only to find I was trapped till eternity. When you write a complete story in a sentence you get to know the start, the end and every loophole that might be there in the middle.
- Decide your character’s importance/traits– A short story generally focuses only on one aspect of the character’s life. As a writer, I try to make it as exciting as possible. Due to a constricted word limit, I cannot write much about the character’s background hence, it’s important to show the traits rather than telling. Example- He was a predator who was always hungry. Like a wolf he growled and then attacked his prey. It’s important to make your readers aware about the characteristics of your characters in a bold manner, using fewer words packed with expression.
- Story theme– After summarizing your short story and deciding upon whether your main character is a protagonist or an antagonist, it’ll be easier for you to determine the theme of your story. It might be a fantasy mixed with romance or suspense with an element of horror or something entirely different.
- Advanced outlining– After getting a general idea of how you want to write your short story it’s time to outline it at an advanced level. I usually add fillers as I proceed writing my own. If you want a general idea how my short stories are like you can click here. Advanced outlining means elaborating the scenes, writing dialogues as and when required and narration. I usually write very few dialogues or skip them altogether because I don’t want to waste words on them.
After following the four steps mentioned above, I am able to write my short stories in a more natural flow with lesser hurdles and blocks. You may add more steps or modify these as per your convenience. I do hope that you’ll be able to write your short story in a better manner if you decide to take up these steps.
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Love,
Ritiqa.
