Short stories

PLOT

• Provide a slice of life. They usually deal with a single event and therefore have quite a simple plot and take place over a relatively short time span.

• DO NOT begin the story with lots and lots of background details – these need to be worked into the story gradually. DO NOT end the story by summarising what happens to the characters for the rest of their lives.

• Stories are expected to have a clear beginning, middle and end but not necessarily in that order. You can begin at a moment in time but use a flashback to fill in background details or use a flashforward to add tension.

• Try to avoid a predictable ending! (People will remember a good twist)

SETTING

• Where & when the story takes place.

• Clearly describe the surroundings so the reader can imagine being there.

• Try to create a specific mood & atmosphere – lighting, weather conditions, sights, sounds, smells…

CHARACTERS

• Only have 1 or 2 main characters to avoid confusion

• A character’s personality is revealed through what they say, what they do, how they look and from other people’s opinions & attitudes towards them.

• These details need to be revealed gradually and to be worked naturally into the act of telling the story.

• You can also reveal their thoughts and feelings, which gives the reader a greater insight into the character’s true self.

NOTE:

• Writers generally use the PAST TENSE when writing short stories.

There is no formula for writing a short story. Some of the best short stories ever written break ALL the ‘rules’. However there are some guidelines you can follow.

When we read a short story we are looking for

• an opening that rouses our curiosity
• a middle that draws us in emotionally
• an unexpected twist at the end

Hemingway once wrote a story 6 words long that contained all three of these elements

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn”

Legend has it he claimed this as his greatest work. Notice also how it manages to reveal something tragic & true about the lives we lead.

Other people suggest that there are four elements to writing a short story:

1. EXPOSITION – set the scene, describing the place where the story takes place, introduce the main character(s)
2. DEVELOPMENT OF PLOT – usually (but not always) one character wants something. They try to get it but something goes wrong. These complications form the body of the story as a series of events which prevent the main character from achieving his/her aims.
3. CRISIS / CLIMAX – often the main character has to make a difficult decision; the climax is the dramatic high point of the story
4. RESOLUTION – the conclusion of the story: this is often the hardest bit to write! Many great stories end with a twist, an unexpected event which shocks the reader.

Some people like to tie up loose ends but don’t overdo it – a short story is a slice of a person’s life, not their complete biography.