Here are my top tips for writing good short stories:
1. Try developing a flash fiction into a short story. This is something I have talked about before, but I think it's such an important skill. Through this, you will learn what parts of your story need developing or setting up more. Indulge yourself in a description or set up your characters better. No work is bad work.
2. As I said above, you have much more room for exposition in a short story. Set your scenes better and make your character descriptions more explicit. But don't forget: you're still limited by the word count!
3. Don't be afraid to cut things out of your work. This can be really upsetting, especially when you've spent so long writing them. But just because they're not right for this piece it doesn't mean you have to throw it away! Save it for a rainy day, use it to write another story or to do some writing exercises.
Tip: keep all of the cut work you still want to keep in a word document or physically cut out in a drawer. This way you'll be able to find them easily when you need to. It will also encourage you to look back over other things you've kept, even when you're looking for something specific.
4. Keep practicing! Writing short stories and flash fictions don't take long, especially for a first draft, so do it as much as you can! The more you write, the better you'll get. You might even use short stories you've written now as inspiration in the future. Start writing them in your notebook and then either write or type them up somewhere you can find them again.
Tip: it's useful to have two notebooks; one for every day ideas, observations and writing practice, and one for your more polished pieces. This way you can find your more developed ideas without having to look through all the writing in your notebooks.
5. Editing is really important. Like with a flash fiction, you don't want to waste words. When you edit other people's work, it's much easier to spot grammatical or plot mistakes. Take a break from your work before you edit it. Another good tip is to get other people to read your work - if you're afraid of being judged by family/friends, you can join a writing group either online or in your local community.
6. It needs to be engaging from the start. The longer your writing gets, the more interesting it needs to be. Someone might be inclined to finish reading your flash fiction because it will only take a few minutes, but for short stories or longer, you need to work to maintain interest. I will go into a little more detail on this as we progress in story length, but this is where your editing and cutting skills really come into play.
Happy writing!
Comments