Many they think that writing a story is much easier than writing a novel. but it is certainly not like that. It is even more difficult. And it is that you have to condense the whole story in a few pages and that is not easy. Do you want to know how to write a short story?
If you have seen a contest to enter, or you have had the opportunity to write a short story, then we give you the keys so you know how to do it. Pay attention.
What is a short story
A short story can be defined as a story that is shorter than a novel. But as you will understand, it remains somewhat ambiguous.
Actually, if we delve a little deeper into the characteristics of a short story, we could say that the length of these is usually not more than 2000 words. They are longer than a story but, at the same time, they are not even considered a story or a novel.
Characteristics of short stories
Short stories are similar to stories, but as the name suggests, they are shorter. In reality, they can tell the same thing as a story, but they do so in far fewer words. Some even talk about story summaries, since in that many words you don't have much space to expand.
But let's see what the features are:
- The most important role is that of the narrator. Because you don't have much to go on, the narrator is the person who manages to summarize or at least give you an idea of what is being told, without going into detail about the characters he is talking about.
- Unlike novels or stories, the short story does not have to have an introduction, middle and end rule. Here we can write about the knot, the outcome or even about an isolated fact of the characters.
- It focuses on a specific topic. Because its purpose is to tell that fact, nothing more, without giving context or history.
- You have different types of short stories, as are the realists, who narrate daily situations and make us empathize with it (because we have lived it or believe that it is possible). And the unrealistic ones, who can be extraordinary, with improbable situations; fantastic or wonderful (myths and legends).
How to write a short story: the best tips
Before launching into writing a short story, you should follow these tips to help you achieve an adequate result, of which you feel proud and, above all, that your readers like.
In this sense, the steps you must take before getting down to work are:
Know what you are going to tell
It may be that we have come up with an idea for the story and that we already know everything that is going to happen. But you must keep in mind that it is a short story, not a story or a novel.
In other words, you have to simplify the story, manage to focus only on the most important details so that the reader can follow the plot and understand it, and at the same time you do not spend many words to achieve it.
What are you looking for with the story?
Have you ever wondered, when you have started to write a novel, a story, or, as in this case, a short story, what do you want the reader to feel?
Do you want me to laugh? Let he cry? Maybe teach him something? A short story must have an objective and this is the effect that you are going to provoke in the reader. It may be that you want him to spend some time laughing, to intrigue him...
All of this will change the approach in which you should write.
Who is going to narrate the story?
Before we told you that in the short stories the narrator is the main character and the one who usually tells the story. But it really doesn't have to be that way. It may be that one of the characters is the one who tells it.
If you pay attention, we have just told you another point: are you going to write in the first person or in the third person? If you write it first, you have to choose a protagonist who will tell his version of the events. But in third person it gives you a bigger view.
what is the hook
In a short story, due to the fact that its length is ephemeral, you have to hook almost from the first sentence. And that is not easy.
For this reason, it is necessary that you have a hook, something that makes the reader not be able to detach himself from the story until he finishes it. And for this, you have to place it at the beginning.
Be careful not to use too many adjectives.
When you put many adjectives it seems that you have no other way to narrate. In other words, you'll be doing the style of your story is poor. it will always be better give importance to why the character does something than the fact that you say what that place is like.
In this case we can also apply it to descriptions. In a short story there is no room for them, and they are not important. Focus only on the facts, not on how everything is arranged (unless it is something that is related to the main objective).
Do not obsess
Neither with the number of words, nor with reaching a fantastic result. The first short stories you write may not be good, but with practice you will refine your style and get where you want to go: to write good short stories.
The important thing is to have patience because getting to be good at something implies that you have to dedicate a lot of effort and work.
Let it rest and read it
After finishing it, our recommendation is that let it rest, at least a week, so you can read it again and see if it has faults, inconsistent things or if something fails in the plot. When you have finished it, leave it to a zero reader so that they can assess if it is good, if something generates doubts, etc.
The evaluation of a reader can come in handy to know if you meet the objective that you have set for yourself with the reader.
Is it now clearer to you how to write a short story?