Many people think that writing a short story should be pretty easy. After all, its only about two to four thousand words that they have to get down on the page. But, when they sit down to actually write the thing, they may discover something. Writing a short story is not as easy as it sounds.
There are two main problems people run into when writing a short story. One is not putting enough into it, and the other is putting too much in. With this easy seven-step plan for short story writing, you should be able to turn out great short stories in no time.
Step One: Theme
The theme is basically a one-sentence description of what your story is about. It’s not the plot, or story line, or the short story, but the meaning behind it. Possible themes for short stories include: good triumphs over evil, true love will never die, or even liars can prosper.
Step Two: Setting
The setting of your short story answers the questions where, and when. In a short story, where less detail is required, this can be pretty general. Possible settings include: Paris in 1890, a suburban neighborhood in 1980, or the trunk of a car at night.
Step Three: Characters
You should limit yourself to two or three main characters in a short story. After all, you only have a limited amount of words to describe what happens to them. Do a basic character sketch of each one so you know what makes him or her tick.
Step Four: Conflict
Conflict is the guts of any short story. You have to make your character have some sort of problem. Without conflict, there is no dramatic tension, and your short story ends up being boring. Possible conflicts could be: stood up by a date for the prom, capture by a man with a gun, or something as innocuous as lack of rain.
Step Five: More Conflict
After you introduce the conflict, people don’t want it to be solved right away. You should make your short story even more exciting by adding conflict atop more conflict. So, Betty Sue was stood up for the prom. Well, what if it is because her date was murdered and now she’s a suspect?
Step Six: The Change
To bring an end to all this conflict in your short story, something must change. This is a great place for character development. Perhaps Betty Sue, usually an airheaded bimbo, decides to study law so she can defend herself against these false accusations.
Step Seven: The Resolution
Before you can write “The End” on your short story, things need to be tied up. Betty Sue has to be let out of jail or convicted and locked up for life. Whether a happy ending, or a tragic one, there must be resolution in your short story.
Using this seven-step plan for short story writing will make your story writing easier. You will not have to struggle any more with putting too much, or too little, in your stories. And remember, using a formula is not somehow lacking in creativity. It is what you come up with to put in the formula that counts.
