How to Write a Good Short Story (According to Me)

Recently, I've embarked on yet another new endeavor. 

Along with about 40 or so members of the Twitter #WritingCommunity, under the editorial directorship of Renee Gendron, I'm attempting to write a short story for an anthology for the first time. Like with most anthologies (from what I understand), I've been given guidelines as to what I can do with this short story. As much as I want to divulge everything on that subject, I can't at the moment.

What I can tell you is this: 

1. The story can't exceed a specified word count.

2. It has to relate to a particular theme.

3. It must have an uplifting ending (no "wicked bummers" allowed).

4. It has to contain some sort of romantic (as in love) element. 

There are also some world-building details we must adhere to, but again, I can't divulge too much. Beyond that, in terms of genre, we're at liberty to do what we wish. 

Courtesy: Wattpad

Now, I know some of you looking at that list might be thinking, Jesus, all those restrictions for a short story? That looks so stifling. I could never do that. It would totally inhibit my creativity. And fair enough. Some writers work best when they're given total creative freedom. Other writers, and I class myself in with this group, can work within guidelines, especially with a form as flexible as the short story. 

The one requirement of a short story is there in the name: it has to be short. This is the one place where writers like me (who are not good at short when it comes to fiction) struggle a bit when working on our own. But, when given specific guidelines, I can usually adhere. I've studied the craft of fiction writing long enough to figure out some basic truths that, at least for someone like me, can act as the building blocks of good short stories. So, like my hero Kurt Vonnegut, I've chosen to compile my own list of tips on How to Write a Good Short Story. 

(Keep in mind, of course, that these tips are what work for me. As with all writing advice, remember the two truly universal rules of the craft: 1. Everybody Does It Differently and 2. There Are No Absolutes. If you can gleam some knowledge from this that helps you become a better writer, great. Otherwise, feel free to disregard them.)

1. If Possible, Start with a Character

Of the five elements of story/fiction (plot, character, settling, conflict, and theme), I've always found that the most important one among them was Character. Most stories are about someone as much as they are about something. All of the other elements of fiction (with the exception of maybe conflict) can be less important and less apparent in stories. However, if you place less importance on character, I've found, that no one will care what happens in your story because they won't care about to who the events are happening. 

2. Figure Out What Your Character Wants

Motivation. People are driven to act for a reason. They want something, or they wish to achieve something. What is true in life is also true in fiction. If you can figure out your character to the point where you know exactly what it is that they want, you can better determine what will happen in your story. Many stories follow a classic structure of the "try/fail" cycle: your character wants something, they try to get it, and something prevents them from doing so. Rinse, wash, repeat, until either they achieve their goal, or the pursuit destroys them. 

3. When Possible, Start with a Bang

In writing, there's a technique called in medias res, which literally means "in the midst of things." When writing in a form like the short story, which is largely defined by its length rather than content, it's best to start as close to the commencement of the action as possible. The moment when the real heart of the story begins--when you know who your character is, what they want, and they set out to get it--is the moment where you should bring the readers into your tale. If you can toss them, head-first, into a conflict, that's would be even better. Conflict gives your character a chance to introduce themselves, and their motivation, through action. It can show you exactly what kind of person your character is by displaying what they're willing to do to get what they want.

4. Stay Focused on the Heart of the Story

In that last tip, I touched on this briefly. While the absolutist form of show, don't tell has always annoyed me, there is a grain of truth in the adage. Particularly in a short story, where brevity is key, every scene must play a role. Every scene (which is where you show) must advance the story. Everything else is unimportant. As much as you may want to go into a long description of your character's past or the world they live in, you don't have the space (unless you're writing a novel). Focus on the story you're trying to tell and keep it moving. Anything that doesn't advance the story forward doesn't belong in it.

5. Keep Economy in Mind

Finally, I wish to hammer home one key detail. A short story, by it's nature, must be short. To that end, you have to do the maximum you can with as few possible words. You don't have the endless pages of a novel to move back and forth through time and space. You've got, at the most, 30 pages (or less, if you're trying for flash fiction or adhering to a maximum word count), and in that 30 pages you have to tell a whole story. With that in mind, watch your word counts. If you can find language to express an important sentiment in 5 words instead of 10, employ it. Like in poetry, every word counts. 

If these tips help you with writing better short stories, or just help you write better in general, then wonderful. Most of them, to me, seem like elementary commonsense, but reinforcing and reemphasizing the basics of anything has never been a bad thing in my experience. In the meantime, I've got a story to finish and get workshopped, so if you'll excuse me...