Much of your writing plan will be corralled by the short story’s length. Will it be a 3000, 500, or 100-word short story (aka drabble)? The shorter the word count, the tighter the story needs to be in order to achieve the desired emotional feeling.
When your story is done, it should’ve satisfied at least three fundamental questions:
Why should the reader care?
Does the plot evoke wonder?
Was the reader entertained?
The challenge and advantage of a short story centers around cutting away anything unnecessary. The shorter the story, the more importance every word has. Those words must carry a lot to make the story work. Stories 750 words or less benefit greatly by driving directly to the point, like a short video. Think TikTok or YouTube Shorts. Stories over 750 words can open up a bit more, depending on the actual limit.
Short stories are the wrong prose for elaborate, flowery descriptions of door handles and windows. etc. Some aspects to leave for longer stories:
Intricate backstories
Intricate world building
Complex descriptions (people, places, or things)
Complex relationships/ personal dynamics
Run-on dialogue
Deep monologues
Side plots/ side characters
Imagine short stories like puddle-jumper planes. Twin props and eight seats meant to get the passengers somewhere nearby. Short stories take off into a prose, level off for a few minutes, begin their descent, and land with an ending. The audience gets a quick escape into another world and back again. There are no flight attendants or dinner options. There might only be a single pilot. Your story needs to act the same.
Leave the grand plot explorations for the longer 747, four-under-wing-turbine-engine word counts of several thousand words. These stories can absorb the writing turbulence of longer dialogue and complex plot dynamics.
Be careful with using dialogue. Conversation can quickly chew through word counts. Make sure the back and forth does at least one of two things: 1) move the plot along and/ or 2) develop character. Scrap any unnecessary pleasantries and casual banter.
The best short stories are the ones that the reader wishes they had more plot to enjoy. One of my favorite stories is about a woman who gets chased into her home’s hallway closet by demon dog-type creatures. The story begins with the main character securing herself inside. She contends with the moral dilemma about going back out into the hall where her partner is being eaten. Bruised and battered, she emerges into the hallway with her fists curled. The story ends with her saying, “Come get seconds.”
The story doesn’t explain who the characters are as people, how the monsters arrived, or anything besides the moral dilemma and her decision to fight to the end.
Quick takeaway:
Get into the story within the first lines
Grab and hold the reader’s interest
Avoid unnecessary descriptions
Avoid fluff dialogue
Conclude in a satisfying way
What do you find most challenging about short stories? Tell us in the comments below!
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