7 Steps to Writing a Flawless Short Story

Hello there! Welcome to the That Weird Writer... Blog. Today we are talking about something very close to my heart—short stories!

When I started writing, about three years ago, I started writing novels. Since then I've been exposed to a ton of different types of literature and for some reason, the short story has stuck with me.

Over the last year, I've learned a lot about short stories and how to write them effectively. With my current short story, The Lonely Crow, being sent out to beta readers within the next few days, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk about short stories. Below are my 7 steps to writing a flawless short story.

1. A Short Story vs. A Novel—Do Your Research

The first step to writing a fabulous and exciting short story is to understand what a short story is and more importantly, to realize the difference between a short story and other types of literature, specifically novels. Below I list the main differences between novels and short stories. I think all good short stories should do these things and if you are going to write short stories, you need to understand what makes a good short story and the original criteria of this literary style, even if you break this criteria later.

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"Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist." - Pablo Picasso

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• A short story is between 1,000-8,5000 words.

• A novel can have a word count stretching from 50,000 to 400,000+.

• A short story is meant to tell and captivate on an important scene in a character's life.

• A novel can tell a character's whole life story and consists of many scenes, not just a few.

• A short story usually does not have more than 4 characters. Most have 2-3, and all of the characters influence the story and are important.

• A novel can have dozens of characters. Some minor and some major.

• A short story usually has an underlying theme. This is a lesson the character learns or the reader learns. It can be straightforward or something the reader must read closely to pick up on.

• Novels consist of lots of themes, some more apparent and important than others.

• Novels are usually full of physical conflicts, things like physical villains, battles, and high stake adventures.

• The conflict in a short story usually has more to do with an emotion or more abstract topic—love, death, the mysteries of life, and these themes are often poetic.

It's not to say that novels can't have these themes. There are plenty of novels about romance just like there are short stories about aliens and elaborate battles. I just hope to give you a clearer view of the differences between short stories and novels because it was these differences that made me fall in love with short stories in the first place.

2. Outline Your Story

Now that you know what a short story is, it's time to flesh out your next masterpiece. Start with an idea, even if it's just a single moment of the character's life. When writing a short story, I like to start with creating my main character. It is so important to have a unique and interesting main character, especially for your short story. Short stories don't have time to make your characters likable or interesting. You don't have time to tell their entire backstory to the reader. You have to pick the interesting things about your character to show the reader. By developing your characters first, you can work out a plot based on their flaws, personality, and what you want them to learn throughout the story. By doing this you now have a main character and a plot. From those characters and from that plot, you can pull a theme.

Short stories have themes. It's a core part of their outline. As the writer, it's your job to find that theme, usually the thing the character learns/learned from the scene you're showing, and run with it. Make it obvious, but don't come right out and say it.

3. Write the First Draft

After you have a rough plan of your characters and the scene or scenes that will be included in your story, it's time to write it. I find the first draft of writing a short story super exciting. As you write, you will change things. Things will become more clear, and you will need to change your characters, plot, and theme to realign them with the new vision in your head, just like you would with a novel or any type of creative writing.

4. Revise

Once your first draft is finished, take a break. I go two weeks to a month without reading through my story. This is because in order to make your work better, you have to look at it from the perspective of the reader. After the time has past, I open my computer and read through my short story one time without stopping or making comments. Then I read through it again highlighting the things I think need to be changed, added, or removed. This process usually takes me a few days. When I finish, I edit my story focusing on the bigger elements like my characters and plot. I make sure everything is smooth and there are no inconsistencies or important parts of the story I'm leaving out.

5. Add Your Finishing Touches

During this step, I focus mainly on theme, setting, and grammar. I make sure my theme is strong and shines through. I also make sure the characters are interesting and work together well. This is just a final edit to wrap everything up.

This is just my short story writing process, and I strongly encourage you to come up with your own. Try different techniques. Write one story one way and write another completely differently. The important part is that you keep writing and improving.

6. Have People Read it

Have your story read! I cannot say it enough. Have friends and family read it and give you feedback. Make changes and edits as needed. Find beta readers, (Don't know what that is, check out my last blog post). Just get someone to read your work and give you honest feedback. You may be scared, but it will definitely help your writing in the long run.

7. Writer Another!

The last step to writing a flawless short story is to write another one. One of the things I love about short stories is that they are so short. This means you can write a couple of them every few months. You can also read them quickly. Novels may take years to write, but a short story can be written in a few weeks if you're really dedicated. The only way to improve your ability to write short stories and to better understand this type of literature is to practice. Once you have multiple stories, you can put your best ones into a collection! The possibilities are endless, so take advantage of this opportunity. Happy writing!

Thank you so much for reading this blog. I hope you enjoyed it, and are on your way to creating beautiful short stories that your readers will never forget.

It's been a pleasure writing for you, and until next time—stay weird and stay writing. - Lexi