What Is A Short Story? + FAQ | Writing Tips

Frequently Asked Questions on Short Stories

• What is a short story? Think of a book with many chapters. A short story would include a few chapters from the middle of the story, maybe even including the climax. Short stories should still include its own elements of a story.

• How short is a short story? Usually, it can be from 3,000 to 10,000 words, but it can be less or more depending on the way it is written. A common mistake often made with beginner writers is thinking too big. Short stories can be in a time frame from seconds to weeks, but usually not much longer.

• How do you develop your characters in a short story? Before you start your story, build your characters and know them like the back of your hand. Think of their personality, looks, age, hobbies, family, and friends. If you do this, you will have a stronger point of view to write with (especially in first person).

• What are important components in a short story? You should have a title that properly encompasses the story. Be sure to have a main character, and to keep readers indulged in your writing, add events that impact the character deeply. Short stories often end with the reader feeling a certain way, like they want to read more. This keeps readers from getting bored and allows them to pay closer attention to your story.

• What is the difference between flash fiction and short stories? Flash fiction is much shorter, ranging from 10 to 1500 words. Flash fiction doesn't have much room for strong character development, unlike short stories.

Short Story Tips

• Don't attempt to write a short story in a day. Nope. Don't do it. It helps to take breaks with each paragraph or two that you write so you can come back to it with a fresh mind and new ideas.

• If a book is a watermelon, make your short story a seed. Short stories are short. It's as simple as that.

• Have a strong ending. Your story should leave readers being able to share emotions with your character, but not leave them with questions in mind (Ex. Why did ___ do this? What happened to ___?)

• When you finish, either reread it yourself or have someone else read it to bring ideas from a new point of view. Make sure to edit multiple times!

• Write about a topic that you have experience with. Don't attempt writing a story about a subject you are unfamiliar with to avoid confusion and mistakes. (I will also post research tips for short stories which you can check out soon!)

• If you are writing your story online, make self-comments on parts you want to fix later or words that don't make sense in a context.

Thank you for reading this post! I hope to post a short story on this blog (as soon as I write another one). Please enter the Student Writing Feature if you are a student in grades 3-12 who would like to have your writing showcased! To do so, fill out the form on the home page. Finally, don't forget to comment and let me know what you think. Keep writing and check in soon!