Crafting Short Stories

Short stories can be a great way to showcase your writing, without tying yourself to writing a series. I join and organize multiple anthologies every year. It is a great way to get those creative juices flowing.

You may think that short stories are easier to write than a full length novel but you would only be half right. Yes, it is less work overall, but with less space to let your story unfold, you need to work hard to make sure it is paced correctly. Short stories are often a snapshot into your character's life, while a novel or a series may span years of their life. 

Most anthologies have an upper word limit, which means you may only have 20,000 words for example to tell your story. Some anthologies want stories under 5,000 words. So you can imagine how hard it is to decide what goes into the story and what must be left out.
I find with short stories that it is better to have a limited cast - 3 people at most. It will also likely take place over a short space of time - a few hours at most. 
In a novel, you can add the backstory to your character. In a short story, you need to be able to cut out what is unnecessary.

One of my recent short stories took place in a twenty minute window. The main character was running away from her abusive boyfriend and waiting on a train to take her to her parents' home. This added tension to the story. We learn in a few lines why the character is waiting on the train and what her boyfriend did to her. The rest of the story revolves around the character's paranoia as she waits for the train. 

Less is more in short stories, which is why show don't tell is more important than ever. Keep the story moving forward toward the goal you have set. Many readers can fill in the blanks when it comes to certain elements of the character's backstory. 

When you have completed the story, always get feedback on it before submitting, whether that is through your editor or a beta reader, as they can offer some insight into the story and help make it better.

Happy writing!