8 Steps for Writing a Short Story in English

Do you want to write a short story but aren’t sure where to start? In this blog article, we’ll show you how to go about writing a short story in ten simple steps. Whether you’re a novice or an expert writer, these suggestions can assist you develop a compelling as well as well-written tale. So, what do you have to lose? Let’s get this party started! Maybe you’ve always wanted to write a short story but didn’t know where to start. Perhaps you’ve tried and gotten stuck after a few paragraphs. Alternatively, maybe you’ve finished one and aren’t sure if it’s any good. I’ll teach you how to write a brief tale in 8 easy steps in this blog article. You may produce an interesting and well-written tale in no time by following these procedures! Do you enjoy reading short stories? There’s something about a well-written story that attracts you, whether it’s in a magazine, on the internet, or in a book. But how do you go about writing your own short tale? It might be difficult to know where to begin. That’s why we’re here to assist! We’ll show you through five simple steps to creating a short tale in this post. So grab your pen and paper and start writing!

8 Steps for Writing a Short Story

STEP 1: Know Your Basics.

Before you begin writing, it’s important to know how short stories work and how they’re structured. For example: how many characters you’ll need, how much dialogue is in the piece, and how long the story will be. Of course, there are no set rules when it comes to how long a short story should be; some may only last a few pages while others could run for hundreds of thousands (think Stephen King). However, on average, most short stories fall between around 3-7k words. Once you’ve determined how long your short story will be, it’s also helpful to think about how many characters you should have. For example, how many will be in play? What are their roles within the story? And how do these characters interact with one another?

STEP 2: Know Your Topics.

At this point, your short story might sound interesting to you, but how about your audience? As I mentioned before, there’s no set rule on how long a short story should be or how many characters need to be included. But it is important that certain elements are present in order for the piece to work well – something called “topic.” Topics help transition between scenes and give readers clues as to what will happen next (and keep them engaged). Some possible topics include: ● Love ● Horror ● Family conflict ● Jealousy ● Funny ● Kids / teens

STEP 3: Know How to Start.

Now that you’ve got the basics, it’s time to begin writing your short story. You’ll want to make sure that this first sentence (or paragraph) grabs the reader’s attention and makes them want to read more. A good way of doing this is by asking yourself certain questions before you write; questions like: Why does this story matter? Who are the main characters? What kinds of dialogue will be included? How many scenes should there be? What happens in each scene? After you’ve answered these questions, the next step is to create an outline for how the story unfolds. So how do you do this? Well…

STEP 4: Write an Outline.

Writing an outline is how we get the skeleton of our story and how we determine how each scene progresses. Sometimes, writers do this by creating a list (making sure that there’s a clear beginning, middle and end). Other times, writers find it easier to create goals and conflicts for their characters before they start writing each dialogue-heavy scene. The way you outline your short story doesn’t matter as much as how thorough your outline actually is. For example: what are the plot points? What motivation does each character have? How will these plot points impact said characters?

STEP 5: Put it All Together.

Now that you’ve created your plot points/scenes, outlined them with motivations, and put it all together, it’s time to start writing. Remember how I mentioned how short stories are like TV episodes? Well, this is where you apply that idea; with every scene, including the necessary elements (beginning, middle, and end) in order to make each one interesting and compelling for your readers.

STEP 6: Plan Out Your Scenes.

Before you start writing, it’s important to know how your scenes will connect with one another and how they’ll transition throughout the story. For example: how will the protagonist be introduced? What does he do in each scene? How do these actions affect him or how he views his world? After you’ve decided how each scene plays out, you’re ready to begin!

STEP 7: Write.

Depending on how long your short story is, this step could take some time. The only difference between writing short stories and full-length novels is that short stories usually focus on fewer characters (max 3) and one singular conflict per scene. Plus since they last for less time, writers spend less time developing their worldbuilding and overall concept when compared to how much work goes into writing novels.

STEP 8: Edit Your Story.

After you’ve finished writing, it’s time to edit and proofread your short story so that it’s ready for the world! This step requires a ton of attention to detail because it’ll determine how polished your final product is – from how clear each scene is to how well-developed each character is. Sometimes this step can take a while but remember… if your short story isn’t edited properly, then readers won’t enjoy it! And that’s no fun for anyone involved 😉

FINAL NOTES.

Not all short stories need to have the same amount of elements present in order for them to be successful. Some can even just be. But the general rule of how to write a short story is to include all the necessary elements that can help bring your concept to fruition. Just remember that if you’re having trouble writing how to write a short story, then perhaps there’s another type of narrative fiction you might enjoy writing. Either way, have fun with it!