Creative writing is an art, yet the writers need to follow some guidelines depending on the style and genre of writing. Short story writing is a different sphere of its own where the writers need to narrate a complete story the beginning to the end in say 500 to 3000 words. Here are some tips which will help you master the art of short story writing:
Stick to your story and don’t get carried away from the main plot. DO NOT include anything which is not vital to the plot.
DO NOT build in too many characters. Include only those people who are really essential to the story. Unnecessary characterizations will only waste your words and space.
Try using a single word for a group of words. It would be a good idea to take help from the Thesaurus, because in story stories finding the perfect word is important.
Although this may appear confusing, but you should not concentrate on your word count after you write each sentence. When you’re writing your first draft don’t focus entirely on your word count. Look at your word count only after your first draft if finished and you’re ready to edit it.
All stories need a beginning, middle and end. Keep equal space for each part. If you spend up too many words in building a story, you may find yourself stuck when trying to wrap up the story.
Your short story needs editing and a re-thinking session if it:
• is covering too many topics
• is covering too large a time span
• has too many characters.
• starts too early in the tale.
• is too wordy.