14 Tips On Writing The Short-Short Story

The short-short story has been likened by some as being closer to writing a poem than a story. And that makes sense-every word has to be packed with power; every line has to move the story along.

The Writing For Success short story competition requires you to write a very short story-the word limit is just 900 words. Here are some tips to help you make every word count.

  • The opening paragraph is the most important one in a short story. Use it to hook your readers and draw them into the ongoing drama of your story.

  • In the opening lines, you have to do the following:

    • Set the scene

    • Introduce the main character

    • Reveal the main character's mood, approximate age, his/her goal or problem

    • Show that something interesting is about to happen

  • Begin with a character and let this person take you where they want to go-then when the story is written, edit, shape and tighten your prose.

  • Decide whose story this is. Choose one viewpoint and stick to it.

  • Don't force your characters to speak words that sound out of character or engage in actions that don't suit their personality.

  • Avoid detailed descriptions of setting - give the reader a quick 'snapshot'. A few powerful words or phrases can do a lot of work.

  • Use the same approach to describe the character's appearance. Choose words that trigger the reader's imagination and let him/her fill in the gaps - e.g. "She had a loose-limbed, healthy outdoor look about her".

  • Try to avoid plots that hinge on a coincidence or a misunderstanding that could be cleared up if the characters would just talk to each other. (You have to be a very good writer to pull this off so the reader is satisfied.)

  • Very short stories are a bit like jokes: they build up to a twist or a punchline. The difficult part is playing fair with the reader in having all the clues there, without making the outcome too obvious.

  • Show that your character has grown or changed in some way-she has a new understanding of people or of herself; she has learned a lesson; she has changed her attitude. NOTE: If your character 'comes to realise' something important, make sure she comes to this realization through a strong piece of action or a powerful lesson-not through a weak, "Oh, my goodness, I never thought of it that way before - silly me!"

  • Appeal to your reader's emotions. We all identify with loss, sorrow, disappointment, frustration - make sure that emotions are powerful elements in your story.

  • Make every word of dialogue count - avoid aimless 'how are you today?' type exchanges; let actions take the place of words on occasions. And remember there's no need to TELL as well as SHOW - for example, if you write "Marcia was really angry at his words. Her face grew scarlet with rage as she yelled, "I can't believe you said that! Get out of here!' then you've wasted ten words. You could simply have said: Marcia's face grew scarlet with rage. "I can't believe you said that! Get out of here!"

  • When it's time to edit, remember that every word has to move the story forward. Yes, I know I've already said that - but it's worth saying a hundred times, because one of the hardest things a writer can do is cut words. You have to be tough. Cut out whatever is unnecessary; poorly expressed; overly detailed. In a very short story, it's more likely to be what you've cut out that sells your work than what you've left in.

  • STUDY YOUR MARKET. This seems painfully obvious, but so many writers just can't be bothered. It makes sense to study your target market. There are a number of magazines that publish the short-short story of around 900 words - read as many as you can! (C) Copyright Marg McAlister

    Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers' tipsheet at http://www.writing4success.com/

    In The News:

    • pen paper and inkwell


    cat break through


    Alternative View Points and the Lamp of Creativity

    Pictures they say are worth a thousand words, but many... Read More

    Essay Types and Modes Youll Need to Write for College

    ~TYPES~You Want Us to Write What? Understanding the Task AssignedWhich... Read More

    Freelancing Doesnt Mean Writing For Free. Does it?

    Writer's forums are bustling with debate over whether or not... Read More

    A Simple Contest with a Strong Message: Wake Up Your Writing Spirit

    The Blogfest 2005 Writing Contest has only been running for... Read More

    Celebrating Writing and Life

    Every morning I excitedly get out of bed. Just a... Read More

    The Dreaded Daily Word Count

    Open any book on 'how to write,' and somewhere you... Read More

    How To Write Your Book Within A Week

    Everyone has a book inside them, or so the saying... Read More

    7 Book Publicity Tips for Authors and Small Publishers

    The biggest mistake authors make when trying to get free... Read More

    Learning How To Write

    As a student of Spanish, my goal was to think... Read More

    Seven Important Lessons for Experts Who Want to Get Published

    At first, I noticed that I could have written many... Read More

    8 Ways to Improve Your Writing Immediately

    Is it possible to improve your writing instantly? The answer,... Read More

    Pages: Your Book of Life

    Many of us dream of writing a book. Why not.... Read More

    Top 10 Tips to Complete a Creative Writing Project Without Losing Your Creativity

    Have you ever started a creative writing project with great... Read More

    Plotting By Personality - Work With Your Natural Instincts

    What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More

    How To Stay Fit While Writing

    Day after day, writers tend to sit for hours writing... Read More

    Writing Helpful Help ? A Minimalism Checklist

    User documentation is all too often written by programmers for... Read More

    Imagine The Imagination

    Imagine a three hundred page book was in the author's... Read More

    A Checklist For Drafting Business Letters And Emails

    Write Right - You have an all important business letter... Read More

    Making The Time To Write That Novel

    Finding the time to write a novel is one of... Read More

    Learning to Question Your Elephant Child: Who, What, Where, When and Why

    Having problems writing? I don't know why. San Francisco Chronicle... Read More

    How to Outline your Book and Chapters with Mindmapping

    Mindmapping is better than linear outlining because authors can use... Read More

    Writing Made Them Rich #4: Paulo Coelho

    Paulo Coelho was born on August 24th 1947 in Rio... Read More

    Writing Made Them Rich #2: Charles Dickens

    Charles Dickens was born in Portsea, England, in1812. His father... Read More

    Screenwriting ? Five Golden Insights

    Originality emerges from structure. Once you have a story idea,... Read More

    Do You Plot With Your Character In Mind?

    Creative Writing Tips ?You are plotting the story. You write... Read More

    How To Write to a Word Count

    You've finished your story, and you're pretty happy with it.... Read More

    Writers Block is No Longer a Problem

    "If you're like me, than I'm sure you're pretty familiar... Read More

    Screenwriting, Screenplays, Screenwriters - Writing a Screenplay Using Structure

    Effective screenwriting relies on the good understanding and use of... Read More

    Common Writing Mistakes

    Most books aren't rejected because the stories are "bad." They're... Read More

    Top Ten Tips (Part 2)

    Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to... Read More

    Zany Ideas That Increase Writing Productivity And Quality

    Welcome to the zany ideas of a productive writer. My... Read More

    Mexican Living: Pasatiempo

    It occurred to me one day that I needed something... Read More

    Break in with Fillers: The Best Market for New Writers

    Interested in breaking into writing or breaking into a new... Read More