No matter how hard I try. I find that whenever I write a "short story" I think "What about this? And this? And this?" And then I keep writing.
And writing.
And then I find myself with 25,000 word "short stories" that I cannot possibly sell to anybody.
I think that it may be because I place myself in my readers head and ask a million questions about the story / characters / plot and then try to asnwer them all.
Any tips for "short" story writing?
Posted by The Fae-Ray (Member # 3084) on :
I don't really have any tips, because I suffer from the same problem. I was supposed to write a short story for class a while back and it ended up around 30 pages or something. Ooops.
Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :
Its frustrating for me, as I really, honestly do set out to write short stories.
They just.... erupt.
Posted by Rahl22 (Member # 1411) on :
How's this?
Write novels instead.
Seriously. This is not a bad thing. Actually, it's probably a good thing.
Posted by Shendülféa (Member # 2964) on :
There's no rule saying that you have to get short stories published in order to publish a novel. Sure, it makes it a lot easier (at least from what I have heard), but it's not absolutely necessary.
(I'm assuming this is why you are writing short stories in the first place. If not, then ignore everything I just said. )
Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :
I try to pound out short stories for a few reasons. First, it is to try to get stuff published before trying to sell my WIP novel. Second, I think its good practice to write little things instead of big stories all the time. Third, I'd like to be able to hand out short stories of mine to friends and family to show off my writing prowess .
But I think that I may just stick to novellas and novels.
We're not all cut out for the "short story" thing I guess.
Posted by Jeraliey (Member # 2147) on :
Either that or you just haven't hit your particular style of keeping the stories short. Keep practicing and trying new things; I'll bet it'll come eventually!
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
Hmm. Can't help you as I have the opposite problem. I can't write long stories. Even if I think I have enough plot for a novel, once I start writing it, it naturally condenses and I find I once again have a short story.
Posted by Kickle (Member # 1934) on :
My natural style is detailed and long. To write shorter stories I have to limit the number of characters ( as in down to 2), limit the time period, use one location and make sure I have one plot with no off shoots. I think about a single moment when the world as my character knows it changes and I write from there. Personally, I have learned a great deal from writing short stories and I do think it has improved the quality of my longer works.
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
I used to think severely limiting the number of characters, of locations and of plot ramifications was the answer. It doesn't really seem to be working anymore, though (I peak at 7000 words and it doesn't really get shorter anymore).
I'm reasonably sure some of us are not cut our for short fiction, although writing short fiction, as has been mentioned elsewhere, is a very good exercise (but then, so is writing a novel).
Posted by JmariC (Member # 2698) on :
Try time limited writing.
If you only give yourself 1 hour to complete a story, you will be limited by your typing speed and will by force have to deal with less words.
[This message has been edited by 'Graff (edited January 10, 2006).]
Posted by Silver3 (Member # 2174) on :
*cheers Graff on*
The flash challenges are certainly a good place to write short.
Posted by Lord Darkstorm (Member # 1610) on :
I agree, doing flash does help you to write shorter and faster. It isn't easy for me to switch gears between novel and short stories. The more I work on a novel, the less I find I can keep short stories short.
I say stick with novels.
Posted by luapc (Member # 2878) on :
I would suggest thinking about a short story as no more than a chapter or a scene of a longer novel. Often, authors will write a short story, only to expand it later into a novel. One of these that comes to mind is OSC's Ender's Game, which started out as a short story. The opposite works as well, and many authors publish exerpts from a novel as a short story because the small snippet can stand alone.
Not only does this give you an opportunity to produce shorter, sellable fiction, but will enhance your novel writting skills by forcing chapters to become more stand-alone segments, giving distinct chapter breaks, which always seems to enhance a novel, in my opinion.
If you want to check how this works, take a look at one of your own novel attemps and see if a chapter from it might fit. Or look at a published novel from an author you like, and see if any of their chapters might be able to stand alone.
Sometimes some modification might need to be done, or a little bit added to make it complete enough, but usually not much and sometimes none at all. I will also point out that it is ok to leave some unanswered questions in the readers mind as long as it doesn't keep the story from feeling finished.
Maybe try this out on F&F by cutting out a chapter that you think works as a stand-alone and see if others think it does too.
Posted by Tom Berrisford (Member # 3114) on :
I have had the same problem with short story explosion. A few weeks ago, I started writing a story that I was targeting for Analog. I had seen that they were in need of stories under 7500 words and thought I had a story I could tell in that space. The story ended up growing to over 48,000 words, becoming the second novel I now have in 1st draft.
I recently read the Writer's Digest Handbook on Novel Writing (March 1992). It included a chapter titled "To Make a Short Story Long..." by Orson Scott Card. At the end of the chapter, he says that once he learned to write novels, he encountered the same problem where he could no longer write short stories and, jokingly, called for someone to write a chapter/article on making long stories short. I found this interesting and encouraging.
That said, I just completed the 1st draft for a story that is roughly 6700 words. As has already been suggested, I focused on only one character and avoided lengthy descriptions. I don't know if this technique will work next time, but at least it worked once. Of course, my stories tend to grow a little on revision as I find myself adding more to descriptions and internal thoughts. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep that from happening this time.
Posted by Spaceman (Member # 9240) on :
Writing a short work is a different mindset than a long work. You can't answer every question. You need to concentrate on what is really important. You can't have a lot of plot complications and you can't get into depth for too many characters. You can write an effective short story around one central complication or theme. I suggest you write some flash, under 500 words. That will force the point home.
Posted by JamieFord (Member # 3112) on :
--rcorporon
Try to write more dialog and less exposition. Let your characters' voices describe the world they're in, or at least refect it.
Look at Hemingway's short stories on hunting for instance. Everything is very minimal, but the way the character's speak and interact, the environment reveals itself with very little help.
Just my 2¢.
-JF
Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :
If you write a twenty-five thousand word story when intending to write five thousand words or less---cut. Cut, and keep cutting, and then cut some more. Be as brutal as a magazine editor who's cutting for space. Does this subplot or this character belong here? Should this scene even be here? Do I need this whole paragraph? Do I need this sentence?
By the end, you might be taking individual words out with a tweezer. But if you've done your job you should wind up with a short story where once a novelette lay.
(I suppose cutting is on my mind because I've been writing up the second draft of a story and just passed through a scene that's never worked right for or felt real to me. (A memorial service some time after a school shooting, if you must know.) When I write the next draft, I plan to take it out and close things up around the hole.)
Posted by pantros (Member # 3237) on :
Try writing flash (1000 word) stories. There are several sites around here with flash challenges. It will help you learn to focus your stories.
Posted by Isaiah13 (Member # 2283) on :
Ditto the flash suggestion. Also, reading a ton of short fiction helps immeasurably. I find that after two or three novels in a row, I start thinking bigger, and I need to switch over to anthologies for a week or so just to get my head back in the right space.
Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :
Thanks for all the great advice!
I think I may try to get going at Liberty Hall (or some other flash writing site) and see how that works out, although I'm sure my first attempts will be horrific!
I love this site! You guys rock.
Posted by mikemunsil (Member # 2109) on :
You're invited, if you want to give LH a try. Notebored also does it, and Scrawl.
Or, you can do it yourself with a small group of friends and just email to everyone.
Posted by rcorporon (Member # 2879) on :
I think I'll join the insanity at LH and see how it goes .
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
Looks like it's time for me to recommend one of my favorite how-to-write books.
If you want to write short stories, you really ought to get a copy of a short, inexpensive book entitled WRITING IN GENERAL AND THE SHORT STORY IN PARTICULAR by Rust Hills.
Then read it every so often. I thought I could only write novels before I read that book. After I read it, I sold six short stories.
I think I'll go find it and reread it again.
Posted by autumnmuse (Member # 2136) on :
Oooh, Kathleen that sounds good. Even though I have more of a problem of writing short, I wonder if it would help me anyway?
Posted by Kathleen Dalton Woodbury (Member # 59) on :
Autumnmuse, it helped me wrap my brain around the idea of what short stories actually are, so it might help you.
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