How to write a short story?

by T. O. Bührer
6th February 2012

Hello W&A Community! Today I woke up wishing to learn something new. And then I realize: I should write a short story. I hear lot about this here, at W&A's Community section. I've never created one. But there's a problem: I don't even know how to start one! Are there any good tips to begin writing short stories? I'm good at novels - but a complete newbie at this.

Replies

Thank you, folks. I guess I'll buy some magazines with short stories and read some of them before writing my own.

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T. O.
Bührer
330 points
Developing your craft
Fiction
T. O. Bührer
06/02/2012

I have written one or two short stories before and like Liz says beginning, middle and end is pretty much what you need. However my problem with wrting short stories is that I always make the ending too rushed. I feel like I have to do that or uh-oh here's another novel. Just be careful when plotting your ending.

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Lily
Dooner
330 points
Ready to publish
Fiction
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Adventure
Autobiography, Biography and Memoir
Speculative Fiction
Historical
Gothic and Horror
Romance
Lily Dooner
06/02/2012

There is always the magazines to help you along a bit. I know anything I have written to try and publish has usually been about 1500-2000 words long but as with the synopsis for a novel the shorty story guidelines will give you this detail.

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Christina
Howland
330 points
Developing your craft
Film, Music, Theatre, TV and Radio
Short stories
Fiction
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Adventure
Middle Grade (Children's)
Picture Books (Children's)
Speculative Fiction
Historical
Gothic and Horror
Romance
Christina Howland
06/02/2012