How to Write a Good Short Story
Everybody will agree that short story writing is one of the most troublesome assignments for students. It is easier to research and analyze the existing topic or piece of writing than to create your own fictional story. When one wants to cope with this paper successfully, he ought to train his imagination, attentiveness and writing skills. Below you will find a few tips, which will help you prepare your short story in the right way.
Step One: Learn about Structure of a Short Story
You will not be able to complete an interesting short story if you do not devote enough time to self-development. It is of vital importance to read a lot. There are many short story writers who have attracted millions of people from different countries. Everybody knows about the style of writing of A. Chekhov. He is supposed to be the best short story author. Read his stories attentively and try to understand the reason of his popularity. Pay attention to the structure of his texts and plot development. Then, look at the description of his characters and evaluate their role for the success of every story. Finally, read the dialogues attentively. You will see that the role of the accurate dialogues cannot be overestimated.
Step Two: Plan Your Short Story Carefully
It is impossible to write a short story spontaneously. You should prepare a detailed plan of your actions. You ought to think about the plot and the characters of your story. Think about the main situation of your text and choose the major problem and motive. Obviously, it is easier to write a short story than to project it; therefore, this step is supposed to be the most difficult one.
Step Three: Complete the First Paragraph
It does not worth mentioning that the first lines of a short story are very important. When you read the first paragraph of any text, you evaluate its quality and informative value. If the first paragraph does not impress you, you do not want to continue the process of reading. Consequently, you should try to attract the reader’s attention at once. Compose the best first paragraph, which will keep the reader interested in the plot development. It is smart to start your story with a joke or an unpredictable situation. Moreover, you can insert several mysterious and thought-provoking details, which will make the reader get absorbed into your story. Avoid being uninteresting and dry. Do not present facts directly.
Step Four: Develop Your Characters
The success of a short story depends on the quality of its characters. When you brainstorm a complex personality, it is interesting to observe her adventures and behavior in unpredictable situations. Therefore, you ought to model a complex character who will resemble the real person who has her own feelings, emotions, fears, dreams, strong and weak sides. It is reasonable to introduce such slight details as appearance, age, ethnicity, religious views, job, family, hobbies, etc. You must not reveal these details directly. The reader should discover them in the specific situations.
Step Five: Select the Right Point of View
It is important to narrate in the right manner. You can present the story form the point of view of the first, second and third person. Bear in mind that this choice depends on the plot and the type of your short story. Think twice before choosing the point of view, because it influences the perception of your text.
Step Six: Brainstorm the Main Conflict and Climax
Every story should contain tension and conflicts, because the reader expects to see a problem and its solution. No one is interested in a common description of a common situation. If there are no problems in the text, no one will read it. Next, you ought to think about the turning point of your story. Brainstorm the most dramatic moment, which affects your main character and makes him act radically. The reader should care about your character and his fate.
Step Seven: Complete Your Short Story
The ending of a short story is characterized with the solution of the major problem or conflict. Brainstorm the best resolution, which helps your characters change their mind and worldview.
