Want to write a short story but don’t know where to start? Well, first you need to realize that a short story has the same elements as those of a novel but with a few thousand words less. These elements are plot, characterization, point of view, and dialogue (I will discuss this fully in another article). Unlike a novel, there is usually only one main storyline. Also, because of the brevity of the story, word usage must be economical; each word should advance the story in some way.
How to start? Well, as with a novel, or any type of prose, a short story begins with an idea. Ideas are gleaned from just living and observing. Events and people around you sometimes spur the imagination, make you want to put pen to paper. It doesn’t matter the genre, whether contemporary or literary. But to become literate in a particular genre or style, you must READ, READ, READ. Want to write like Dean Koontz - READ him. Want to mimic Toni Morrison’s style - again READ, READ, then READ again.
In establishing a plotline, start with the basics: exposition, conflict, climax, and resolution. The exposition is the background story (remember to keep it economical; this is where you explain how the conflict came to be). The conflict is the hook, the pull of the story and should present the theme, for example, mankind against nature, man vs. woman, woman vs. herself. The conflict should build to a final battle or confrontation; this will be the climax. And then comes the resolution, where the conflict is resolved or at least, lessened in some way.
Characterization is very important. The reader needs to see through the eyes of your protagonist, but will not do so if the character is one-dimensional. To flesh out your protagonist, ask yourself who your character is, what are her pet peeves, her failings, her goals. Some of this fleshing-out can be backstory and some of it kept in a mental dossier. But you must relate how her personality is pivotal to the plot, the theme, and the conflict. In the end, the character should have gone through a change, an epiphany, that moves her from where she was to somewhere else, usually some form of self-realization.
Point of view (POV) is the narrative voice through which the story is told. Most times, the story is told through the protagonist, but can also be told through a minor character or an outside observer. If the voice is through a character, you are pretty much limited to that voice and cannot get inside the mind of another character. if you choose a character through which to narrate, you must stick with that POV. In a short story, you will lose the reader if you jump from the mind pan of one character to another.
It is important to follow these elements to create a good short story. But it is more important that you not feel bound by technique. After all, a story is a tale inspired by your creative muse. Inspiration need not be inhibited by technique, but should be enhanced by it. So, read, observe and write as your muse leads you.
Also, check out Shortstorygroup.com - Exercises for a start.
