How to Write a Short Story by SparkNotes

The shorter the story is, the fewer of these elements are essentials. Subplots will either pull focus away from the main story, or else push the story into the territory of novellas and novels. The focus should be entirely on a single, central storyline. Note: a short story rarely, if ever, has subplots.

But, when it comes to laying down the skeleton of a short story, the above elements are what you need to get started. It helps to study these elements and to understand their intricacies. Of course, short stories also utilize the elements of fiction, such as a setting, plot, and point of view. How does the climax change the protagonist? Are they a different person? Do they have a different philosophy or outlook on life? In Freytag’s Pyramid, the climax of a story is when the tension reaches its peak, and the reader discovers the outcome of the protagonist’s decision(s).

What does the protagonist do to resolve their dilemma? We don’t need much backstory to see how the dilemma started we’re primarily concerned with how the protagonist resolves it. It is essential for the protagonist to want something they don’t have, otherwise they will not drive the story forward. A protagonist with a certain desire or need.However, a good short story will have most or all of the following elements: There’s no secret formula to writing a short story. Whether you want to master the elements of fiction, experiment with novel ideas, or simply have fun with storytelling, here’s everything you need on how to write a short story step by step. How do you tell a complete story in so few words? What does a story need to have in order to be successful? Whether you’re struggling with how to write a short story outline, or how to fully develop a character in so few words, this guide is your starting point.įamous authors like Virginia Woolf, Haruki Murakami, and Agatha Christie have used the short story form to play with ideas before turning those stories into novels.

Nonetheless, the art of writing short stories is not easy to master.

With far fewer words to worry about, storytellers can make many more mistakes-and strokes of genius!-through experimentation and the fun of fiction writing. Learning how to write a short story is essential to mastering the art of storytelling. The short story is a fiction writer’s laboratory: here is where you can experiment with characters, plots, and ideas without the heavy lifting of writing a novel.

How to Write a Short Story by SparkNotes