Short Story Writing Tips

The short story beginning, or hook (as it is sometimes called), will determine whether the reader gets past the first paragraph. Short stories are about people. People don’t exist in a vacuum. The setting is important but don’t dwell on it before you introduce the main character. For a speedy and snappy take-off, open your story mid-scene, with the character or scene in motion.

Short Stories Introduce Conflict Immediately

Without conflict, you don’t have a story, but the word “conflict” is hard to wrap your head around when you first start writing fiction, so study the action lines that open published stories and contest winners and ask yourself why they work.

Maybe your short story is about a woman pushing her way through the tangle of waist-high weeds or peering through dust-caked windows for a glimpse of someone lurking inside an abandoned house. Dwell on the action, not the setting. Questions will form in the reader’s mind. Who is she? Why is she there? Who is in the house?

Don’t Start with Back Story

New writers have a tendency to start with “back story,” which describes circumstances that led up to the situation the main character faces. More often than not, you can discard the first third of your short story and open in the middle of the first conflict. Work back story in with flashbacks or dialogue.

Never Start with Weather, Scenery, or Waking up in the Morning

Short stories are too brief for details. Weather is boring. The rosy fingers of dawn that peep through the curtains and herald the birth of a new day have no place in a short story. By the time your character gets out of bed and has his first cup of coffee, you’ve wasted hundreds of words.

Finish Your Short Story before You Finalize the Beginning

You could spend hours agonizing over a short story's first paragraph, only to find you’ve started in the wrong place. It will need rewriting anyway so don’t worry too much about it at the beginning. Outline your story before you write the first word and you’ll save a lot of time and effort.

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Reprinted with permission by Deborah Owen from http://www.creativewritinginstitute.com - the only fully mentored writing school. Have your own private tutor at bargain basement prices. To receive our newsletter or a free evaluation of your writing, write to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .