Questions on writing short story !

[hoope]

Hello everyone ..

I was working on a short story .. but after finishing it.. it seemd a bit lengthy:D
So i was wondering before posting it .. what are the main guidelines for writing a short story ?

How many words it should be ( maximum ) ?

And any advice is always of many help to me & others :)


And i thought of starting this thread , for those who need help in writing short stories ... Any question are of great advantage to others .

Thank you all

Hoope

[hillwalker]

How many words it should be ( maximum ) ?

It's rather like asking how long should a piece of string be. There are no set rules.

Generally anything between 500 and 20,000 words could be considered a short story I guess. Although the lengthier ones might develop into novellas if they reach epic proportions.

The main difference between a short story and a novel is background and pace. There is little room for setting up the scene in a short story, nor for long descriptive passages or philosophical detours.

I was told a short story should give the impression things have happened to the characters before the story starts (which the reader does not need to be told) and things will continue to happen to them after the end of the story.

In other words, we are only being given a snapshot of the characters' lives at the moment when the circumstances of the story take place. It's a bit like a dramatic scene from a movie.

The opening is important - aim to grab the reader's attention as soon as the first word hits the page (no room or time for detailed bios or descriptive passages).
And avoid filler - telling the reader someone opened the door, came into the room, closed the door and took off their coat - unless this sequence is a vital part of the plot.

H

[hoope]

It's rather like asking how long should a piece of string be. There are no set rules.

Generally anything between 500 and 20,000 words could be considered a short story I guess. Although the lengthier ones might develop into novellas if they reach epic proportions.

The main difference between a short story and a novel is background and pace. There is little room for setting up the scene in a short story, nor for long descriptive passages or philosophical detours.

I was told a short story should give the impression things have happened to the characters before the story starts (which the reader does not need to be told) and things will continue to happen to them after the end of the story.

In other words, we are only being given a snapshot of the characters' lives at the moment when the circumstances of the story take place. It's a bit like a dramatic scene from a movie.

The opening is important - aim to grab the reader's attention as soon as the first word hits the page (no room or time for detailed bios or descriptive passages).
And avoid filler - telling the reader someone opened the door, came into the room, closed the door and took off their coat - unless this sequence is a vital part of the plot.

H


Well i think i have used .. a quite amount of filters !!!!
Thanks alot for this information .. i guess that is all i need to know.. i appreciate it..
I will try to re-arrange it and change some line :P

Thanks again Hilwalker :)

[AuntShecky]

Much of Hillwalker's advice is extremely useful, especially these points:
The main difference between a short story and a novel is background and pace. There is little room for setting up the scene in a short story, nor for long descriptive passages or philosophical detours.

Also, the number of characters is supposed to be limited (although this is one rule yours fooly often breaks.) Generally speaking, there should be just one point of view--by one narrator, who could be omniscient in the 3rd person. A narrator could be reliable or "unreliable." Another option is a first person narration by the protagonist or a secondary character. There are quite a few choices, but -- don't forget, the most important rule of any kind of fiction writing is "show, don't tell."

This is the in medias res tradition that goes all the way back to Homer, and all these centuries later is still a mark of a really effective story:
I was told a short story should give the impression things have happened to the characters before the story starts (which the reader does not need to be told) and things will continue to happen to them after the end of the story.

This is just one type of short story --the "slice of life" type.

. . .we are only being given a snapshot of the characters' lives at the moment when the circumstances of the story take place. It's a bit like a dramatic scene from a movie.


Excellent advice here:The opening is important - aim to grab the reader's attention as soon as the first word hits the page (no room or time for detailed bios or descriptive passages).
And avoid filler - telling the reader someone opened the door, came into the room, closed the door and took off their coat - unless this sequence is a vital part of the plot.
H