You intend to create a little narrative, then. You have excellent company. There are several new short story collections available, many of which feature vivid depictions of real-life events or innovative approaches to science fiction. Writing short fiction is a great opportunity for authors to experiment. Writing a short story allows you to explore an idea that interests you but might not work in a full-length novel.
Writing short stories can be deceivingly challenging because they call for an exceedingly succinct and sparse narrative that condenses all the essential components of a novel into a tiny amount of space. But sometimes having less room allows for more creative plotting.
Extensive plotting is rarely necessary for short stories. After all, they are brief. However, you can create a compelling story with the aid of a brief outline that captures the main idea.
Making a plan for your short stories will help you avoid getting stuck in the middle or unintentionally introducing narrative gaps. If you can learn to plot a little before you start writing, you'll have fewer incomplete stories.
Additionally, you can learn how to create a storyline around the main conflict in your short tale in this post.
The Structure of a Short Story
A brilliant short story quickly draws the reader into its universe and keeps their interest throughout. There isn't a definitive list of plot points that must be included while plotting a short story: It can be as easy as having a few important moments in mind that you want to build toward or outlining a timeline of events that you might rearrange during the revising process. Through the process, it is certain that you will alter your original strategy; this is excellent. If you're a plotter, then scheme since you'll always end up with stuff you never anticipated at the beginning. The rest of the story will develop as it pleases. Plot by following these steps.
1. Brainstorm: It's not necessary to always have a variety of short story concepts on hand. One sound idea is all you need. When an idea strikes you, write it down and develop it. Use writing exercises to generate ideas. Note any characters, situations, or dialogue that you come across. Find out here how to generate narrative ideas.
2. Outline the main conflict. Rising action in short stories frequently stems from the roots of your primary conflict or theme. To know exactly what your character wants and what would stop them from attaining it, it is necessary to generate tension and movement. Think about the point in the story where the reader will first encounter your character. Conflicts might be internal or external. Do they already possess the feeling of defeat? Or do their challenges give the narrative its action?
3. Write a succinct outline. Draw out the progression of the action in your short tale, taking into account character interactions and significant moments. Jot down distinguishing qualities and attributes, but when it comes to drafting, be selective with your backstory: a fact needs to somehow relate to the main events of the story in order to be included. With the help of this article, discover how to outline a story.
4. Decide on a viewpoint. There is no hard and fast rule that says your narrative must be told in the first person; if your story has to be told in the second or third person, that works too. Many short stories work well in the first person because of their vignette-style brevity. Whatever POV you decide to use, it's usually better to focus the story on one primary character to provide the reader with a constant knowledge of the situation and a clear awareness of the stakes. Click here to access our point of view guide.
5. Pick the ideal narrative format. The best place to let go of the rules of structure is with short stories. You have the option of using linear or nonlinear storytelling. Your story could have a complete narrative arc or only one crucial part. You can try starting your story in media res, which places the reader right in the thick of the action, or by using the inciting incident as your lead-in. Because they are so brief, short stories give you the freedom to try new things.
A Final Word:
A lot of prospective short-story authors ignore the narrative and instead concentrate on the other components that make up a snapshot of a story—characters, descriptions, environment, and the like. However, even in a short work, the reader will become bored no matter how beautiful your prose is or how captivating your characters are if there is no storyline, no narrative structure, and no purpose for the characters' actions. Your most suspenseful tool is your plot. The reader will be interested in the outcome if you use it wisely.
