Now that the Secret Author contest is behind us, it's time to start focusing on the anthology.  What better way to kick off this year's Leap of Faith anthology than with a guest article by our Secret Author contest winner, @Libby Drew?  Libby, like me, is a big fan of the short story medium, and has written a superb article about writing short stories.  Remember that anthology stories can be as little as 1,000 words, and when done well, those words can pack a huge punch.  So, read Libby's article and then start brainstorming for the anthology!  

Writing Short Stories, and All That Jazz

  By Libby Drew

 Short stories can be just as powerful and moving as longer works of fiction. In fact, they can be even more impactful because they deliver their message in a single, commanding hit. A novel is a floodlight. A short story is a spotlight. It is a moment. An event. A mood.

 In an unsurprising ironic twist, I had trouble keeping this article brief. As the short story form is close to my heart, I waxed rather poetic in my first draft of this post. In the spirit of the topic, however, I edited heavily. I hope what remains is interesting and helpful.

Why even write short stories?

 One, short stories are excellent novel-writing practice, if novel length stories are either your trade or goal. Creating short form fiction fleshes out your thoughts and pinpoints what’s relevant to the narrative. It’s a good method of cultivating focus, skills, and patience for writing a novel.

 Two, it frees you up to take more risks. Aside from taking (presumably) less time, effort and research, a short story allows you to experiment. Do you typically write from a man’s perspective? Try a woman’s. Third person? Try first. Maybe take a stab at a non-chronological narrative. Present tense over past. These are just a few examples. The point is, if you want to spread your wings, this is the perfect opportunity.

 It’s a marketing tool. This one’s self-explanatory, I think. If readers enjoy you in bite-sized pieces, they might be more willing to invest their time in one of your novels. Writing for anthologies, contests or any collection of short form fiction is an invaluable way to stretch your intellectual and writing muscles. The anthology opportunities on GA are a goldmine for gaining a loyal audience and have helped me discover some of my favorite authors here.

 Crafting short stories can rekindle your motivation for writing. It’s common to occasionally feel exhausted and directionless when all of our attention is on bigger and longer writing projects. If you find yourself procrastinating or lack motivation to push through a longer story, take a step back. Write something short. Flush the plot twists, lengthy list of characters, complicated settings and world-building and instead write a moment. A crisis. A feeling. 

 This is a biggie: writing short stories hones your craft. You will become a better editor because you’re forced to create a moving and engaging narrative within a tight space. Avoid extraneous content that doesn’t push the story forward. There’s no room for fluff. The practice of succinct writing can challenge you, and the more challenges you present yourself with, the better writer you will become.

What is a short story?

 It is not an excuse to abandon engaging storytelling. You still need a protagonist, dilemma, decision, climax, and outcome. Short stories are often more focused than novels, as all the elements within—plot, character, pacing, story structure, and so on—must work together towards the common goal of brevity.

How long is it?

 Depends on who you ask. A typical short story has a word count of anywhere between 1,000 to 7,500 words, although, as always, there are exceptions to the rule. Poe defined it as “something readable in a single sitting.” Ray Bradbury’s average short story word count is around 3,800. Hemingway, 5000. Flannery O’Connor’s works average about 7,000 words per story.

 My advice is to not become fixated on word count. Art is impossible to quantify, after all. Instead, focus on the following key elements. They are tenets of the short story form.

●      A clearly defined mood, idea or emotion

●      Clear, descriptive language

●      A small cast of vital characters

●      A strong point of view -- what do you want your readers to feel as they read?

 Tips for writing a short story

 Start as close to the end as possible. I’ve mentioned this before in my blog. Drop your reader into the unfolding story. Bypass the “before” and the “maybe related” and the “vaguely interesting thing about my protagonist.”

 Keep up the pace. Steady pacing, with rising tension, engages the reader.

 Keep the cast of characters small: a protagonist, an antagonist, and, maybe, someone to throw a wrench into the works. That’s all you need. Someone to cheer on, someone to hate, and, occasionally, someone who serves to advance the character arc for either the protagonist or antagonist.

 You can make a small cast of characters engaging. You can make them unforgettable, as a matter of fact. Give your main character a passion. Give him a weakness -- that’s always relatable. A glimpse into your character’s psyche is another good approach. This will make him feel real, and it draws the reader inside the story. And don’t forget…

 Conflict! Short doesn’t mean directionless. Your protagonist should have either a dilemma, a revelation, or be faced with a decision of some kind. Surrounding that conflict should be a good dose of tension. Conflict keeps readers invested in your story. It is the lifeblood of storytelling.

 Suggest a backstory, but don’t elaborate. You, the writer, need to understand a character’s motivation in order to write their story. The reader won’t need this level of detail if you draw them in with dialogue, tension, and by engaging their senses. On that topic…

 Engage all five senses. As humans, we don’t only see and hear. We smell, taste and feel as well. Visceral details are worth paragraphs of exposition.

 Dialogue brings a story to life. Don’t waste too much word count on scene setting. Tight dialogue is one of the best ways to build drama.

 Edit until it hurts. Delete transitory scenes and get right to the meat of the story. Get rid of repetitive words. Toss out unnecessary adverbs and adjectives. Make every sentence count. For the greatest impact, keep your language succinct, fresh and exciting, specific and colorful. Vary your sentence structure. Avoid cliches and platitudes.

In conclusion

 Just because short stories are short, doesn’t mean they are easy to write. But the benefits of trying can’t be overestimated. As with any skill, the more we practice, the better we become. The better we become, the more we captivate, enchant and enthrall the reader every time we endeavor to put the human experience to the page.