| Almost every aspiring author writes with the | | | | classic short stories that are filled with wonderfully |
| expectation of eventually getting published. But to | | | | descriptive asides about leaf texture and sun-cast |
| get published these days, a short story writer | | | | highlights. In all likelihood, you're not Charles |
| needs to jump past an almost insurmountable | | | | Dickens or Steinbeck or Chekhov. You're writing in |
| cascade of barriers - from the query letter stage | | | | an age of low attention spans, and you're not |
| to the submission stage, from literary agents to | | | | working to be paid by word length. If you can cut |
| publishers, and then on to the general reading | | | | out any and all portions of your short story that |
| public, all in the hopes of one day selling your | | | | do not advance all or most of your story |
| short story and earning an amount of money | | | | elements (and remember, setting should always |
| sufficient to pay down the mortgage. | | | | be the servant to the other three story |
| Following are a number of handy tips for short | | | | elements), then cut, cut, cut them out! |
| fiction writers to keep in mind when seeking to | | | | START STRONG |
| make money by selling short stories: | | | | The sad fact is that the vast, vast majority of |
| EVERY STORY HAS A BEGINNING, A MIDDLE, | | | | readers will make their decision about the quality |
| AND AN END | | | | of your short story inside of one paragraph (two, |
| This might seem like an elementary observation, | | | | tops). So, put all the blood, sweat, and tears you |
| yet many novice short story writers fail to plan | | | | can muster into crafting those first two |
| their tales with a basic three-part structure. | | | | paragraphs that will keep them reading on. In an |
| Where you begin the beginning of your story | | | | age where time is money, don't assume that |
| depends on what follows later in the middle and | | | | there are masses of readers, literary agents, and |
| end parts. The key here is that you must | | | | publishers willing to stick with you for ten or |
| integrate all three parts of your tale so that each | | | | fifteen more pages as you slowly build your short |
| part fits snugly like a puzzle piece with the others. | | | | story to make its grand case. By the time your |
| Knowing where to begin depends on where your | | | | short story hits its stride after a mundane |
| story is going, and knowing at what point to | | | | beginning, your only audience will likely be a chorus |
| exactly end it depends on what has gone before. | | | | of chirping crickets. |
| Too many beginners start far too early in their | | | | DON'T COURT A DEATH BY TYPO |
| tale or end it far too late. So long as you don't | | | | There is a reason why publishers are still in |
| sacrifice the reader's orientation as to what's | | | | business, even in this age of so-called |
| going on, the best strategy is to start as late as | | | | "self-publishing." The fact is, readers depend on |
| possible in your tale and get into the "meat" of it | | | | professionals to ensure that well-edited novels and |
| before your reader's attention lags. And then end | | | | short stories make it on to the book store |
| it as soon as your basic character, plot, and | | | | shelves. That's where literary agents, editors, and |
| theme elements have truly played themselves | | | | publishers come in. Yet novice writers often make |
| out. Start late, leave early, engage, and don't | | | | the fatal error of assuming that literary agents |
| confuse. Serve those four goals in planning your | | | | and publishers will overlook short story |
| three-part structure, and you're on steady ground. | | | | submissions littered with typos, bad grammar, and |
| UNITE ALL YOUR STORY ELEMENTS | | | | poor spelling - so long as the gatekeepers are |
| Most basic short stories contain elements of plot, | | | | blown away by the writer's great storytelling |
| character, theme, and setting. Novice short story | | | | ability (embodied in those story elements |
| writers have a habit of randomly dreaming up | | | | mentioned above). But again, in an age where |
| each element in isolation and then packing all of | | | | time is money, the gatekeepers employ the rule |
| them together in a kind of forced marriage. The | | | | of thumb that typos are the mark of a sloppy |
| best strategy for your short story is first to | | | | craftsman. No matter how great your short story |
| settle on which of the elements is the primary | | | | truly is, you will court a death by typo if you |
| driver of your short story. If it's the plot, then | | | | attempt to sell your short story with a poorly |
| make sure the characters, theme, and settings all | | | | edited submission. |
| work together in servicing that plot in the most | | | | CHOOSE AN INTERESTING SUBJECT |
| engaging, sensible manner. If it's character-driven, | | | | If you're reading this far into the article, chances |
| the plot, setting, and theme must all be chosen to | | | | are you're truly looking for helpful tips to write |
| highlight and reveal the kinds of character | | | | short stories that sell. Writing short stories for |
| interactions you want to unveil. And so on with | | | | self-expression is nice therapy, so long as you're |
| theme and setting. Okay, scratch that last | | | | sane enough to realize that probably only a very |
| element - you should avoid at all costs writing a | | | | limited audience is interested in reading a short |
| short story that's driven by setting, unless your | | | | story about the joys of fly-fishing among elderly |
| aim is to write an engaging travelogue. | | | | villagers in Latvia. On the other hand, writing about |
| SHOW, DON'T TELL | | | | pistol-packing, death-dealing mamas is not exactly |
| Too many amateur writers make the mistake of | | | | guaranteed to spark reader interest, either. The |
| summarizing a key character reaction or series of | | | | key is to be interesting and different at the same |
| events when greater emotional impact demands | | | | time. Having your character take out a gun and |
| that a character reaction or event be dramatized. | | | | blow someone away is not all that interesting or |
| In other words, play them out as full scenes for | | | | different. You need not always fall back on the |
| greater effect. But of course, the key here is to | | | | Dead Body Strategy For Engaging Reader |
| employ this strategy only for unveiling those key | | | | Interest. |
| character reactions or events that play a crucial | | | | The key to picking an interesting subject is to find |
| role in the unfolding of your (unified) story | | | | an organically satisfying and engaging unity of all |
| elements. All of which brings us to... | | | | your story elements - a combination of plot, |
| CUT! CUT! CUT! (AND CUT SOME MORE...) | | | | character, theme and setting that comes off as |
| If any word, sentence, paragraph, piece of | | | | fresh and exciting at the same time. The interest |
| dialogue, or setting and action description does not | | | | will come from the manner in which you weave |
| advance your primary chosen story element(s), | | | | these story elements together. |
| then cut, cut, cut them out! Do we really need to | | | | Coming back to the joys of fly-fishing among |
| read extended descriptions about leaf texture, | | | | elderly villagers in Latvia, you might very well pull |
| shoe brands, and the way the sun casts its rays | | | | this one off if it is a backdrop for a plot with an |
| on one's coffee table in a scene where you're | | | | unexpected turn - one that unveils fresh |
| advancing the plot or building toward a key | | | | character interactions while highlighting a theme |
| character interaction? | | | | that, say, provides us a new thematic perspective |
| Extraneous random descriptions will expose you | | | | on, say, our common mortality fears. Not sure |
| as a card-carrying novice writer whose short | | | | how the Latvian part fits in, though. But that, |
| story submission will go straight into a literary | | | | perhaps, is a lesson for another day. |
| agent's slush pile. Don't be fooled by all those | | | | |