Lessons in Developing and Writing Short Stories
I love short story collections. My editor at Aniko Press, who I write book reviews for, has referred to me as a short story aficionado - a title I have no hesitations in claiming wholeheartedly! They are by far one of my favourite genre of books to read. I’m frequently in awe of authors who can develop and put together twelve or so polished pieces of writing perfection.
When it comes to writing short stories myself, though? Um, not so much!
To date, I’ve written four short stories, and they remain for my-eyes-only. While I’ve had some success with flash and micro fiction, I just can’t seem to take my writing a step further and polish up a short story. It’s all about what’s left unsaid in really short fiction and inviting the reader to read ‘between the lines’, as it were. This doesn’t work so well in longer stories where you need to give the reader a complete experience.
I’d love to develop the longer stories I’ve written and see about getting them published, so I’ve been spending more time developing my knowledge and skills in this area and reading over my favourite short story collections to see what lessons I can take away.
Components of a Short Story
For me, a short story’s beauty is that it delivers a complete story succinctly while still demonstrating exceptional writing craft. On my journey to learn more about writing short stories, I’ve read countless articles breaking down the core components writers should focus on to help them do this:
Character Development
Owing to a short story’s length, it’s not a good idea to write something with half a dozen or more characters. Instead, focus on one or two main characters, with one or two periphery characters. The fewer, the better, so you can concentrate on the other elements vital for bringing your story together. Every character needs to serve a purpose, helping your main character/s get to the point of your story.
Include a Character Arc
Readers generally enjoy stories with a character arc: where the character goes through a change of transformation. You need to think carefully about what this might look like and convey it in your writing in a short story.
A Tight Plot
The most powerful short stories keep their plots tight. Character and character arc tend to prioritise this form, but that doesn’t mean plot shouldn’t be there. Some of the best short stories I’ve read didn’t have an intense plot, but there was always a sense of ‘movement’. The characters were always on their way to something - whether physically or emotionally.
A Descriptive Setting
Focusing on the setting is a great way to build a short story without losing valuable word count. Even brief descriptions of landscape, scenery, buildings, seasons or weather provide a strong sense of setting and bring enriching details into your story. I like short stories that pull me away to somewhere new but are still realistically described.
A Core Theme
The theme is the central idea within a short story. Most short story collections will have a strong theme that threads all the stories together, even though they focus on different characters and subject matter. Themes are fundamental in short storytelling - they help the reader walk away with a new understanding of something universal.
3 Tips For Developing Your Short Stories
Have a strong point of view: The strongest short stories draw us into the world of one central narrator. Some of the best I’ve read, connect this narrators point of view to a broader consciousness (feminist voices, for example) but maintains an individual edge.
Don’t forget compelling dialogue: This is where I struggle! Dialogue is a core component of a compelling short story, and it can be challenging to get right. I’m working on this in myself, as I used to be guilty of just skipping dialogue altogether, but it’s vital!
Find a Beta Reader: A beta reader is someone who reads your story and offers you feedback on what’s working/not working. I’ve found one willing v̶i̶c̶t̶i̶m̶ I mean friend (!) to help me with this, and I’m excited to see how this helps me improve.
5 Short Story Collections Recommendations
Below are five of my favourite short story collections - ones I find myself returning to in order to find ansers to some of my own questions about how to structure my stories. Each of these collections are very different stylistically, and they have plenty to offer emerging short story writers.
1. The Worry Front by H. C. Gildfind
H.C. Gildfind draws together ten impeccably polished short stories and one modern-day gothic novella to bring us The Worry Front (2018). A rich, sinewy and gritty journey awaits as Gildford takes a no-holds-barred approach to the human body through her flawed and emotionally fraught characters. The entanglement of the body and mind is explored, as Gildfind focuses on the disconnect between what happens physically to her characters and their internal psyches.
2. Cat Person and Other Stories by Kristen Roupenian
After shooting to viral fame when her short story “Cat Person” was published in 2017 by The New Yorker, Kristen Roupenian’s debut collection (previously titled You Know You Want This) was hotly anticipated. For the most part, it does not disappoint. Across twelve succinctly written, visceral stories, Roupenian takes us deep under the skin of what it means to be female in a male-dominated world. Almost every story focuses on power, control, and the misuse of bodies, often in violent and terrifying ways.
3. Mouthful of Birds by Samanta Schweblin
The eagerly awaited collection from Argentinian author, Samanta Schweblin. As with all great short story collections, nothing is neatly packaged for our consumption. Schweblin has an uncanny way of scratching away at you lightly. You’ll be haemorrhaging nightmares before you realise what she’s done. The effect of this is more pertinent in this collection of twenty stories: the cumulative impact is not felt until you wake up in the night three days later, stuck on an uncomfortable feeling she’s planted.
4. Attrib. And other Stories by Eley Williams
A stunning and playful collection from British author, Eley Williams. Although this is her debut collection, there's a warm, sinking feeling of familiarity about her work - it's like returning to literature studies and falling in love with language all over again. Yes, the story’s actual content is important (and these are excellent stories), but the prose and style are equally crucial for delivering and building our engagement with them.
5. The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales by Kirsty Logan
For those who love stories with a magical-realism quality, Logan’s work is for you. This collection explores themes of love, family, relationships, and the complexities of forging our paths in life. Logan’s work is heavily influenced by folklore and fairytales, and these qualities spread throughout her work. She’s also a champion for LGBTQIA+ writing, and many of her stories incorporate the breadth of how we choose to love each other.
