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Short Story Writing Guide: 6 Steps

The guide outlines six essential steps for writing short stories, emphasizing the importance of character, perspective, plot, setting, structure, and the writing process itself. It breaks down a short story into three parts: the goal of the character, the obstacles they face, and the resolution of the story. The guide encourages writers to engage readers by developing compelling characters and exciting plots while also stressing the significance of editing their work.

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Ahmed Ramzy
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106 views1 page

Short Story Writing Guide: 6 Steps

The guide outlines six essential steps for writing short stories, emphasizing the importance of character, perspective, plot, setting, structure, and the writing process itself. It breaks down a short story into three parts: the goal of the character, the obstacles they face, and the resolution of the story. The guide encourages writers to engage readers by developing compelling characters and exciting plots while also stressing the significance of editing their work.

Uploaded by

Ahmed Ramzy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

THE SHORT GUIDE TO

SHORT STORY WRITING


Short stories are little windows into Three parts to a short story:
different worlds. While there are no
rules when it comes to writing, many
of the best short stories follow the six Part 1: The Goal
steps below. What does your character want? At the beginning
of your story, make it clear what the main character
desires. Maybe they’re a student who stumbles
1. Character: Whose story are you writing? Think
across an old map to lost pirate treasure and they
about your main character, what they do and
want to find it.
what they’re like as a person (e.g., are they shy
or courageous?). This will help you create an
engaging character and storyline. Part 2: The Obstacle
2. Perspective: Who’s telling the story? Is there What gets in the characters way? In the middle
a narrator telling it third-person (‘she’, ‘he’, of your story, the main character should face an
‘they’) or is the main character telling the story obstacle they need to overcome. This is what pulls
in first-person (‘I’, ‘me’, ‘we’). readers in and makes the story super exciting.
3. Plot and Setting: What exciting or interesting Maybe the lost treasure is being hunted by the
things happen in your story? Think about what’s descendants of the old pirates, and the student
going to happen in the story and where it will needs to outsmart them. How your main character
take place – is it in the real world, a fictional overcomes the obstacle will show the reader more
Earth or in a fantasy land? about who they are. And if the obstacle is big,
4. Structure: Most short stories can be broken down give them help from another character, like a ship
into three parts. Before starting your story, see captain.
if you can break it up into the simple structure
on the right.
Part 3: The Resolution
5. Write! Start writing your story. This includes
describing what things, people and places Give the story a clear ending. Maybe the resolution
look like. It also involves writing action and for your story is that the student outsmarts the
dialogue between characters. pirates and gets the treasure, or maybe they lose
and the treasure is lost, but they become best
6. Edit. Read what you wrote to fix up any spelling
or grammar mistakes. Also go back and decide
if you want to make any changes to the story.

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