To write a good short story, stick to one central theme, know your ending before you start, put your characters in a real bind, and leave out every detail that does not move the plot. Choose a strong narrative voice, give your antagonist depth, and draft first, edit later.
Writing short stories is a great way to polish your writing skills and find an audience at the same time. People love short stories because they can read one in less than an hour. They can enjoy a quick read on the way to work or in the dentist's waiting room.
Being short doesn't mean that a short story can't have an impact. If you know what to put into it, readers may even remember your story for a lifetime.
So here is what you need to write a good short story.
1. Stick to a central theme
A novel can have more than one central theme, but a short story cannot. Stick to one major theme for the characters to resolve by the end of the story.
If you have trouble finding a theme, look around you at the problems ordinary people must deal with. You could write about the mother of a newborn who hasn't slept for days, or an elderly man worried because his pet sugar glider won't eat.
As long as you have a character with a problem to solve, you are good to go.
2. Have the ending ready
Ideally, you should know how the story ends before you write the first sentence. A story without a planned ending often shows it. Many viewers felt that the final season of Game of Thrones rushed its ending, and that years of build-up and character growth went to waste.
When you have a clear picture of the ending, every word you write between the first and the last sentence points toward it. You are less likely to drift away from the ending, so it is easier to keep the short story short.
3. Put your characters in a bind
George R. R. Martin doesn't hesitate to kill off a much-loved character. You don't need to put your characters in mortal danger, but you do need to put them in a situation where the solution isn't obvious.
For instance, when a character is kidnapped, don't have a police officer just happen to pass by and save the day. That is plain boring.
4. Leave out extra details
There is no single official limit, but most definitions put a short story at under about 7,500 to 10,000 words, and many writers aim for 2,000 to 5,000 words.
To keep the story from getting too long, never add details that don't matter. For instance, if your main character's brother has Tourette syndrome, make sure it matters to the plot. If his condition makes no difference to the outcome, readers will wonder why you mentioned it in the first place.
5. Use a strong narrative voice
The narrative voice depends on the point of view the story is told from. You are free to choose the first person, the second person, a limited third person, or an all-knowing third person. It all depends on how you want to show your fictional world. The guide to first, second, and third person point of view explains each one.
New writers tend to choose the first person, because it is arguably the easiest to write. However, consider writing in the third person, which gives you the view of an onlooker watching events unfold. That perspective lets you steer the story in more ways than one.
When the story doesn't move forward the way you want it to, change the perspective. You may need to rewrite the whole story, but if that is what it takes to write a great one, you have no reason not to do it.
6. Let the antagonist shine too
Loki was meant to be the bad guy in the Marvel films. He killed many people and tried more than once to kill his brother, Thor. And yet, many people love him. That is what happens when you give a character depth.
Loki was not just a madman. He was an emotionally unstable, adopted son who always felt he wasn't good enough. He showed a different side of himself when his adoptive mother, Frigga, died, and his later redemption won him even more fans. To build a villain like that, start with a good character description.
7. Draft first, edit later
There is no point in trying to get everything right on the first try. Let your creativity flow freely. When your first draft is done, revise it into a second draft, and so on. Keeping writing and proofreading apart helps you stay inspired.
Once you are happy with your story, you can worry about spelling and grammar. Even then you don't need to fret: the Spell Checker helps you find and fix the mistakes.