A short story can be anything from 500 to 10,000 words. It's usually restricted to a single incident, a single episode in a character's life, a moment that changes someone's life or attitude in some way.
It doesn't necessarily have a beginning, a middle and an end. Sometimes it can be circular.
There's no room for waffling, wordiness or over-long descriptions.
There's no room for waffling, wordiness or over-long descriptions.
Every word counts, every action is significant.
It should leave the reader feeling entertained, mystified, amused, thoughtful, disturbed, pleased or sad but, in one way or another, satisfied. Ideally, it should remain in the reader's mind for at least as long as it takes to read. A bit like a good poem, really.
It should leave the reader feeling entertained, mystified, amused, thoughtful, disturbed, pleased or sad but, in one way or another, satisfied. Ideally, it should remain in the reader's mind for at least as long as it takes to read. A bit like a good poem, really.
Although it's short, that doesn't mean it's easy to write.
In fact, it can be quite a challenge.
Next time - When A Character Comes To Life
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