Short stories come in all different shapes and sizes, but if you’re looking to write a short story, then you may want to follow a simple short story structure to make sure to get your point across to your audience.
Especially if you’re a beginner, then following a basic outline will help immensely when crafting your short story.
You’ll be able to flesh out the characters in your story, determine the plot, and make sure your characters can swiftly find a resolution all within your short story.
Keep reading for our guide on the five crucial steps you need to know when creating a short story structure.
1. Determine the Tone
When you’re first learning how to write stories you need to determine what the tone of your short story is going to be. The tone can be the emotion behind your story or what you want the audience to feel when they read it.
Deciding the tone of your story needs to be a bit deeper than just thinking about happy, sad, or angry. These are only surface-level emotions, and your story is going to need to feel a bit more.
2. Decide on a Premise
Fiction short stories are fun to write because there are so many different options to write about! When deciding on the premise for your story, you need to think of something that will fit the length of a short story.
Choose the central idea of your story from the beginning so that you know what you will be writing about.
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3. Flesh Out Your Characters
When you think of some awesome short stories the first thing that might come to mind is the memorable characters. You should aim to flesh out your characters right away and make them exciting and entertaining to read.
A lot of short story format is having a lot of dialogue. This means that your characters can have a lot to say and are able to express themselves more. Be sure to give them a vivid voice and personality.
4. Build up to the Climax
Unlike a novel, when you write a short story, you don’t get a lot of time to build-up to the climax. You still need to figure out the best way to build anticipation for your audience for what is going to happen within your short story.
Just because you have a short amount of time, doesn’t mean you can’t build-up to the climax still. Use your characters, dialogue, and interesting scenes to make a powerful climax.
5. Finish Strong
Nobody likes a boring or weak ending. Your story writing format needs a powerful ending that your reader is going to approve of.
Many people love to end with a surprise, and this is awesome for a short story! Don’t leave your reader asking questions when it comes to your ending. Try to tie up any loose ends and answer questions that your reader might be asking.
Crafting Short Story Structure
When you’re writing, make sure to follow this short story structure throughout your story. It’s a great way to get you started and make sure that your short story flows.
Make sure that you choose to write about something your passionate about. It is a great way to find a story that comes naturally to you.
