Short Story Writing – From A Talk By Pat Carr

·                    Put your first rough draft away.  Let it sit overnight or, if you can, leave it alone for a week.

·                    When you do re-read it, look at the action – a short story can only handle one basic action.  If you must have a second action story-line, maybe this could be told through flashbacks. 

Always show the action rather than tell your reader what’s going on.

·                    When you start your story get your reader involved in the conflict immediately.  Maybe you could even begin in the middle of the resolution.  Remember, hook—then don’t delay.

·                    Limit your introductory stuff to three paragraphs.

·                    Look at your setting; it should be somewhere you have actually been.

If your story has a number of settings then choose the one that works best with the conflict.

·                    Use colors and objects that will help make your point—these should be familiar to your reader, but don’t overload your story with brand names.

·                    A short story should not have more than five characters.

·                    Always take a long look at “point of vies.”  Who is telling this story?

·                    There are various ways of telling a story:

exterior            >            dramatic

you can tell anybody’s story from outside—from the point of view of observation.

interior            >            immediacy

you are telling the story from inside—which gives it a sense of immediate action—placing yourself and your reader inside the action.