Creative writing: Overcome common short story problems

As a creative writing tutor, editor and competition judge, I read a lot of short stories. Many of them hook my interest right at the start, and keep it there all the way through, building up vivid scenes in my mind and making the characters leap off the page. I often find myself thinking, Now that’ s a story I wish I’d written.

However, there are also stories which need a bit of help and where I find common issues coming up again and again. I’ll take you through the main problems and give you some tips on how to tackle them.

A meandering opening

A story should draw us in, hooking our interest and making us want to know more. Some writers like to take us to the scene and paint a picture of the weather and setting. That ’ s fine, but don ’ t overdo it. The reader needs to know there ’ s going to be a story to get their teeth into.

Here are a few effective ways to ensure you entice your reader into your tale:

• Dialogue ‘I didn ’t mean to do it. I’ m not bad, ’ she said, unable to stop the tears.

‘I’ ve heard it all before.You ’ re not fooling anyone, ’ the man said, scowling.

See how you already feel involved. Your interest is also piqued. What didn ’ t she mean to do?

SORT OUT YOUR SHORTS

Overcome common short story problems with advice from writing tutor and editor

• Shock your reader I knew she was dead even though the dull eyes stared back at me, mocking me, tempting me to raise the knife once more.

An opening which shocks and thrusts the reader right in.

• Make the reader care I hate it here. I huddle under the covers, pulling them over my head. Slowly, I start to rock to and fro. Mummy said I did that when I was a baby, with my bottom stuck up in the air, my thumb in my mouth and the other hand twiddled amongst the knots in my long hair.

In this opening paragraph you already feel for this character and want to know if she ’ s all right.

• Tip There ’ s no need to tell your reader everything in the opening paragraph. Leave them dangling, feeling compelled to read on.

Cardboard characters

Characters in a story are everything. They bring it to life. However, in a short story, there aren ’ t enough words to devote to giving characters a lot of depth. But we still want to feel them, to be taken on their journey with them, and to care about them.

It can be useful to create a miniprofile. The more you know about your characters, the more you can make us believe in them. A lot of novel writers do this, but even for a short story it ’ s useful.

Write down different aspects for each character, including: name, age, build, eye colour, hair colour, any distinguishing features, how they dress, occupation/school, talents/ hobbies, siblings, spouse, children, health, greatest flaw, best quality, strengths/weaknesses.

The little things are also important – habits and mannerisms that are unique to them. These can really make a character ‘ real’ for us, and are very effective in a story, so add these to your profile as well as favourite sayings and speech patterns.

You won ’ t need to use all these details, but you ’ll have the character vividly in mind as you write. If you want to describe their hair, for example, or something about the way they ’ re dressed, you ’ll be able to. You ’ll also know what makes them tick, any mannerisms they have, etc, and so be able to write about a more believable character.

• Tip It’ s the little nuances (the way a character says something, or a face they pull) that bring them to life.

Too many senses or not enough When I’ m reading a story, I like to be taken to the scene. It makes me feel involved. Using the different senses –sight, sound, smell, touch and taste –can be very effective in achieving this.

For example, if you ’ re writing about a scene in a pub, you could use the sense

of sound and write about the hum and chatter of the customers, and the tinkling of glasses. Using the sense of smell, what about the spiciness of someone ’ s curry as the waitress carries it past?

The senses work so well in bringing a story to life and for making you, as a reader, feel part of it as you see and experience everything along with the character.

Sight is the most widely used sense in descriptive writing. It paints a picture in the reader ’ s mind. But think about using the other senses as well. Taste is the least-used sense in descriptive writing, but it can make you feel as if you ’ re almost tasting the food yourself – think about the sharpness of a lemon bringing tears to your eyes, for instance, or the creaminess of milk chocolate melting on your tongue.

• Tip Because a short story is so short, you haven ’t time for lots of description. So don ’t feel you have to use all the senses. Give a little and then let your reader fill in the rest and unleash their own imagination.

Show, not tell

This is an issue many writers struggle with, where they ‘ tell’ the story and so the reader doesn ’ t connect with it as it doesn ’ t evoke feelings. Some ‘ tell’ is fine, and necessary, but the characters and story need to unfold for themselves.

So, what does ‘ show, not tell’ actually mean?

• Telling This is where you

‘ tell’ the reader what ’ s going on. It ’ s more factual. It ’ s usually brief and it ’ s an efficient way to get information across.

• Showing Conversely, showing lets the story unfold for itself; it brings the reader right into the scene and gets those feelings stirred. It ’ s a richer way of writing and is often longer. ‘Showing ’ allows us to get swept up in the character ’ s tale and connects us to them more.

Here ’ s an example:

Telling: Jacob was sitting an exam. It was almost time for the exam to start. He was feeling really nervous.

Showing: Jacob looked down at his watch. Two minutes to go! The image of an exam paper filled his mind. He gulped, pushing it away. Sweat broke out on his forehead, oozing its way down his cheeks and he gripped his leg, battling to stop it jiggling up and down.

In the first example, it ’ s difficult to connect to Jacob and how he ’ s feeling, but in the second passage, you can sense his nerves in his behaviour. You ’ ve also not been told he ’ s sitting an exam; the image appearing in his mind ‘ shows ’ it.

• Tip Describe your characters ’ body language. Their actions reveal a lot about how they ’ re feeling.

A lack of obstacles and tension

Some stories have a brilliant beginning and an ending that satisfies, but the middle sags, with not much happening.

Think about adding in an obstacle or two. How is your main character going to get from the beginning to the ending? Don ’ t make things too easy for them. Here ’ s a basic outline for a story:

Peter is a teenager who has joined a gang. He ’ s a decent lad underneath, but he ’ s got in with the wrong crowd and is uncomfortable with the things they ’ re doing. He wants to get out, but doesn ’t know how. At the end of the story, he stands up to them and leaves the gang.

So how do you get from the beginning, where he ’ s part of the gang and to the point at the end, where he ’ s left? Here are some ideas for obstacles he needs to overcome: • The gang make him do something he doesn ’ t want to do – take drugs or steal something. The reader will feel plenty of tension there at the thought Peter might become addicted or get caught. • The stakes could be upped, with the gang doing more and more dangerous things, such as hurting someone. Will Peter go along with it? • The gang could threaten to tell Peter ’ s parents. He won ’ t want them to know what he ’ s doing.

• Tip Raise the stakes, add in a few obstacles, prevent the protagonist achieving their goal, and the tension rises.

It doesn’t all end well

Even if the story has kept us riveted all the way through, that can fall by the wayside if the ending isn ’ t good. Some stories go beyond their natural finish, some feel rushed, or the twists don ’ t quite come off. If you ’ ve taken care and time over the rest of the story, it ’ s important you get the end right, too. Here are a few more points to think about in relation to your ending:

• A happy ending? Your ending doesn ’ t necessarily have to be a happy one – depending on the publication. A story aimed at The People ’ s Friend, for instance, must have an uplifting ending. But one written for an e-zine or competition doesn ’ t necessarily have to. An ending that shocks or is poignant ensures your story will stay with your reader for some time.

• Keep it open Many readers like an open ending so they can finish the story for themselves. For example, in a science fiction story, all the aliens could have left Earth after a fierce battle and your last sentence could reveal that one has been left behind. Let the reader decide whether the spaceship comes back for their lost member, or if something else happens.

• And then they woke up! It can ’ t all have been a dream. This type of ending has been done to death. Editors and judges cringe when they see it. It ’ s also an easy option, where the writer can concoct any story, however bizarre, and then doesn ’ t have to give a proper explanation for what ’ s happened.

• Tip Whatever your ending, it must be clear. I’ ve read stories where a character who has been killed off earlier on suddenly turns up at the end alive and well, but there ’ s no reason for this or any explanation. It makes the reader feel confused and let down.

Put these tips into practice and you ’ll give your stories a greater chance.