There are several reasons why authors love to write short stories. Sometimes they view it as an outlet for their creative writing itch. Others prefer it because it takes less time to write a short story as opposed to a novel. There is also the idea of using short stories as practice for those who wish to write their own novel in the future. Occasionally, writers will become blocked during the course of their short story endeavor. If this is happening to you, there are a few tips you can use to get your creative juices flowing and turn your short story into something of value.
Brainstorm an Idea
Before you even begin the writing process, you need to brainstorm the main idea. Ideas can be found almost anywhere if you look close enough. Observe the world around you or pull from your personal experiences for characters and the overall plot. Once you have an idea, you can start writing because as many authors will tell you, finding a good idea is the most difficult part of creating any piece of literature.
Form an Outline
After you have idea in place, you can form an outline. Since you are writing a short story, the outline does not need to be large. Simply jot down several points that will give your story a general direction and of course, do not forget about your characters. Think about your characters' personalities and how they will influence the story line. Remember, the plot, conflict, and resolution are the three main aspects of any story.
Keep the Writing Flowing
As you are writing, it is usually not a good idea to stop and edit as this interrupts the train of thought. The best part about short stories is that they do not take as much time to write and therefore, you will not have to spend as much time editing. However, if you feel as if a plot point should be changed while you are writing, feel free to do so. This prevents you from wasting time with multiple rewrites.
Edit the Story
The second to last step in short story writing is the editing process. Many editors and authors recommend that writers walk away from their finished story and take a few hours to an entire day before editing. Doing this allows you to see your work with fresh eyes and subsequently, catch more mistakes. Always critique your writing with a professional eye. And if you are not pleased with any part of the story, fix it until it suits your liking. If you do not like it, chances are your readers will not like it either.
Tying Up the Loose Ends
After editing, read your short story for the final time. You need to make sure it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. There should be no stylistic or grammar inconsistencies. Allow someone else to read over your final product for an objective opinion. After your story has been polished until it shines, you can put it with your other writing samples and submit it to publications.
America and I: Short Stories by American Jewish Women Writers A collection of twentieth-century stories by Jewish women, featuring some of the best short story writers in American fiction. From Anzia Yezierska and Edna Ferber to Cynthia Ozick, Grace Paley, and Susan Fromberg Schaeffer, these writers reveal a rich, vital, and innovative tradition.
Nineteen superb stories by today's best-known authors of young adult novels, coming together to create a window of the mind, a vision illuminating the joys and sorrows of young people.
These nineteen splendid stories range from tales of tender romance and the delights of mystery and
$6.99
Great American Short Stories: From Hawthorne to Hemingway (Barnes & Noble Classics) Great American Short Stories: From Hawthorne to Hemingway is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics  series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are
$7.95
The Best American Mystery Stories 2008 (The Best American Series) "A must-read for anyone who cares about crime stories."—Booklist The award-winning author and Emmy-nominated television writer George Pelecanos serves as editor of the twelfth installment of this genre-expanding anthology, featuring twenty of the past year's most enthralling, suspenseful, and
$11.20
The Best American Short Stories 1996 (Best American Short Stories) A collection of short stories selected from national magazines and small literary journals features the work of authors such as Robert Olen Butler, Alice Adams, Rick Bass, Mary Gordon, Joyce Carol Oates, and Lynn Sharon Schwartz.
Now's the Time: The Complete Resnick Short Stories With his richly praised sequence of novels featuring Detective Inspector Charlie Resnick, John Harvey created not only an unforgettable character of great depth and complexity, but a realistic and richly peopled inner-city world of struggling heroes and feckless villains. Gathered together in
$12.40
The Oxford Book of Japanese Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose) This collection of short stories, including many new translations, is the first to span the whole of Japan's modern era from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day. Beginning with the first writings to assimilate and rework Western literary traditions, through the flourishing of the
$22.49
The Oxford Book of English Short Stories (Oxford Books of Prose) From Anthony Trollope, Charles Dickens, and Thomas Hardy through Rudyard Kipling, H.G. Wells, D.H. Lawrence, and Virginia Woolf, right up to Graham Greene, J.G. Ballard, Angela Carter, Ian McEwan, and many others, The Oxford Book of English Short Stories exhibits the capacious and often capricious
$22.49
40 Short Stories: A Portable Anthology Economical in both size and price, 40 Short Stories offers a well-chosen array of popular and significant stories, enhanced by unobtrusive but effective editorial features. This volume in Bedford/St. Martin’s series of Portable Anthologies and Portable Guides offers the series’ trademark
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