Writing Short Stories

Writing Short Stories

?Let me begin with a flashback!

?A great short story may start with a flashback, even better if it is bizarre. It must grab the reader’s attention, at once. The flashback should ideally have imagery, sound, even smell. Bang! Bang! It must be abrupt, sudden, unexpected. Even Shocking! For most readers browsing on the internet, that may be all they read, before they run their eyes quickly forward and then click away to something else. ?

Ok, here comes the flashback.

?I am in a Church. Up above the dome of the church, the vaulted ceilings, rising columns, pointed arches, the stained-glass windows, the crucifix of Jesus prominent.?In the nave, the main part of the church, the congregation sit quietly with solemn faces, and some with glassy eyes. A priest is behind the altar, someone is reading from the bible at the lectern. Earlier, the bell rang from the gable – ding, ding. A wooden coffin lies open on a raised bier. A memorial service is in progress. Soon, a eulogy will follow as a tribute to the deceased. I peer into the coffin. The corpse that lies there looks familiar: it is me!

?Oops, my bad. It was not a flashback; rather it was a flash forward. The beep-beep-beep of the alarm clock besides my bed woke me up. I groggily reached over and hit the stop button. I realized that the sound of my alarm clock was more than just a signal to wake up. The iPhone rang, the Siri app calls out the caller’s name.

?At this point, I have two choices: to follow through and develop the story on the ringing iPhone, or to ignore the call, and bring attention to my perplexing dream. Let me take a step back though and ask: what makes a short story compelling and memorable, and which leaves a lasting impression on the reader?

?Like good food, the ingredients need to be carefully assembled.?By combining these elements in an effective way, a thrilling tale may be told.

?A strong plot: A short story should have a clear, well-defined plot that keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end. It should have a beginning, middle, and end, and the plot should have some sort of conflict that needs to be resolved.

?Compelling characters: Characters are the heart of any story, and a good short story should have characters that the reader can relate to and care about. They should be fully developed and have their own unique personalities and motivations.

?Setting: The setting of a short story is important, as it can help set up the tone and atmosphere of the story. A vividly described setting can help the reader feel like they are immersed in the story.

?Dialogue: Dialogue can help bring characters to life and add depth to a story. A good short story should have dialogue that is realistic and believable, and it should move the plot forward.

?Conflict and tension: Conflict is essential to any story, and a good short story should have some sort of conflict or tension that keeps the reader engaged. This can be an external conflict, such as a physical obstacle, or an internal conflict, such as a character's inner struggles.

?Theme: A short story should have some sort of overarching theme or message that resonates with the reader. This can be a universal truth or a commentary on society or human nature.

?Now all of this is fine to write, but the next step is to illustrate each element above. So here goes a short story:

?

"Once upon a time, long time ago, but only yesterday, there was a young writer named Steve who dreamed of writing great short stories. Steve had read many books on the subject, and he knew all the ingredients that were necessary to make a good short story. But whenever he sat down to write, he found that the words just would not come.

?Naturally, Steve was frustrated and discouraged. He longed to be a great writer, but it seemed like he just did not have what it took to be a short story writer. He spent countless hours staring at a blank page, hoping that inspiration would strike, but it never did.

?One day, Steve decided to seek the advice of a wise old writer Sameer who lived in a nearby city. He packed a bag and set out on a journey to find the writer, hoping that he could give him the answers he was looking for.

?After many days of travel, Steve finally arrived at the writer's house. He knocked on the door, and Sameer answered. He was man with a kind face and twinkling eyes.

?"Hello," he said. "What brings you here?"

?Steve explained his predicament to the writer, telling him about his desire to write great short stories but his inability to do so. Sameer listened carefully, nodding his head in understanding.

?"I see," he said. "Well, let me tell you a secret. The key to writing great short stories is not in the ingredients, as you may think. It is in the journey. You must live a life full of experiences, both good and bad. You must observe the world around you with a keen eye, and you must allow yourself to feel deeply. Only then can you truly write great short stories."

?Steve was taken aback by the writer's words. He had never thought of it that way before. He was focussing on technique. Steve thanked him and set out on a new journey, one of exploration and discovery.

?Over the next few months, Steve travelled far and wide, experiencing new things and meeting new people. He saw the world in a new light, and he felt his heart swell with emotions that he had never felt before. And when he returned home, he sat down to write once again.

?This time, the words flowed from his pen effortlessly. He wrote about the people he had met and the things he had seen. He wrote about love and loss, joy, and sadness. And when he was finished, he knew that he had written a great short story.

?From that day on, Steve continued to live a life full of experiences, and he wrote great short stories that touched the hearts of many. And he always remembered the wise writer Sameer who had taught him that the key to writing great short stories was in the journey."