How to Start Writing Short Stories
Updated: Aug 26
Writing a short story can seem easier than writing a novel. After all, you're working with fewer characters, fewer pages, and a much smaller amount of time.
But short stories come with their own challenges.
You have limited space to introduce a character, establish a setting, create a problem, build tension, and bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. Every scene and detail has to earn its place.
The good news is that you don't need to understand every aspect of storytelling before you begin. You can learn by writing.
If you've always wanted to write short stories but haven't known where to start, begin with a simple idea, give your character something to want, and let the story develop from there.
Start With a Simple Idea
You don't need an elaborate plot to write a good short story.
Sometimes a story begins with a simple question:
What if someone received a letter intended for someone else?
What if a woman discovered an old photograph that included someone who shouldn't have been there?
What if two strangers were stuck together during a power outage?
What if a child found something buried in the backyard?
A simple "what if" question can give you enough material to begin exploring a story.
Don't worry about knowing the ending immediately.
Let the idea lead you.
Keep Your First Story Small
One of the easiest mistakes for new writers is trying to fit an entire epic into a short story.
You may start with a story involving several generations, multiple countries, ten characters, and a complicated political conflict.
That could be a novel.
For a short story, think smaller.
Focus on one important event, relationship, decision, discovery, or conflict.
A story about a woman deciding whether to open a letter from her estranged sister can be more effective than trying to explain their entire family history.
Start With a Character
Another way to begin is with a person.
Think about someone interesting.
Who are they?
What do they want?
What are they afraid of?
What are they hiding?
What problem are they facing?
You don't need a complete biography.
A few meaningful details can be enough to get started.
Give Your Character Something They Want
Characters become interesting when they have something at stake.
Your character might want:
To save a relationship
To prove themselves
To escape a situation
To find someone
To protect a secret
To get a second chance
To solve a problem
To belong somewhere
To be forgiven
The goal doesn't have to be dramatic.
A character simply wanting to convince their adult child to come home for the holidays can create plenty of emotional possibilities.
Give Them Something Standing in the Way
A character's goal becomes more interesting when something prevents them from achieving it.
This is conflict.
If your character wants to apologize to an old friend, perhaps the friend refuses to speak to them.
If your character wants to leave town, perhaps their car breaks down.
If your character wants to tell someone the truth, perhaps they're afraid of what will happen afterward.
The obstacle creates movement.
Think About Internal and External Conflict
External conflict comes from something happening outside the character.
Maybe they're being chased, facing an argument, dealing with a storm, or trying to solve a problem.
Internal conflict happens inside the character.
They might struggle with guilt, fear, jealousy, grief, indecision, or regret.
The strongest short stories often combine the two.
A character may be trying to accomplish something externally while wrestling with an emotional decision internally.
Choose a Setting
A setting doesn't need to be elaborate.
A short story can take place in:
A coffee shop
A family home
A train station
A grocery store
A beach
A school
A workplace
A hospital waiting room
A hiking trail
A small town
A single apartment
Think about how the setting can contribute to the story.
A character waiting for someone in a crowded train station feels different from someone waiting alone in an empty house.
Use Setting to Create Atmosphere
Setting can do more than tell the reader where the story takes place.
It can create mood.
Rain against a window can create a melancholy atmosphere.
A brightly lit kitchen can feel warm and familiar.
An empty parking lot at midnight can feel unsettling.
Choose details that reinforce the emotional experience of the scene.
Don't Overload the Story With Description
New writers sometimes feel that they need to describe everything.
You don't.
Choose a few details that matter.
Instead of describing every object in a bedroom, mention the cracked photograph on the nightstand and the suitcase sitting open on the floor.
Those two details may tell the reader more than a paragraph describing the entire room.
Create a Strong Opening
The first few lines of your story should give the reader a reason to continue.
You don't necessarily need a dramatic event.
You simply need something interesting.
You might begin with:
A surprising statement
A question
An unusual situation
A character making a decision
A piece of dialogue
A discovery
A problem
Avoid spending too much time explaining everything before the story actually begins.
Start as Close to the Action as Possible
If the important event happens on Tuesday afternoon, you may not need to begin with your character waking up Monday morning.
Start closer to the moment when something changes.
For example, instead of beginning with several paragraphs about a character's ordinary commute, you might begin when they notice someone sitting in their usual seat on the train.
That small disruption immediately gives the reader something to wonder about.
Build Curiosity
Give the reader a question they want answered.
Why is the character nervous?
Who sent the letter?
Why won't the father answer the phone?
What happened ten years ago?
Why is the stranger carrying that photograph?
You don't have to reveal everything immediately.
Let the reader discover information as the story unfolds.
Give Your Story a Clear Problem
A short story benefits from having a central problem.
Ask yourself:
What is happening that requires the character to do something?
Maybe someone needs to make a decision.
Maybe something has gone wrong.
Maybe the character discovers a secret.
Maybe they must confront another person.
Maybe they're trying to reach someone before it's too late.
The problem gives the story direction.
Use a Simple Story Structure
You don't need a complicated formula, but a basic structure can help.
Think of your story as:
Beginning: Something changes or a problem appears.
Middle: The character tries to deal with the problem, but things become more complicated.
Ending: The character makes a decision, experiences a change, or reaches some kind of resolution.
This structure gives you a beginning, middle, and end without requiring a detailed outline.
Introduce a Turning Point
At some point, something should change.
The character discovers new information.
A plan fails.
Someone arrives.
A secret is revealed.
The character makes a choice.
This turning point keeps the story moving.
Raise the Stakes
As the story progresses, the situation should become more important or difficult.
Ask yourself:
What happens if the character fails?
The answer doesn't need to involve death or disaster.
The stakes might be emotional.
The character could lose a friendship, miss an opportunity, reveal a secret, or be forced to confront something they've been avoiding.
Don't Add Conflict Just for the Sake of Conflict
Not every story needs explosions, arguments, or dramatic twists.
Conflict should matter to the character.
If your protagonist is deeply afraid of disappointing their father, then a simple conversation can have more emotional weight than a dramatic action sequence.
Choose conflict that connects to what the character cares about.
Give Your Character a Choice
A character's choices are what move a story forward.
At some point, force your protagonist to make a decision.
Do they tell the truth?
Do they leave?
Do they stay?
Do they forgive someone?
Do they take the risk?
Do they admit what they've done?
The choice should reveal something about who they are.
Let Characters Have Flaws
Perfect characters aren't particularly interesting.
Give your characters weaknesses.
Maybe they're stubborn.
Maybe they're overly cautious.
Maybe they avoid difficult conversations.
Maybe they're jealous.
Maybe they care too much about what others think.
Flaws give characters room to change.
Give Characters Distinct Personalities
If every character speaks and behaves the same way, readers may have trouble remembering who is who.
Think about how your characters differ.
One person might speak quickly and interrupt others.
Another might choose their words carefully.
Someone else might use humor whenever they're uncomfortable.
These differences can make dialogue much more natural.
Write Natural Dialogue
Good dialogue should sound like people talking, but it shouldn't necessarily reproduce every part of real conversation.
Real conversations contain filler, repetition, pauses, and irrelevant comments.
Fictional dialogue usually needs to be more focused.
Every conversation should reveal something about the characters, advance the story, or create tension.
Don't Make Characters Explain Things They Already Know
One common beginner mistake is writing dialogue that exists mainly to give information to the reader.
For example, siblings probably don't need to say, "As you know, our parents divorced ten years ago."
Find more natural ways to reveal background information.
Perhaps one character refers to the old family house.
Maybe an argument brings up something that happened years ago.
Let information emerge naturally.
Use Subtext
Characters don't always say exactly what they mean.
Someone might say, "I'm fine," while clearly being upset.
A character might ask, "Are you coming home for Christmas?" when what they really mean is, "Do you still care about this family?"
Subtext adds depth because the reader can understand something that the characters aren't saying directly.
Be Careful With Dialogue Tags
You don't need to write "he said angrily" after every line.
Usually, simple tags such as "said" or "asked" are enough.
You can also use actions to show emotion.
Instead of:
"I'm not going," she said angrily.
Try:
"I'm not going." She pushed the chair away from the table.
The action gives the reader information without explaining the emotion directly.
Use Sensory Details
Bring the reader into the scene through the senses.
What does the character see?
What can they hear?
What does the room smell like?
What does the coffee taste like?
What does the cold air feel like?
You don't need to include every sense in every paragraph.
Choose details that make the scene more vivid.
Show Emotion Through Behavior
You don't always need to tell the reader that a character is nervous.
Show it.
Maybe they keep checking the clock.
Maybe they tap their fingers against the table.
Maybe they avoid eye contact.
Maybe they keep rereading the same text message.
Physical behavior can make emotions feel more believable.
Avoid Explaining Every Emotion
Trust your reader.
If your character slams the door, throws their keys onto the counter, and refuses to answer a question, you may not need to write, "She was extremely angry."
The behavior already communicates the emotion.
Think About Point of View
Point of view determines who tells the story.
First person: "I opened the door."
Third person limited: "She opened the door."
Third person omniscient: The narrator can move between different characters' thoughts and perspectives.
For beginners, first person and third person limited are often easiest because they keep the story focused.
Choose One Main Perspective
Short stories usually benefit from staying close to one character.
Jumping between several perspectives can take up valuable space and make a short story feel scattered.
Unless there's a strong reason to change perspectives, choose the character whose experience is most important and stay with them.
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Make Every Scene Matter
Because short stories are limited in length, unnecessary scenes can weaken the story.
Ask of every scene:
What changes because of this scene?
If the answer is "nothing," consider removing it.
A scene should reveal information, create conflict, deepen a relationship, change the character's situation, or move the story toward its ending.
Don't Introduce Too Many Characters
A short story doesn't need a huge cast.
One main character and a few supporting characters may be enough.
Too many characters can make the story feel crowded and force you to spend valuable space introducing people who don't matter to the central conflict.
Give Supporting Characters a Purpose
Every important supporting character should contribute something.
They might challenge the protagonist.
Offer advice.
Create an obstacle.
Reveal information.
Represent a different point of view.
Or bring out something in the main character.
If a character doesn't serve a purpose, consider combining them with another character or removing them.
Keep the Timeline Manageable
Short stories often work well when they cover a relatively short period.
Your story might happen over:
An hour
An afternoon
One evening
A single day
A weekend
You can certainly write longer timelines, but keeping the timeframe focused can make it easier to maintain momentum.
Use Flashbacks Carefully
Flashbacks can provide important information, but they can also interrupt the story.
Before including one, ask whether the information could be revealed another way.
If you do use a flashback, make sure it adds something meaningful rather than simply explaining the character's entire history.
Give the Story a Sense of Change
Something should be different by the end.
The character may have learned something.
A relationship may have changed.
A secret may have been revealed.
A decision may have been made.
The external situation might even remain unresolved, but the character's understanding of it can be different.
Don't Feel Obligated to Write a Happy Ending
Short stories can end in many ways.
The ending can be:
Hopeful
Sad
Funny
Bittersweet
Surprising
Ambiguous
Reflective
The important thing is that it feels appropriate for the story you've created.
Avoid Forced Plot Twists
A surprise ending can be effective, but only when it makes sense in retrospect.
Don't add a twist simply because you think every short story needs one.
A quiet realization can be just as powerful as a shocking revelation.
Try an Open Ending
You don't have to explain everything.
Sometimes it's more interesting to leave the reader with a question.
Maybe the character walks away without telling us what happens next.
Maybe a letter remains unopened.
Maybe two characters sit silently together after a difficult conversation.
An open ending can work particularly well when the emotional journey has reached a natural stopping point.
Write the First Draft Quickly
Don't try to make every sentence perfect while you're writing the first draft.
Get the story down.
You can fix awkward sentences later.
If you stop every few paragraphs to rewrite, you may lose the momentum needed to reach the ending.
Give yourself permission to write a messy first draft.
Finish Before You Edit Heavily
Try to get the complete story written before spending too much time polishing the opening.
It can be tempting to rewrite the first page over and over.
But the ending may change your understanding of the beginning.
Finish the story first.
Then go back and revise.
Take a Break Before Revising
Once you've finished your first draft, put it aside for a little while.
Even a day or two can help.
When you return, you'll be more likely to see awkward passages, unnecessary scenes, confusing dialogue, and missing information.
Distance gives you a fresh perspective.
Read Your Story Out Loud
Reading aloud is an excellent editing tool.
You'll notice sentences that are too long.
Dialogue that sounds unnatural.
Repeated words.
Awkward transitions.
Places where the pacing slows down.
If you stumble while reading, there's a good chance the sentence needs attention.
Look for the Boring Parts
Be honest with yourself.
Where does your attention wander?
Where does the story slow down?
Where are you explaining something that doesn't need explanation?
Those are the areas that may need revision.
Sometimes cutting a paragraph improves a story more than adding another one.
Cut Unnecessary Words
Short stories benefit from concise writing.
Look for words that don't add meaning.
Instead of:
"He walked slowly over to the old wooden door."
You might write:
"He approached the door."
You don't need to eliminate every descriptive word, but make sure the words you keep are doing useful work.
Strengthen Your Opening After You Finish
Your first draft's opening doesn't have to be perfect.
Once you've finished the story, revisit it.
Ask whether you can begin closer to the central conflict.
Can you remove unnecessary background information?
Can you replace a generic opening with something more specific?
Can you give the reader a reason to become curious immediately?
Strengthen the Ending
The ending deserves careful attention.
Ask:
What has changed?
What does the character understand now?
What emotion should the reader leave with?
Does the ending feel earned?
A strong ending doesn't necessarily answer every question.
It should, however, feel connected to everything that came before it.
Read Short Stories by Other Writers
One of the best ways to learn short-story structure is to read short stories.
Pay attention to how different writers begin.
Notice when they introduce conflict.
Look at how much description they use.
Study how they develop characters in relatively few pages.
Pay attention to endings.
Don't just read for entertainment.
Read like a writer.
Keep a Story Idea List
Ideas often arrive at inconvenient times.
Keep a notebook or note on your phone for story ideas.
Write down interesting situations, overheard phrases, memories, questions, images, or character ideas.
You don't need to develop them immediately.
A simple sentence such as "A woman finds her own name in an old guest book" may become a story months later.
Turn Everyday Experiences Into Fiction
You don't have to experience something extraordinary to find material for fiction.
A conversation at a coffee shop can inspire a character.
A childhood memory can become the setting for a story.
A family argument can become the emotional foundation of a fictional relationship.
You can change the people, circumstances, location, and outcome.
The goal isn't to document your life.
It's to use ordinary experiences as raw material for imagination.
Try Writing From a Prompt
If you don't know what to write, use a prompt.
Try:
Someone receives a package they didn't order.
Two people recognize each other but pretend they don't.
A character finds a note hidden inside a library book.
Someone returns to their childhood home for the first time in twenty years.
A stranger leaves a key on a restaurant table.
Choose one and start writing without planning too much.
Try a One-Scene Story
If an entire short story feels overwhelming, limit yourself to one scene.
Choose two characters.
Put them somewhere.
Give them something to disagree about or something they both want.
Write the scene.
You may discover that you've created the beginning of a larger story—or you may have created a complete story in miniature.
Try a Time Limit
Give yourself thirty minutes.
Choose a prompt.
Start writing.
Don't stop to edit.
See how much of a story you can create.
Timed writing exercises are useful because they reduce overthinking.
You may discover that your instincts are better than you realize.
Don't Wait for Inspiration
You don't have to feel inspired every time you write.
Sometimes inspiration arrives after you begin.
Write a sentence.
Then another.
Ask your character a question.
Describe the room.
Put the character in an uncomfortable situation.
Give them a problem.
Movement creates momentum.
Write What Interests You
Don't worry too much about what you think you "should" write.
If you're fascinated by family relationships, write about families.
If you love mysteries, write mysteries.
If you enjoy humor, experiment with comedy.
If you're interested in ordinary people facing difficult choices, explore that.
Your curiosity will make the writing process much easier.
Let Yourself Write Badly
This may be the most important advice for a new writer.
Your first story may not be very good.
That's okay.
The first draft's job is to exist.
You can't revise a story that you never finish.
You can't learn what works unless you experiment.
You can't develop your voice without writing.
Give yourself permission to produce awkward sentences, predictable plots, flat characters, and endings that don't quite work.
You'll get better by writing the next story.
Write More Than One Story
Don't put all your expectations on your first attempt.
Write another.
Then another.
Try different genres.
Write different characters.
Experiment with first person and third person.
Try a funny story.
Try something serious.
Write a mystery.
Write something quiet and emotional.
Each story teaches you something different.
Find Your Own Voice
Your writing voice develops over time.
It comes from the words you naturally choose, the subjects you return to, the way you describe
people, and the rhythm of your sentences.
You don't need to force yourself to sound literary.
You don't need to imitate another writer.
Read widely, experiment, and pay attention to what feels natural when you write.
Your voice will become clearer with practice.
Start Small and Finish
You don't need a perfect idea.
You don't need a special writing program.
You don't need a complicated outline.
You need a character, a situation, and a reason for something to change.
Start with a simple idea.
Give your character something they want.
Put an obstacle in their way.
Let them make a choice.
Write the messy first draft.
Then revise it.
Most importantly, finish it.
A completed imperfect short story will teach you far more about writing than an unfinished story you've spent months planning. Once you've finished one, you can start another—and with each story, you'll become more comfortable with creating characters, building tension, shaping scenes, and finding your own way of telling a story.
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