The Great Wattpad Write-off

How To Write A Short Story

Writing short stories is an art. To help our participants out, we have done some research into the most important facets of it. On this page we would like to go over everything you'll need to know to write a short story. Some of you might find lots of useful tips here. Others might already know all this, and skip this page entirely. That's fine. We are just making sure you are all prepared for the start of the contest.

What is a Short Story?

       A short story is like a mini-version of a full-length story. It still includes character development, plot development, a climax and a resolution. In a novel there are lots of characters, there are plot-lines and subplots, there are cliffhangers and multiple settings. In a short story, there are only one or just a few characters, there is (usually) only one setting, and only one plot-line.

       The main consequence of this, is that everything about your short story needs to be perfect. In a novel, if you have a plot-hole in chapter 6, the previous five chapters may have been good enough to make up for it, and the reader will continue reading. In a short story, you don't have enough space to make up for a mistake. It has to be perfect, because the reader won't have much to go on when they form an impression of your story.

       Writing a short story, though similar, is not the same as writing a full-length novel. The main difference in the writing process of these two types of stories, is the editing. With full-length novels you'll often find yourself editing with the purpose of finding better words, or better sentence structures, or searching for a way to make the story flow better. With short stories, it's all about the word count. You'll often find yourself editing with the purpose of cutting words out. This is an important part of the process. It'll also help you understand what's important and what isn't; a crucial piece of knowledge for any writer.

The Steps of Writing a Short Story

       Right. Let's get started with the actual writing. Below we've outlined the steps to take to write your story; from the very start to the very end. You don't have to follow these steps. Or you may have an extra step that we didn't take. That's fine. Everyone has their own way of getting a story on paper. In fact, your process may differ per story you write. But if you don't know where to start, these steps will get you through it.

1. Take a little bit of time, 15-30 minutes, to just have a think about the prompt. See what you can come up with. All you need for now is an idea that gets you excited to start writing.

2. Create your protagonist. Characters make the story, so make sure you know your MC through and through.

3. Decide on the conflict. Conflict is always the center of any story.

4. Decide on the setting. Do some world-building. It probably doesn't have to be as elaborate as it would be in a novel, but you still need to know what the setting looks like.

5. Choose a point of view for your characters.

6. Decide how you want your story to end.

7. This is where you'll actually start writing. You'll need a hook at the start, build towards a climax with some kind of twist, and end with a satisfying resolution. All within 1500 words.

8. Work towards a satisfying resolution.

Questions you might ask yourself for each of these steps:

1. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read/look at this prompt? Ask yourself all the why/when/what/who/how/where questions. Make a list, in bullet points, of some of the ideas you came up with. Then, when you've finished your brainstorming session, go over them again and choose the one that speaks to you, that inspires you the most.