Get your short stories to readers

Section 1: Defining a short story

Elaine L. Orr

Books can be more than 100,000 words (think Michener) or less than twenty-five thousand (think O. Henry). What short stories and books have in common is the need for a beginning, middle, and end. The writer lays the groundwork for a piece, develops the characters and plot, and resolves a question or mystery. The reader won’t feel a sense of satisfaction if the plot is overly simple or the characters flat. That’s true with any piece of fiction, but because you have less space to work with, creating well-rounded characters and conflict (in the literary sense) may seem like more of a challenge in writing a short story.

Merriam Webster says a short story is, “An invented prose narrative shorter than a novel usually dealing with a few characters and aiming at unity of effect and often concentrating on the creation of mood rather than plot.” I find that definition a bit ponderous. Wikipedia says, “A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The modern short story developed in the early 19th century.” Much more practical.

Generally, a short story is from 1,000 to 10,000 words, and a short-short or flash fiction is 500 words or less. However, a magazine publisher defines the length for their publication, and they may permit longer work. Since this class is about getting your stories to readers, it doesn't focus on writing or even what the best stories are. However, this brief discussion of the firm can guide you to some good examples. Resources: For an overview of the genre, go to an article on Blurb https://www.blurb.com/blog/what-is-a-short-story/ All About the Short Story, https://americanliterature.com/all-about-the-short-story