According to Dr. Bob Rich, a fiction writer needs to allow the reader to be creative as he reads what is written. If the writing is good enough, he says, the reader will do all the rest of the work. In other words, the author does not need to give extensive details, descriptions, or explanations IF he has build good character(s), plot, conflict, dialogue, and brought the story to life. The reader can fill in the extra details.
I agree with Dr. Rich and prefer to add my own imagination. When graphic details are given, I'm often "turned off" because my imagination would fine-tune the activity to my own likes and dislikes if allowed to do so. Besides, graphic details take words and sentences that should be used to move the plot forward.
The author must get into the mind of the character so that the reader can, too. But some details, unless absolutely necessary to move the plot forward, are not required.
Simon Wood (Writer's Digest, December 2007) calls writing concisely for short stories as scope. "By their nature, short stories are limited by the size of the story being told." In another part of his tips for writing short stories, he states, "A short story is storytelling in it purest sense. It's concentrated. expression. The prose has to be streamlined because every word is an expensive commodity."
Many people believe that novels can be condensed to become short stories. While the converse is true, that a short story can be expanded into a novel, usually reducing a novel into a short story becomes a synopsis.
To write a good short story, a writer must hook her reader early and focus on what makes the plot move along: get to the point almost immediately; solve conflict swiftly; have a beginning, a middle, and an end; not too much information; and the mantra - show, don't tell.
The following is a guide for structuring a short story:
* The conflict should be introduced by the end of the first page.
* Dailogue or physical action can ignite the story's conflict.
* Few major characters should be featured.
* The beginning, middle, and end need pivotal plot developments.
* Each sentence must move the plot forward or tell readers something about the characters. One that doesn't, should be deleted.
* Each word should move the story forward. If it doesn't, it should be deleted.
* The story must be focused and not have irrelevancies and redundancies about the characters or plot.
Example: The woman tossed her long, blond hair with silver streaks over her shoulder. If her hair being long or blond doesn't have relevance, a need to be known, then it should be deleted. Certainly noting that her hair has silver streaks is not necessary.
* Descriptions should be simple but vivid without excessive wording.
* Dialogue should be tight and sound "real."
* The reader should "see" how characters act.
* The conflict should be resolved, even if not a "happy ending."
Hopefully the information shared will help authors write better short stories.
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After teaching composition for years and becoming an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ a site for Poetry, Vivian Gilbert Zabel produced Hidden Lies and Other Stores , Walking the Earth:, The Base Stealers Club, and Case of the Missing Coach, found on Amazon.com.
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