When I first started getting into writing at age eight, I dreamed of writing one big novel. You know the type: hundreds of pages, thousands of words, countless imaginative worlds, a bundle of characters and one big super idea that shared a powerful, totally unique message with the world. I imagined a novel so fat that it could be used as an anchor for a ship.

You know what happened to that story? I started it. Never finished it. But, yeah, I started it, and it’s still somewhere in my attic collecting dust. Poor novel. Never got to live his dreams of being an anchor.

So why did I give up on my big, ambitious dream novel? Because I started too big too soon.

As a young writer yourself, you might have the same ambition: write an epic novel. And honestly I believe you can! But don’t make the same mistake I made. Don’t start your writing career by writing that epic novel. Why not? 

I want you to picture that novel like a video game: if you skipped ahead to the boss battle, you wouldn’t have the tools, the upgraded weapons, the boosts that you gain from defeating lighter bad guys. Those lighter battles prepare you for the big guy and are just as important as defeating the main boss.

By starting out with such an ambitious project, you could unintentionally intimidate yourself into giving up– or worse– lose faith in yourself.  You can’t hop into a massive novel without writing a few short stories first.

Neil Gaiman said about the importance of writing short stories, “short stories teach us vital storytelling skills; a few of them being economy of words, the art of compression, how to focus on one simple concept, and the idea that you don’t have to take a journey around the world, but only take a journey that brings you back in time for tea.” Gotta love Gaiman 🙂

Yes, short stories force you to make every word, every sentence, every character count. It’s like a pressure cooker for a novel! And learning how to boil down a story to just its vital elements teaches you how to be responsible with bigger stories. Essentially, short stories teach new writers how to be efficient writers. 

So how do you do it? How do you write small? Especially when you’re used to dreaming BIG?

Start with an idea:

Just as with any story, a short story starts with a simple idea. Any idea. Look around you (seriously!) hundreds of ideas exist in your very own home, in your very own writing space. Discover an idea waiting to happen and spice things up!

For example, why not take an everyday object and write from its perspective? Like a penny, or a sock, or a cookie jar? Or, why not take your favorite fairy tale and give it a unique spin? Write the story of Peter Pan’s long lost twin! Write from the perspective of Puss in Boots’ boots!

Ideas do not have to be giant, world-changing philosophies that set the world on fire. They simply have to be a spark. That’s it. So take that little spark (don’t you dare scoff at it!) and see where it leads you. There is no such thing as a small idea when it comes to short stories.

Expand your idea:

Take your idea and ask it questions. What could it be? Where could it go? Who could it be related to? What does it want? Why can’t it have what it wants? See which path has the potential to satisfy your seedling idea. Take the path that feels right to you— that rings true to your concept– and run with it.

Execute your concept:

All you need for any story is a main character, something that character wants, a reason they do not have what they want,  how they attain that thing and what they learn from the process. So execute your idea by following this simple train of events. Spice it up as you see fit, but remember to keep your plot simple.

Now I’m not saying “keep things boring! Write a vanilla story!” No, I’m saying keep your brilliant brain from running in a thousand different directions. Short stories are anywhere between 100-5,000 words long. So rein yourself in. Remember that is one thing you have to learn form short stories: executing compact concepts. So, do not complicate things. Simplicity is the key to writing a great short story. 

Take your one idea, connect it to the next logical step, and continue from there. One step at a time. One word at a time. One page at a time. You got this 😉

What do you do when you’re done?

Keep writing. Write another short story, and another and another! Keep challenging yourself by writing (and finishing) these bite sized stories. You’ll see how the practice of writing short stories helps you craft better, stronger characters, stories, and worlds!

Need help starting your own short story? Or perhaps you’ve got an idea brewing, but you’d like a little outline to help remind you to keep it simple and stay on task. Well I’ve got a free downloadable resource for you that turns today’s blog post into a concise outline. Along with it I’ve shared the latest short story I’ve written. Why? Because sometimes it helps to read a short story to help you feel inspired.

My short story takes a unique perspective on the classic Cinderella tale as told by none other than her very own glass slipper. Written in rhymes, this take on the cinder girl story is meant to pay homage to classic fairy tales. It’s called The Glass Slipper’s Secret and I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you find the outline useful for your own awesome short story!

Click image to download pdf: