As a writer, you may have lofty dreams of sitting at your computer, waiting for your great muse to show up, and then just spouting off a whole, excellently-crafted, compelling short story in one sitting. The truth is that this very rarely happens!
You might have a fantastical world you want to build and expound on, with all the intricate details written down (or even illustrated!) in your notebook. Maybe you have a mental image of a main character, with all his flaws and strengths, and you just know he will just win your readers’ hearts.
And maybe you already have an extremely detailed plot outline, with all the key events mapped out. You might think this is enough to get your story in good shape!
The challenge is, how do you put all these details into a short story, and make them work within about 7,500 to 10,000 words?
Structuring a Short Story
If you’re writing a novel, you have the liberty to add countless characters and thoroughly develop a huge percentage of them.
But if you’re writing a short story, you need to focus on only a few characters. Expound on only one or two characters, and only give a brief description of any and all other characters. Then, you need to pick one point of view and stick to it.
Next, your short story needs to stick to a single time frame. Jumping around in flashbacks or flash-forwards are usually unrealistic in the short story format. Instead, pick important events that shape who your character is at the point the story opens, but don’t dwell too long on back story.
The word limit actually teaches you discipline. Go through your first draft and scratch off all scenes, sentences, or descriptions that do not serve to move the story forward. If the story can stand without them, it’s better off without them!
Lastly, write according to a conventional story structure. We cannot overemphasize this point. Sure, you might be able to reinvent the wheel, but why would you want to do so when using what works is obviously easier, and, well, definitely works?
Although storytelling is a creative process, its basic elements are actually the same whether you’re writing a novel or short story, and your unique style makes every story special.
If you take a look at any short story, chances are, you will find that it fits into a structure that can be reused over and over again, with an entirely new cast of characters, a unique setting, and even totally individual conflict situations.
Popular Short Story Structures You Can Use Right Now
With that said, here are some of the most common short story structures you can use to write your own short story:
1. The Three-Act Structure
This is one of the most common story strucures that work well in the short story. Here are its components:
- Act 1: Introduction. The first part is where you introduce your characters, the setting, and tone of the story. In the short story, the intro part is where the inciting incident occurs, where your protagonist is called to action.
- Act 2: The Confrontation. This middle part of the story will include the rising action where your protagonist faces up trouble after trouble in the quest to resolve the conflict.
- Act 3: Resolution. Once you reach the climax, you’re well into the third act, where you also start to wrap everything up in a satisfying conclusion.
Think about the conflict you want to tell, and then brainstorm the most effective ways of introducing it to your readers.
Then, list down some of the plot points that you want to have, choosing only those that raise the stakes the most. From there, think about different ways you might end your story and choose the one that is the most satisfying.
2. The Box
In this structure, you use a box to visualize the different components of your story, with the conflict as the unifying theme.
This means that you need to choose your protagonist and all other characters well. What type of character would serve best to show the conflict and how to resolve it? For example, if your conflict is about a child trying to prove himself to his father, what kind of traits should he have? Should he be a goody-goody who never does things wrong, or would it be more interesting to create a character who wants to do good but always fails at it?
Next, your plot should revolve around your chosen conflict, and every scene should serve to raise the stakes for your characters. Any scene that doesn’t serve the storyline should be mercilessly cut out of the story.
The setting also needs to be connected to the main conflict. Think of the most effective place or time frame that you can use to portray your chosen conflict and story.
3. ABDCE (Action, Background, Development, Climax, Ending)
This mnemonic is relatively easy to remember (just switch C and D!). All you have to do is first pick an action from which your story takes off. Then, give the background to your characters, setting, and plot. From there, develop your characters, setting, and plot.
Work these up towards the climax, and then wrap everything up in your chosen ending, and there you have a complete short story!
4. Freytag’s Pyramid
Although not everyone knows the name, if you’ve heard the terms rising and falling action, you probably already have an idea of what this story structure looks like.
Gustav Freytag was a scripwriter and novelist during the 1800s, but his pyramid continues to be one of the most commonly used, and perhaps among the oldest, literary structures that writers still use today.
This includes:
- Exposition
- Inciting Incident
- Rising Action
- Complication
- Climax
- Reversal
- Falling Action
- Resolution
- Denouement
Of course, you will have more room to develop these more intricate details in a longer work like a screenplay or novel, and you may have to compress some of them when writing your short story.
5. Hero’s Journey
Typically attributed to Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey is a common story structure used by novelists. It’s also known by the term monomyth.
The basic outline includes:
- Start – Call to Adventure
- Rejecting the Call
- Meeting the Mentor
- Crossing the Threshold
- Meeting Trials, Allies, and Enemies
- Approaching the Innermost Cave
- Facing Ultimate Enemy (death and rebirth)
- Revelation
- The Reward
- The Road Back
- Resurrection
- Return with Elixir
For a short story, you will probably need to do away with a lot of these outline points, and instead focus on a simplified version. Follow the protagonist’s journey from his old home, his transformation, and his return home as a changed person.
Using a Short Story Structure
When you write according to a short story structure, it doesn’t mean you’re not creating the story yourself. The set structure is meant to help you stay within the confines of the short story word limit while maximizing your creative output.
Besides, having a set structure means that you can concentrate your efforts on developing your characters and plot instead of having to trouble yourself to organize your thoughts.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- 15 Best Short Story Collections
- 40 Short Story Prompts You Can Write in a Day
- How to Write a Short Story: Tips, Definitions, and Examples
- Story Pacing: 8 Tips To Keep Your Story Moving
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
