Many short story competitions, at least in Israel, set a theme and a word count: up to 2500 words, 2000-5000 words, etc. I often find myself starting short stories for such competitions, and hitting the word count upper limit halfway into the story I want to tell. The only times I managed to stay within the word count is when writing fanfic: I didn't need to do much of an introduction for the setting and the characters, and could thus dive directly into the story. Of course, not all competitions accept fanfic, and most of the time it wouldn't fit the theme of the competition in the first place.
Writing that is more concise can shave off about 10%-20% of what I've written without sacrificing story. But surely not 50% or more. So it would appear my stories are from the outset too big for the format.
Is there a way to plan a story for a shorter word count? A way to know from the beginning that a story is likely to fit or not to fit into the limit I've been set?
Answer
I've been mulling this too.
Short stories serve a different purpose, like a poem is different than a novel.
One idea is that a short story is: A Character, In A Situation, With A Problem ...
This idea is to structure the story differently than a novel. The story could be simply the resolution of a relationship between a dying man and his estranged wife. No big arc, just a character, in a situation, with a problem. And the story (the death and resolution of relationship) serves the reader differently than a novel.
That's my answer. Look at your structure from a gross and holistic viewpoint, if you know what I mean. If you are writing a novel ... maybe tell yourself that you are writing a poem, or something, to break the habit you are falling into.
Here's a link I am using for inspiration on shorts.
No comments:
Post a Comment