How to write a short story.

For the next couple of weeks I am going to show you how to write a short story. Today I will give you some basic instructions.

1. Choose a point-of-view:
first person
third-person limited (narrator who focuses on one person)
third-person omniscient (narrator who gives thoughts and observations from more than one
person)

2. Create your characters: have a protagonist, antagonist and possibly other characters;
develop the character's characteristics and physical traits

3. Create the problem or conflict in one of these forms:
main character vs. himself/herself
person vs. nature
person vs. society
person vs. God/fate
person vs. person

4. Create believable characters and setting with vivid descriptions and dialogue

5. Build tension by letting the main character have several failed attempts at solving the
problem. This section may need to be skipped in a short story

6. Develop a crisis which will make it the last chance for the main character to solve the problem

7. Have the main character solve the problem through some positive attribute such as courage,
creativity, or intelligence

8. Extending the ending is a possibility by reflecting upon the story and its significance to the
characters.

Ideas for helping to begin and write a short story

Sometimes it can be difficult to think of different ideas when writing stories. Here is a list of ten ideas that may help you write your short story.

How many characters will there be?
What will happen in the story?
What are the names of the characters?
Who is the main character?
Where does the story take place?
What is the time period?
Why are the characters doing what they are doing?
Are there any moral lessons to be learned?
How many words do you need?
What is the point-of-view?