How to Write Short Stories 3E

by Arco

This practical informative handbook provides everything you need to know to write a first-rate short story. In clear, concise terms it covers all the steps in writing short fiction—from outlining the story to resolving plot conflicts.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

133 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1992

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful!!

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owe a lot of my writing success to this book.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably one of the shortest guides to writing short stories I've perused as of late, but nonetheless a good one. If you've read any basic writing guides before, chances are you're not going to learn anything new in this particular book, but it's still a helpful way to juxtapose tips with your own writing and look at the different aspects just as a refresher, which is what I used it for. Beginning writers are far more likely to get more out of this work than veterans. Sorenson takes a bare bones approach to it, laying down some familiar guides to writing in terms of focusing on "showing not telling", characterizations, plot, among other elements that are key to prose.

The publishing details I found, in my edition, are a little outdated with respect to modern resources (doesn't address electronic submissions, self-pubbing or any of that), so I would recommend that people use other resources to get more updated information, but at the very least, this book asks decent questions about how to analyze your SS piece and examine ways to maximize its impact.

Overall score: 3/5

[Jus · Rating 5 out of 5]

“How to write Short Stories” by Sharon Sorenson. 2nd edition; learn to use plot, characters, and dialogue to develop effective short fiction. Featuring: sample short stories with analyses. A very handy resourceful read.

“Be of appropriate length, from 200 to 10,000 words, but most likely 1500 to 3500 words..”

“To put it as concisely as possible, a reader learns about characters by:
1. What they say,
2. What they do, and
3. What others say about them.”

A great book for enthusiasts who enjoy writing. There’s a useful glossary at the end of the book.
“Think positively! Facing rejection is part of the writing business” and “keep the rejection slips and letters on file. You may need them!”

[Jenny Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated, naturally. Luckily, even if the internet has changed the process of submitting work to publications, the definitions of hyperbole, alliteration, and foreshadowing are still the same. This book is a decent overview of basic writing concepts, but it doesn't add much for any readers who made it through high school English classes. The best part was near the end - a Hawthorne short story included in full and analyzed.

[Kaitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine for a beginner. The last chapter is obviously very out of date with a 1998 publication but I'm sure no one reading this today would expect otherwise.

My stars that are knocked off are because I really didn't enjoy the exemplar pieces, they should have shown more variety so that new authors can see multiple styles.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very useful basic guide to writing short stories. Most of it I have read or heard elsewhere (e.g. "show, don't tell" - ever heard that one before?), but what I found useful was the examples used to illustrate the lessons.

The examples were good because I've always thought of formulas for writing short stories as, well, a bit formulaic. I wanted to write stories that didn't follow a formula, or stories that deliberately broke with the formula. But what I understood from reading this book is that there is a lot of room within the formula for originality. The formula Sorenson defines is:

Exposition - introduces the characters and setting, establishes point of view, gives background information

Opening - leads the main character to a conflict

Incident - begins the plot

Rising Action - builds the conflict, adds new, more complicated incidents

Climax - raises conflict to greatest intensity, changes the course of events or the way the reader understands the story (may be either an event or an insight)

Falling Action - reduces conflict, prepares reader for resolution (not always used)

Resolution - ends the conflict, leaves the reader satisfied

But "Rising action" doesn't have to be real "action" action - it can be much subtler. "Conflict" doesn't have to be external or explicit. The "resolution" doesn't have to be neat. As I read the examples in this book, I didn't think of them as formulaic at all, even though Sorenson shows afterwards how they fit into the formula.

I've concentrated on plot here, because it's the part where I've always struggled with following a formula and wanted to break away, but there's also good advice here on theme, characters, point of view, setting, dialogue, description and endings. At the end there's a chapter on getting into print - again lots of good advice, although some of it sounded a little outdated in my edition (1998), talking about typewriter typefaces and the bond and rag content of the paper you should use, with no mention of the internet - how much has changed in a short time. Some things are timeless, though, like rejection slips.

[Killer of Dreams · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very basic book in its entirety. It felt as though I retook a basic English class from high school. The guide goes into detail on a very linear course in creating a short story but doesn't unearth any exceptions or different styles towards short stories but I do praise the book for detailing the publication process and the linear method of creating short stories.

Rating Update 4/6/19- The linear path of writing short stories is helpful but it's ok.

Rating Update 10 June 2019
With the adoption of my new rating system, a two star rating is befitting. The original review does not indicate if I enjoyed reading the linear approach to writing short stories. A two star rating is a safe choice.

Update
September 11, 2019
Apart from the entertainment received from reading this book, which had been used to rate this book at two stars, I do not remember if I considered this a decent resource book (two stars) or useless (one star). For now I will leave it at two stars for at least giving me an outline to follow when writing short stories.

Update
January 18, 2020
In answering the question in the update from September 11, 2019, on whether the book was a "decent resource book (two stars) or useless (one star)", I would lean to it being a decent resource book. I did remember reading some things that I did not know before, and I believe I could view this guide as a complimentary guide to read as steps when writing a short story. At the time of reading this, I believe I was writing short stories. These beliefs are all suppositions. I also do not recall any disliking after having finished the book, probably because of the brevity of the book.

February 1, 2020
Update
Continuing from the update on January 18, 2020, I am certain I did not enjoy this book to the extent of three stars because of the tone in the original review. It seemed to be an OK, decent guide (two star-rating).

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent guide for the beginning writer. It has great explanations, descriptive content and great examples of short stories. I was mesmerized by Nathaniel Hawthorne's, The Birthmark. The author gives the story such a thorough treatment, you would think you were in a college writing course. Of course, excellent pre- and post-writing advice throughout. Recommend for readers interested in writing short stories! My only negative comment is that it could have had more meat (more examples) and received 5 stars.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly dated but still good advice on creating characters, setting, theme and other vital elements of a short story. Included an analysis of a story by a "master," Nathaniel Hawthorne -- "The Birthmark," which I'd never read. Excellent story but sets high standards for others to follow! Still, reading the book gave me some good ideas that I hope to use.

[Rhonda Browning · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good primer for beginning writers, and it makes a decent refresher course for someone who's been writing for a while. It's a short book and an easy read, so if you have a copy handy, it's worth a read.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found the book to be very helpful and the tips to writing short stories seem easy to follow. It's a step by step how to that will be a benefit to anyone looking to write short stories.