How to Write Short Stories for Magazines: - and Get Published!

by Sophie King

Writing short stories is both a science and an art. You need a certain amount of skill but you will increase your chances by studying your market and learning what magazine editors are looking for. It is not always obvious. "How to Write Short Stories" will take you as a would-be writer through the tricks of the trade helping you discover what the different magazines are looking for and how to think up ideas to suit; demonstrating how you can write different slants, such as twist in the tales and feel-good stories; and, advising on how you can win fiction competitions. "How To Write Short Stories" is packed with tips, quotes and inside angles from magazine editors and relevant experts.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

197 pages, Paperback

First published July 25, 2008

About the author

I've written six novels, including the bestselling The School Run, and The Wedding Party, which was nominated for Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists Association.

Reviews

[Carl Bluesy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some good points that are useful for new writes like how importing it is to read the guidelines, and to start your story off strong as the editor often makes a decision after three paragraphs. But these as mix in with some bad points.

There are moments when the author said they do t know much about the subject being discussed, making wonder why they are giving advice on it, if they don’t know it well themselves. I lead to some odd moments like this one about ghost stories.

“But in a short story, in my opinion, a ghost needs to be friendly. This is because you haven’t got room to expand the situation into one where the ghost is malicious or unkind.”

Anyone who is a fan of horror short stories will see a big flaw with this.

One of the biggest irritants was how stretched out this book was. There were many small points that were made in such a wordy way. It’s good to spend a page on one point to expand on it, but taking a page just to get to the initial point is unnecessary.

Also they put many of there own stories in this, mostly at the end of the chapter. Sometimes she uses the story to expanded on a point, witch makes since. But sometimes it feels like they were put in just to fill space. The chapters the uses a few pages of there story to expand on a point, only to have the whole story at the end of the chapter made it really fill like it was just to fill space.

I feel like this could have been good if it was condensed to a blog. But this was writing before that was a common thing. There are worst books you could read as your first book on writing. But there are a lot better ones as well.

[Becka Sutton · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first started reading this after I bought it I wondered if I'd made a mistake. It deals primarily with the type of short fiction you find in Women's Magazines like "Woman's Weekly" and "Best", and this is not a genre of fiction I generally read or write.

However on the principle that a short story is a short story I persevered. I thought I might still get some value from it, and I did, but not much.

The stuff about characterisation and plotting was especially useful. The viewpoint chapter is good, but didn't tell me anything I didn't know.

The dialogue chapter, however, is a curate's egg - some of it is good but some of it is horrible. This woman actually suggests using alternatives to said and gives some suggestions that are bad. And the chapter on First or Third Person contains a major editing gaff. Throughout the book there are examples of stories she's had published as examples (and I suspect to boost page count). In this chapter she states that she's using one story at the end and then uses another completely.

The rest of the book is full of reasonable advice, but somehow the whole book feels a bit anaemic. It's the first book I've read on writing short stories, but it seems lacking. The internal layout is odd compared to most books and it, and the 'example' stories seem to be aimed at boosting the page count. I'm absolutely sure there must be better books about the art of short story writing than this one. It might be worth getting out of the library, but I wouldn't recommend buying it.

[Sourabh Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very helpful book. It does provide an insight of how can you be creative in writing stories.

[Christopher Meades · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sniggered? Hissed? Smiled? These are the author's suggestions as speaker attributes.
This advice couldn't be more harmful to an aspiring writer.
Editors & agents actually scan pages for alternatives to 'said' as a way of finding a quick reason to pass on a manuscript.
Here's the advice...
From the book:
ALTERNATIVES TO ‘SAID’ Since a short story needs to contain so much dialogue, it’s important to think of other ways of saying ‘he said’. Some people think it doesn’t matter and that if you have lots of ‘he said’ and ‘she said’, it eventually washes over the reader so he or she doesn’t feel it’s too repetitious.
However, although this might be true in a novel, I believe it’s less so in a short story where there are fewer words on a page. So try thinking of alternatives. Here’s a list to get you going:
Whispered Smiled Sniggered Yelled Hissed Cried, etc. Laughed

[Austin Neaves · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting so much more... Not only were there typos (which particularly upsets me with a writing book)... But I didn't find the advice to be good. Some of it was even bad in my opinion. I particularly didn't like that the author discouraged the use of "said" in the short story form (or at least suggested that it can be easily overused)... The complete disregard for the online short story market annoyed me the most. This book read more as an advertisement for the two magazines this author submits to than anything... I'm sure there are better short story books out there than this.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A useful guide for the novice short story writer. Got some great ideas out of it.

I don't like her short stories though, they are the type of stories you forget as soon as you are done reading them. Her style is nothing special, the stories are nice and cute and lukewarm and lack any spice or life.

[Preethi Venugopala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good ideas as to what makes a short story work. I liked some chapters more than others. The story examples are of the genre that I like to read and write. The writing exercises prescribed are also good.

[Stewart]

Bought this year

[Rosalind Sya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benefit a lot from this book.
The technique and rational for writing short stories is really helpful
Also made me decide to write more on love stories

[Gary Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative and a great step by step guide to creative writing techniques. However what lets this guide down is the spelling mistakes and grammar. You would think that a book reprinted three times could have found a copy editor who could spell.

For example; page 48; 'A sketchpad which suggests means he might be an artist'( 'suggests' or 'means' not both. Page 75; 'That(s) it! I remember that woman now. I met her at (the) Morrison's.' Page 79; [...] I'll leave that (to) your imagination.' Page 108 and 109 are repeated. Page 123 'This mean Icould spin out the plot even more.' (meant). Page 124 In another short story I recall reading, a character in a crie short story, thinks she's got away with something wrong ...' (Do not need second 'short story', or 'wrong'. Page 139 'I crawled back on my knees back into the hall.' (Do not need first 'back'.)Page 140; 'Now, ironically, it was the rabbit bell I was unwrapping now.' (Do not need second 'now')Page 149; 'Suddenly, at about 3am, I was woken suddenly...' (Do not need second 'suddenly')Page 150; line six remove 'to'. Page 164; line two 'what ever'. Page 167; line eight replace 'if' with is. Page 185; line ten, add an in after 'it'. Page 187 line two replace 'that' with than.

This is in no way meant to upset Sophie King or her abilities as a writer. Merely to highlight how poor grammar can spoil the enjoyment of a teaching guide.

[زاهي رستم · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am very sorry, coz I cant finish this book. Its for native readers, just for American. I think its not very useful for nonnative readers like me.

[Dang Ole' Dan Can Dangle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some good advice, some bad advice, a lot of advice most people already know. Maybe worth a skim through.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

first 2 chapters very informative, the rest is the same old, same old.

[Susan Jones]

A useful resource for the novice writer. I have not really read it cover to cover but dipped into the book. A handy book though