Theme
Any writing must have messages or implied meanings. A theme is just like a string connecting the beginning and end of story on which you rely plot, characters, setting etc. When you write, be sure that every word is related to this theme.
When writing a short story, our attention might be fastened to one side only, such as creating characterization, depicting the available things, dialogue or whatever. That is why, we have to remember that flowery words can bury the core of the story itself.
A good story is that which follows a border line. Determine what the core of your story is.although the theme is highly prompting to augment. You must still focus on the core you have made if you don’t want your writing to end like the opening of a novel or a compilation of complicated ideas with no explanation.
Period of time
The story in an effective short story usually presents a short period of time. This can be in form of an event in your main character’s life span or a story of events going on in one day or one hour. And the short period of time, make the events you are telling about can give rise to your theme.
Setting
Since you singly have a limited number of words to set forth your messages, therefore you must be able to select conscientiously the setting of the story. This means that a setting must also serve to participate in supporting the course of the story. This doesn’t mean that you must select a typical or guessable setting. For instance, few most frightening settings for horror stories are not graves or old houses, but common places the readers frequently find in their daily lives.
Make readers as though they felt the mood of the story through the setting having been selected.
Characterization
To keep the effectiveness of the story, a short story amply has some three main characters only, because too many main characters can blur the course of the story. Don’t be too lost in depicting the detailed background of each character.
Determine which character is the most important in supporting the story and focus on them. If you really fall in love with your characters, make use of them as the basis of your next novels.
Dialogue
Don’t underestimate the power of dialogues in supporting your characterization, on the reverse, dialogues must be able to partake in telling and developing your story. Don’t just make dialogues complements to enliven your characters.
Any word put in your character’s mouths must also be functional in giving rise to the theme of the story. If the dialogues are found to be unable to support themes, just eradicate them.
Plot
Create an opening paragraph interesting enough to make readers curious to know what happen next. Make sure that your plot is complete, there must be an exposition, climax and denouement. Nonetheless, You don’t necessarily take a long time in building up stories, so that the climax or denouement only emerges in one short sentence, and makes readers troubled and confused in a negative meaning, not charmed.
Don’t also make a ‘twist ending’ (unpredicted ending) which can be read too early, keep readers guessing until the final seconds. If you make a story move very fast, for instance a story of criminality, keep your paragraphs and sentences short. This is a trick to regulate speed and condense the nuance you want to serve to your readers.
Rereading
Readers can easily influenced by irregular format, use of wrong punctuations and grammar. Don’t let these all interfere with your story, check them up repeatedly.
