What's the hardest thing about writing a short story?

1. 83

   CrazedNovelistposted 11 years ago

   What's the hardest thing about writing a short story?
   
   I want to ask other writers what the hardest part of writing a short story is... I've never really written one, so I want some opinions from others...

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2. 0

   JThomp42posted 11 years ago

   The hardest thing about writing a short story is getting your story told, or your point across without getting carried away writing too many words. Good luck Crazed.

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   1. 83

      CrazedNovelistposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks buddy.

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      JThomp42posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You are very welcome my friend!

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3. 60

   Alexandra Kaohiposted 11 years ago

   The hardest thing about writing a short story is where to write first. Because the most common hard thing to write is the begginning. Sometimes you are stuck when you try to write. I think when you are trying to write a short story, just write what is on your mind. Write your own style.

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      CrazedNovelistposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I understand.

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4. 69

   Tusitala Tomposted 11 years ago

   I have written a number of short stories, most way back in the 1960s and 1970s.   If you look up my Hub  Korean Christmas you will find one of them.  It once won me 2nd prize in a competition so it must have something going for it.
   
   With the short story, prune every unessential word.  If it doesn't add something important to the setting, a character, or the plot, leave it out.   And have the climax come right at the end.  In the story I mention here it comes in the final sentence.
   
   Use short, simple words wherever possible.   Read Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea and note the short, punchy, single-syllable wordage.  He was truly masterful in that particular story -  and goodluck.

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      CrazedNovelistposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks a lot, Tom!! An awesome answer to this question!

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5. 84

   M. T. Dremerposted 11 years ago

   For me, the hardest part of writing a short story is not having enough time to really explore a character or a plot line. I like to get into the world of a novel, but with a short story, I feel like it's over before it began. We get only the smallest of snippets, and I'm left wanting more. It makes it particularly hard to get published if you don't like short stories, because publishing short stories in magazines is one of the crucial stepping stones to becoming a novelist.

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