In a world of long drawn out serials and prequels and spin-offs, the short story has lost some footing. For a lot of writers coming up in the world, it's hard to find current examples to study. Think about it. How many popular short stories can you name just off the cuff?
We want to change that. We want to bring back the art of the short story and create little worlds where the reader can escape for a few minutes of their day. Here are a few suggestions to help get started down that path.
Every story is going to take place in its own little world with its own rules and ways of being. A short story doesn't need to explain all of that in every little detail. All it needs to do is explain enough so that the story can be told without confusion and with a sense of closure. It's perfectly fine to create a world that the reader will want to know more about, but we have to make sure that their questions stem from interest instead of being completely lost.
The only person in the writer's head is the writer. The worst thing a writer can do is assume a reader will know what they mean. Readers are all aliens being brought into a world that the writer created. They need to be taught enough to be able understand the culture and the language but not so much that it's overwhelming and they just want to go home. The reader needs to feel welcome and comfortable and not like someone is giving them a list of dos and don'ts and sending them off on their own. As a writer, you are the guide and part of your job is making the reader feel safe and welcome in their new and temporary home.
Don't take yourself too seriously as a writer and don't be afraid of doing something a little different. Even if you write something as far removed from yourself as possible, people are going to assume that you're writing something from your life. It's what people do. If they're going to do that, you might as well make it interesting.
Don't preach too much. We all have ideas and ideals, things that we get passionate about and wish we could change. That's great. Keeps the world interesting. Unless you're writing specifically for something involving that thing that you're so passionate about, leave it. People want to read for an escape, not to be angered or made to feel guilty about something. Granted, there are some "safe" versions of this where enough people probably agree with you that you could get away with it, but you still want to be careful.
Continuing along the path of making readers have a bit too many feels, think about how many people rage quit Game of Thrones because of the Red Wedding. Until you have the clout to convince people to come back, don't pull a stunt like that.
Back to the short story style specifically, it is a short story complete with a beginning, a middle, and an end. You'll want to keep short stories under 7500 words or it starts to tread into that "Is it a novella?" gray area. Ideally, you want something that can be read in one sitting. Aim for about half an hour at the most. Keep it simple. You don't need a lot of plot twists and turns. You're just telling one story. That's all you really have time for. The fewer characters, the better. It makes it easier for the reader to keep track. Stay away from any huge world building. Remember, the more you introduce, the more you have to explain. That can build the word count rapidly without even touching on the actual story itself. And make sure that whatever you write can be easily read out loud.
TL;DR
You need five things, really: A character that the reader can get behind, an obstacle the character needs to best (hopefully, with the reader cheering them on), and a fancy prize at the end (or terrible prize depending on what you're writing). Add to that what the story is about in terms of the telling of it and what the story is about in terms of heart and soul. Mix, pour, bake: Story!
Happy writing!
