WritingBasics.com Writing Short Stories

Writing short stories is different than writing a novel.  But how do you know before you start? Do I have a novel or a short story?

I know there's been a lot of stuff written on this subject but I'd like to suggest a very simple method for determining.

Very simply -

Just plan it as a Short Story.  You write a novel, based on a plan, you write a short story also based on a plan.  Okay, some of you are saying - "I don't need - no plan!" okay then you probably don't need any instruction on writing either so you probably don't need to be here...but for the rest of us, planning is a way of ensuring we don't waste a small percentage of our entire lives writing something that in the end we didn't hope for.

So, step one.  Get a piece of paper. 

Step 2.  Write out your story, with as many details as possible (short of actually writing it!)

Step 3. Does this monster grow out of proportion - is it asking to be a novel?  Then it probably is.

Now let's go on the final point:

START WRITING NOW! You've been planning to death and now it's about time to start writing.  Too many people worry about all the details that they never get to writing.  You can do it!