How to Write a Short Story | Writing Tips

Welcome to Short Fiction 101!

MORE SHORT STORY STUFF:

MY SHORT FICTION:

SHORT STORIES I LIKE:

OUTRO MUSIC: "l u v t e a [acoustic]" by Autumn Keys

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[GraceCreatesLivingSpace]

step 1: Have a natural talent that you've been nurturing with hard work and constant writing since youth.


step 2: cry

[JunebugPresents]

2:55 Crux/Character revelation
4:08 Event over theme
6:27 Change
7:05 Goal/Desire
7:28 Antagonist
8:00 Template
15:02 Ending
15:52 Beginning
17:11 Share the information (Exposition)
18:00 Character

You are definitely knowledgable. Keep doing what you do. I am passionate about the craft and can talk all day with someone like you who is also passionate about storytelling. Good luck with your endeavors.

[thejosiemiller]

Watching this at school because education

[dieuanhn.]

when you have a narrative due at 12 and it’s already 9

[peripinxle]

She is such an inspiring person. This just made me want to write a short story

[whakabuti]

Shaelin if you ever did a podcast you’d have my vote!

[SaveMoreThanHoneyBees]

Writing tips:

1. Be Shae the Mighty
2.

[cratur]

I just had a nightmare and I put it to words. My friends got freaked out about my text. Which means that my text actually made them feel in a way it was supposed to.

Now I'm going to refine it into an actual story and I want to keep doing it. Weird that a nightmare caused this

[SOLIDSNAKE.]

She really is inspiring to us newbies, personally gives me a huge confidence boost after every video I watch Thank you!

[FixYoSelf]

I think it is helpful to bring up Ray Bradbury's short stories because I don't remember much character at all in them. They mostly seemed like explorations of interesting settings. I guess they did give definition to character traits, but it usually felt like the worlds themselves were the main focus.

[galxc]

Me listening to this so I can write one direction oneshots: 👂👁👄👁👂

[juliaz]

Love when someone shares this type of information with the internet :)

[bryanrussell]

Shae, I want to thank you for your advice and teaching on writing short stories.

At first, I was writing short stories in a way that was like a novel. Like three act structure, hero’s journey, save the cat, the works. And it didn’t get me any where. Then I started to write using techniques Dwight Swain would, but it still was like a novel structure.

I almost lost hope. Till I found your YouTube channel and it gave me a chance. Now I’m in the process of writing a collection of short stories. At the prewriting stage.

Any way, thanks Shaelin! You shined a light in a dark place.

[amandasteven]

i realize this is an older post but it's sooo relevant and to the point i jst can't hardly even believe it. This vid helped me immensely. Thank you!!

[kabedford]

Hi Shaelin! This is a great lecture on short story writing! I've always been the kind of writer where the ideas I get turn into novels, and I have been stumped about how to write actual short fiction. So what you say here is really helpful. The distinction you draw between novels and short stories—the journey versus the event—is something I have never heard before, not even at university! So thank you very much! :)

[Noon]

That’s to the point. You are so natural, fluent, fresh and pretty knowledgeable 👍

[mandyberry]

Took a break from writing a short story to watch this 😂 Perfect timing!

[skywalkerneoblade]

I was sceptical about this video because of your age but I feel that I got an 8 hour lecture in 24 min. Thank you.

[me-zstr]

My respect for short stories has increased after watching your video!

[melodid]

Thank you shaelin. You inspired me and took my fear away from writing a short story. I wanted to write short stories a long time ago and I am almost finished with my first novel (which I love and am very proud of) but short stories were always kind of scary to me.. I've been collecting so many ideas through out the years but they never were big enough for whole novels so I put them aside. You made me want to believe in myself again and I will try to start my first short story right now to keep it as a side project.. so thanks :) Greetings from Germany.