How to Write a Short Story in 6 Steps

Writing short stories can be crucial to your novel-writing dream.

Resist the urge to begin your writing career with a full-length novel. That’s akin to going for your PhD before finishing elementary school.

You have a lot to learn about the publishing world, selling your work, working with an editor, getting cliches out of your system, and, in short, honing your skills.

In this video, based on my 45 years of experience, I help you get started writing compelling short stories.

We’ll explore:

- 6 steps to make your stories better
- How to find and perfect your own writing voice
- Finding inspiration from classic short stories (including my reading suggestions)
- How to create characters and plot points
- The unique nature of your first draft
- How to ferociously self-edit for success
- And much more

For more in-depth writing advice, click the following link to download the FREE bonus I mention in the video.

[albertyracheta]

I'm writing a book at 62 but never even read a book. I'm dyslexic and using google docs and a microphone to write and also to read back what I've written. I always knew technology would come along to help. thank you Jerry for your videos

[baldeagle]

I ferociously edited my comment to the following two words:

Thank you.

[sanjay]

The best 9 minute short story writing points tutorial you will ever find. Thank you.

[eloureirotubeyou]

1 - Read short strories 1:08
2 - Generate a winning idea 3:01
3 - Narrow your scope 4:30
4 - Employ a classic story structure 5:56
5 - A satisfying ending 7:13
6 - Edit Aggressively 8:20

[markchange]

Step 1- Read Short Stories(Start with reading books written by Bret Lott
Step 2- Generate A Winning Idea(Recognize the germ, Create characters from people you know)
Step 3- Narrow Your Scope
Step 4- Employ A Classic Story Structure
4.1- Terrible Trouble
4.2- Attempted Fixes Make Things Worse
4.3- The Predicament Appears Hopeless
4.4- Heroic Growth Helps Hero Win
Step 5- A Satisfying Ending
Step 6- Edit Aggressively

[johnhannahoriordan]

I just can’t believe that this man puts such valuable content online for free. I started writing my novel over a year ago. Everything that has gone well in it is almost completely thanks to Jerry Jenkins’ videos and his self-editing checklist. Brilliant. Thank you. God bless you.

[renemcdonald]

I quite literally was moved to tears when he said "every light in the house was on."

[graciouspizza]

*Liked it, *
*Screenshots, *
*Saved it in the list, *
*Subscribed, *
*Motivated*

[BrandonKeever]

As an MFA student, I can state with confidence this video is 10 minutes of solid gold writing instruction.

[shawshank]

The 'lights on' story is a great example of saying more with less. Thanks for sharing Jerry.

[mikecee]

Once again, Jerry Jenkins comes through with excellent advice. If you want to write, sit down and listen to what he has to say. It's how I wrote my first science fiction book, Ark Three, and how I'm writing the second in the series, Ark One. Without Mr. Jenkins, I doubt that I would have actually self-published.

If I can do it, anyone can.

[barringtongilbert]

Hi Jerry. Commenting because it helps you with your channel. I am 64, a former alcoholic writing a story about overcoming addiction. Its done in story form to go alongside my audio course. Invaluable information. Thank you. I will be watching more of your videos as my main source of learning. ❤

[SportsBoss]

I'm 68 years old, but I'm haunted by a short story class I took in high school where the ultimate goal was for each person to write one. Not normally a confident person, for some reason I felt that I was good at writing and that this was something I'd be good at. Well, I received a good grade for it, but personally I was very, very disappointed with what I created. My ending, in my mind at least, was poor and a cop-out. It's bothers me to this day. I kept saying to myself "write a better one" but as usual, whenever anything is tough for me, I give up. Watching this video and the points you make has made me re-think this. And as daunting this task is to me in many ways, I may be ready to try again. Not doing this to get anything published. My sole motivation is simply to make myself feel better and prove to myself that I can do what I initially thought I could do - write a short story that I can be happy with. Wish me luck.

[garysscaryfaeries]

I've been writing a book about how tourists act in rural Ireland, as I own a small nontourist shop in a touristy area of West coast Ireland. The first 2.5 years went great, 60000 words in I started to edit. That was a year ago, I had to put it down because of how negative I had wrote, it wasn't an account of how generally tourists act, it was a full on look for as much of the negative aspects I could find. I learned a lot about how negative a person I am that's for sure. I will finish it one day, hopefully in a much more accurate light.

[Soth]

I needed to hear everything you said here. From the not starting out with a novel (which I’ve been insistent on doing, thus have gotten nothing published), to reading of other works, to allowing myself to write draft without editing. Your presentation style is inspiring. You’re the instructor I think I’ll need to get started on my writing career which I’ve put off since childhood.

[escapematrixenterprisejacq]

So so relieved to hear this. I got so overwhelmed and lost; I almost wanted to give up, but my love for the written words and melodies and love for being in the creative worlds just will not go away. I feel like VC Andrews starting at 53

[vinylzappa]

At seventeen years of age I wrote a short story about an inmate of a mental hospital. It is about 40 pages and I consider it to be my batchelors. Fifty years later I'm writing the novel I've been thinking of all this time.

[anniea]

I've never made notes from a youtube video. This was the most valuable thing I've learnt all year.

[jusdeorange]

Outstanding advice and support on short stories. I really want to become a published writer, and I know this is my starting point. Truly appreciate the reading list provided and the authors mentioned. Thank you very much!

[jonahnolastnameneeded]

I’m going to write a bunch of short stories with recurring characters and setting, then draft all these stories together as a novel. It’ll take a lot of drafting to make it coherent, but I think it’ll work for the story I want to write. I also think that just writing all these separate stories that have unique ideas may be easier than just connecting everything from the first draft.
Each chapter will be like an episode of a Netflix binge series.