I've written three short stories recently, and honestly, I was surprised by how much people liked them. The reads were limited, but the response made me realize something: good writing isn't about sticking to one type of content, such as article writing. It's also about experimenting with different forms of writing and finding new ways to develop your skills.
How I've Started Writing Short Stories
Writing short stories wasn't something I enjoyed at school. I hated writing essays in class and during exams, and honestly, it used to hurt my fingers and wrists. I'm sure many of you experienced something similar during your school days.
Years later, that interest in thrillers eventually gave me the idea of trying to write short stories myself. When this platform introduced its book-writing feature, I was reluctant to try it because I'd never really written stories outside of school.
Then I realized that writing a book isn't simply about producing 30 chapters and publishing it. You need a strong hook, an interesting plot, and enough creativity to keep readers engaged.
Here's What I've Learned in Writing Short Stories
Writing short stories sounds like it's effortful and creative. Which is true, but all you need is a bit of research and thoughtful ideas to make your story engaging. Here are the ways creative writing has taught me:
Write With Purpose
Like any piece of writing you do, you must have a purpose: who and why you are writing a story. What lesson or message do you want to deliver to your readers? Once you have a purpose, you will be able to experiment with various ways to craft an engaging story that makes readers remember what they have read.
In my case, I write short stories because I want to eventually develop my skills enough to write thriller-based books. This purpose gave me a shot to begin my creativity.
Edit With Patience
After I finish the story, I edit with patience rather than rushing to finish it in one go. Because I divide my time between writing and editing, I finish the story aside and edit the next day. This process taught me that good writing also requires patience. When you've just finished a piece, it's easy to overlook things because you're still too close to the story.
Since I take time to develop scenes, characters, thoughts, and speeches, it really requires effort, but I've managed to edit after finishing the piece.
Trust Your Voice
This is the most important part in writing short stories. Trusting your voice is important, as you have made an effort and shown patience to develop a unique story that captures readers attention. I've also learned that I need to trust my own voice.
I put time into developing the characters, scenes, and dialogue, so I shouldn't constantly worry about whether someone else would have written the story differently. The story needs to sound like me.
Wrap Up
Writing short stories taught me about patience and courage, where creativity comes into play. Since it is an effortful process, all you need is thoughtful ideas that will provoke readers to carry on to read more.
Becoming a better writer isn't about producing the same type of content; it's about experimenting with different ways you can write without constantly worrying about what others will say.
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