Why You Need To Try Writing Short Fiction To Boost Your Creativity
Creative writing is all about play and experimentation, and short fiction is the perfect way to play and experiment. Short fiction will help you develop your writing skills and boost your creativity without committing to a longer project. But what is short fiction? And how do you write it? Read on to find out more.
What Is Short Fiction?
Short fiction is as simple as it sounds – a little story. But you guessed it – it’s not *quite* as simple as that to write. Short fiction is often self-contained. This means you've got to tell a whole story, you’ve got to develop characters and leave the reader feeling ‘something’ – all within a limited word count.
Short fiction can be referred to as a genre, but it can also be classified based on theme or style. Such as a short horror story.
One of the key elements of short fiction is the word count. The word count requirements can vary. It’s hard to pinpoint specific numbers, but there are some general guidelines which can help:
Micro fiction tends to be stories that are 100 words or less.
Flash fiction stories are generally 1,000 words or fewer.
Short stories often fall between 5,000 and 10,000 words, but can also include stories of over 1,000 words too.
A novella runs the middle ground between a short story and a novel. It typically contains between 10,000 and 40,000 words.
The secret to writing short fiction, and the challenge, is to remember to include all the elements that make up any story (long or short). These are:
Setting
Theme
Character
Conflict
Plot
Short fiction could be another addition to your creative palette and another valuable learning experience. Whether you enjoy the challenge of micro fiction, or prefer the slightly longer form of short stories, there are options within this genre.
4 Reasons Why You Need To Explore Short Fiction To Boost Your Creativity
1. It’s a great steppingstone
Writing an 80,000-word novel can feel daunting. Those words, no matter how much we ask them to flow, don’t always come easily. It can feel like mission impossible. Short fiction could be the perfect steppingstone to build from.
Once you get those words down, there is always a chance that your concept will grow and expand. You might discover a new adventure for your protagonist to embark upon, a new path for them, which you can then explore in more detail. There’s always the potential for a short story to lead to more ideas, more stories.
Despite the shorter length, we still have plenty of elements to consider when writing short fiction. From world-building to creating engaging characters, we have the same creative opportunities as we do with other genres of writing. The more practice we have with developing these things, the more confident we will become in ourselves, our ideas, and our stories.
2. You’ve got to be concise
Although this is true of any creative writing, within a short story, every word counts. With a smaller scope than a novel, each word has to move things forward, have a purpose. This can feel tough, but it’s also really useful practice in helping us become more concise with our writing.
Short stories encourage focus and precision. Often, we only have the space to focus on one particular idea, so we have to make this as engaging as possible. The reader has to be hooked instantly. The short length urges us to get to the heart of the story quicker and focus on getting that idea across. We learn how to be concise, and this is an incredible skill to hone.
3. It takes less time
Novels can be time-consuming, and we might not always have the dedicated time necessary to write one. While we need to consider the value of each word, we write no matter the genre, the length of short fiction can feel less intimidating and is often one of its most appealing features for people.
If we’re working to on upcoming deadline, for example, the smaller number of words required might help keep those panic levels at bay. The writing process for a piece of short fiction, from drafting to formatting, will generally take considerably less time than a larger project. We can forget to have fun with writing, and short fiction is a lovely reminder to write a shorter piece – just because we can.
4. It’s still creative
Short fiction might require fewer words, but it still offers us the chance to be creative and experiment. As Neil Gaiman says, ‘Short stories are tiny windows into other worlds and other minds and other dreams. They are journeys you can make to the far side of the universe and still be back in time for dinner.’ That journey is full of exciting possibilities.
Is Short Fiction For you?
Have you tried your hand at short fiction before? If so, how does your writing experience of them compare to other styles? Or, if this is a new genre for you, why not give it a go and see what you discover? There are always new adventures waiting for us in writing. And after all, it’s short fiction, so you’re not committing to your story forever, just had a go and boost your creativity in the process.
We’d love to hear from you if you’ve started to write short stories. Please get in touch, and let us know how you’ve got on.
