All of the following comes from the 6 different websites listed at the bottom of this page. Almost none of this is my own writing, and I will not take credit for it (Also, I'm sorry, Mom, for not doing in-text citations correctly. I know you're dying a little inside).
Structure
Short stories usually follow a traditional plot structure: exposition (with a powerful “hook”), conflict (against self or an outside force), rising action or complication, climax, and resolution.
Something has to happen in the story. Things like conflict and resolution achieve this effect. You can build conflict through mystery (explain just enough to tease the readers), empowering both sides, intensifying the obstacles as the story progresses, creating surprise through sufficient complexity, empathy, universality, and high stakes—convince readers that the outcome matters because someone they care about could lose something precious.
As with any type of writing, the beginning and the end are the most important parts. Make sure your first and last lines are the strongest in the story. The beginning should catch your reader’s attention with the unusual or the unexpected, or drop her in the middle of the action or conflict. Begin with tension and immediacy, starting as close to the end as possible. Then, the end of the story should resolve the conflict. This shouldn’t be too drawn out though, and it can simply show that the character is beginning to change, or hint at how things might be different in the future.
Theme
Every piece of writing must have a message or thread of meaning running through it, and this theme is the skeleton or framework on which you hang your plot, characters, setting etc. As you write, make sure that every word is related to this theme.
It's tempting to use your short story to show off your talents of characterization, descriptive writing, or dialogue, but remember that every excess word is a word that dilutes the impact of your story.
The best stories are the ones that follow a narrow subject line. Decide what the point of your story is and even though it's tempting to digress, you must stick to the point. Otherwise, you end up with either a novel beginning or a mish-mash of ideas that add up to nothing.
Plot
Always begin with an intriguing first paragraph or lead.
Be selective: Every sentence must do one of two things: reveal character or advance the action.
Always remember, unexpected consequences ramp up emotional energy. Also, be a sadist. Make drama happen.
Time Span
You should shoot for about 10-25 pages as a good rule of thumb.
Limit the time frame--It's unrealistic to cover years of a character's life in twenty-five pages. (Even a month might be a challenge.) By limiting the time period, you allow more focus on the events that are included in the narrative.
If you find that your story overflows these boundaries (or any of the boundaries) no matter what you do, consider expanding it into a novel.
Setting
Choose your setting carefully—you are limited by space in a short story.
Appeal to the five senses to make your settings more realistic to the reader.
You need to paint such a vivid picture that the reader can imagine herself in the scene. It helps to place yourself into the setting and transpose this into your writing. If you can’t see it clearly, the reader certainly won’t be able to.
Characters
It is important for the writer to know everything about the characters (name, job, temperament, phobias, strong memories, etc, etc), but in a short story, ONLY INCLUDE THE DETAILS RELAVANT TO THE STORY.
Give the reader at least one character she can root for.
Use few characters and stick to one point of view.--You simply will not have room for more than one or two round characters. Find economical ways to characterize your protagonist, and describe minor characters briefly. Having only one or two protagonists naturally limits your opportunities to switch perspectives. Even if you're tempted to try it, you will have trouble fully realizing, in a balanced way, more than one point of view.
Dialogue
Don’t use any synonyms of “said,” unless the emotion can’t be built into the scene. For example, you don’t need to write “I love you,” she said passionately, or “I love you,” she gushed, because the reader already hears a tone associated with the words “I love you” in her head. BUT if the character says “I love you” sarcastically, or manipulatively, you might want to add that tag so the reader catches it, unless the drama is already built into the scene.
Always remember to show, not tell. If there is silence in the scene, don’t just tell the reader, “They sat in silence…” Describe the silence—“She heard Mr. Smith’s lawnmower outside as she stared at her shoes.”
Dialogue is a powerful way to convey character, but it must contribute to the main focus of the story. Every word you put into the mouth of your characters must contribute to revealing your theme ... if it doesn't, cut it.
If you are still having trouble, here are some brainstorming tips:
Brainstorming
Keep a notebook on you—write down overheard conversations, expressive phrases, images, personal experiences, ideas, and interpretations of the world around you as they come to you.
Write on a regular basis, even if you don’t feel like it.
Collect: Keep the amazing, the unusual, the strange, the irrational stories you hear and use them for your own purposes.
Just always remember that “writing short stories means beginning as close to the conclusion as possible, and grabbing the reader in the very first moments. Conserve characters and scenes, typically by focusing on just one conflict. Drive towards a sudden, unexpected revelation,” and you should be good to go.
Websites
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