5 Steps to Write a Fantasy Short Story

Writing a story is very different from writing a novel. There is the time factor and the floor to take into consideration. It takes discipline to keep your short story filled with exciting life experiences in as few words as possible. Here are five key steps to writing your story.

1. THEME

The theme is his support structure in your story. The theme is what you paste your diagram, your characters, and your setting to. It is the foundation that keeps your story together. The conflict and how it is resolved is wrapped around the theme of its history.

2. PLOT

The plot is the introduction and series of events that happen throughout your story. It is action and suspense. It’s romance and excitement. The plot involves some kind of conflict that needs to be resolved. Your plot has a beginning, middle and an end. A good story needs a hook in the beginning to entice your reader and keep you turning the page. Then, of course, always remember to save the best for the end - the final twist surprise to leave your reader satisfied.

3. CHARACTERS

It is important not to agglomerate your story with too many characters. Use two, maybe three characters, at most. Most of its history will surround an important event that is crucial in the life of its protagonist. Every word counts. Too much characterization and description can degrade the effect of your story.

4. Stick to the point

Keep the topic of your story. Make sure you do not overpopulate with unnecessary details. Follow the narrow path of your subject. If you have to make a digression, make it short, otherwise you will lose track of your purpose and get stuck with a lot of trivia you do not want.

5. THE SENSES

Keep your story alive and vibrant by using the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. The five senses add depth to your short story. You will see your pictures more clearly. A character or a flat environment now speaks to the reader and becomes real. Here are some examples of one of my writing lessons from a few years ago:

• As the old man pressed the canteen to his blistered lips, he tasted the last drops of the precious liquid and felt the wonderful moisture seeping through his dry throat.
• She wondered if her eyes did not deceive her when she saw a shiny, round object shining on the sidewalk.
• The stench of human garbage and cheap wine filtered through the damp air as he pushed his cart through old poor souls sheltering in the shelter of cardboard boxes.
• The long buried pain began to emerge as he remembered how he saw his beloved, Teddy, suffer to the end.
• The train swayed gently and the click of the lanes made a calming chime, silencing Tyler in a deep, peaceful sleep.

Notice how each of the above conditions attracted you and made you want to know more about the character or environment. That is the key to using the five senses.

The five steps should help you get started. Once you have written a fantasy short story, go back and remove unnecessary words or paragraphs that do not contribute to the topic or plot. Short stories have rhythm: make every word count. Above all, have fun while writing a fantasy short story.