11 Tips to Take Your Short Stories to the Next Level

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MY SHORT STORIES:
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☾Elise Holding a Deer Mouse, 1829 - CAROUSEL: carouselmagazine.ca/c45-bishop/
☾How You'll Feel After the War - PRISM international: prismmagazine.ca/2021/10/20/pr...
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Intro
1:21 - Basic conflict/theme/plot formula
2:40 - Bring back details
3:44 - Tie all the threads together
5:55 - The symbolic equation
8:05 - Surprise the reader
9:36 - Use tone/voice as worldbuilding
11:41 - Unpack character contradictions
14:19 - Link the story's images
15:44 - Build causality paragraph to paragraph
17:19 - Earn the revelation
20:00 - Recommended exercise
FAQS
→How old are you? - 25
→How long have you been writing? - Since I was 8
→Where do you live? - I keep that private for safety reasons, but I grew up in Vancouver.
→Where did you go to university and what did you study? - I keep my university information private, but I majored in writing with a concentration in fiction.
→What are your pronouns? - They/them or she/her
→Where can I read your books? - None of my books are published yet, but you can read my published short fiction in my linktree (linked above!)
→So when will your book be published? - I don’t know! I’m in the revision process right now, but I can’t predict exactly when I’ll have a book published. But I’m working on it!
→Do you plan to traditionally publish or self publish? - Traditionally publish
→Will you read my book/story/chapter/mentor me? - Unfortunately I cannot accommodate these requests because editing/critiquing is a labour intensive task that I can’t afford to do for free alongside my job, my own writing, and running this platform. If you would like to hire me for paid editing work, contact me privately on twitter or instagram.
MORE WRITING TIPS: • Writing Tips
WRITING VLOGS: • Writing Vlogs
WRITING CHATS & DISCUSSIONS: • Writing & Authortube D...
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[@sambiggs3419]

Shaelin, thank you from the very bottom of my heart for doing what you do. I find it hard to muster up motivation to write, but watching your videos always puts me in the right headspace to create something beautiful. I look forward to the day when my shelves are lined up with your books 🥰

[@unclephlegm]

Seconded!

[@dogcollar]

oh big same!

[@kaustubh_writes4342]

ditto!

[@RoseBookblood]

Your tips are always great, Shaelin! I've been trying to write short stories for ages and never succeeded, but listening to your advice is like putting together a puzzle bit by bit. A question for you: many people sometimes feel like short stories end at a random point and don't provide an actual conclusion. Why do you think is that? Also, I would love to see you analyze a short story, yours or someone else's, and point out what makes it work. For many people (me included) it's easier to understand a concept with a concrete example and, if you feel like it, I think it would be super insightful.

[@TracyCul]

I'd love to know the answer to this too.

[@ShaelinWrites]

I think it could be a range of things, but that definitely is a common issue in a lot of stories. With short stories being so small, it can be hard for them to gain the momentum needed for a satisfying conclusion - if the reader never feels any stakes from the get-go, there's nothing to really conclude in a satisfying way, so the end will feel random as a symptom of the fact that the entire story was never really going anywhere purposeful. I think as well, a lot of stories don't really have much plot, and so the end can feel random if the needed emotions haven't been instilled to make this 'plotless' structure feel impactful. Often if you have an issue with the end, it's because there's an issue with the rest of the story. If the pieces aren't set up properly, then it's pretty hard (if not impossible) to create a satisfying ending, because you don't have anything to pay off. Short stories do often end more ambiguously than a novel, where we expect most things to be tied up, and so a lot of writers lean into that too much and don't really create any sense of conclusion. So a lot of possible things can cause this issue, but I think most often it's symptomatic of issues with the entire piece, and it just really shows in the ending. And I've thought of doing a video where I analyze a story! I've got some thoughts on that style of video so hopefully it'll happen fairly soon!

[@RoseBookblood]

@@ShaelinWrites Thank you so much for the answer! As always, very clear and on point. And I'm so excited for the story analysis! Of course, take your time, but I can't wait to see it!

[@makt7448]

Shaelin, thank you so much for these short story videos, I keep coming back to them now that I've started submitting to magazines. Your video on dealing with rejection is priceless! My recommendations from Uncanny magazine(free) are: That story isnt about the story by John Wiswell, The eternal cocktail party of the damned by Fonda Lee, Where oaken hearts do gather by Sarah Pinsker, You'll surely die here if you stay by Alyssa Wong Have fun reading everybody!

[@adeldell8275]

I can't thank you enough for your content.

[@billyalarie929]

I think you’ve finally gotten me to break through my writing drought, through all these tips. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@BriantWebster]

I've been writing my own collection of short stories and this came in handy. The exercise is really interesting as well! It's very delightful and motivating to see others take writing seriously :p

[@rizzypizzy]

Shaelin the Seer strikes again! Just what I needed! Thank you!

[@uglystupidloser]

i think endings are tricky for a lot of people. so i like how you say that the ending kind of answers a question. and the story itself could be a vehicle for that question. a question that the author is searching for, and the ending is one possible solution.

[@Josh-nv3qs]

My fav collection is Close Range: Wyoming Stories by Annie Proulx. It's flawless.

[@paulapoetry]

Great video. My favourite short story is The Yellow Wallpaper. I bought audiobook and paperback editions, to get the most out of it, but I believe free PDF editions can be downloaded online, and there are usually various audio versions here on YT.

[@ShaelinWrites]

The Yellow Wallpaper is fantastic!!

[@henrybicket2993]

It’s a little basic, but Hills like White Elephants by Hemingway is my personal favorite short story

[@noordeepsingh1732]

I got your back, senpai. Well, I ain't giving examples but well I have been watching a show on Netflix named "Love, death and robot" each episode is a different short story (like 17 minutes long episodes or less) and I just finished watching the forth episode. As I was listening to your tips I was mapping and analysing the episodes and what all they applied and what all they didn't. Personally, I loved episode 2 and 4 and both of them have a big revelation for the watchers... Like the element of surprise you are talking about. Then I always realize that they did set a tone of the story by dialogues... So, if you want to see the tips in action watch that show... I will recommend for you guys to watch ep 2 and 4 (I am sure there are many other good ones but I haven't watched them yet lol) I am sure you will be able to see the things I just realised by listening to these tips. Watch the episodes then come back watch this again and you will notice many things

[@JoseGonzalez-yw5iz]

Thanks for the wisdom

[@Youcifer]

This is just what I needed. Bless you, Shaelin.

[@joshbryant6366]

i’m breaking the rules and applying a bunch of this to my novel it’s just too genius tysm

[@lilizwart2331]

Very helpful 11 tips. I'm able to apply every single one of them to my flash fiction short to make it better

[@SeanDuranMusic]

You should point people to your short stories... the ones in question, living in the garden of eden; I lied,lol. And than your Zugzwang, checkmate, mate.. Such literature master pieces.

[@mickwritesmaui5899]

Hey Shaelin. I took your advice about dealing with rejection, and I finally got a story published! Your insight into the mind of an editor (that sometimes they love a story, but there’s already a similar story in that issue, or simply they liked it, but a senior editor didn’t) led me to resubmit THE SAME STORY to the same magazine that previously rejected me… and this time, they accepted! Thank you for your encouragement, even if it wasn’t directed at me specifically. Check out 86 logic, a literary magazine by restaurant workers for restaurant workers. My story, “kid cafe” is in issue 7.

[@katydrabek878]

That's so cool, congrats!

[@mickwritesmaui5899]

@@katydrabek878 thank you! 😁

[@johndhi]

Thanks! Re repeating details from the beginning at the end, I always wonder: WHY is this so powerful? Thinking about it now, I suspect it's that it tells the reader that the writer has been thinking about them all along, carefully planning this ending, and it gets them excited for it and reading deeper into it.

[@yaelsbookthoughts9792]

There's a famous short story called Farenheim, written in Hebrew, by Agnon. Loosely translated, its first line is: "Upon his return, he found the door to his house locked." When you finish reading the story you realize that this first line summed it all up. When a short story is done well - it reads like poetry.

[@joedent3323]

That sounds very interesting - is it here on KZbin to listen to? Thanks!

[@yaelsbookthoughts9792]

@@joedent3323 No, sorry. I found a translation to English in a book called "S. Y. Agnon, Twenty-One Stories", edited by N. Glatzer and printed by Schoken Books. Agnon won the Noble prize for Literature in 1966.

[@VideoGameRoom32]

These are great tips and very helpful. I find it harder to write a short story than a entire book. I believe Stephen King said writing a short story is harder to write. Do you think writing s short story is harder to write than a novel?

[@ShaelinWrites]

Personally, I think short stories are easier to write, but harder to do well. Novels are just so much longer that the sheer scale of them makes them a lot more difficult than something that's only 2-6k words and can be written in a couple sittings. Novels get messy and complicated in a way short stories don't, and that makes them more much difficult from a process perspective. However, you have so much more wiggle room in a novel, and I think that makes short stories harder to do well. It's very hard to write a short stories that truly wows a reader, because you just have so little to work with.

[@VideoGameRoom32]

@@ShaelinWrites I written novels and short stories and prefer novels. I can have more character development in a novel. To me a short story is a brief part of a character's life. Have you tried to get a short story and convert it into a novel?

[@ShaelinWrites]

I plan to turn one of my short stories into a novel! It's not something I feel a calling to with every story, since most short stories feel complete as short stories to me, but every so often I write one where I feel like there's more to explore, and it starts evolving into a novel as well.

[@VideoGameRoom32]

@@ShaelinWrites Hope it goes well. I have a short story like you mentioned it already feels completed and I don't feel I need to add to the story. Have you done a video on turning a short short into a novel? That would be interesting to watch.

[@marjoriedybec3450]

Shaelin, that was a fabulously helpful video. I've been writing essays/short stories sort of in the memoire genre but not with the intention of writing a memoire but just as an easy way to grab a subject/storyline. I'm really struggling to keep them concise (under 2000 words) and to develop plot as well as vivid description and character development. But I think if I apply some of the tips you offered here, I might have more success. TY.

[@44madison]

I love all your writing tips!! I don’t know how you do it, but I am very grateful for all your tips. Would you please consider doing a video about titling chapters verses just using numbers like (chapter 1, 2, 3…ETC.) Thankyou:)

[@septemasg.3522]

I needed this! :D

[@GW_BIVAS]

Thank you for such a useful video

[@eugenaymakok2713]

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the videos you upload love you keep doing great work 🥺🥺🥺❤️💛I'm planning to become a writer so it will be very helpful thank you so much much love

[@samriddhinayak5675]

Great video.👍 Could you please make a video on character goal motivation ?

[@MillieMartineuz]

Thank you. ♥

[@Casca1997Berserk]

So smart you are 🌱 .

[@Nicknet]

Love your tips. Leep up the good work. PS: You are my love🐭

[@RudeGoldberg]

Great stuff

[@turtleandbear1179]

very random, but i thought of it when you said that your characters all steal something: Kore-Eda's characters too! He's a Japanese movie director. if you (or anyone else reading this) are(/is) interested, i'd recommend Nobody Knows (2004), and Shoplifters (2018). Or Our Little Sister (2015), but while this one is an astonishingly beautiful movie, it is a quite a-typical film of Kore-Eda, with less stealing. His upcoming movie Broker (2022) also has stealing as a theme - at least from what i can gather. It hasn't come out yet.

[@joedent3323]

My favourite short story: "Pigeons from Hell" by Robert E. Howard. The Audiobook is here on KZbin; the text/story is readily available online. Cheers guys! I hope you enjoy it. "LiL'JpD."

[@engleharddinglefester4285]

A Very Short Story by Ernest Hemingway. It's online. It's like one page.

[@pleek4649]

me: life is meaningless, existence is futile, nothing matters Shaelin: **uploads** Me: :)))))

[@uglystupidloser]

i wish i had friends too

[@currentlyearth8867]

❤️❤️❤️

[@Finnleigh.Jackson4141]

What does the tattoo on your arm say, Shaelin?

[@johnhaggerty4396]

The sublime. The ultimate Next Level ? Read The Guardian online 5 December 2015: * Gordon Lish: Had I not revised Carver, would he be paid the attention given him? Baloney. " By Christian Lorentzen. Read * Conversations with Gordon Lish * edited by Jason Lucarelli. Also * The Anatomy of Influence * by Harold Bloom.

[@JoseGonzalez-yw5iz]

The kiss by Chopin

[@WRNGHAUS]

Symbols and signs Nabokov

[@Exayevie]

Help, I'm stuck in procrastination and I can't get out

[@JoeMama-yd1ve]

You rule.

[@darkg5103]

Your tips are great but please give more examples sometimes you just add unnecessary words to what i already understood from title and its not helping

[@rev6215]

First 🥺

[@noordeepsingh1732]

Second hehe

[@john94949]

The pixie cut. Not for the faint of heart. Not popular with the dudes, but expedient. Hell, I'm a straight male and I've always preferred my hair long. That fact isn't lost on me.

[@ShaelinWrites]

Well I’m gay so I don’t really care if my haircut is popular with the dudes lmao

[@john94949]

@@ShaelinWrites Thanks for sharing. Sorry in case it came off offensive, that wasn't my intention. I like your vids.

[@john94949]

@@ShaelinWrites Sorry, found you more attractive with long hair. It's a compliment if nothing else. Wanted to let good-looking women know that men appreciate 'cuteness' over convenience.

[@ShaelinWrites]

@@john94949 LOL telling someone “you used to be more attractive” is not a compliment. Luckily I don’t base my decisions regarding my appearance on the opinions of men!

[@john94949]

@@ShaelinWrites I found you attractive and the new haircut kinda disappointed me, that's all. Didn't know your orientation. You're pretty. Sorry.

[@StichaelMone]

"What, of this Goldfish, Would You Wish?" by Etgar Keret is one of my favourite shorts: It's quite short, only about 2k words, but it still manages to pack in multiple POVs quite seamlessly and effectively, wonderful use of surrealism (which I love), rife with voice even in the third person (free indirect discourse, also something I love), and the reveal is not only fantastic, it's fantastically done. You can find it by googling the name and "Prospect Magazine." I've though about this story in the back of my mind for a while, but I do think it'd be a great idea to revisit it and dissect it with the everything you mentioned in mind Shaelin. I've also been getting into Alice Munro recently. I'm enjoying her work. I bothered someone in my writing group earlier by describing her as "Hemmingway if Hemmingway's prose was fun to read" lol. I also know he watches this channel, so if you see this writing colleague: hello :^)

[@GW_BIVAS]

My favorite is Munro, Murakami, Carver