How to Write a Really Short Story? (5 pages…)

How Short?

• 5 Pages
• Can you write a Story in 5 Pages?
• Do you need 10 pages?
• 10 pages will be maximum to qualify as a Really Short Story.
• How should you write it?
• Just the way you write a Scene or a Chapter.
• A Really Short Story is only a Story on Really Short Scale.

• Can you do it Every day?
• It’s 1 of the best exercises.
• Do it on a daily basis and under a year, you’ll be able to improvise a story at any time.
• When should you do it?
• When is the most comfortable moment for you?
• When is it easy for you to write?

• How long should it take me?
• Can you do it in 1 hour?
• Can you do it in 2 hours?
• Do you need 3 hours?
• Start with the amount of time you’re comfortable.
• Be progressive.
• You can do it in 1 hour on 1 day.
• If you need 3 hours, you may want to spread them on a week (20-30’/day).

Experimentation 1st

• Freedom
• Is there a Story you want to write but can’t?
• Why can’t you?
• Why are you unable to Write it?
• Is it the lack of knowledge in the domain?
• Can you make a Main Character which is Knowledgeable in this Domain?
• Can you give her the Knowledge which is necessary for this Story only?
• Can you write this Character like you want it to be?
• Why can’t you?
• Will the Character act in an Unacceptable way?
• Is her Goal Unacceptable?
• How should you Write this Character?
• How will she define the Story?

• Using the Environment
• Imagine a place.
• Like a Dream or a Nightmare.
• Which exists out of the rest of the World.
• In Isolation.
• A distant place where you can come back.
• A distant place from which you can come back.
• A distant place where you cannot come back.
• A distant place from which you cannot come back.
• Can you describe them all?
• Can you write them All?
• All 4 of them?

• Consistency & Coherence… Later
• Can you Write this Story with considering the others?
• What do you want to Try with this Story?
• What do you want to Implement?
• How will you Experiment?
• What will you Experiment?
• Which kind of Character will you write?
• How will you Write them?
• Is it Unusual for you to write this kind of Character?
• What makes her Unusual?
• Why does she Interest you?
• How should you write her?
• How will you write her?

Together it’s Better

• Multiple Authors
• Being 4-5 to write a story will make it more Diverse & Contrasted.
• Does it mean Multiple Narrators?
• You can have only 1 narrator.
• If you’re beginning it’s the preferred option.
• Each of you can become the Narrator of 1 Part of the Story.
• Each of you can write about 1 Theme.
• And…
• Each of you can take the role of a Character.

• Play the Story
• Sat around a Table.
• Or on a Sofa.
• You’re all around the Computer.
• Or the Paper sheet.
• Choose a Character and start playing the Dialogues.
• What do we do here?
• What are we looking for?
• How can we find it?
• What do we do once we have it?

• Keeping the Interest
• What will you Write about?
• Why choose this Topic?
• What makes it Interesting?
• What makes it Unique?
• Who will it engage the most?
• Which means will you use to keep the Story engaging?
• How much Diversity will you Display?
• How will you Exaggerate?
• What will be the Nature of this Exaggeration?
• How will you create Paradoxes?
• Will you place together in a Scene 2 elements which shouldn’t be?
• Which elements will it be?
• Why are they together?

Need Ideas?

• Rewrite a Favorite Story
• Did you just finish a Book?
• Do you wish you could continue to write more of it?
• Do you have a long-finished Story you’d like to come back to?
• Why do you want to come back?
• Why do you want to Continue?
• Is there a Critical Element the Story was missing?
• Which Element?
• How would you Integrate this Element?
• How would it change the Story?
• How would you rewrite it today?

• How Should I Rewrite it?
• Rewriting a Story is Changing the Parameters.
• What can you Change?
• What Should you Change?
• Will you write it in a Different Setting?
• Will the Characters have Different Roles?
• Will they have Different Relationships?
• Will they have Different Interactions?
• Should you choose a Different Genre?

• Do you already have a Main Project?
• These Short Stories can become your Side Projects.
• You can base them on your Main Project.
• Did you have Ideas that you could not implement in your main Project?
• Did you have Ideas that you forgot to implement in your main Project?
• Here’s the opportunity to create a Story for each of them.

Plan

• Summarize
• Summarize the Whole Story in 1 sentence.
• Summarize the End in 1 sentence.
• Summarize the Introduction in 1 sentence.
• Summarize the Main Crisis in 1 sentence.

• Resolution
• How does it End?
• Where does it End?
• Which Issue occurs?
• Who is involved?
• How can the Issue be solved?
• Can it be Solved?
• How does the Story end for each Character?
• Which New Event occurs?
• Which New Environment is Discovered?
• Which New Character is Introduced?

• Introduction
• Where does the Story Begin?
• What is the Atmosphere?
• Who are the People?
• Where do they Live?
• How do they Live?
• What are their Issues?
• How do they manage them?
• Which Event occurs?
• How is the 1st Environment of the Story?
• Which Character is Introduced?

• Escalation
• How does it Escalate?
• Where does it Happen?
• Which Issue occurs?
• Who is involved?
• How can the Issue be solved?
• What should it lead to?
• What does it lead to?
• Which New Event occurs?
• Which New Environment is Discovered?
• Which New Character is Introduced?

• Crisis
• Which Crisis should the Characters Face?
• Where does it Happen?
• Why does it Happen?
• How does it Happen?
• Which Issue occurs?
• Who is involved?
• How can the Issue be solved?
• What should it lead to?
• What does it lead to?
• Which New Event occurs?
• Which New Environment is Discovered?
• Which New Character is Introduced?