Select topics for short stories

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Writing short stories is an exciting challenge, as this form of literature is subject to its own formal rules, which also affect the choice of topics.

Good topics are the be-all and end-all of an exciting text.
Good topics are the be-all and end-all of an exciting text.

Short stories - the special thing about it

  • A short story combines a lot of emotional movement in a small space. Some of the texts contain up to fifteen thousand words, others are limited to one or two pages. What they all have in common, however, is that their scope of action is limited. This also means that the content of your story will probably revolve around just one event or an aspect that has been removed from the life of your protagonist.
  • Short stories are of course quicker to write than a novel, but they require a high level of accuracy. Therefore, make sure that everything relates to one another and has an open beginning or an open end serves solely to inspire the reader and not to help the author out of the embarrassment of an unfinished plot to help out. A well-designed text captivates with a balance and precision that is reminiscent of a lyrical work.

Find good subjects for your text

How can you follow the lead of great short stories that will keep your readers breathless? Certainly an essential aspect of a successful plot is to find suitable topics that correspond to the peculiarities of such texts. Here are some hints:

  • Feel free to do a few dry runs by training your skills from your favorite writers. Pick out stories that you particularly like and try to summarize their content in one sentence and the effect the texts have on you in another. This gives you a feeling for the interplay between the selection of topics and their impression on the reader. With this exercise you will tune into your life To write a.
  • Then take a piece of paper and write down topics that you like and that appeal to you. These can also just be keywords. Everyone who writes also has experience as a reader and therefore knows very well about the magic of captivating plots. First decide on a keyword that you are now trying to work out on a topic.
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  • Write your keyword in the middle of a new sheet of paper and trace it without thinking about it. What effect does it have and what new impulses are generated? Create a cluster and group all the words and images that appear around the outside.
  • Then try to summarize the elements of this cluster in a sentence that unites the feelings, points of friction and opposites. There is a high probability that this will be possible because the source of your cluster is deeply anchored in your creativity and will therefore involve emotional movement.
  • Refine your sentence until it is no more than twelve words and you think it is suitable as a starting sentence for your short story. Most of the time, doing this will stimulate the flow of writing and the story will "magically" take shape. If this proves to be a little difficult, take your sentence and make it into a The focus of a continuing cluster, which will probably give you further impetus for your story will deliver.

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